In a move that sent shock waves throughout the world of college football, the University of Alabama announced earlier today that it had hired singer-songwriter Avril Lavigne to be its next head coach.
Lavigne is best known for her skater-chick persona and a series of Top 40 hits from 2002 to 2004 which include “Complicated”, “Sk8er Boi”, and “My Happy Ending”. Most recently, she appeared as the voice of Heather, a teenage possum, in the summer 2006 movie “Over The Hedge”.
With the hire Lavigne, 22, becomes the youngest head coach in all of Division 1-A. She also becomes the first female head coach at a Division 1-A school.
The hire was announced at a 12:30 PM press conference today. Athletics director Mal Moore issued a brief statement in which he said, “[Lavigne] represents a strong tradition of success in her career, and she has a lot to bring to Alabama football….We were looking for someone who would energize the fan base, and [Lavigne is] just the person to do that.”
The hire culminates a monthlong search which began on November 26 when former head coach Mike Shula was fired after a 6-6 season. Shula had coached at Alabama for four years and was 26-23 overall during that time.
Earlier this month Rich Rodriguez interviewed with Alabama, but then signed a lucrative new contract with West Virginia, his present school. Rumors have swirled about Miami Dolphins coach Nick Saban coming to Alabama, but Saban has repeatedly denied those rumors.
The hire comes as a surprise to many who had expected Alabama to wait until after the bowl games to choose a new coach. Alabama plays Oklahoma State in the Independence Bowl on Thursday. Interim head coach Joe Kines will coach that game.
Reaction to the hire was mixed. Alabama student Amanda Huggenkiss responded with enthusiasm to the news. “This is great,” she said. “I love Avril Lavigne. We are so going to rock next year!”
Other fans were less than fully supportive of the hire. Longtime Alabama booster Al Coholic said, “If they had to get a singer, I don’t understand why they couldn’t have gotten somebody good, like Celine Dion. But if she can beat Auburn, I’m okay with it.”
Media response to the hire was mixed as well. ESPN analyst Iwana Hokalugi said, “This is definitely an interesting move by Alabama. I wonder if a coach this young can be successful, but if she can hire some good assistants and then just get out of the way and let them do their job, I think she can do it.” CBS Sports analyst I. P. Freeley said, “A lot of other coaches have shied away from this job because they were intimidated by the lofty expectations and the shadow of Bear Bryant. But Avril Lavigne will not let any of that faze her.”
Cliff Favri, who served as Lavigne’s professional manager during the early stages of her musical career, said, “This is a great move for her. She has been wanting to move away from the skater-chick image that we all remember from the early years, and I think this is an excellent way for her to do that.”
Singer-songwriter Britney Spears was reported as saying, “This is a great move for Avril. Her singing career is like, so done.”
DISCLAIMER: In case you haven’t figured it out by now, this is a spoof.
