BYU's Dave Rose and the new coaching model

There were a lot of sighs of satisfaction Wednesday when it was announced that Dave Rose had signed a five-year contract to remain BYU’s basketball coach. I think it was a smart move. I can’t picture a better fit for BYU. He’s intense but measured, pleasant but not silly, spiritual but not preachy, competitive but not crazy.

In short, just the type of coach BYU needs.

While BYU has had some outstanding coaches, I’m not sure anyone ever fit better than Rose. Steve Cleveland was a fine person, but seemed slightly detached. I always viewed him as a Fresno guy, even after he had been at BYU several years. Roger Reid was a great coach, but his candor sometimes got him in trouble. Ladell Andersen was an excellent fit, but was always an Aggie at heart. Frank Arnold did a nice job of representing BYU, though he too got in trouble occasionally with his post-game remarks. And when he’d stomp on the court to protest bad calls, I always wondered if the big bosses were irritated.

Rose has just the right balance.

While BYU officials were quick to say they were relieved that Rose would stay, the move wasn’t unprecedented. In fact, it was downright predictable in a sense. Staying put is the new wave. Some of the hottest coaches in the country have agreed to stay at their current jobs, long term: Brad Stevens (Butler), Shaka Smart (VCU), Stew Morrill (USU), Matt Painter (Purdue) and Chris Mooney (Richmond), to name a few. Some of those contracts like Stevens’ and Mooney’s extend to 10 years or beyond.

The days of jumping around seem to be dying out a bit. There are a few reasons for that. First, “mid-major” colleges like Butler and VCU are coming up with more money to retain their coaches. Second, coaches value the stability that staying home provides their families and the continuity it gives their programs. Third, the contracts can be long by traditional standards. Stevens’ contract that he signed last year has been reported to be 12 years; Mooney’s is 10. With security like that, who needs to be job searching?

And finally, there’s the success factor. In football, you can’t get to a national title game as a mid-major. But in basketball, you actually can. Win your conference and you’re in the NCAA Tournament. If only things were that simple in football.