:format(webp)/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/66261581/usa_today_13602286.0.jpg)
Yesterday was National Signing Day, and most college coaches were holding press conferences waxing glowingly over the new athletes they get to call worthless in a few months. Some decided that they would use their platform to pick up the flag for the on-going battle against the fearsome enemy of all who protect the sanctity of college athletics, the Transfer Portal.
Yes that entity which came into existence to make it easier for athletes (and coaches) to see if there were better situations for themselves at new schools continues to be a thorn in the side of dorks with headsets aka College Coaches Against Transfer Students (CCATS).
UConn Huskies head coach Randy Edsall (who didn’t fly back with his UConn team from the Fiesta Bowl when he left them for Maryland) had some very pointed comments including the go-to “entitled” moniker.
Randy Edsall says he doesn't want players from the transfer portal, because they often "think they're enabled and entitled."
— Alex Putterman (@AlexPutterman) February 5, 2020
"I'd rather go with high-school kids of junior-college guys. Guys going into the portal, they've got issues. That's why they're going into the portal."
Edsall clearly got the message from his coaching brethren because last year he had some different opinions
“I think it’s great,” Edsall said on High Motor this week. “I think it’s great the NCAA is giving these kids the opportunity. The rules are what they are and if kids want to take advantage of them, they have the opportunity to do that.”
He wasn’t the only talking visor taking the transfer portal to task. Look at what Virginia Tech Hokies HC Justin Fuente had to say:
Is Justin Fuente going to ban himself from coaching because of the whole Baylor thing or nah https://t.co/9Q4XBmFl5I
— Alex Kirshner (@alex_kirshner) February 5, 2020
You can read more about Fuente’s comments here but it’s pretty amusing that a guy who looked for a better opportunity with the Baylor Bears just a month ago is so against any of his athletes doing similar career exploration and possible betterment.
The timing of these comments makes me wonder if the recent AFCA Convention featured some breakout sessions on “Battling the Portal” or “Head Coach Hypocrisy.” If not there’s plenty of time to get that on the agenda for 2021. In the meantime, let’s hope Syracuse winds up the beneficiary of some of these other coaches’ misguided comments against player movement.