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Update from Monday's post, "Employee loyalty and football":
Boston College athletic director Gene DeFilippo announced today that he had fired football head coach Jeff Jagodzinski because the two men were "really divided on the future of this program and what we wanted for the program." It had been reported in the past few days that Jagodzinski was considering interviewing for the newly vacant head-coach position with the New York Jets ("J-E-T-S! Jets! Jets! Je ... oh, shut up already.") DeFilippo told the press that if Coach Jags did indeed interview, he would be fired. This morning, The Boston Globe reported that Jagodzinski did interview to be HC of the NYJ, and then DeFilippo followed through with his threat this afternoon.
There had been reports that Jagodzinski's contract with BC had a quasinoncompete clause saying that he couldn't interview for an NFL slot during the first three years of his five-year term (he just finished his second season). But the Globe later reported that there was no such clause. Jagodzinski's pay is reportedly over $1 million a year, although the guaranteed base is apparently much lower.
The Globe's Mark Blaudschun has this story on how DeFilippo felt betrayed, while Globe columnist Dan Shaughnessy decries the trend of sports figures failing to live up to their contracts.
Jagodzinski must be hoping that the interview went well, or that he lines up something else soon. DeFilippo in his press conference today did say, "I love Jags." So he's got that going for him.
What do you think? Was it fair for Jagodzinski to pursue what he thought was an opportunity to better his career, despite having committed to stay at BC for five years? Was it the right call for BC to swiftly punish Jagodzinski for his disloyalty? I'm a management lawyer, and I can't stand the Jets, so I'm siding with BC here. Go Eagles!
