Whatever he does, BYU's new football coach shouldn't give it a second thought that he's replacing a legend. He doesn't need the aggravation (isn't that what the call-in show is for?).
The fact that he's following LaVell Edwards as the Cougar coach shouldn't even enter his mind. Well, except when he has to drive by LaVell Edwards Stadium every day on the way to work, and coach there on Saturday. Oh, and except when he has to do an interview with the athletic director and he sees the bust of the coach that sits by the door of the A.D.'s office. He'll probably think about it then. But other than that, he should put it completely out of his mind. Well, except for the oil painting of Edwards that hangs in the Cougar Room underneath LaVell Edwards Stadium — where they'll hold a press conference announcing him as the new coach. And except for the wall tapestry that bears his likeness on the other side of the room. Oh, and when he drives the highways and byways of Utah en route to the press conference, and he sees the old man's craggy face staring at him from billboards. Otherwise . . .
. . . Edwards is out of sight, out of mind. This is the new guy's team now. All his. There's no need to think about living up to The Legend, just because he is the SIXTH WINNINGEST COACH IN HISTORY and can claim a NATIONAL TITLE and 20 CONFERENCE CHAMPIONSHIPS and 22 BOWL BERTHS and 33 ALL-AMERICANS and NINE FIRST-ROUND DRAFT PICKS and a .716 WINNING PERCENTAGE. Who cares?
By the way, if the new coach ever gets down in the dumps and needs help, he can always turn to The Man upstairs. Both of them. Edwards is moving to a second-floor office in the Smith Field House.
But why would he even think about Edwards? Oh, someone might point out that he's sitting in an office that has had only one other resident, ever. And he might — might — think about his predecessor just a little when he steps out of his office into the waiting room and sees a virtual scrapbook of The Legend's career: a Heisman Trophy, Outland Trophies, all-America certificates, conference championship trophies, a national championship trophy, a marble etching of the coach, a photograph of the old coach standing with several other legendary coaches.
The last thing BYU wants is for the new coach to worry about trying to live up to the old coach. The old coach is worrying about that for him. BYU plans to give Edwards that second-floor office in a converted wrestling room, just one flight up from the football office. Edwards is trying to find an office in a separate building so he can give his successor his space; however, he'll probably have to move upstairs anyway, says a secretary. So the new guy probably won't even give a thought to The Legend — except when he passes him in the hallway.
Nobody should tell the new coach that he's bucking the odds. Don't tell him about the other coaches who tried and failed to replace legends. Nobody can even remember the guy who followed John Wooden, old whatshisname, Gene Bartow. Or the man who replaced Vince Lombardi. Does Phil Bengston ring a bell?
Let's not even talk about George Seifert, who won two Super Bowls for the 49ers but somehow never measured up to Bill Walsh in the eyes of most fans and, apparently, the 49ers brass. A year after his last Super Bowl victory, they sent him packing — sailing, actually — with the highest winning percentage in NFL history (thus saving themselves from a life of further prosperity).
Maybe BYU's new coach missed the news: Just as he accepts the job to replace Edwards, Mike DuBose is stepping down as Alabama's coach, the latest victim of the Bear Bryant legend. At Alabama, football games are played at Bryant-Denny Stadium, which is located on Paul Bryant Drive, down the street from the Bryant Museum, near Bryant Conference Center. Ray Perkins was the first to try to replace Bryant. He won 32 of 48 games and lasted just four years. Then came Bill Curry, Gene Stallings and DuBose. They all had their share of success, but it was too tough to live up to The Bear's record of 323 victories, six national titles and 13 conference titles.
Maybe the new guy won't even know that this business of replacing legends is miserable. Texas coach Fred Akers had a fine 86-31-2 record — and it wasn't good enough to match the legend of predecessor Darrell Royal (167-47-5 and three national titles). Earle Bruce tried to step in for Woody Hayes. He lasted nine years (one-third of Hayes' tenure) and was fired despite a record of 81-26-1.
Don't tell BYU's new coach what Frank Solich said about replacing Tom Osborne, who replaced Bob Devaney: "It's tough to walk out to the field and not know what the coaches have done here. There's a bit of a weight on my shoulders." While we're at it, let's not tell the new coach what Perkins said, either: "Did I feel the presence of Coach Bryant? Yes. Everywhere you go, and rightfully so. Whoever follows someone like that, they'll have a similar experience."
E-mail: drob@desnews.com