TOUGH SYSTEM: Santa Margarita's Klay Thompson has signed a letter of intent with Washington State, which legally binds him to the school even if Cougars coach Tony Bennett leaves. THE ORANGE COUNTY REGISTER FILE PHOTO |
OCVarsity Voice: Psst! Don't rush into signing that letter
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By being patient, athletes can avoid being stuck with a school after a coach suddenly departs.
Terrelle Pryor took his time but urged other recruits to expedite the process.
The nation's top football recruit for this season recommended that others in his position decide on a college early to cut short a high-pressure courting process.
Pryor eventually decided on Ohio State well after February's national signing day, but it's more likely fellow recruits will follow his advice and not his patience.
And, in the process, they will continue to fall victim to a system that is meant to benefit college programs far more than it does athletes.
For instance, consider what party is in a better position, Washington State or Santa Margarita's Klay Thompson. The answer, sadly, is obvious.
Cougars coach Tony Bennett pulled out of the running for the Indiana job, which went to Marquette's Tom Crean. But Bennett, one of the best young coaches in the country, will remain a target for any program in search of a national title. He could leave at any point, and who could blame him for departing the Palouse for the promise of a big-time program?
Thompson, however, can't just change his mind, even if the coach who recruited him leaves. He would have to ask for and be granted his release from Washington State, because the letter he signed was a binding contract with the school, not the coach.
The text of the national letter of intent includes the following:
“Coaching Changes. I understand I have signed this NLI with the institution and not for a particular sport or individual. If the coach leaves the institution or the sports program (or is not retained), I remain bound by the provisions of this NLI. I understand it is not uncommon for a coach to leave his or her coaching position.”
Waiting until the spring signing period, though, would have given Thompson a better feel for the situation since most college jobs are filled around the Final Four. It's not his fault, especially when he surely heard that schools' limited scholarships could dry up by the time he made a decision.
Blame the system, not the player.
It's a system that locks up players, makes them sit out a year after transferring and gives them almost no guarantees. College sports' dirty little secret (OK, one of many) is scholarships are renewable each season, and some coaches callously run off players who aren't quite cutting it.
Waiting might not have made a difference for Taylor King, who now is looking for playing time somewhere other than Duke. And Mater Dei quarterback Matt Barkley is so talented and set on USC that his junior-year decision might make sense.
But other athletes either should consider following Pryor's example or, better yet, blowing up the traditional approach altogether.
Another college sports secret: A letter of intent only helps the school. Savvy players occasionally opt to enter scholarship agreements, which lock up the schools far more than the recruits.
Of course, institutions of higher education could educate them about that.
But why would they ever tinker with a system that always works for them?
Contact the writer: tharmonson@ocregister.com
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