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http://www.commercialappeal.com/news...han-just-west/

Geoff Calkins: Problems at U of M bigger than just West
By Geoff Calkins (Contact), Memphis Commercial Appeal
Tuesday, September 9, 2008

The Memphis football program is an utterly undistinguished, barely mediocre program that lives off SEC rejects and has no hope of improving unless the university makes radical changes.

Why not admit that right up front? It'll make the discussion that some of you seem to want to have about Memphis coach Tommy West that much simpler.

You think he should go.

You're already assembling your lists of potential replacements. Jeff Bower would be great! Steve Roberts could really turn things around!

It's hogwash, of course, or did you forget the central truth at the start of this column?

The Memphis football program is an utterly undistinguished, barely mediocre program that lives off SEC rejects and has no hope of improving unless the university makes radical changes.

See how much simpler that makes everything?

And, yes, there was a time I might have taken sides in the growing debate about whether this should be West's last season on the job.

I could argue that West should stay because he's taken Memphis to four bowls in the last five years.

I could argue that West should go because the team is lousy and bowl bids have become about as hard to get as trophies in Little League.

But you know what?

I really don't care. Not because I don't want the Memphis football program to grow into something grand and powerful. Because I realize that's beyond the abilities of any football coach.

West is the ninth Memphis football coach since 1958. All but two of the previous eight were fired.

Rex Dockery died in a plane crash after his third season. Fred Pancoast decided he'd have a brighter future at Vanderbilt.

The rest were canned. Billy Murphy, canned. Richard Williamson, canned. Chuck Stobart, Rip Scherer and Charlie Bailey, all canned.

Now some of you want West canned. In which case, Memphis could hire a new coach, who would ultimately be canned.

Everyone repeat after me: The Memphis football program is an utterly undistinguished, barely mediocre program that lives off SEC rejects and has no hope of improving unless the university makes radical changes.

I'm not saying this to be ugly, either. But why not start with the truth?

It's a slap-dash football program. And it'll remain a slap-dash football program unless and until the university decides it wants it to be something better than that.

That's why the idea of an on-campus stadium had so much appeal to supporters. Because it had the potential to change the dynamic.

Would a new stadium have guaranteed Memphis an instant winner?

Of course not.

But it was the sort of radical change that had the chance to transform the program.

Instead, Memphis athletic director R.C. Johnson is leading a campaign to raise $3 million for a new weight room. How dispiriting is that? Ole Miss just spent twice that to replace a video replay screen and the Memphis coach is supposed to recruit against Ole Miss?

How does that work, exactly? What is the coach supposed to say?

"We don't have a grassy tailgate area, and we don't have a fancy scoreboard, and we don't have an on-campus stadium, and we don't have a decent locker room, and we don't have an indoor practice facility, and we don't have a credible conference, but we are trying to raise money to build a better weight room that might possibly be finished before you're gone?"

West has not persuaded many kids to fall for that pitch. Now he's started taking questionable characters who got bounced from BCS schools. I really should rip him for doing that, but what choice does the guy have?

None of which means I agree with everything West has done at Memphis. He had a big hand in Saturday's humiliating loss to Rice and overreacted to the ensuing criticism.

But that's OK, too. West is as frustrated as anyone. He's a good man who has provided Memphis fans with some happy memories and represented the university with class.

Why replace a guy like that? To hire another coach who will fail?

The Memphis football program is an utterly undistinguished, barely mediocre program that ... oh, you know the rest.

But that's the unavoidable truth about Memphis football. And if the university doesn't have the energy or vision to make radical changes, it doesn't matter whom they employ as the coach.

To reach Geoff Calkins, call him at 529-2364 or e-mail calkins@commercialappeal.com