COLUMN: Success can be costly

From Eric Goldstein's "Upon Further Review," Fall '95 The same could be said for Fran Dunphy, who could be the latest in a long line of successful Quakers basketball coaches to move on to bigger schools or even the professional ranks. Dunphy can look to Dick Harter, Chuck Daly and Dave Wohl for examples of Penn coaching alums who have made it big in the national spotlight. For Bagnoli and Dunphy, two of the Ivy League's greatest coaches in their respective sports, it has become a question of when, not if, they will leave for greener pastures. The loss of talented coaches is common-place among successful small-conference programs. The draw of more money and national recognition often outweighs the comforts of a smaller program. But considering the numerous scandals in major-college football programs, the decision to move on may not be quite so clear. Times have changed since the Gipper and school pride were enough incentive for collegiate football and basketball players to work hard. Now the benefits of under-the-table payments and professional aspirations serve to push athletes toward excellence. At Southern California, the big news these days is the murder trial of alum O.J. Simpson and the suspension of three star football players for associating with an agent. These scandals have served only to draw attention away from the fantastic job coach John Robinson has done at USC, bringing the Trojans from Pac-10 mediocrity to a No. 1 preseason ranking by Sports Illustrated. Even the heroics of Heisman-hopeful Keyshawn Johnson have been overlooked in favor of the recent tabloid trash. But for a class act like Robinson, the decision to suspend three starters was by no means an easy one. With his players in the thick of the national championship hunt, Robinson's move may have cost USC a trip to the Rose Bowl. Unfortunately, all too many coaches have made the wrong decision under similar circumstances. In today's athletic environment, coaches who don't win don't work. So the pressure is on coaches to recruit not necessarily good students or even good kids, but to take the best possible athlete. Consider the recent case of Richie Parker, the New York high school basketball super-recruit, who admitted to sexually assaulting a high school classmate. Despite his admission of guilt, numerous top universities, including George Washington, Seton Hall and Utah, continued to heavily recruit him. It was not until the schools began receiving negative publicity that they retracted their scholarship offers. In fact, at GW, school administrators became so embarrassed by the actions of coach Mike Jarvis, that they offered Parker's victim a scholarship of her own. And one Utah assistant coach was suspended after insisting Parker was the true victim in the case. Is a sexual offender like Parker really the kind of student who deserves a free ride, when smarter, law-abiding students are forced to scrape their way through four years at college? Such is the dilemma facing coaches today. Coaches realize that their career prospects rest with the performances of these 18- and 19-year olds. Collegiate sports is big business. Getting invited to a bowl game or qualifying for the NCAA basketball tournament is worth hundreds of thousands, even millions, of dollars to the universities. And more and more frequently, schools are signing exclusive contracts with shoe and clothing companies, like Nike. Michigan, Penn State, North Carolina, Florida State and, now, Colorado all have such deals, which bring in millions to the schools and to the coaches. So more often than not, coaches turn the other cheek to violent and illegal actions by their players. It is not so hard to see why so many professional athletes are charged with spousal abuse. Those teenage assaulters in college grow up to become adult abusers, with no one willing to stand up to them just because they can score a touchdown or dunk a basketball. Athletes like Lawrence Phillips, Warren Moon and Scottie Pippen have been pampered for so long that the line between right and wrong has been blurred. By ignoring these problems, coaches only allow them to continue. But there was a time when coaches were teachers, not just instructors. One must look no further than last Sunday's newspapers for evidence of that fact. For 52 years, Eddie Robinson has brought success and pride to the students and administrators of Grambling State. Saturday's victory marked the monumental 400th win of Robinson's miraculous career. Four hundred wins -- each and every one of them won with quality players and quality men. For over half a century, Robinson has worked his magic in the heart of the Bayou, shunning the callings of bigger, richer schools to stay home. Yes, Robinson graduates players to the NFL, such as former Redskins quarterback Doug Williams. But more often, he graduates citizens. As much as that sounds like a cliche, it is true. Success does not have to come at a price.