Shooter: Mark Coyle is expected to receive consideration for the Kentucky a.d. job if he gets an endorsement from men’s basketball coach John Calipari

Source? Info I have seen for 2019-20 shows Coyle's total compensation at just under $900K and Barnhart at UK at $1.225M.

Yes, there is a lot of pressure at UK when it comes to basketball. Certainly more tied to hoops there than any single sport at the U. I think that you may be over-estimating how hard it is to survive there, however. They have had three ADs in the last 30+ years and the one short timer was out due to football violations. (By comparison, the U has had eight over that same time frame, not including interims or the women's ADs when the departments were separate.) Not exactly a high turnover rate at UK for the job, so either the expectations aren't as high as you think or the basketball program has been able to meet them.


Agree that he's doing a pretty good job and that he has a high-level of job security. Disagree that the only reason he might leave is that because he hates the people at the U. In the end, it's a personal choice, but you could certainly make the argument that it's a better job.
Strib article says $975,000+ $225,000 in incentives for Coyle. Just Google "Mark Coyle salary" and the article will be at or near the top.
 

I would not cry if The Snake 🐍left. He would actually fit well with Calipari.
 

and no one realistically expects them to compete with the Alabama/Georgia crowd in football on a regular basis.
They might when he takes Fleck with him for $8M/year.

Those crazy horse breeders might be willing to pay that, too!
 

on the Basketball board, some sentiment being expressed that Coyle wants to leave because the U's politically-correct administration forced him to hire a minority coach.
 

Here's my source:

College Finances

The U is in the top 20-25 in revenue and budget. Kentucky is in the top 15.

Yes, the B1G contract will come up and they will certainly try to get more money. Your prediction that the B1G deal will be bigger than the SEC on a per school basis is purely speculation. As it is, even with the larger TV contract rights money coming in now, the U lags Kentucky in revenue significantly.
Yep, and there is another one that has Kentucky much lower and the Gophs 23. It’s not enough that it would be the primary driver for an AD to leave. Both are doing really well with revenue. Also, my sense is Coyle wants to be part of making the U a consistent winner in FB and MBB. At Kentucky basketball is already a blue blood and kind of a nightmare, and football will never compete in the SEC while the U has a legit chance of being a perennial contender I. The West with WI and IA. All that said, already having a Big Ten job any change would probably come down to where he and his wife want to live more than anything.
 


One of your employees has to approve your hiring?

Am currently doing this.

Let's be honest with ourselves, while the coaches work for the AD in the majority of P5 situations the coach really holds the power, and gets paid more.

I don't much care if Coyle stays or goes. If he wants to be here, stay. If he is unhappy, leave. The only way I care is if it causes PJ Fleck to want to leave. I imagine I'm not alone in that sentiment.

Which is why the coaches hold the true power over their boss, as long as they win.
 

on the Basketball board, some sentiment being expressed that Coyle wants to leave because the U's politically-correct administration forced him to hire a minority coach.
One fckg nut job throws out some speculation about political correctness and you go and try to spread some racist conspiracy! Really?
 

Coyle has been amazing. Sure he is terrible in front of a camera, but he hired Fleck, Whalen, Motzko and Johnson. One of the things that matches them all is they all seem to be passionate about the University of Minnesota and could be life timers here if they win. I think Coyle, Fleck and the whole crew stay as long as the U of M Regents don't blow it all away. They seem to think athletics = money away from academics. They don't seem to follow the "science" that there is more money to be made when solid academics are teamed with elite athletics. Here's to hoping they have got that part figured out and continue to support Coyle and company. I do realize Johnson may not have been his first choice, but he does seem to follow the pattern of hiring the best person who is passionate (with a budget) about the U.
 

PS: It would not surprise me if some Regent is feeding this info to Shooter. If some Regent doesn't like the added focus on athletics, what better way to stir the pot than leaking inaccurate stores to the laziest reports you can find (WCCO and Shooter).
 



Yep, and there is another one that has Kentucky much lower and the Gophs 23. It’s not enough that it would be the primary driver for an AD to leave. Both are doing really well with revenue. Also, my sense is Coyle wants to be part of making the U a consistent winner in FB and MBB. At Kentucky basketball is already a blue blood and kind of a nightmare, and football will never compete in the SEC while the U has a legit chance of being a perennial contender I. The West with WI and IA. All that said, already having a Big Ten job any change would probably come down to where he and his wife want to live more than anything.
Love to see the source for the bolded assertion.

None of us know what might motivate him to take another job and of course he wants to make the U programs successful. There are lots of reasons why Minnesota might really be his dream job. This discussion started because I shared my feeling that this was the type of job that he might leave to take, nothing more. However, to suggest that the only reason he'd leave is because his wife was unhappy is foolish and, in my opinion, and displays the type of misplaced belief in where Minnesota stands in the national hierarchy of collegiate athletic programs that hinders progress.
 

They might when he takes Fleck with him for $8M/year.

Those crazy horse breeders might be willing to pay that, too!
I think they are quite happy with Mark Stoops as he gives them something respectable to watch until basketball season starts; and Stoops is quite happy as his contract gets automatically extended one year each time he wins 7, two years if he wins 10 -- and if he is fired he gets 75% of the remaining deal. It'd cost a pretty penny to fire Stoops and I honestly think the only thing he may leave for is Iowa.
 

on the Basketball board, some sentiment being expressed that Coyle wants to leave because the U's politically-correct administration forced him to hire a minority coach.
He could've had the Mizzou job. They hired from UNLV.

But I suppose a person could speculate that he (Coyle) "knew" (or was told) that the Kentucky job would be coming up shortly as well, and he (Coyle) would prefer that one.
 

and football will never compete in the SEC while the U has a legit chance of being a perennial contender
Hmm ... would be interesting to try to do an objective analysis of this.

I think I agree that we have a slightly better chance of becoming Ohio State than Kentucky has of becoming Alabama. But I'm not sure it's significantly better.
 




Hmm ... would be interesting to try to do an objective analysis of this.

I think I agree that we have a slightly better chance of becoming Ohio State than Kentucky has of becoming Alabama. But I'm not sure it's significantly better.
For the sake of argument I think that it is significantly more likely that we become the leading contender for our division than for Kentucky. Kentucky needs to get through Georgia and Florida every year which seems unlikely due to their inherent recruiting advantages. In addition they need to be better than South Carolina, Tennessee, and Missouri who have all shown the ability to punch at the highest level in the division (well not recently for Tenn). We compete with teams that have the same recruiting disadvantages that we have so I think that makes us more likely.

I didn't even consider the likelihood of us --> osu or kentucky --> alabama because I don't think either are plausible.
 

For the sake of argument I think that it is significantly more likely that we become the leading contender for our division than for Kentucky. Kentucky needs to get through Georgia and Florida every year which seems unlikely due to their inherent recruiting advantages. In addition they need to be better than South Carolina, Tennessee, and Missouri who have all shown the ability to punch at the highest level in the division (well not recently for Tenn). We compete with teams that have the same recruiting disadvantages that we have so I think that makes us more likely.

I didn't even consider the likelihood of us --> osu or kentucky --> alabama because I don't think either are plausible.
Ah, for the division (as they currently are), I agree with you.
 

If some Regent doesn't like the added focus on athletics, what better way to stir the pot than leaking inaccurate stores to the laziest reports you can find (WCCO and Shooter).
If that’s true, we can expect Shama’s article by the end of the week.
 

Names get floated by agents. Was his name floated when PJ was hot? ((His hire)
And Whalen was new and considered a HR hire? The softball team at historic highs? No, it wasn’t.
We got a new president. He didn’t pick the basketball coach. He’s not happy.
Seems pretty dang obvious to me.
you have any evidence to support that accusation?
 

I do think he wanted Johnson. I think he thinks he can see something in people that others miss. That he can pick winners.

But I'm damn sure that Gabel had a say in the matter. And that "the times we're living in" were a factor.

No need to discuss it further.
 

Sorry, but this one here is not at all something that can hold the weight of any kind of hat, at this time.

Totally agree. The point I was trying to make is more so that he hires people who are passionate about MN, because my assumption is he is as well. I will admit Johnson seems like an amazing reach and I do not feel optimistic about his long-term prospects. I hope I am delightfully wrong. I do like his passion to create something truly "Minnesotan" as basketball in this state is really taking off at the HS level.
 

Totally agree. The point I was trying to make is more so that he hires people who are passionate about MN, because my assumption is he is as well. I will admit Johnson seems like an amazing reach and I do not feel optimistic about his long-term prospects. I hope I am delightfully wrong. I do like his passion to create something truly "Minnesotan" as basketball in this state is really taking off at the HS level.
I'm down with this. (y)
 



Love to see the source for the bolded assertion.

None of us know what might motivate him to take another job and of course he wants to make the U programs successful. There are lots of reasons why Minnesota might really be his dream job. This discussion started because I shared my feeling that this was the type of job that he might leave to take, nothing more. However, to suggest that the only reason he'd leave is because his wife was unhappy is foolish and, in my opinion, and displays the type of misplaced belief in where Minnesota stands in the national hierarchy of collegiate athletic programs that hinders progress.
Who suggested his wife is unhappy? My sense from everything he has said is that this community is where his family wants to be.
 

Who suggested his wife is unhappy? My sense from everything he has said is that this community is where his family wants to be.
That’s great, I hope it is. You suggested that the only reason for him to move would be if they wanted to live elsewhere. That ignores that there are other reasons for someone in his position to take another job, including the one in Kentucky that may or may not come open.

Still love to see the source for your claim that Minnesota is a higher revenue athletic department or has a bigger athletic budget than Kentucky.
 

That’s great, I hope it is. You suggested that the only reason for him to move would be if they wanted to live elsewhere. That ignores that there are other reasons for someone in his position to take another job, including the one in Kentucky that may or may not come open.

Still love to see the source for your claim that Minnesota is a higher revenue athletic department or has a bigger athletic budget than Kentucky.
I'm not wanting to argue with you. I'm just saying that I believe that the athletic department revenue is not that different between Kentucky and the U that that it would be a driving factor to leave. They both have the resources necessary to be a top program - top 25 in the country. It's really the top four or five that drastically separate themselves. Thus, like many executives, it would be more about where you want to live, or working relationships (people you want to work with), that would drive you to take another job. Thus, I don't there is anything that would be driving Coyle to look elsewhere.
 

I'm not wanting to argue with you. I'm just saying that I believe that the athletic department revenue is not that different between Kentucky and the U that that it would be a driving factor to leave. They both have the resources necessary to be a top program - top 25 in the country. It's really the top four or five that drastically separate themselves. Thus, like many executives, it would be more about where you want to live, or working relationships (people you want to work with), that would drive you to take another job. Thus, I don't there is anything that would be driving Coyle to look elsewhere.
Fair enough. For what it's worth, I think that the fact that there is presumably less administrative pushback at an SEC school would be a consideration. Dealing with the bureacracy at the U has to be exhausting.
 

But maybe the crux here is how good is Shooter's reporting and sources? We have seen a lot of lazy work from Shooter,e specially the last coupla years.
 

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Fair enough. For what it's worth, I think that the fact that there is presumably less administrative pushback at an SEC school would be a consideration. Dealing with the bureacracy at the U has to be exhausting.
Yep, could be. Although I think fans at every institution think the bureaucracy is worse at their school than other places.
 

Coyle has been amazing. Sure he is terrible in front of a camera, but he hired Fleck, Whalen, Motzko and Johnson. One of the things that matches them all is they all seem to be passionate about the University of Minnesota and could be life timers here if they win. I think Coyle, Fleck and the whole crew stay as long as the U of M Regents don't blow it all away. They seem to think athletics = money away from academics. They don't seem to follow the "science" that there is more money to be made when solid academics are teamed with elite athletics. Here's to hoping they have got that part figured out and continue to support Coyle and company. I do realize Johnson may not have been his first choice, but he does seem to follow the pattern of hiring the best person who is passionate (with a budget) about the U.

Before we declare victory based on those hires, I think it is worth noting that of the 10 seasons they have collectively coached, I only count one really good season (Fleck in 2019). The second best season in the bunch is last hockey season (where we were the runner up in the B1G, won the conference tourney, won an NCAA game but then got blown out by Mankato in the 2nd round), so two if you count that as well.
 




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