On Sunday, November 10, 2024, a college football coach was fired. A college football coach being fired late in a losing season is typically not surprising news. However, in this case, the firing and the way in which it was handled made national news, and its ramifications may well be felt at that institution for years to come. In addition, I believe the firing and its mishandling provide lessons for organizational leaders on how to handle such situations in a way that limits potential damage to their organizations and the individuals who comprise that organization.
In the spirit of complete transparency, I need to provide some background on the football program at Kennesaw State University (KSU) and its fired coach, Brian Bohannon. I spent almost fifteen years as a faculty member and administrator at KSU. For my last ten-plus years there, until early 2017, I chaired a committee responsible for the oversight of the intersection between athletics and academics. Because of this role, I was chosen to serve on a committee that in 2010 recommended that KSU start a football program, which was ultimately approved by the Board of Regents of the University System of Georgia in February 2013. Shortly thereafter, I served on the search committee that interviewed the three finalists for the first Head Coach of KSU football. Coach Bohannon was selected for that position about 18 months before KSU would ever play a football game. Following his selection, Coach Bohannon and I worked together, along with my committee, to help craft admissions guidelines that would hopefully achieve success both in the classroom and on the field. Coach Bohannon and I became both friends and colleagues at this time. I admired how much he cared about the future lifetime success of his players as much or more than he cared about winning on the field. And he cared about winning very much.
Coach Bohannon’s KSU Owls took the field for a game for the first time in September 2015. From 2015 to 2022, KSU competed in the Football Championship Subdivision (FCS), formerly known as Division I-AA. During that time, KSU had unprecedented success for a startup football program, with 68 wins and 24 losses (73.9% winning percentage), winning 3 conference championships, advancing to the FCS playoffs in 4 seasons, and making the FCS semi-finals in 2017. In October 2022, it was announced that KSU would move up to the Football Bowl Subdivision (FBS) and into Conference USA in 2024, following a transition season in 2023.
Coach Bohannon’s teams performed in the classroom as well, with the team achieving solid Academic Performance Report (APR) scores and graduation rates. Most importantly, many young men were not only gaining academic opportunities, but they were growing into solid people thanks to the mentoring and guidance of Coach Bohannon and his staff.
Unfortunately, the KSU football program has not been very successful the past two-plus seasons. In 2022, its last season in FCS, the team had a record of 5 wins and 6 losses, and in its transition season in 2023, the team had a record of 3 wins and 6 losses. In 2024, its first season in Conference USA and FBS, the Owls had only 1 win and 8 losses, but its 1 win came against a previously undefeated Liberty University team. However, there are some significant reasons for the recent lack of success. For instance, in 2023, KSU was hampered by limiting most of its better players to 4 or less games, so they could have their eligibility preserved for when KSU began playing Conference USA games in 2024.
However, the biggest impediment to success for KSU football as it moved into FBS is its lack of resources. For instance, KSU football does not have a dedicated practice facility or athletic building. It continues to do its physical therapy in a mobile trailer that it has been using for the past ten years. KSU’s budget for football is much smaller relative to its competition. Despite this, the KSU team was on the upswing with its win over Liberty and an overtime loss to Texas-El Paso, even with its young roster.
Given the resource deficit and past success, there is a general consensus in the world of college football that Coach Bohannon should not have been fired. While I agree with the consensus, given the recent performance of the program, a case might be made for a change of leadership. Unfortunately, how that change took place was handled poorly. Initially, KSU’s Athletic Director (AD) announced that Coach Bohannon chose to step down as KSU football coach. This struck those of us who know Coach Bohannon as odd. Coach Bohannon would not quit on his players with three games left in the season. As it turned out, the AD informed Coach Bohannon that he was making a change and later claimed that they had agreed that the AD would announce it as resignation. Coach Bohannon had to go to social media to clarify that he was fired and did not step down. This was an unfortunate way to treat someone who had built the program from scratch and consistently represented the institution with commitment, dedication, and loyalty. He deserved much better.
The ramifications of how this was handled have been significant. While many people around the country had not heard of KSU football, the national college football media criticized KSU and its handling of this situation. This is probably not the way you want to get known. Hundreds of Bohannon’s former players, who know the quality of not just the coach, but also the man, have started a petition to recommend removing the AD. Finally, more than two dozen of KSU’s best current football players have entered the transfer portal, but in a show of commitment to their former coach, are playing the remaining games of the season. Demonstrating his usual class, Coach Bohannon was visible on the KSU players’ walk to the stadium this past Saturday, supporting them with hugs.
Unfortunately, how Coach Bohannon has been treated is decimating the KSU football roster. Players see how their former coach has been disposed of and feel they may be valued similarly. There may be additional departures in KSU athletics and the university as a whole if this is how they are seen to operate. As business leaders, we need to remember that even when we dismiss people, how we treat them is being observed by others in the organization. If someone has served your organization well and is treated poorly, consider how others will react to this message. Treat all with the appropriate respect, even if you have decided it is their time to move on. Our goal in business, and really all organizations, is to recruit and retain the best people possible. Your recruitment and retention efforts will clearly be impacted by how you treat people from the time you recruit them to the point when they leave the organization. Remember, you could be sending unintended messages by not treating people respectfully and appropriately.
