Football: Lang's lucky loonie? Coach offered to work for a dollar

The Guelph Gryphons had no trouble putting together four quarters for their new coach, Stu Lang, reports Greg Layson:
"Lang admitted that during his presentation to athletic director Tom Kendall he offered to work for mere pocket change; the equivalent of four quarters.

"That's right. Lang offered to work for a buck. That little gold coin you save for pesky panhandlers and conveniently placed vending machines.

" 'I thought, "well, that’s creative," ' Kendall said Tuesday after announcing Lang as Kyle Walters’ replacement. 'But we can’t do it.'

"Instead, Kendall said Lang will make somewhere between $55,664 and $83,496 — otherwise known as grid P05 of the university’s professional/management salary bands effective May 2007-May 2010.

"And then Lang will promptly donate somewhere between $55,663 and $83,495 back to the football program.

" 'That’s confidential,' Lang said when asked how much he’ll pour back into the perpetually cash-strapped program."
It's a unique arrangement, to be sure.
"Guelph gets a proven winner on and off the football field for next to literally nothing. Lang, who played hockey and football at Queen’s University, won a Yates Cup with the Golden Gaels and five Grey Cups with the Edmonton Eskimos. After his playing career, Lang was president of his family-owned company CCL Label International, which had previously recorded $1 billion in annual sales.

"Gryphons football and its players receive that wealth of experience, a winning attitude, leadership and nearly a 100 per cent return on its annual investment ... the money Lang donates back into the program will be used to hire two full-time coordinators, staffing virtually unheard of at a school of Guelph’s size.

" 'Give me two days and I can come up with the perfect play,' Lang said. 'But I can’t do it in two seconds.'

"For that reason, Lang said his offensive co-ordinator 'will have to be the smartest guy on the coaching staff.' "
I’ll buy that coach for a dollar (Greg Layson, Guelph Mercury)
Next PostNewer Post Previous PostOlder Post Home

7 comments:

  1. The problem with this arrangement is that it isn't sustainable. Guelph made a mistake.

    ReplyDelete
  2. A light bulb just turned on over the heads of AD's across Canada. Find wealthy guys who would love to coach a CIS team and can afford to do it for nothing. Quite a precedent.

    ReplyDelete
  3. Anon at 9:08 does make a good point, especially when one of the first words out of Lang's mouth during the presser was "sustainable."

    Three full-time coaches working for the cost of one full-time head coach is not going to last very long: presumably, not one of those coaches will be paid what he thinks he deserves, and someone else will float a better offer in front of him.

    Not to mention that Lang himself isn't going to be here forever, so between now and the time he leaves, he needs to raise the value of Guelph football to the point where they gain enough additional revenue to pay his (nominal) salary. Otherwise they're back where they started.

    However, it seems like Lang has the players on his side, which is pretty much all that matters at this point.

    ReplyDelete
  4. If Lang had more smarts...he would have been more discreet about his "offer". Take the salary and make a subsequent donation without mentioning it in public. I think Lang is a bust waiting to happen. Not impressed with Guelph's AD critical thinking skills.

    ReplyDelete
  5. Why not just pay Kyle Walters more? A great up and coming coach. All of this is just subtraction of Walters. Which is not improvement. Yes, new OC will come in. I am sure they are not going to land anyone superior to Walters in ability. Will not mean improved coaching staff. It is the exact same staff minus Walters.

    ReplyDelete
  6. Why not Walters! Ofcourse he wanted to stay. Guelph Alumni, wife Guelph Alumni, both families close by..two young kids....they (coaching staff) worked hard with less than all the other top OUA football programs...let's put two and two together....Guelph AD that is why walters is gone.

    ReplyDelete