What do the sexual abuse scandals at Penn State and Syracuse have in common? If we can analyze that, then perhaps we can concoct a recipe for potentially abusive situations in the future, and act before they get out of hand. With that in mind, here are six similarities between the two scandals:
- A head coach who is perceived as "unassailable" by the university. The label "unassailable" in this context is used to denote not-fireable, above the law or rules of the school, more identified with the college than any other factor (including academics), etc.
- A long-time assistant coach who mostly flies under the radar. By being a "second fiddle," successful assistants enjoy all the trappings of a successful program without the limitations of notoriety or scrutiny. Realistically had anyone (outside of rabid fans) really heard of Jerry Sandusky or Bernie Fine before the scandals broke?
- A means to gain access to victims outside of "normal" channels. For Sandusky, it was his Second Mile charity, which brought at-risk young boys into his circle. For Fine it was the coach/ballboy relationship with the team.
- A college campus and/or program that is unrealistically driven by a history and expectation of success. Penn State has two national championships in football; Syracuse has one in basketball, one national runner-up and numerous Sweet Sixteen appearances.
- A place without the media coverage of the large markets (except for the sport in question). Though well-known in athletic circles, Happy Valley, PA, and Syracuse, NY, both qualify as "off the main path" places.
- Evidence of a lack of concern over athletic misbehavior on the part of the head coach. Paterno was notorious for handling even the most serious allegations "in house." While prior to this scandal Boeheim was not implicated in serious wrong-doing, his program did receive sanctions for NCAA violations in 1992, and several of his players have had marijuana violations (most notably Carmelo Anthony).
So what programs fit this recipe? Here is a chart showing the longest tenured NCAA Football coaches (courtesy of Business Insider):
In basketball, there are 19 Division I coaches with tenures longer than 15 years (from Rivals.com). If we shorten the list to include only those school with rabid fans and long-standing winning traditions, the list looks like this (in order of tenure):
- Jim Boeheim, Syracuse (Paterno was #1 on the football list before his firing this year)
- Mike Krzyzewski, Duke
- Jim Calhoun, Connecticut
- Tom Izzo, Michigan State
If we similarly shorten the football list to those programs that regularly compete for the national championship, we get:
- Frank Beamer, Virginia Tech
- Mack Brown, Texas
- Bob Stoops, Oklahoma
I am in no way trying to suggest or implicate any of these seven programs in any kind of scandal in any way. Period. But...shouldn't we take a closer look at these seven to see if they match any of the other ingredients for a scandal?
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