The Three Most Surprising Coaching Moves in Modern College Sports: Part 1 (The Rise)

The coaching carousel in college sports has become front-page news every fall. With the introduction of NIL, coaches now manage multimillion dollar rosters instead of only focusing on the futures of young athletes and the reputation of their schools. As always, it is easier to change the person in charge than it is to change the personnel.

Every few years, the sport delivers a move that shocks everyone. A hiring or firing that seemed impossible even a few weeks earlier suddenly becomes reality. In the past decade alone, we have seen Lincoln Riley leave Oklahoma for USC, California part ways with Sonny Dykes in January, and John Calipari leave blue-blood Kentucky for a far lesser job at Arkansas.

Over the next three weeks, The Fringe Guys will break down three of the most surprising coaching decisions of the modern era. In Part One: The Rise, we tell the background stories that led to these moments. Next week, we will focus on the decisions themselves and why they happened. In the final installment, we will look at the aftermath and what those choices meant for both the coaches and the schools.

Gene Bartow: The Man Who Followed the Legend

Gene Bartow had taken a long and winding road to reach Southern California. The forty-five-year-old began his coaching career fourteen years earlier at Central Missouri University. After three years in Warrensburg, Bartow accepted the head coaching job at Valparaiso in Indiana. After six seasons with the Crusaders (now called the Beacons), he rose to national prominence at Memphis State, today known as Memphis.. By his second season with the Tigers, Bartow had led them to consecutive Missouri Valley Conference titles and an NCAA Tournament berth.

In the 1973 tournament, Memphis made a run all the way to the national championship game. Facing off against six-time defending champion UCLA, Bartow’s Tigers fought hard but were overwhelmed by Bill Walton and the Bruins. Despite the loss, Bartow made a lasting impression on the UCLA program. A few months later, after a stint coaching for the United States in the FIBA Championships, Bartow was hired by the University of Illinois.

The 1974–75 season was rough for both Bartow and the Illini, who finished at the bottom of the Big Ten. That same year, legendary UCLA coach John Wooden retired after winning his tenth national championship in twelve years. The search began for someone willing to take on the impossible task of following the greatest coach in college basketball history. Perhaps because of his success with Memphis, Bartow was chosen for the job. Despite signing a five-year deal with Illinois the previous season, he packed his bags for Los Angeles.

Bartow won immediately at UCLA. In his first year, he captured a Pac 8 title and reached the Final Four. He repeated as conference champion the next season, but his Bruins were upset in the Sweet Sixteen by Idaho State in a one-point loss. The defeat stunned the UCLA faithful, who were not used to losing in March. Still, Bartow won nearly 86 percent of his games and recorded the second highest winning percentage in school history at the time. It seemed impossible to ask for more, yet tension behind the scenes was starting to build.

A few months after the loss to Idaho State, Bartow received a call from representatives at the University of Alabama Birmingham. 

Gary Andersen: Success, Frustration, and the Breaking Point

Gary Andersen’s story is one of rising fast and burning out even faster. The former Utah player, assistant coach, and Utah State head coach climbed steadily through the ranks until landing one of the top jobs in the Big Ten. In 2012, Wisconsin hired Andersen to replace Bret Bielema, who had left for Arkansas.

Andersen’s first season in Madison produced a solid 9-4 record, but it was the 2014 campaign that made people believe he had the Badgers back among the conference’s elite. Wisconsin went 10-2 in the regular season, setting up a Big Ten Championship matchup with Ohio State. What happened next stunned everyone. Behind Ezekiel Elliott and Cardale Jones, the Buckeyes steamrolled Wisconsin 59-0 in one of the most lopsided title games in conference history.

Despite the embarrassment, most assumed the Badgers were still in good hands. A trip to the Outback Bowl awaited, and the future appeared bright. But behind the scenes, Andersen’s patience with his employer was wearing thin. Recruiting had not gone the way he wanted, and he placed the blame squarely on the university’s restrictive academic standards and lack of flexibility with prospects.

A few days after the loss to Ohio State, Andersen sat in his office frustrated. He began to question whether he could build the kind of program he envisioned at Wisconsin. 

Jeff Jagodzinski: From Rising Star to Sudden Crossroads

Jeff Jagodzinski, known to fans and players simply as “Jags,” was on a clear upward trajectory. After years as an assistant across college and the NFL, he was hired by the Green Bay Packers in 2006 as offensive coordinator, a position previously held by Tom O’Brien. When O’Brien left Boston College for NC State the following year, Jags was tapped to take his place in Chestnut Hill.

He inherited a loaded roster that included future NFL MVP Matt Ryan, and the results came fast. Boston College went 11-3 and finished inside the top ten of the final poll. The next year, the Eagles dipped slightly to 9-5 but remained one of the ACC’s most consistent programs. Jagodzinski’s offensive approach was exciting, balanced, and creative, and soon NFL teams began to notice.

That offseason, the New York Jets reached out to request an interview for their head coaching vacancy. For most rising college coaches, even the chance to interview for an NFL job is too tempting to ignore. But before Jags could respond, Boston College athletic director Gene DeFilippo called with a clear message: do not take the interview.

It was a defining moment, and Jagodzinski had a decision to make.

What’s Next?

Gene Bartow succeeded the greatest basketball coach of all time and won almost every game he coached. Gary Andersen turned Utah State into a winner and also found success at Wisconsin. Jeff Jagodzinski brought Boston College back into the national spotlight.

But for each of them, whether it was their own choice or the decision of the program they worked for, moves were about to be made that would impact their careers and the sports world around them.

Next week in Part Two: The Decision, we will look at the choices these coaches or schools made, and further dive into the why.

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