Other than recruiting, nothing has thrived in the message board era quite like coaching rumors.
For one, it gives every fan base a chance at fantasy drafting. Wish fulfillment. Your job is special. Every coach in America wants it, and anybody is better than the bum you just fired, right?
What’s more, searches are generally full of leaks from all sides, sometimes for strategic reasons. Agents want their clients to seem desirable, and athletic departments want to try and throw competition for an intended target off the sent. If one school thinks another is interested, maybe they have to sweeten their offer a bit.