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Devil's Advocate: You can't fire Steve Addazio

Urban Meyer had to announce this week he is coming back next season. We don't know if that means he will still check out for an extended period of time or let his lieutenants run the ship, but physically, he will be back.

That means Steve Addazio is coming back too. As much as we all want to see him coaching girls flag football next year, Meyer likes the guy, and Meyer is in a position where his authority is not challenged. Unless Jeremy Foley does it himself or Addazio does the honorable thing and quits, we'll get at least one more season of Addazio. The best we can hope for is a demotion or some school is dumb enough to hire a guy who has failed as an offensive coordinator at two schools. (By the way, check out the "Spoiler Alert" on Addazio's wikipedia page.)

Since this is Devil's Advocate, I have to take a position that isn't necessarily a popular one. So, consider this; UF cannot fire Addazio because he is too important to recruiting and firing him would create chaos. The only thing UF could do is take away play-calling duties.

I did not think of the recruiting considerations until my friend Tim mentioned it to me. We all want Addazio tarred and feathered, but incredibly, when he goes into kid's homes to ask them to come to Florida, he does a good job. High school seniors clearly are not as jaded and cynical as we are about Addazio's ability to coach and his ability to function as a leader of men.

I hope Meyer sees the light and at least removes play calling duties from Addazio. But I can only hope, because no one has any idea what the head coach will do next.