Falcons Coach Petrino Quits; Signs with Arkansas

[FRPLG]

Originally Posted by Mattyk72

I think there's just such a huge difference between coaching in college and coaching in the pros. The NFL is really a year round job now, and the time these guys put in each week is insane. They really have to dive head first into the job and everything else in their life is a distant 2nd on their list of priorities. And then there's the win now or else pressure the media and the fans demand.

I don't blame him at all for leaving.

But the way in which he did it really irks me. At least finish out the string. Don't quit with games on the schedule. I think it seriously calls into question his character.

I think more importantly is the fact that in college you are coaching kids and in the NFL you are coaching men. It takes a whole different management style and it seems a lot of these coaches lack exactly that. The ability to manage their team from a personell standpoint. Rarely do they looked overmatched football-wise but they almost always seem to have troubles getting guys to play for them.

Even the successful ones like Jimmy Johnson basically was coaching a college team for the first few years. That team was insanely young and he was able to slowly mature his coaching style as they aged. Those types of teams don't exist anymore. Who was the last successful college coach?