Every time a big time college football or basketball job opens up, everyone looks at Mark Few of Gonzaga or Chris Petersen of Boise State.

Then we hear a thousand different reasons why they don’t go when they pass on the jobs but here is one reason that I have never heard anyone bring up that seems to be the most valid in each coaches situation.

They each saw their predecessor fail miserably at a bigger place.

When Dan Hawkins left Boise State for Colorado he had no success at all and fell off the football map.  At the beginning of 2013 he was coaching in the CFL.

When Dan Monson left Gonzaga for Minnesota he had a little more success but not much before he was canned.  Monson at least bounced back better than Hawkins.  He is now coaching at Long Beach State which is a solid program.

It makes you wonder if each coach’s biggest deterrent for leaving their cushy mid-level jobs for more money is the fear of failing.

Legendary status at a great program (But not a big time school) seems like a much better choice.