Why BC is a better job than most think

During the coaching change last fall, I discussed the various positions with some friends who were plugged into the coaching community. The general consensus was that BC was not as good a job as some of the others available at the time. One job that was supposedly better was NC State. That had me scratching my head. Tom O'Brien had just proven that it was easier to succeed at BC than in Raleigh. But the argument for NC State was the same thing you always hear: better facilities, easier recruiting, and great fans. Yet all that great potential hasn't led to much success. In fact, NC State is where coaching careers go to die.

Long-time ACC writer Caulton Tudor noticed that most ACC jobs lead to firings. But I think it is a bit different at BC. We may have fired four of our last six coaches, however, an argument could be made that two of the fired (Bicknell and Jags) could have used BC as a stepping stone had they had better foresight or timing. Bicknell missed his window and passed on bigger jobs. Jags tried to jump too early and saw it all blow up in his face.

The two that got fired without any prospects were Spaz and Henning. They share some of the same characteristics including that they never should have been hired in the first place and both were a little old for the job. Age is a factor in all of this. If you are young and hungry and ready to prove yourself, BC can be a great place. Expectations -- even among bloggers -- are relatively low. The Boston media is passive, as is the fanbase. Those might keep some from wanting the job, but that low pressure environment should be enticing to someone who wants to build a career.

Addazio is positioning himself as a lifer at BC. Odds say that won't end well. However, if history holds, he will have other opportunities in four of five seasons. I am not worried about him taking a new job either. There will be a smart opportunistic coach ready to fill his shoes at BC.