Former Georgia coach Jim Donnan and former Arizona coach Dick Tomey will put their coaching knowledge and skills to the test on Verge Friday on ESPN.com during the Culligan Holiday Bowl (Fri., Dec. 28, 8:30 p.m. ET, ESPN). Donnan and Tomey will also be contributing articles on bowl preparation and provide their game plans on Washington and Texas.

Coaching has changed greatly in the thirty plus years I have been in the game. Coaching has also not changed at all in that time. The two statements are both true. Let me explain.

Coaching has not changed in that the best coaches are the ones who can create the right environment for learning, create a passion for excellence and an unselfishness that translates into outstanding individual and team performance. Coaching has not changed in that the thrill of it all is the relationship with the players and coaches and their families pursuing a common goal. It has not changed in that the bottom line -- winning, attendance, etc. -- still determines the longevity you enjoy.

A football locker room after a win is still the most exhilarating in all athletics, as a locker room after a loss is the most emotionally draining. Doing the basic things well with a great attitude still wins and losing the turnover battle and the kicking game still loses. The best team still does not win. The team that plays the best does.

Teams and staff are much more diverse from an ethnic perspective. This makes the whole experience more rewarding for everybody. The negative here is that the head coaching community is not diverse enough. The Internet, talk radio, and cable outlets have created more interest in the game, but also more of a forum for the uninformed to voice their opinions anonymously. This creates added pressure on the "decision maker" at the University particularly if he is easily manipulated. Football coaches are much better compensated than ever before, mainly at the Division I level. There is much greater parity today and more teams have a chance to do well than ever before. Reduction of scholarship numbers, Physiology of exercise, nutrition, weight training and better coaching and personal development opportunities at all levels have collectively played a part in creating more parity.

The game has also changed in many ways: Coaches are more interested in a balanced life and technological advances, recruiting rules and coaches' reprioritization have played a big part. In the "old days," much time was wasted. Outstanding coaches have opted to create a more family friendly schedule and have found their teams are very well prepared without marathon hours at the office. Bob Stoops at Oklahoma is a recent example of this and he expressed it at the AFCA Convention in 2001. Mike Singletary opened a recent AFCA Convention encouraging coaches to lead more balanced lives, to be better husbands and fathers. Years ago, opinions such as those presented by Stoops and Singletary would never have been expressed in such a prominent forum. This is not to say all coaches are of this mind, but there is a considerable move to try to give coaches a chance to have better lives and still do their jobs at the highest level.

Some examples of how things have changed: