Nov. 30, 2004
I know it's not my sport, but I love intercollegiate athletics and I follow college football closely. From Tyrone Willingham at Notre Dame to Ron Zook at Florida, college coaches have been in the news recently.

For now, I want to address the situation at Florida. I have a lot of respect for Florida athletic director Jeremy Foley because he is a friend of coaches. He gives resources to his coaches and also takes care of them when they're successful. Just ask basketball coach Billy Donovan and his assistants.

Having said that, the Zook firing is troubling. Why does an academic institution feel the need to fire a coach before the season is over? I have a gut feeling that there's more to this story than we know about at an administration and trustee level, and firing Zook became the easiest way out. But it isn't the right way.

Imagine what it will be like to replace Mike Krzyzewski at Duke!

Let me tell you, Florida made a major mistake. It's sad to see a guy's career end after less than three years — that's too early to give the guy the ziggy. He should have had more time to get the job done, especially after replacing an icon like Steve Spurrier.

Nobody could have succeeded quickly in that situation. It's like the guys who replaced John Wooden, Casey Stengel, Vince Lombardi and so on. The superstars of the coaching world are always tough to follow. Imagine what it will be like to replace Mike Krzyzewski at Duke!

Zook is everything you want in a coach. If you meet him one time and look him in the eye, you'll see the passion and love he has for his players. That's why his players love him, and they stood outside the locker room and cheered after beating Florida State (something Spurrier could not do).

The Gators finished the regular season at 7-4, but that isn't good enough to keep the job any more. That's a sad commentary in its own right. Zook instilled the qualities you want in a coach — passion, love for the game, a good reputation and good relationships with those around him (including the media).

A few bad breaks cost him big-time. Florida is making a mistake, and if someone gives Zook the opportunity to be a leader in a different situation, he will flourish. He can recruit, and his enthusiasm and energy are unique. It's easy to cheer for him.

We need more guys like Zook in the coaching fraternity, in both basketball and football. Shame on you, Florida, because I have a feeling this guy will be special in the future.

By the way, do you remember the fiasco at Auburn when the school president was considering getting rid of coach Tommy Tuberville? Look at what Auburn has done under Tuberville this season! He's sitting undefeated right now.

Florida shouldn't have ditched Zook so fast.

Dick Vitale coached the Pistons and the University of Detroit before broadcasting ESPN's first college basketball game in December 1979. Send him a question for possible use on ESPNEWS.