Out in the open: Coaches learn quickly about life in the spotlight

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Rich Rodriguez spent some of the most formative years of hiscoaching life in a place where the spotlight was little more than aflashlight.

Yet even in Glenville - no, make that especially in Glenville - helearned the dos and don'ts of life in the public eye.

"There are so few people in Glenville that you live a public lifeeven if you aren't the mayor or the football coach or whatever,"Rodriguez said. "I guess I grew up understanding that."

That, of course, was apparently a lesson lost on Larry Eustachyand Mike Price. Eustachy was forced to resign as Iowa State'sbasketball coach Monday in the wake of published photographs of himdrinking at a fraternity party. Price was fired last week after analleged binge at a strip club in Florida.

For his part, Rodriguez cringed.

"My first reaction is that I hope that everybody doesn't lump allcoaches together and say, 'What's wrong with coaches?' " the WestVirginia football coach said. "These are individuals, just likepeople who work in any company. Or a presidential office. I hopepeople don't think that all coaches are doing those kinds of things,because the majority of them aren't. The majority of them understandthat they're living a public life."

That public life has exploded even more in recent years thanks tothe Internet and all forms of instant electronic media. Where once acoach might have been able to sneak away for even the most harmlessof leisure pursuits in private, nothing is private any more.

"Now you have to be extremely careful. There's so much electronicmedia, the Internet. There's so much visibility," said Marshallfootball coach Bob Pruett. "Everything has changed. Thirty years ago,you could do a whole bunch of stuff and nobody knew about it. Now,somebody sees you doing something and it gets on the Internet and 30minutes later the whole world knows about it."

And is quick to criticize.

"The old saying 'boys will be boys?' " Pruett said. "That's not astatement anyone can live with."

Frat parties and strip bars are one thing. Rodriguez says he evenhas to watch himself at the supermarket.

"It's especially true when you live in a small town like we do,"Rodriguez said. "You go to the grocery store and people are lookingin your cart saying, 'Hey coach, that's kind of fattening, I don'tknow if you want to buy those Twinkies.' It's a different lifestyle."

Rodriguez recalled the time when he was out to dinner with hiswife and kids. It was around 5 p.m.

"The next day on the Internet I guess people were talking abouthow I was out living it up during happy hour," he said. "I was havinga chicken sandwich and iced tea."

Price, the just-hired Alabama football coach, probably figured hecould do whatever he wanted in Florida. Eustachy, the Iowa Statebasketball coach, was photographed at a party in Missouri.

But borders don't matter much these days.

"It's not only in [Huntington], but I'm in the Pittsburgh airportand people recognize me," said Pruett. "I'm in Phoenix right now andpeople recognize me.

"Mike Price, he's from Washington state and he was in Pensacola,Fla., and they recognized him. You just don't know. You have to keepfrom putting you, your family, your football program under that kindof light."

It's not just the coaches who are in the spotlight and it isn'tsimply a matter of avoiding controversial acts. Even simple coachingacts are, of course, scrutinized.

Rodriguez's oldest child, Raquel, is in first grade. If dad's teamhas just lost a game, no one in the family is immune from criticism.

"She'll hear about it from first graders: 'Your dad isn't verysmart, is he?' " Rodriguez said. "I don't think she's astute enoughto defend me at this point, but eventually we'll have to educate herabout how to make the right response."

As for keeping himself out of trouble, Rodriguez figures it'sbetter to be safe than sorry. So he seldom goes out.

"I guess I'm boring. I like to spend time with my family and withmy kids and I like to play golf every once in a while," he said."Other than that, I'm pretty boring."

To contact staff writer Dave Hickman, use e-mail or call 348-1734. Doug Smock contributed to this story.