# football, Coaches, and Police.. **URL:** \ **Category:** The Game Room\ **Created:** [October 21, 2013, 2:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/football-coaches-and-police/671777 "2013-10-21T02:26:56Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 6\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Jaclofo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/c5a1d2/32.png) [@Jaclofo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jaclofo)\ **Post date:** [October 21, 2013, 2:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/football-coaches-and-police/671777/1 "2013-10-21T02:26:56Z")
Why at most college and professional football games are there police / Law enforcement officers (not sure if they are local, county, or State) that accompany the coach on the field following a game? Is there that much violence on the field after a game? Who is paying for these officers – are they on duty and paid with tax dollars, or are they off duty and hired just for the event??? Is it a part of the coaches contract that they get this service after games, or does it happen at other times too, much like the secret service follows/protects the President? Thanks! ---
**Author:** ![chacoguy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/50afbb/32.png) [@chacoguy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/chacoguy)\ **Post date:** [October 21, 2013, 3:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/football-coaches-and-police/671777/2 "2013-10-21T03:04:52Z")
[Bear Bryant.](http://www.quora.com/College-and-NCAA-Football-1/Why-are-football-coaches-personally-escorted-by-the-police-during-and-after-football-games) ---
**Author:** ![Colibri](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/colibri/32/1841_2.png) [@Colibri](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Colibri)\ **Post date:** [October 21, 2013, 3:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/football-coaches-and-police/671777/3 "2013-10-21T03:06:30Z")
Moved to the Game Room. Colibri General Questions Moderator ---
**Author:** ![Leo\_Bloom](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/leo_bloom/32/10377_2.png) [@Leo\_Bloom](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Leo_Bloom)\ **Post date:** [October 21, 2013, 3:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/football-coaches-and-police/671777/4 "2013-10-21T03:22:30Z")
So a ref doesn’t get stoned to death, dismembered, and have his head cut off and put on a spike? Article [here](http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/soccer/news/20130706/brazil-soccer-beheading-decapitation.ap/). Video available, but do your own research. ---
**Author:** ![Red\_Wiggler](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/red_wiggler/32/13190_2.png) [@Red\_Wiggler](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Red_Wiggler)\ **Post date:** [October 21, 2013, 2:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/football-coaches-and-police/671777/5 "2013-10-21T14:03:02Z")
Leo, I believe the question was about the state police officers who routinely accompany coaches of big state programs. These officers are generally seen escorting the coach across the field for the post-game handshake and then on through the media horde to the locker room. There is no real reason for the escort. It appears to be a case of competing universities (and states) making sure that they are providing their highly-paid coaches the same highly visible perks and ceremony as the other schools and states. Historically, it may have some justification for the visiting coach to have protection on hostile turf but for the most part it’s like giving the team buses police escorts to the stadium – it’s mostly for show, to keep the masses enthralled by the spectacle that is big time football. As with the singing of the national anthem before athletic contests, it has become one of those things that huge numbers of people no longer question because, well,\* it’s the way we’ve always done it.\* ---
**Author:** ![RealityChuck](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/realitychuck/32/195_2.png) [@RealityChuck](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RealityChuck)\ **Post date:** [October 21, 2013, 2:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/football-coaches-and-police/671777/6 "2013-10-21T14:33:12Z")
It’s status. It makes the coach seem important, and the police get some egoboo in hanging out with the coach, who in big university football programs, is a superstar. [Gregg Easterbrook](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gregg_Easterbrook) has often derided the times when football teams and elected officials have large security contingents to make them look important.