IMG Head Coach leaving for greener pastures

[Perspective]

It's being reported on social media that IMG head football coach Bobby Acosta is leaving IMG (after winning the mythical national championship this past year) to accept the head football coaching job at Del Valle H.S. in Texas.  If he had left any other school in Florida, my immediate thought would be "money."  But I'm guessing IMG pays their head coach decent money.   Anyone know anything about the back story?   If not, feel free to speculate and make stuff up. 

Also, I wonder what domino effect this will have in Florida. 

[Ric Flair]

I did not know there were greener pastures.  

 

[s1nglewing]

Big Texas programs pay six +, have butts-in-the-stands bonuses (& put 20-30 thousand in the stands), and other pay considerations. He could possibly double his pay from IMG.

[SportsNut25]

Well, he sure will be inheriting a different atmosphere results wise, per FootballScoop:

Quote

Acosta replaces Charles Burton, the longest tenured coach in school history who stepped down after eight seasons and a 29-51 record that included one playoff appearance. Caleb Burton, the son of the former Del Valle HS head coach and a 5-star wide receiver, announced that he won’t be playing for the school following his father’s resignation.

 

[h8r]

4 hours ago, s1nglewing said:

Big Texas programs pay six +, have butts-in-the-stands bonuses (& put 20-30 thousand in the stands), and other pay considerations. He could possibly double his pay from IMG.

over rated.....

the number of big time programs that have this, is less than anyone knows or thinks.  

the 20-30k games are state title games or games at the college stadiums.  Allen HS has probably the best facilties in the country and they dont seat that many, 

dont believe what you hear, 

big time fla football trumps big time texas football.  IMG beat the snot out of Duncanville, which had some of the most impressive guys youve ever seen on a football field.  I can think that it would be very similar if the other state powers here played texas teams too.....

[Perspective]

21 hours ago, Ric Flair said:

I did not know there were greener pastures.  

 

Green, as in the color of money.

[Perspective]

5 hours ago, s1nglewing said:

Big Texas programs pay six +, have butts-in-the-stands bonuses (& put 20-30 thousand in the stands), and other pay considerations. He could possibly double his pay from IMG.

I guess this is the big question:  what did the former head coach of IMG get paid vs. what will the new head coach at Del Valle get paid.   I suspect everyone on this board knows how ridiculously underpaid high school coaches in Florida are (especially public school coaches), but I guess I always assumed that IMG was different and that the head coach there made pretty good bank.   I'd be curious what the numbers are. 

If not for more money, why else would Acosta have left IMG?

[DarterBlue2]

1 hour ago, Perspective said:

I guess this is the big question:  what did the former head coach of IMG get paid vs. what will the new head coach at Del Valle get paid.   I suspect everyone on this board knows how ridiculously underpaid high school coaches in Florida are (especially public school coaches), but I guess I always assumed that IMG was different and that the head coach there made pretty good bank.   I'd be curious what the numbers are. 

If not for more money, why else would Acosta have left IMG?

Maybe family, is he a native Florida guy?

[h8r]

football scoop says hes coached at some pretty decent and some bigger colleges.....

maybe img didnt pay him like he was getting paid at syracuse and 100k vs 75k(made up number) is the allure.

I will reiterate, texas football at the major schools, is as good as anyone.  at the middle road, they are poor representation of texas high school football.  some of the big dogs, with names and all that, couldnt last a season with our big dogs.  florida speed is real.  texas money is real.  oil bonds and high property taxes and really crappy infrastructure(hear of the texas winter storm?) is also very real.  

we live in florida for a reason, 11 months of awesome weather, 2 hrs to the beach either direction(or less) and the best football in the states.....coach made a money decision.

[Perspective]

A native of Queens, N.Y.; coached at Syracuse and in Minnesota.   I haven't done a ton of research, but I don't see any Texas connection at all.   Here's one thing I did find interesting.   Here's Acosta's quote from a little over a year ago when he got the head job at IMG:

" And I see this, to be honest, as my retirement job. It might be 10 years earlier than I wanted this, but I’m 45 years old, and you spend the next 20 years down here ... this place is just going to keep on growing. We’re going to talk about a junior elite team. You don’t know where this can go. I see this as a final destination, to be honest."  (emphasis added). 

So, here's my take:  I would very skeptical of this guy any time he says "to be honest." 

 

[DarterBlue2]

5 hours ago, Perspective said:

A native of Queens, N.Y.; coached at Syracuse and in Minnesota.   I haven't done a ton of research, but I don't see any Texas connection at all.   Here's one thing I did find interesting.   Here's Acosta's quote from a little over a year ago when he got the head job at IMG:

" And I see this, to be honest, as my retirement job. It might be 10 years earlier than I wanted this, but I’m 45 years old, and you spend the next 20 years down here ... this place is just going to keep on growing. We’re going to talk about a junior elite team. You don’t know where this can go. I see this as a final destination, to be honest."  (emphasis added). 

So, here's my take:  I would very skeptical of this guy any time he says "to be honest." 

 

Not surprising, whenever someone gives me that line, my guard always goes up. If you are honest, you don't need to say, "to be honest." Your word is your bond.

[SportsNut25]

Per the Austin American-Statesman, in 2016, the guy Acosta is replacing earned $79,500. 

Also from the AA-S, Acosta will have his work cut out for him:

Burton compiled a 29-51 record with one playoff appearance during his time at Del Valle, including a 3-6 mark last season. That winning percentage compares favorably in a program that has struggled since beginning football in 1956. Del Valle has an all-time winning rate of 32.6% and has just two playoff wins in school history.

Burton’s resignation leaves an opening at the third-largest school in the Austin area as well as a void in the community. In the Del Valle school district, 87.9% of the students are listed as economically disadvantaged by the Texas Education Agency and 77.3% are deemed at risk of dropping out of high school. 

[SportsNut25]

21 hours ago, DarterBlue2 said:

Maybe family, is he a native Florida guy?

Just found news segment from KVUE where Acosta addressed the move: 

Reporter (paraphrased): Acosta said IMG is not a traditional high school football program, which is what he wants to get back to. 

"I've been trying to get into Texas football forever," Acosta said. "The kids look like me there, I look like the kids there. That was a big appeal." 

[h8r]

The kids look like me there, I look like the kids there. That was a big appeal.

what does that mean?  white kids?  mexican kids? italian kids? black kids?  german kids? asian kids? 

if thats not a strange statement for your opening newspaper article, idk what is.

[DarterBlue2]

4 hours ago, SportsNut25 said:

Just found news segment from KVUE where Acosta addressed the move: 

Reporter (paraphrased): Acosta said IMG is not a traditional high school football program, which is what he wants to get back to. 

"I've been trying to get into Texas football forever," Acosta said. "The kids look like me there, I look like the kids there. That was a big appeal." 

My interpretation: For whatever reason, he did not fit in at IMG; and, therefore, he was not happy. It is possible he was forced out, but I have no basis for saying so. Regardless, the job he took did not meet his expectations. He likely took a pay cut in leaving, but his sense of well being is probably better for the move. 

He will have his hands full if his goal is to transform the program he is headed to into a consistent winner. I am not sure what their expectations of him are, so, he could be on his way out of that job in a few years. 

[Perspective]

Also left wondering, did his recruiting budget increase or decrease?  

[DisabledAccount]

People try and make IMG out to be the end all be all, unbeatable machine

 

Most posters here are blinded by the flashy lights which is why posting here gets harder and harder every time 

 

I see why guys like Broward stopped posting here, I barely even understand why I bother logging on half the time as this board in general has declined drastically lately all because people want to be appeased and told they are right or they throw a fit and threaten to leave 

 

I'm glad I'm not a mod anymore because now I don't have to be so nice and ignore the nonsense, if I get banned so be it. I honestly don't care one way or the other at this point

[DisabledAccount]

People assume the privates have such a huge advantage?

 

Private schools don't have any bigger an advantage than publics in metros do

 

If your in Jacksonville and have any sense of stability you have as much chance to succeed as a public school as a private

 

Heck Lee probably gets more transfers than TCA but nobody would realize this because the media refuses to report that because it doesn't fit their agenda of Lee being all "home grown talent" 

 

It's bogus but people buy it because it's convenient for them

[h8r]

not sure wtf that has to do with guy leaving img for $$Greener$$ pastures.  

but cool, sure, publics n privates.  whatever.

privates should be in their own class.  period, no questions asked.  its like that in majority of states.  why not here.

[DisabledAccount]

1 hour ago, h8r said:

not sure wtf that has to do with guy leaving img for $$Greener$$ pastures.  

but cool, sure, publics n privates.  whatever.

privates should be in their own class.  period, no questions asked.  its like that in majority of states.  why not here.

Why because you think privates are Recruiting?

 

Maybe you should check the transfer thread of a public who got 3 transfers in the span of 24 hours

 

They probably have gotten more transfers in a single day than Trinity Christian gets in an entire off-season but TCA is the one who is creating a unfair advantage for teams in Jacksonville?

[DisabledAccount]

1 hour ago, h8r said:

not sure wtf that has to do with guy leaving img for $$Greener$$ pastures.  

but cool, sure, publics n privates.  whatever.

privates should be in their own class.  period, no questions asked.  its like that in majority of states.  why not here.

A lot of states have a state tax but not Florida, are you saying that we should because other states do?

 

What is done in another state doesn't matter, what works in Texas isn't guaranteed to work in Florida. It don't take an expert to figure that out 

[Proseteye]

I don't think that Acosta has been a coach at any school for more than 1 year, has he? I honestly didn't think that IMG was that good on defense during his tenure. Good offense that could always get the job done and would be able to bale out the defense in some games. I watched all of their games and the defensive players just seemed to miss an awful lot of routine tackles and looked sloppy at times.