COACHES TEND TO clam up when asked about paranoia among their ranks. Without fail, they'll start by saying they're too focused on the task at hand to worry about anyone pulling a fast one on them. Maybe they'll laugh and say they're naive. But eventually they'll admit to hearing cautionary tales through the years -- lip readers in the coaches box, parabolic microphones pointed where they shouldn't be, wild stuff that one Power 5 assistant says "would make [Bill] Belichick seem like a saint."
Everyone's a gossip, especially in the small world of college football. Share enough stories, and don't be surprised when those previously buttoned-up coaches start divulging experiences of their own -- accounts of malfunctioning headsets and former players who went turncoat.