This was not the way William McCarthy wanted to be

[cavfan]

By DAVID BUCK
Star-Tribune staff writer
Thursday, July 17, 2008 6:50 AM MDT

This was not the way William McCarthy wanted to become a head coach.

The Mississippi coach had only been an assistant coach until late June. That's when former Mudcats head coach Brian Brents and assistants Gary Patterson and Kirk Broussard resigned over money conflicts.

"I just needed to make some cuts and they were not willing to make cuts themselves," said Jim Waide, Mississippi's majority owner.

Waide paid the remainder of the coaches' salaries, which American Indoor Football Association co-owner John Morris said were the highest in the league. The coaches didn't get win bonuses or housing allowances, so they decided to leave.

Waide said he saved between $12,000-$14,000 when the coaches resigned, and even more when some of the team's top players, including its starting quarterback, decided to follow suit.

With Brents gone, Waide initially wanted wide receiver Darryl Carter to be a player/coach, but the league wouldn't allow it.

That's when McCarthy, who was the Mudcats' special teams coordinator and lines coach, stepped in.

"I told the team if they are willing to do it, I would step up and nothing would really change," McCarthy said. "They talked about it and said, 'OK, you are the coach.' It's nothing I thought would ever happen."

McCarthy took over with two games left in the regular season, and the Mudcats haven't missed a step, going 3-0 with him at the helm including a Divisional playoff win.

Now Mississippi plays Wyoming on Friday at the Casper Events Center for the Western Conference championship, hoping to get the Mudcats to the AIFA Bowl II.

"I've never seen any team like this," Waide said. "They just consider themselves a family. They are just determined to overcome anything that gets in their way."

One reason for the team's success despite the coaching change is the number of coaches Mississippi has on the field. At least three Mississippi players coach local high schools, so they help McCarthy make calls.

Regardless of circumstances, McCarthy is glad he has a chance to be a head coach.

"It's something as a coach you want to do, be the head coach," he said. "Just the way it came down to it, it's not the way you want it to come and not the way I wanted to be named head coach. I took the opportunity, and just trying to keep the team rolling is the main thing. We were too good to let it fall apart."

Contact sports reporter David Buck at [phone] or [e-mail].

Mudcats Tracker

FRIDAY: AIFA Western Conference championship, Mississippi at Wyoming, 7:30 p.m., Casper Events Center.

RECORDS: Mudcats (14-1); Cavalry (12-3).

AIFA BOWL II: The winner of Friday's game plays the Florence Phantoms on July 26 in Florence, S.C., for the American Indoor Football Association title.

COACHING SWITCH: Mudcats special teams coach William McCarthy took over after head coach Brian Brents resigned with two regular-season games left.

HE SAID IT: "It's something as a coach you want to do, be the head coach. Just the way it came down to it, it's not the way you want it to come and not the way I wanted to be named head coach. I took the opportunity and just trying to keep the team rolling is the main thing. We were too good to let it fall apart." -- McCarthy

[breal]

Just to be clear they had the highest collective salries in the AIFA. They were clearly not the highest paid in the AIFA. Also all three coaches were fulltime, year round coaches, for the organization. So where most teams coaches are done at seasons end as is their pay the three guys hear worked year round for the Mudcats, so the highest paid thing is a little wishy-washy. Also the coaches housing and bonuses were totaled in those highest salaries, the things that they were asked to give up.

[rkb]

and just to be more clear, those salaries were still not as much as a teacher is paid in the state of Mississippi.

[madcatt]

and we all know they don't get paid much.....and jim waide wanted them to stay there for that little amount and make their family suffer....