Should the NCAA institute a standard procedure for schools to conduct coaching searches?

The circuses of the past couple of years make me think maybe so.

Two years ago when Alabama (sadly) fired Mike Shula and flailed around trying to land a coach, rumors flew hot and heavy about this coach and that coach and their denials and non-denials were examined more closely than former President Bill Clinton's testimony before Ken Starr.

Countless barrels of printers ink were spilled on news pages and virtually online with speculations, recriminations, obfuscations and a few other ations I've forgotten. All the while, Auburn fans had a great time poking fun at the whole process.

Last year was Michigan's turn to fumble and bumble its way through a coaching search. I think everyone in Louisiana and Michigan is still wondering just a little bit how Les Miles is still at LSU. But that's what happens when major college football programs go looking for a new skipper these days. Sometimes, the deals you think are going to happen suddenly, and very publicly, go belly up. In the meantime, Ohio State and Michigan State fans has a lot of laughs at Big Blue's expense.

Now Auburn's in the batter's box and, well, it's all pretty predicable by now. A Christmas list of coaches names gets thrown out there. Some seem legitimate, some seem ludicrous. Some names become the hot rumor of the day as others fade away, only to come back in vogue again a few days later.

Oh, and I imagine Alabama fans are having a good laugh at the goings on over on the plains.

Meanwhile, schools think they might have a coach in the crosshairs scramble to throw more money at their multimillion dollar pigskin monarchs to get them to stay.

By the time a major university fires and hires a football coach and his staff, millions upon millions of dollars have been moved around from buyouts to preemptive raises, bonuses and contract extensions.

With Auburn, Tennessee and Mississippi State all changing out their coaches this year, I don't feel like adding it all up, it would probably make me sick to know the real number, but I'm guessing just in the SEC coaching changes alone, upwards of $20 million will change hands this year.

Hey, how about turning all that coach money into a stimulus package instead?