A JERSEY GUY: CFP Rewards Director Bill Hancock With Contract Extension
The CFP Final Four is alive and well in New Orleans this week, with defending national champion Clemson taking on this season's No. 1 ranked team, LSU, in a battle of 14-0 giants.
Good stuff and no one is enjoying that more than Bill Hancock, the CFP Executive Director.
At least that is Hancock's official term.
Unofficially, Hancock, who I have known for more than 30 years is the father of this expanded version of deciding a national championship in college football.
Hancock guided college football through the infancy and adolescence of the BCS days. He has overseen the evolution into the Football Final Four for the past five years.
It is impossible not to like Hancock.
He has been the right guy at the right time.
The powers that be in college football thought so as well when they gave him a 3-year contract extension of his contract in 2017.
That contract extension expires this June, which shouldn't be a big deal if another contract extension is being worked on. His entire contract does not run out until June of 2021.
But as of late Friday as the 3-year anniversary of the extension announcement (on January 11, 2017) arrived, there was nothing but crickets surrounding Hancock's future.
Something going on?
Not really.
"We did an extension but I didn't think it was newsworthy to announce it,'' said Hancock in a text message on Friday afternoon. The CFP governing board is expected to make a formal announcement on Monday.
Typical Hancock, pushing the headlines away from himself.
That was not surprising.
Hancock never wants to be the story, but loves being a part of it.
He guided college football through 16 years of the BCS. He has done the same thing through 5 years of the CFP playoffs, with ongoing chatter about expanding to eight teams.
"This is the last quiet time I will have until Tuesday night,'' Hancock said after having a quiet and relaxing dinner with us on Thursday night.
Quiet time can be good.
The CFP is going to continue to evolve and expand and Bill Hancock is the right guy providing direction, which should be acknowledged with a public announcement of his future, which would be a sign of stability, if not comfort.