[olldflame]

Your assumption is that Mike would want help from Freeze.

I can't imagine why he would not, but I also cannot imagine Cincinnati did not give HF a call before making the hire if he had not reached out to them already. Last time I checked, talking to the previous employer was standard procedure. They likely talked to Gill, Rocco and Harbaugh as well.

[flamesfilmguy]

or just maybe the way mike was told he was no longer going to coach at his alma mater rubbed him the wrong way and didn't want to associate with HF. I wouldn't have wanted the dudes help either.

[Purple Haize]

or just maybe the way mike was told he was no longer going to coach at his alma mater rubbed him the wrong way and didn't want to associate with HF. I wouldn't have wanted the dudes help either.

Then you’d be foolish

[thepostman]

I am not saying it was handled correctly, but if someone lets you go but then offers to help you and that person has connections you should probably at least listen.

Just my 2 cents from someone who has zero personal connection to this situation.

[flamesfilmguy]

or just maybe the way mike was told he was no longer going to coach at his alma mater rubbed him the wrong way and didn't want to associate with HF. I wouldn't have wanted the dudes help either.

Then you’d be foolish

Nah I'd be able to land an job without anyone's help just like mike did. I get that its a business. I work in the field and see it all the time. This would be one of those times I wouldn't take the help out of principle

[thepostman]

Seems petty, but you do you.

[olldflame]

or just maybe the way mike was told he was no longer going to coach at his alma mater rubbed him the wrong way and didn't want to associate with HF. I wouldn't have wanted the dudes help either.

Then you’d be foolish

Nah I'd be able to land an job without anyone's help just like mike did. I get that its a business. I work in the field and see it all the time. This would be one of those times I wouldn't take the help out of principle

You know he didn't have help?

[CCWMichael]

Only 191 days to go!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[Jonathan Carone]

I can't speak for Mike, but I'll lay out the situation and you tell me what you'd do:

• A new coach comes in and keeps you on staff.
• You are out recruiting for that new coach.
• The chief of staff calls you while you're out recruiting and fires you over the telephone.
• After you hang up the phone with the chief of staff, the head coach immediately (as in within a minute or two) texts you and says to let him know if he can help.

Would you want that guy to help you find a new job or would you do it yourself?

[flamesfilmguy]

I can't speak for Mike, but I'll lay out the situation and you tell me what you'd do:

• A new coach comes in and keeps you on staff.
• You are out recruiting for that new coach.
• The chief of staff calls you while you're out recruiting and fires you over the telephone.
• After you hang up the phone with the chief of staff, the head coach immediately (as in within a minute or two) texts you and says to let him know if he can help.

Would you want that guy to help you find a new job or would you do it yourself?

This. And when I spoke to him earlier this month it was made to seem like he was there on his own trying to find a job. I didn't ask him directly because I'm not going to ask a guy that.

[thepostman]

I can't speak for Mike, but I'll lay out the situation and you tell me what you'd do:

• A new coach comes in and keeps you on staff.
• You are out recruiting for that new coach.
• The chief of staff calls you while you're out recruiting and fires you over the telephone.
• After you hang up the phone with the chief of staff, the head coach immediately (as in within a minute or two) texts you and says to let him know if he can help.

Would you want that guy to help you find a new job or would you do it yourself?

Probably not right away but something I have learned in my professional career is you never burn bridges and if someone offers to help you get on your feet you don't allow pride to get in the way.

Again, that is my personal stance through my own personal experience. If someone in a similar situation aa Mike came to me for advice on this kind of thing this is the exact advice I'd give.

[thepostman]

Had you asked me this same question 5 or 10 years ago I would of answered much differently.

[Jonathan Carone]

Honest question: have you ever been fired?

[olldflame]

Honest question: have you ever been fired?

A new coach not retaining an assistant from the former coach doesn't qualify as a "firing" IMHO. It's the rule rather than the exception. Yes, it probably made it seem more like one because he was initially retained.

[Jonathan Carone]

Mike had been offered the job, accepted it, and had his contract in hand. He was out recruiting for Freeze. You can be “well actually” guy but he was fired.

[thepostman]

Honest question: have you ever been fired?

I have been reassigned which in the military world is very much the same thing. I did not allow the people who made that decision to help me and I ended up ok but there have been times I have wished I had handled that situation much differently. There is a ton more to this story but I'm not going to talk about it here.

[Jonathan Carone]

Honest question: have you ever been fired?

I have been reassigned which in the military world is very much the same thing. I did not allow the people who made that decision to help me and I ended up ok but there have been times I have wished I had handled that situation much differently. There is a ton more to this story but I'm not going to talk about it here.

That makes sense. I wanted to ask because someone who had never been fired having that opinion isn’t really valid to me. Unless you’ve been in that situation it’s hard to say if you’d take the help or hold the grudge.

[thepostman]

And I certiantly did hold a grudge but if that same situation were to happen again, I would handle it much differently. Which is why I said if this happened 5 or 10 years ago I would've been in complete agreement with you.

[Purple Haize]

I can't speak for Mike, but I'll lay out the situation and you tell me what you'd do:

• A new coach comes in and keeps you on staff.
• You are out recruiting for that new coach.
• The chief of staff calls you while you're out recruiting and fires you over the telephone.
• After you hang up the phone with the chief of staff, the head coach immediately (as in within a minute or two) texts you and says to let him know if he can help.

Would you want that guy to help you find a new job or would you do it yourself?

Probably not right away but something I have learned in my professional career is you never burn bridges and if someone offers to help you get on your feet you don't allow pride to get in the way.

Again, that is my personal stance through my own personal experience. If someone in a similar situation aa Mike came to me for advice on this kind of thing this is the exact advice I'd give.

You are wise above your years. Coaching is a small fraternity You don’t wanna burn bridges and you don’t wanna turn down help.

[JK37]

It’s true what PH says about keeping bridges fireproof and taking help where one can. I’ve refused the offer of a reference and job search assistance just one time. It was from a HC for whom I worked one year. And I told her directly that I knew I couldn’t stop anyone from calling her, nor could I control what she said to them. (She promised it would be positive.) I told her I would never promote her as a reference, and I would never call on her for help, because I never wanted people to connect my coaching philosophy with hers. But that was after a year of being in her employ, and possessing a coaching philosophy and methods completely antithetical to hers.

The process that has been reported of MB’s termination seems very shady. I certainly would’ve handled it very differently. But there is room in it for HCHF to give MB a positive reference - and for MB to accept it - while all parties save face. I doubt any of us will ever know if that contributed to MB’s new position. But it isn’t a stretch for me to believe it.

[Jonathan Carone]

I’d argue there’s a huge difference in a “positive reference” and “helping someone get a job.”

[JK37]

Maybe. I wasnt differentiating to a “huge” degree in my post.

[Purple Haize]

It’s true what PH says about keeping bridges fireproof and taking help where one can. I’ve refused the offer of a reference and job search assistance just one time. It was from a HC for whom I worked one year. And I told her directly that I knew I couldn’t stop anyone from calling her, nor could I control what she said to them. (She promised it would be positive.) I told her I would never promote her as a reference, and I would never call on her for help, because I never wanted people to connect my coaching philosophy with hers. But that was after a year of being in her employ, and possessing a coaching philosophy and methods completely antithetical to hers.

The process that has been reported of MB’s termination seems very shady. I certainly would’ve handled it very differently. But there is room in it for HCHF to give MB a positive reference - and for MB to accept it - while all parties save face. I doubt any of us will ever know if that contributed to MB’s new position. But it isn’t a stretch for me to believe it.

And by not burning that bridge it makes your prospects better. “Oh, they worked for that coach?” “ yeah but they left because of the same concerns you have about that coach”

I can’t see anyone with half a brain turning down help. “Hey, ran into coach Freeze and he said you might be looking for a job?” “ Coach Freeze told you that? No, I’m good. I don’t need his help”

[ballcoach15]

I agree with the posts above "never burn bridges". One never knows what the future holds.

[Class of 20Something]

I prefer to misquote common cliches. We'll burn that bridge when we get there.