Campus Tour: Wiebusch, Sanchez know about coaching changes

There's no promise of stability in college football.

Every year, coaches pledge their allegiance to their current school, saying that "this is the place for me and my family." Then, some of them leave for what is perceived to be a better opportunity. Or, for some unlucky coaches, they are deemed to have failed their university, and told it's time to find another job.

Sharyland graduates Charlie Wiebusch and Mike Sanchez have both experienced this.

Wiebusch, an offensive lineman who graduated from Sharyland in 2005 and signed at Rice University, played under coaches Ken Hatfield (2005), Todd Graham (2006) and David Bailiff (2007-present). But after the Owls appointed Ed Zaunbrecher to replace Tom Herman (who had been the offensive coordinator at Rice for the past four years), Wiebusch decided that four years of college football, counting his redshirt 2005 season, and yet another significant coaching change was enough.

Though he has one more year of eligibility remaining, Wiebusch will not play in 2009 after graduating this May with a degree in political science. He was expected to be part of a competition for a starting job on the Owls' line, but chose to end his collegiate career.

"I just felt it was time," Wiebusch said. "I had a great time at Rice. I met a lot of great players and friends. It was a fun time."

During the 2008 season, Wiebusch started three games for the Owls, a team which went a surprising 10-3 and defeated Western Michigan in the Texas Bowl. Despite having one more year of eligibility, being a part of that winning team will be the final game of his career.

And that's something he hasn't spent much time thinking about. Nor has he pondered that for the first time since he was a young boy he will not be playing football this fall.

"Maybe I'll think about that later," he said. "It's not something I've thought about much about yet."

While Wiebusch has played his last collegiate game, Sanchez is still waiting to make an impact at Houston under a coach who didn't recruit him. Sanchez, son of Sharyland coach Fred Sanchez, was a redshirt freshman in 2007 and didn't get onto the field in 2008 for the Cougars. An offensive lineman, Sanchez watched from the sidelines as Houston beat Air Force 34-28 in the 2008 Armed Forces Bowl.

Like Wiebusch, he also experienced a major coaching change. After the 2007 season, Art Briles left Houston to become the coach at Baylor and was replaced by former Oklahoma assistant Kevin Sumlin.

"It's kind of an unfair deal for athletes. Like Charlie, I know he's gone through three coaches since he's been there, and in my opinion it's unfair for the athlete," said Sanchez, who added that Sumlin's OU background excited him. "You have to adjust to that new coach. You have to expect anything when that new coach comes in."

Brian Sandalow covers high school football for Valley Freedom Newspapers. You can reach him at (956) 683-4436 or via e-mail at bsandalow@themonitor.com.