A great article from “March Madness All Season,” written by University of Delaware student Jeff Borzello.

For those of you who don’t like reading 2.300-word articles in their entirety, in a nut shell, Borzello describes his angst toward student-athlete’s rights, or lack there of, to rescind their letter-of-intent once a school’s head coach decides to leave a job. The story highlights a Marquette basketball recruit named Tyshawn Taylor, who, after multiple requests and forms for a release, was finally let free after he learned of Marquette former coach Tom Crean’s departure from the university.

Borzello’s main point is that it’s unfair for student-athletes to be stuck in a situation they weren’t intending on happening, whereas coaches seem to be able to hop from team-to-team at their discretion.

While I agree with Borzello that student-athletes should be allowed to terminate their commitment if a not-so-ideal situation comes up (he sites a clause that Indiana University basketball recruits was allowing them to terminate their commitment if former coach Kelvin Sampson was fired … which he was), I can’t stress enough that at times, these situations can be avoided. Ask questions! Prepare a list of questions in advance.”

Top Prospects provides you a guide for student bound athletes, there is a list of some sample questions to ask the coaches concerning athletics, academics and college life. And, sure enough, Top Prospects has a few really big questions they list to help you avoid scenarios like the one above. I quote:

• When does the head coach’s contract end? How long does the coach intend to stay? The answer could be helpful. Do not make any assumptions about how long a coach will be at a school. If the coach leaves, does this change your mind about the school/program?
• What happens if I want to transfer to another school? You may not transfer without the permission of your current school’s athletics administration. Ask how often coaches grant this privilege and ask for an example of a situation in which permission was not granted.

Of course, this way isn’t necessarily fail-safe. Like you and me, coaches might say something one day, and nine months later, change their mind. But still, asking these questions at least improve your chances of not getting caught in a school’s problems if the head coach leaves for a new job.