Anyone else troubled by this trend?  College football coach interviews with an NFL team and then gets fired by the university.  It happened to Boston College’s last coach.  And, this week, it happened at Hampton University to Jerry Holmes.

Holmes told HU that he was going to interview for some NFL jobs at this year’s Senior Bowl.  HU was not cool with it.  When he interviewed anyway, they fired him. 

HU says the timing was the issue.  Other schools were telling recruits not to go to Hampton because their coach may not be around.

Maybe I just don’t get it, but why can’t you tell that same recruit that Holmes is interested in NFL jobs and the NFL is interested in him.  He could go if the job is right.  If it’s not, he will stay and teach these young kids how to one day get to the NFL.  Every college athlete hopes to improve enough to play professionally.  Jerry Holmes knows what it takes to do that.  But Hampton didn’t want him.

I just don’t get it.  You fire Jerry Holmes and promote an assistant.  How is that any different than keeping Holmes?  You have basically the same staff, except now you don’t have a guy who is NFL qualify.

I hope it works out for Hampton.  Their new coach is a Norfolk guy and seems motivated to put the Pirates back in the playoffs.  I just don’t think high aspirations is a fireable offense.