in teaching college football players involve trust and respect.

A long list of people close to the situation with Howell (including players, journalists, and others) have indicated that the overriding issue between Nick and his players is that they don't respect his football knowledge at the same time that they don't like his personality. The combination is toxic.

There are a lot of reasons for this but they clearly think it's subpar - again, this goes back years, through now multiple generations of BYU defenders at various positions.

To be able to navigate from being a guy who didn't play the game at any elite level to a guy who teaches it, you need a particular knack for leadership and a kind of charisma - Mike Leach has this (Mike Leach also spent a decade proving himself at places like Valdosta State), Nick Howell doesn't. He gets angry and yells, he does not have a good rapport with the overwhelming percentage of his player.

So take a guy with no resume, no pedigree, and add to that a fraught, tense, yelling personality - you've got a problem.