Former head coach of the Oklahoma Sooners Football Team, Lincoln Riley, left Oklahoma to USC with reports streaming that he would be signing a 110 plus million dollar contract along with receiving two houses and a private jet. 

“College coaches being so willing to leave their program for money and not staying loyal really makes me question where I want to commit and I need to make sure the coach that recruits me is gonna stay while I’m there” said Amador football player and college prospect Brady Nassar (‘23).

Mario Cristobal, the Oregon Head Coach, also left his position to sign an 80 million dollar contract with Miami. In an even larger move, Notre Dame’s Brian Kelly left for LSU with reports saying the contract would be worth more than 100 million dollars. Kelly had been coaching at Notre Dame for more than 10 years and with the team had made the national championship once and the newly installed College Football Playoffs twice.

“I don’t like how willingly they leave and it’s all for the money. They won’t stay loyal to the programs that built them up. It screws over these smaller programs and just gives more power to large schools” said Amador Football player  Hayden Roberts (‘22).

College coach’s salaries are paid for by boosters and not directly by the school’s so the schools with the most and wealthiest boosters will be able to outbid the smaller schools and they will be stuck grasping at straws. With college coaches getting more and more money this year it will lead to a power imbalance in college football and a few powerhouse teams, while the remaining schools are fighting an uphill battle. 

“I feel bad for the players and the schools. They build these guys up and then when they leave they bring all their recruits with them” said Hayden Roberts (‘22). 

When the coaches leave, so do their recruits, and it will leave the schools struggling for a few years. When Lincoln Riley announced he was leaving, there was immediate news that many Oklahoma players would be transferring; including top wide receivers Jadon Hasewlood and Theo Wease, along with tight end Austin Stogner. 

“These coaches are screwing over their programs,” said Amador Football Player Luke Longmire (‘22).