In 2009, I covered the hiring of former RedHawks Head Football Coach Michael Haywood.
"Mike Haywood's arrival in Oxford wasn't highlighted with a grand entrance." Those were the first words of the first article ever written about Haywood in The Miami Student.
Sadly, no one at this school will forget his exit.
After understandably taking a better paying, higher profile job to be the head coach at the University of Pittsburgh (Pitt), Haywood has seemingly lost control.
In the final hours of 2010, Haywood allegedly put the mother of his 21-month-old son in a chokehold and pushed her in an apparent custody dispute. Haywood was arrested for domestic battery in the presence of a minor, which is a felony charge.
After being released from St. Joseph County (Ind.) Jail on $1,000 cash bond New Year's Day, Haywood was informed he had lost the job he had taken less than three weeks earlier. Before the decision was announced, Haywood told the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review, "It isn't fair. The truth will eventually come out."
It's sad, really. Here is a guy who in a matter of weeks went from being on top of the world to shoved off of it. Whether or not Haywood is truly guilty of the charges brought against him, it certainly does damage to the image of a man who, at his introduction as Pittsburgh's new leading man, was described as "a man of character and integrity" by his now-former boss Pitt Athletic Director Steve Pederson.
Integrity was an interesting word choice. After all, Haywood said he planned to stay until his job at Miami University was done. A man who had promised to return Miami to the level of prestige we once knew apparently decided 10 wins in two seasons was "getting the job done."
Oddly enough, as Haywood's star was fading, a familiar face was seeing his star begin to rise. On the same day Haywood was arrested, the RedHawks announced former team captain Don Treadwell would be the next head coach for Miami football.
Treadwell, who most recently served as offensive coordinator and interim head coach of Michigan State University (MSU) is exactly the kind of guy we need at Miami. First and foremost, he's an alumnus. When it comes to program loyalty, there is nothing you'd like to have more than a head coach who wore his employer's colors as a student.
Second, he's a relatively big name. Treadwell's Spartans were one of two Big Ten programs to be in the top five in the conference for rushing (168.8 ypg.), passing (237.8 ypg.), scoring (30.1 ppg.) and total offense (406.7 ypg.). In 2009, the Spartans were the second-best scoring offense in the Big Ten. Additionally, he was a nominee for the Broyles Award, which is given to the nation's top assistant coach.
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Finally, he has some experience in his newfound role. Earlier in the season, MSU Head Coach Mark Dantonio suffered a heart attack and took a temporary leave of absence to get back to full strength. In his absence, Treadwell took the reins, leading Sparty to wins over Northern Colorado University and eventual Big Ten co-champion University of Wisconsin.
Buddha once said, "No one saves us but ourselves. No one can and no one may. We ourselves must walk the path."
If anything that the parallel stories of Haywood and Treadwell teach us, it is this. While Haywood's past successes and quick ascent to the top of the coaching world was not enough to save him, his mistakes now provide a valuable lesson for those like Treadwell, who now must follow the path he set while avoiding the pitfalls that have brought Haywood back down the coaching mountain.
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