Nothing feels more comfortable than having some backup heading into a tough situation.

But when promises are broken and relationships are shattered, the next move isn’t clear, especially for an athlete.

Every time a coach comes into a new program, promises are made and an attempt at building trust is put forward.

But many times, these men and women leave their promises on the floor for new programs, or for the sake of winning.

More often than not, when a coach brings success to his/her program, bigger schools with a better reputation, superior athletes and jaw-dropping facilities will come courting.

And that coach will leave.

In their defense, the material perks aren’t all that go into the decision.

Many coaches have families to look out for, and a better location with higher pay can benefit their loved ones immediately and in the long run.

That’s why, in the hiring process, many institutions and fans look for a coach with family values that will keep a level head during their time as the face of their program.

But where do you draw the line?

What is the difference between selfishness and looking out for everyone’s best interest?

A selfish coach would be someone like Todd Graham, current Arizona State head football coach and ex-Pitt Panther. He informed players of his departure via text message and dashed West for his new job immediately.

Like most coaches, I’m sure Graham gave plenty of speeches about doing the right things.

But who takes off randomly, without a formal goodbye and not even staying on campus to coach Pitt’s bowl game last season?

It’s crazy what goes through the mind when new opportunities are thrown at you, but you have to maintain composure and consider the pros and cons.

A good attempt at damage control would be to call a team meeting and explain the situation. After that, the least Graham could’ve done was coach the bowl game and then leave for ASU.

But no.

If this happened in the ’70s, what would he have done? Left a note taped to the door of the locker room, saying “I’m out.”?

There’s a right and wrong to everything. People like to think that no one is better than anyone else, that we’re all human beings at the end of the day.

Wrong.

There are good guys and bad guys.

The decisions you make over the course of your lifetime determine how you are judged (and yes, everyone judges, even if you don’t think you do).

The vast majority of college athletes, though young, are adults and should prepare for some sting. But that’s no excuse to not look out for them.

There are good coaches and good people everywhere. It’s just that in this age, heroes aren’t cool anymore. Controversy will cloud the airwaves of sports networks long before you hear of a top athlete donating money to shelters or education programs.

We get what we crave, and that should tell you something about our society right now.

All of the money chasing, cheating and mistrust in the sports world come to light more and more in the modern age with nothing to stop it.

As long as it’s the norm, it’ll stick.

It’s all about money, right?

If you aren’t cheating, you aren’t trying, right?

Deception is an art, right?

I guess you have to master vices in order to build a good reputation these days. Pump your paycheck as much as possible, doing whatever it takes to do so, and then cover it up the best you can.

Sports has always been about winning, but I guess, like everything else, the price has gone up.

Joshua Bryant can be reached at 581-2812 or [email protected].