As most college football fans are probably aware of by now, Vanderbilt’s Bobby Johnson unexpectedly resigned yesterday. While Johnson’s seat had been getting warmer, the timing of this makes absolutely no sense. Why would a coach suddenly step down just weeks before summer practice?
“I’ve decided to retire, not resign,” Johnson said. “It is a tough decision with which my wife Catherine and I struggle. This is a personal decision. It’s about what we want to do with our lives.”
Vandy is Vandy. It’s never going to rival the Floridas or Alabamas on a yearly basis in the SEC. When you are the head coach of the Commodores, you always have to curb your own enthusiasm when it comes to your own personal expectations for the season.
In other words… maybe Johnson looked at the schedule… then looked at his roster… then looked at his schedule again… you get the idea.
To be completely honest- the more I read about it, the more I am of the opinion that Johnson just burned out. To be the head man on a collegiate level, you have to have some ego- but Vanderbilt is one of those ego deflating jobs. It’s not that they can’t be successful (Bobby Johnson did win a bowl game), but it is a struggle for an academic power to do so on a yearly basis in a conference like the SEC.
Now comes the next important question… who will Vanderbilt go after to replace Johnson? Of course, there are rumors flying, and the name making the rounds?
It doesn’t seem very likely, but stranger things have happened. Would Phil Fulmer be successful at a school like Vanderbilt where he has to recruit athletes with a high standards of academic achievement? Would Vanderbilt be willing to pay his hefty salary?
Tags: Bobby Johnson, College Football, NCAA, Southeastern Conference, Vanderbilt University, bcs, coaching carousel, phil fulmer, recap, rumor mill by Tommy
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