Mike Shula gets fired from Alabama after a 6-6 season. Alabama, unable to discover a coach with values, decides to raid the Miami Dolphins. The Tide pays (a freaking boatload) for a coach likely to cut and run within the next three seasons. Some said the hire was a "blunder", "out of control" and some said Saban "slithers" into the job. Many have reformed Nick Saban's name to "Nick Satan" -- no relation to little Nicky.
So the Miami Dolphins are coach-less because of the hit and run head coach that should be banned from organized football -- including 7-8 year-old pee-wee. Who do the Dolphins look at? Former Alabama head coach, Mike Shula. The Phinsider isn't encouraged by the legendary last name Mike brings. "This isn't good. Here's a guy who only has 4 years of head coaching experience, all at the college level, and was only 3 games over .500 there. When he was the offensive coordinator of the Bucs, they ranked no higher than 22nd in total offense. Just (because) he is a Shula does not mean that he should be the next head coach of the Dolphins. Oh man, do I just hope Wayne Huizenga and the boys don't really screw this thing up." Mike completed his second interview on Saturday.
So, let's recap the coaching carousel this off-season.
Bobby Petrino ditches Louisville for Atlanta. Mark Dantonio left Cincinnati for a big pay raise calling the move "a return home". Yea, yea. In all, there's been 21 coaching changes in Division 1-A football with Rice still looking. In the NFL, Miami, Oakland and the Steelers are still looking with questions about Marty Schottenheimer. Schottenheimer is a perfect example of how the press and fans overlook poor play, turnovers and personal fouls and go directly to a coach that has a history of losing as an excuse to losing to a heavy underdog.
This works in conjunction with "respect". Everyone demands it, no one earns it. In modern football, you win now or you lose your job within three seasons. It's the immediacy effect. We want results now! We'd rather sit in our car for a full minute getting our super-sized meals than sitting at a restaurant for 20 minutes before eating. We have a fast lane to pass those that teeter on the edge of the speed limit.
Wanting immediate results may cause both the Alabama and Miami Dolphins programs to remain stale. After all, Alabama got a guy that'll ditch to the highest offer and Miami might be getting a guy that struggled to remain over .500 in college. The immediacy effect isn't always a good thing.