With the college football regular season officially over, the time has come for the coaching carousel to go into full swing. This year it has been on overdrive as a number of big-time positions have opened up, causing many schools to lose their coach for a more prestigious program.
Such was the case with Willie Taggart, who recently accepted the head coaching position at Florida State after just one season at Oregon. Taggart is a Florida native, but he’d just been in the homes of several recruits to continue working on securing their commitment to Oregon.
This did not sit well with many, including a lot of current Oregon players who called Taggart a liar. Taggart’s bolting also brought up an ongoing conversation about the double standards between collegiate athletes and coaches leaving for another school.
Something that Los Angeles Lakers rookie forward Kyle Kuzma felt compelled to chime in on:
This the problem with college sports. Wanna bash players for leaving schools but the same coaches go into living rooms and tell parents how they are going to take care of their kids for 4 years. Why doesn't he have to sit out for a full year? https://t.co/dKcJT1s6ua
— kuz (@kylekuzma) December 5, 2017
This caused Kuzma’s Laker teammate, and fellow Utah Ute alum, Andrew Bogut to give his sarcastic response, which Kuzma also replied to:
But you get free books and classes, a coach should be allowed to count their $ and coach where they want, when they want! You spoilt athlete! https://t.co/mRpJxh0zvM
— Andrew Bogut (@andrewbogut) December 6, 2017
Yup free books and classes that don't relate to nothing + 800 dollars a month. Student-athletes have hit the jackpot bogs. https://t.co/8AtI8w2bag
— kuz (@kylekuzma) December 6, 2017
Amateur athletics has long been one of the most debated topics in this country. Many players have complained about their struggles to stay afloat financially in college, while they won’t see any of the millions of dollars made off of their work.
Seeing coaches allowed to leave schools for better opportunities with no repercussions while players are forced to sit out for a year if they transfer only makes things more frustrating for players. Kuzma is speaking about the frustrations of many college athletes across the country.
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