Losing culture at Tulane takes its toll on another head coach

By Ed Daniels, Sports

Breaking news, Uptown.

In a major sport, Tulane is changing head coaches, again.

When baseball coach Travis Jewett and the school parted ways last week, the blame game was well underway.

It was certainly, of course, Jewett’s fault. After all, since he arrived in 2017, the school had yet to reach the NCAA Tournament.

And, the finger was also pointed at the man who hired Jewett, director of athletics Troy Dannen.

I say it is neither.

You might not agree with this, understandably, but I say it is an institutional problem, not a coaching one.

Think about it. How many times can you remember a Tulane coach who wasn’t fired but moved on for a better job?

The last time that happened in football was Tommy Bowden in 1998 to Clemson.

In basketball, it was Perry Clark to Miami in 2000.

And, in baseball, it was David Pierce, after only two seasons, leaving for Texas in June 2016.

Since a fifth-place finish in the College World Series in 2005, Tulane has won seven NCAA Tournament games.

In doing some research for the upcoming football season, a reporter stumbled on this number: With seven wins this season, Willie Fritz will have the second-most wins of any football coach in Tulane history. He will pass Chris Scelfo, who had 37.

So, we ask, again. Why isn’t Tulane winning? No one seems to be able to provide the answer. Frankly, I wonder if enough people care anymore.

At Cincinnati, Houston and Central Florida they certainly care. All three schools will begin their final year in the American Athletic Conference this fall. The three will become members of the Big 12 on July 1, 2023.

Central Florida didn’t have a football program until 1979, when it began play as a Division III independent. It didn’t join a Division I league until entering the Mid-American Conference in 2002.

Tulane used to own Cincinnati in football. From 1990 to 2000, the Wave defeated the Bearcats in football five consecutive times.

In February, Cincinnati gave football coach Luke Fickell an extension through 2028 and will pay him more than $5 million per season.

Cincinnati’s director of athletics John Cunningham said the following about Fickell’s hefty pay increase: “We understand what it is going to take and what the price of poker is in the Big 12. That’s going to be something we’ll have to continue to grow.”

Exactly.

When Tulane fired Chris Scelfo after the 2006 season, a member of the school’s sports information asked a reporter why he didn’t ask a single question at the press conference?

“I already know all the answers,” said the reporter.

“Heard them all before.” So, the coaching carousel spins again at Tulane University.

It is sadly, a common occurrence.

Ed Daniels is sports director at ABC26 WGNO. He can be reached at ed@nextstar.tv.