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Spurrier against voting privacy
University of South Carolina head coach Steve Spurrier describes the progress during spring football while addressing members of Midlands-area Gamecock Clubs at the Colonial Life Arena in Columbia on Tues, Apr. 21, 2009.
Erik Campos/ecampos@thestate.com
CommentsDESTIN, Fla. — College football coaches who vote in the USA Today coaches poll will be able to keep their final regular-season ballots secret beginning in 2010, although Steve Spurrier made no secret about what he thinks of the change.
The South Carolina coach does not agree with Wednesday’s announcement by the American Football Coaches Association.
“That was surprising. I thought we would stay public on that last vote,” said Spurrier, who has been a voter every season he has been at USC. “I think we ought to stay public. It keeps everybody pretty honest. So I don’t know, it was surprising.”
The coaches poll, one of three components that determine what teams play in the BCS title game, was not an agenda item at the SEC spring meetings. But with half of the conference’s 12 coaches voting in the poll, it was a hot topic Wednesday.
SEC coaches were split on the issue.
After Texas coach Mack Brown’s campaigning in 2004 helped vault his Longhorns past California for an at-large BCS berth, the AFCA agreed to make the coaches’ final regular-season ballots public.
Kentucky’s Rich Brooks, a former voter, appreciated the transparency and believes the change is a move in the wrong direction.
“I would say that I’m probably not in favor of that,” Brooks said. “I just think that people should be accountable for what they do.”
But Florida’s Urban Meyer, who has a vote, does not think coaches will abuse the secret ballots.
“I think there’s arguments both ways. We all know how competitive things are, whether it be a fan base, whether it be recruiting, whether it be friendships,” Meyer said. “I think at some point you have to trust the people who vote. Obviously (AFCA executive director) Grant Teaff and the people who oversee it will look at it, and if someone’s voting and it doesn’t make much sense, I think they’ll pull their ballot.”
The AFCA commissioned Gallup World Poll to evaluate the coaches poll and recommend changes. Vanderbilt coach Bobby Johnson is a member of the AFCA’s board of trustees that approved Gallup’s suggestion to move to a private vote.
“We’re trying to do it the best way. They said these are the best way to do things,” Johnson said. “In my personal opinion, a guy’s more free to vote his conscience instead of worrying about what the public’s going to think about his vote.”
The AFCA also considered going to an anonymous poll, in which voters were not identified, but decided against it. Coaches still will be allowed to vote for their own teams, although the AFCA mandates that they put the winner of the BCS title game at No. 1.
Utah coach Kyle Willingham voted his undefeated Utes No. 1 last year.
Teaff said the AFCA decided to wait to implement the private vote in 2010 to coincide with the current BCS bowl cycle.
Though his coaches differed on the switch, SEC commissioner Mike Slive is not in favor of it.
“I don’t view that as a positive step,” he said.
As for Spurrier, the former Florida coach recalled the 1995 season when one voter dropped the Gators to 13th on his final ballot after Nebraska beat Florida 62-24 in the Fiesta Bowl for the national championship.
That allowed Tennessee to finish ahead of Florida at No. 2 in the final poll, despite the fact the Vols had lost to Florida 62-37 that season.
“Yeah, I don’t know who that (voter) was,” Spurrier said. “Tennessee snuck in second, didn’t they, in one poll?”
Beginning in 2010, that secrecy will return to the poll.
Reach Person at (803) 771-8496.
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