opinion So minor contretemps and long tenure will not deter USA Rugby in its choosing elite-level coaches after all. Well and good.
David Smyth, the incumbent All-American head man, has been retained despite last month’s local dustup in Utah. And why not, since it appears preliminary reports were tendentious? Nigel Melville was directly engaged in fact-finding, a good sign.
The chief executive’s January views seem less savvy, however. Shortly after he suggested that long-term appointments were a thing of the past, Kathy Flores was given a two-year extension – which would bring her to a total of seven years in the post.
"I don't think that the next [men’s] Eagle coach should necessarily coach through to the next World Cup. It's a very intense job," Melville told Goff on Rugby at the time.
Contracts of five, seven, or even ten years are quite standard in big-time American sports, and it would be difficult to persuade the coach of Notre Dame football, UCLA basketball, or many other Division 1 programs that international rugby is ever so much more stressful. How long has Alex Ferguson served Manchester United?
Separately, Northern California will require high school varsity (i.e., first) teams to wear IRB-standard numbered jerseys beginning April 1. Referees are empowered to enforce the requirement, including by ruling contests a forfeit, according to PelicanRefs.
Flores has done a good job with the squad, why not reward her with an extension?
Posted by: John Wayne | 30 March 2007 at 18:32
We need to give our national team coaches some job and financial security.
THAT BEING SAID, the national team coaches should see that as their ONLY job.
National team coaches who coach other programs (i.e., Berkeley All-Blues, etc.) are essentially "moonlighting" on the job, and we are their bosses.
Our national team coaches should be spending 100% of their time on the national level. For the Eagles, that means doing film, scouting players, going abroad to work with other coaches.
If they cannot find 40+ hrs a week doing this, then another option is for the National body to send the MNT / WNT coach to major cities on a regular basis to watch big-time matches (RSL or a Top 10 women's match), and also do supporting events around it, such as giving speeches to LAUs, leading clinics, etc.
Thorburn is doing this in the DC area this week, and that's a great start. His only task at hand is to handle the national team.
Flores on the other hand must always balance a club side with national team obligations.
When players make it to nationals, if the MNT/WNT head coaches are there, they should be doing NOTHING other than representing USA Rugby at the National Level.
They must not be there associated with a club who has "skin in the game", coaching them.
Posted by: Cheyanquí | 30 March 2007 at 21:53
Until Mr. Thorburn was brought in to coach the MNT, the salaries paid to the national team coaches was (and on the women's side is) paltry, especially based on what is asked of the coaches. In an ideal world, all of the coaches would be paid a salary on which they could actually live on, pay their bills, and accomplish their job. Until additional money is brought in though, besides the MNT coach, the other coaches will be forced to work two jobs just to make ends meet.
Posted by: Elmer Gardt | 02 April 2007 at 14:17