You do not hear a lot optimistic information today about noncompete agreements. As a substitute, most nationwide media retailers take circumstances of utmost abuse and body them because the norm as a substitute of the outliers that they’re. And the nationwide media additionally typically portrays employers in a damaging mild for allegedly forcing noncompetes on staff who purportedly haven’t any alternative within the matter and obtain no profit from the transaction. The info doesn’t bear this out—certainly, in response to respected research, employees who’re introduced with noncompetes earlier than accepting jobs obtain increased wages and extra coaching, and are extra glad of their jobs than those that are usually not sure by noncompetes—however that’s inappropriate when there may be an attention-grabbing story to be written.
Thankfully, there are exceptions to each rule, and an area information story final week involving the College of Arkansas soccer program and its head coach, Sam Pittman, was that exception.
The story begins in 2020, when ESPN requested Coach Pittman whether or not Arkansas felt like residence after nearly a 12 months on the helm of the Razorbacks. Coach Pittman responded, “That is it for me. I am not serious about every other packages. Arkansas is really the best program in America to me. We’re residence, and that is the place we need to be. This can be my final job.” Coaches typically make such proclamations once they start new teaching gigs, however Coach Pittman put his cash the place his mouth is in a brand new multi-year contract he lately signed with the College of Arkansas.
In accordance with a number of native information sources, Coach Pittman truly to upon together with a noncompete in his new contract. The availability prohibits Coach Pittman from in search of or accepting a head teaching or assistant place at every other SEC faculty during the contract until he’s fired with out trigger. In accordance with the Fort Smith Instances Information“[i]t’s serving to him win the hearts of followers along with his loyalty, and it is a increase in recruiting, too.” As Coach Pittman defined:
We’re certainly one of eight packages of 130 which have the 2 coordinators and the top coach coming again for 12 months three. I assumed we might promote some stability, and that is why I needed it within the contract. I informed the individuals of Arkansas that this might be my final job, and I needed a chunk of paper to verify what my mouth mentioned.
Equally, Coach Pittman informed the Arkansas Democrat Gazette, “Arkansas is the place I need to be and that is the job that I would like, so there was no hesitation in a no-compete clause. The one program I am involved about is the Arkansas Razorbacks and making our staff and student-athletes as profitable as potential. I believe the contract displays that.”
Extra stability within the teaching ranks can, certainly, result in higher recruiting, which in flip ought to result in a extra aggressive soccer staff. Higher soccer means elevated fan loyalty and, finally, increased income for the College. So maybe this noncompete will result in elevated competitiveness. The College of Arkansas certain hopes that’s the case, and Coach Pittman appears proud of the association as nicely, probably as a result of there are big monetary incentives primarily based on victory totals constructed into his contract, in response to the Democrat Gazette, so higher recruiting and a extra aggressive soccer staff profit him as nicely. Seems like a win-win.