The temperature was 67 degrees in San Diego on Monday. The sun was out, and the ink was still fresh on San Diego State coach Brady Hoke's two-year extension that lengthens his contract through 2015.
In Muncie, the temperature was 20 degrees as students trudged to class Monday. By nighttime, the wind chill had fallen below zero. We were more concerned with avoiding frostbite than playing football.
We don't even have a football coach at this point.
As Hoke and the Aztecs celebrate an 8-4 season and their first bowl game since 1998, the Ball State football team is in shambles.
San Diego State showed its loyalty to Hoke. Bolstered by a reported $5 million offer from a private donor dedicated to retaining the Aztecs' second-year coach, San Diego State offered what Ball State never did — a commitment to him and his program.
Hoke returned the favor, forgoing any interest in moving to a Big Ten school. It might have broken Ball State's heart if the Ball State alumnus was on Indiana's sideline for the 2011 season opener.
So all is well and good in sunny San Diego.
We're stuck dealing with a coaching search while Stan Parrish leaves town with an extra $700,000 — and the awful weather.
Athletic director Tom Collins has said he won't talk about the coaching search until a new one is introduced, which is supposed to happen by Christmas.
We understand why Collins doesn't want to tip his hand to whom he is considering. Giving away our frontrunners could drive their price up if there's a bidding war with another school, and we know better than to think Ball State is going to pull out a ton of money for a coach.
According to the Detroit Free Press, three players have considered decommitting since Parrish was fired Nov. 23.
We're not surprised recruits might abandon the program during this coaching search. It's hard to blame them. Many high school seniors choose where they'll play based on the coach. Who knows if even more of the 16 players Parrish had oral commitments from choose another school?
The new coach will be tasked with retaining those recruits before Ball State loses most of its 2011 freshman class.
If Collins keeps his word, there will be a present under the Cardinals' tree Christmas morning.
We just hope it's not coal.
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