Football: Choice words from Walters; Guelph loses another coach

Kyle Walters seems to be to telling his university it gets what it pays for, in not so few words. Meantime, defensive coordinator Bill Brown has followed him out the door.

Walters, the new Winnipeg Blue Bombers special teams coach, told Greg Layson that the pay scale at Guelph will affect who it gets as his successor.

"“It certainly affects the candidates who apply for the job, without a doubt,” he said. “If you’re looking for a proven guy, you have to pay above and beyond what he’s already making elsewhere.”

" ... I’m a bit of a romantic, and I probably would have stayed in Guelph for 25 years and made a career of it here for what I was making, but when someone else offers you a job that pays more, you have to entertain the offer; at least look at it. And I got too good of an offer both financially and in terms of a coaching opportunity (to turn it down)."

Typically, when a coordinator leaves, it's because he was told he wouldn't be considered for the top job. Brown will stay on for a transition period.

"I will assist the new coach during the transition phase to get (him) comfortable with his surroundings and systems that are in place with regards to recruiting and film editing. My focus right now is answering questions from our current recruiting class and current players. I have met with the players and will continue to provide them support and guidance during this off season."

Walters also had some pointed words about the need for transparency with teams' budgets. It is at a point where most sports fans understand that, to borrow the name of a great New York Yankees blog, It's About The Money.

"We need full disclosure to make the OUA better. The same five teams have finished at the top and the same five teams finished at the bottom for a number of years now.

"So, let’s have full disclosure of all our wages, budgets and fundraising so we can say, 'this is what it takes to be competitive in football.' "

Schools need to be more up front, and not just in football. It would increase the appreciation when a smaller school or a team that's not high-priority does well, like when Queen's and Windsor, the two OUA men's hockey teams without a full-time coach, pull off or almost pull playoff upsets.

Related:
Money talks when it comes to hiring university coaches (Greg Layson, Guelph Mercury)
Gryphons lose another coach, Brown resigns (Greg Layson, Guelph Mercury)