Estimated read time: 4-5 minutes
This archived news story is available only for your personal, non-commercial use. Information in the story may be outdated or superseded by additional information. Reading or replaying the story in its archived form does not constitute a republication of the story.
SALT LAKE CITY — Coaching is a cruel business
Just ask Joe Dupaix, Ben Cahoon and Brandon Doman.
Dupaix served as the recruiting coordinator and running backs coach for the past two seasons. He played an important role in bringing running back Jamaal Williams to Provo. Williams rushed for 744 yards and 11 touchdowns as a freshman and looks like a star in the making. It's hard to imagine where the offense would have been in 2012 without Williams. That wasn't good enough for Dupaix, son of former BYU Cougar and high school coaching legend Roger Dupaix, to keep his job.
Cahoon was a fan-favorite as a player at BYU from 1995-97 thanks to his reliable hands and incredible catches. He joined the BYU coaching staff after a remarkable career in the CFL where he played 13 years with the Montreal Alouettes and is the leagues all-time leading receiver. He seemed like a perfect fit at BYU and the results he produced are impressive. Greg Wrubell has documented well the improvement in the receiving corps when it comes to drops under Cahoon.
The number of drops by receivers is down significantly since he came to BYU two years ago. Cody Hoffman has blossomed into an NFL prospect under his tutelage. It wasn't good enough. He was shown the door.
It sounds as though former BYU offensive coordinator Brandon Doman has suffered the same fate. There is nothing official on Doman's status on the coaching staff, but Dick Harmon of the Deseret News reports that he was cleaning out his office Wednesday night.
Doman is a legend at BYU. His story of perseverance is well-documented. He led one of the greatest drives in BYU history in a dramatic come from behind victory in LaVell Edwards last game as head coach in 2000. He led the Cougars to an 11-2 season as a senior in 2001 and played in the NFL.
Fans were excited about his potential as a new, young offensive coordinator. Many believed he could become a head coach at BYU someday.
But the offense sputtered in his two seasons calling plays and the quarterback position he watched over didn't produce much more than inconsistency and controversy.
Many of the same fans who revered him as a player wanted him run out of town as a coach. It looks like they may have gotten their wish.
Coaching is a strange business
Just ask Aaron Roderick and Robert Anae.
Roderick made headlines in Utah when he agreed to return to his alma mater BYU as an assistant coach. BYU issued a press release announcing the hire. It made sense for Roderick to return to BYU and coach with Anae who he played for at Ricks College.
But 24 hours after the announcement from BYU came an announcement from the University of Utah that Roderick had changed his mind and decided to return to the Utes. He told Dirk Facer of the Deseret News that loyalty and the overwhelmingly positive response from fans, players and parents caused him to reverse his decision.
It's not the first time Roderick has changed course after taking a job elsewhere. Roderick made a similar decision in 2009 when he accepted a job to join former BYU teammate Steve Sarkisian's staff in Washington only to reverse course and return to Utah a week later.
It was thought that Robert Anae was forced out when he left BYU after the 2010 season. That turned out not to be the case.
In Arizona, Anae was part of an offensive resurgence in the desert under new head coach Rich Rodriguez. Anae was the offensive line coach and running game coordinator this past season where Wildcats running back Ka'Deem Carey led the nation in rushing with 1929 yards.
Now the man who many fans blamed for the disappointing offensive production of the 2010 season is now expected to get the offense to perform the way it did during Anae's first five seasons as BYU's play caller with John Beck and Max Hall at quarterback. It's like he never left.
Coaching is a business
All these moves serve as yet another reminder that college coaching is a business. It's simply about wins and losses. If you don't live up to expectations don't expect to keep your job. Much can be forgiven when you win and you can become a scapegoat if you lose.
The shakeup at BYU should also serve notice to the offensive staff at Utah. They could be next.
The Cougars chose to remodel their rusty offense after ranking 39th and 56th in the nation the past two seasons while the Utes were 105th in total offense in 2012.
It's clear that patience is not a virtue in college football and if you don't produce results you may soon be looking for work.
