Frank Haith: Getting Out While The Getting Is Good

Life is not going particularly well for Frank Haith. You'll remember that he left Miami more or less ahead of the mob. Now he appears to have left Missouri in the same fashion, taking a lesser job in a lesser conference and likely for lesser money.

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No one does that without motivation. In Haith's case, one suspects that the revelations/accusations from Miami cast a shadow over his time there, and dwindling crowds this past season were a bad omen.

Still: Tulsa? If not for Haith, then why for Tulsa?

That school has a particular genius for finding promising, rising coaches. Haith is closer to the Peter Principle than that.

Haith didn't win any friends on the way out of town, refusing to speak to reporters at the airport or to address what the heck was going on.

You know who's really going to be unhappy about this? Dave Hart and Tennessee.

There's no question - none - that Missouri is a better job.

It's a regional program, to be sure, but Missouri has  passionate fans, nice facilities and tradition.

The Bruce Pearl era was fun, but very brief. Take that away and what does the mind harken back to at Tennessee?

Other than football?

Okay, other than spring football?

And recruiting?

The greatest era for Tennessee was the Bernie and Ernie show, and those guys are in their 60s now.

Missouri gets a chance to start fresh with a new coach. They might look to a smaller school, a place like, say, Tulsa.

Or maybe Clemson. Brad Brownell would be a great fit at Missouri. About the worst anyone could say is that his offense isn't a thrill a minute.

But he wins and from all appearances runs a clean program. That's a handicap in the SEC, but not an insurmountable one.