PiPress: Continued heavy criticism could drive Joel Maturi away from Gophers AD job

Donate To GopherHole


I didn't realize that scholarship athletes could also qualify for a pell grant...is that recent? That is a huge need based bonus for kids with low income families. I know the Pell grant was a big part of my ability to go to the U, plus loans and an academic scholarship and work study and regular work...but without a pell grant, i wouldve owed thousands more in loans.
 


Should he stay or should he go now???

I wonder what Wren thinks about Maturi? :D
 


Odd that it would be a problem now, nothing controversial has happened in the last few months. Absolutely nothing to complain about as far as Joel as concerned. Expectations aren't that high for either Basketball or Football and it seems like a lets wait and see how things turn out attitude exists as far as I can tell.
 

Arbogast said:
And this would be a problem why?
Click to expand...
It is possible to do worse, but if kramer is any good the probablility is pretty low. I'll take my chances.
I actually like Joel, but he can't make tough priority decisions, and does not seem to understand that winning revenue teams support the athletic dept. This is not Notre Dame, it is a state school. People's opinion about what is important counts and the best balanced athletic dept in the B1G is not in their top 20 concerns no matter what Joel thinks. A large part of their impression about the U of M is based whether we excel, are competent, or are incompetent in revenue sports (there are only three). Given the demise of the hockey program and the basketball program under Joel, I guess the vote is in.
 





Joel needs to understand that, in addition to the revenue sports being your cash cows, that B1G ADs are under a microscope, and therefore, words matter. I understood the context in which he said it, but you just can't spout off quotes that allude to your football program going 0-12. Again, I understand the context, but Joel needs to understand that his "little engine that could" mentality is not good enough. As others have said, I think that he is a really nice guy and a class individual, but he is simply not cut out to be a competent AD in the 21st century; it all starts with accepting that he is running a business.
 


Bayfieldgopher said:
The article is no longer available. Anyone have a copy?
Click to expand...

The wonder of search engine cacheing (source: Yahoo Search Cache).

Continued heavy criticism could drive Joel Maturi away from Gophers AD job
By Marcus R. Fuller
[email protected]
Updated: 08/18/2011 07:33:38 PM CDT

After the toughest sports year of his administrative career, Joel Maturi wants to put the negativity behind him so he can function effectively as Gophers athletics director in the final year of his contract.

If he can't, he concedes, re-signing would be difficult, even if it turns out he and new University of Minnesota President Eric Kaler feel comfortable with each other.

With the 2011-12 school year just weeks away, Maturi talked to the Pioneer Press in an interview and follow-up communication this week about that and more, including football coach Jerry Kill, basketball coach Tubby Smith and the University of Miami scandal.

Q: If Kaler were to totally back you as (former president Robert) Bruininks did, would there be any reason for you to leave?

A: Yeah. If I don't feel I can be effective. Let's be honest. Last year was a very challenging year for lots of reasons. Lots of negative public concern about my ability to be the athletics director. If indeed that negativity would persist and therefore it's a reflection on my leadership, then I don't think I should be the AD. Because I can't be effective in that kind of environment. I care too much about the Gophers to be stubborn and so prideful that I'm not going to say, 'Heck with you, Minnesota.' That's just not Joel Maturi. I'm not going to please everybody. It's not like I'm going to take a vote. That's not what I'm saying. But I need to feel there's enough backing for my leadership by the people internally and externally for me to continue to be the athletics director.

Q: So, would you really not come back as AD if the negativity toward you got as bad as last year?

A: If President Kaler or I believed that the negativity would lead to me being ineffective, then I would not return as the athletic director. I don't think we're going to take a vote, though. I wouldn't want that printed, (that) if there was a lot of negativity out there, (I'd leave). Hell, there's lot of people to just get on the bandwagon to say that I shouldn't be - or some people on the bandwagon to say I should be. I don't want that to happen. That's not what this is about. It's about me believing that I can still be the leader and realizing that every decision I make, some people are going to accept and some people are not. I can't be the athletic director and be fearful of the negative response. I have to be more fearful of doing the right thing for the right reasons.

Q: Where do you think most of that negativity came from?

A: Most of the negativity toward me was from the football hiring process. Hopefully, the hiring of Jerry Kill has quelled that. If it hasn't, then obviously I have to rethink about what my future is.

Q: If you had to leave your position, what would you do?

A: Whether I would stop and don't do anything remains to be seen. My wife and I are going to continue to live in the Twin Cities area. We love it here. Whether I do something to keep busy remains to be seen.

Q: Does the football team have to finish with a certain record to squash the negativity?

A: I truly believe that we could go 0-12 and I'm not so sure people are going to say I made a bad hire. None of us expect to go 0-12. But I do think that coach Kill has done so much right that they're going to give him the chance because they still want him to succeed.

Now what might happen in a case like that is that the perception that did exist for a while under the Glen Mason era, that we don't commit to football enough, might start happening. But it's not just TCF Bank Stadium. We've done a lot, rightfully so. We've put some fuel in the engine, so let's see if it can go faster.

Q: Smith expects his extension to be done before basketball season starts in October. Do you feel the same way?

A: He's got three years left on his contract. But that doesn't mean that I don't want it done. And I keep using the same verbiage. It is in the hands of the lawyers. It's not that Tubby and I don't agree. I really believe he wants to be here. Quite frankly, say it loudly, I want him to be here. I don't think that's the issue. I'm not panicky about his contract.

Q: Are you close to finding a major donor for the basketball practice facility project? Do you need to win first?

A: I'm hopeful we can get some commitments before we play a basketball game. We're working hard at that. The fact of the matter is, we need to find individuals and companies that want to commit to the University of Minnesota men's and women's basketball programs. Hopefully, we'll be talking to people who aren't measuring us on winning this year, last year or next year. This is a long-term investment for this program, and every team in the Big Ten has one except for (Minnesota and Northwestern). It's just a reality of big-time college basketball today, and we're behind the eight ball. You talk about a lack of commitment. Tubby's at a disadvantage. I know people don't like to hear that, but he is. As is (women's basketball coach) Pam (Borton). We need to find the person or persons who has the ability to assist us to get there who sees that big picture. Give it to us because we need it so that we might win next year.

Q: Can you imagine what Miami's AD is going through right now after the Yahoo Sports report came out on all of those athletes receiving improper benefits? Does it make you take a closer look at your program?

A: (Miami AD) Shawn Eichorst, I know very well. (Miami football coach) Al Golden, I know. They're not guilty of anything, but wow. You know I feel for them. (Gophers director of compliance) J.T. Bruett emailed all of the coaches (Wednesday) telling them that all of the sports that are not in season, your incoming freshmen can't go out there to (the university's building at) the State Fair. Until classes start or until they report for practice, they can't take part in any promotional activities. It's a stupid rule. We have to get rid of that stuff.

Q: How do you prevent athletes from taking extra benefits?

A: If Mr. Donor is over there and tells the waitress, 'I'm going to pay for those kids' meal,' that's not a big deal, right? So the waitress walks up to the players and says, 'That guy over there took care of your meal.' How many kids are going to say, 'Oh, no, no, no. I've got to pay for it?' I'm not saying it's right. I'm not condoning it for a minute. But I don't expect a kid to say, 'I don't have to pay for it.' It makes no sense.

We've got to tell the kid to try to say no. But we also have to do a better job of educating our donors to say: 'You're going to screw us. You might mean well for paying $25 for pizzas, but you could jeopardize this program. ... The kid has got the pizza money.' ... That's to me where it's got to be done better.

Q: Will paying athletes help solve the problem?

A: It won't make any difference. It's not that they need $2,000 more. They're always going to want that and want more. The kids that really are in need can get $6,000 with a Pell Grant now. That's not bad money with a full scholarship. The problem is, we want more. We've created an environment where the star athletes in the star sports are being rewarded for scoring touchdowns and scoring points. And that is the lifestyle we live. Some player has some buddy in the NFL, and that's how it happened to him. It's a spiral. We continue to look closer. I always have my biweekly meeting with J.T. going over what we do educationally, what are we doing and what are our wet spots? What do we have to be concerned about with the understanding that something could happen tomorrow? But all you can do is the best you can do. All you can do is educate and monitor. I don't know what else you can do. I'm not going to say nothing has happened under Joel Maturi's watch because it could happen tomorrow.
 

Would be nice to see him go, then maybe the dead weight coaches would be gone:Borton

Like Borton in basketball. That and he hired that dead beat, no work John Harris as Golf director that is going to cost the U
a few bucks against the wishes of many in the AD. Joel has done a lot of good for the Gophers but his bad almost equals
the good so you could say it is a wash. He wasn't wrong to fire the previous head coach in football and want his man
but he stuck his neck too far out on Brewster another risk that people warned him against taking and he went for that also.
Brewster will always be the albatross, that takes away from the overall picture
 



WA

Thanks for the post.

I'm afraid perception has become reality. No matter what happens in the next year(even if the Gophers go to the Rose Bowl) JM will not be viewed in a good light. Sounds like he might be starting to realize that.
 


WAGopher said:
The fact of the matter is, we need to find individuals and companies that want to commit to the University of Minnesota men's and women's basketball programs.
Click to expand...

Isn't that the job of an successful athletic director? To sell and promote your program.

I've actually met Joel a couple times, my grandfather pitched for the Gophers on the 64 National Champion team and met him at a few reunions I was invited too. We talked mostly about the baseball program, but he seemed like a good guy. Now do I think he's kind of a tool. Yes, especially after the whole Brewster hire and misplaced investments like a million dollar plus boat house for the U rowing team. Then read him in an article later in the year complaining about the lack of money for U sports. Really?

But he did hire Tubby. Right? That's good enough. Right?
 

Jessica Alba Fan Club said:
Isn't that the job of an successful athletic director? To sell and promote your program.

I've actually met Joel a couple times, my grandfather pitched for the Gophers on the 64 National Champion team and met him at a few reunions I was invited too. We talked mostly about the baseball program, but he seemed like a good guy. Now do I think he's kind of a tool. Yes, especially after the whole Brewster hire and misplaced investments like a million dollar plus boat house for the U rowing team. Then read him in an article later in the year complaining about the lack of money for U sports. Really?

But he did hire Tubby. Right? That's good enough. Right?
Click to expand...

So you are saying that the Board of Regents and U President are not involved in setting Athletics Department budget priorities and approving multi-million dollar sports facilities?

The general level of ignorance in GopherHole about the duties and authority of the U's Athletics Director is pathetic. If you want to eliminate a sport you will have to walk across the bodies of every person who supports that sport and donates big money to the U. When those people are unhappy about something at the U they tell the President or one or more members of the Board of Regents during lunch.

Joel Maturi doesn't get to decide what intercollegiate sports the U has and how much money gets spent on new sports faciliities. AD's have bosses just like most of the rest of us. Bosses get to make the big decisions.
 

My question is the: How many times do we need to hear the same story from Maturi before his boss just tells him to take a hike? Remember last years famous quote from Joel? Something to the effect, "I really like my job, but I am not having very much fun."

This is at least 3 or 4 times in the last year that one of the two papers in town has run a similar story on Maturi. How many of us could have the same story run about us in our jobs in the local paper and have a boss that would put up with it? If I am not effective in my job because of heavy criticism, I am willing to bet I would be shown the door mighty quickly.

I am sick of hearing this from Maturi. Joel, you are in your mid-60's. If you do not like it and are not enjoying it, step away. Not for the fans of the UofM, but for yourself and your own health. Go enjoy retirement. Let Kahler hire his own person for the job, quit whining in public about your job!
 

I think Maturi is a good guy who has worked very hard. Has he always made the right decision? No (and his more visible mistakes have been doozies). Unfortunately, being a good guy doesn't translate to much in modern big-time college athletics.

But he's run a decent program top-to-bottom (although the non-revenue sport success doesn't seem to matter much in here).

To me, it appears he's been a bit out of his element the past few years. Everything has gotten more competitive and high-stakes and he appears to still be a "handshake" guy who hearkens back to an era long past.

I wish him well regardless of what decision he makes. It wouldn't surprise me if he stepped aside, but the Iron Ranger in him probably wants to go down fighting.
 

How's Tubby's contract extension coming, Joel? Oh yeah, it's 'with the lawyers' for the last year and a half. How about Kill's contract? No worries Joel, take your sweet time. I guess 'the lawyers' are too busy defending you from lawsuits to focus on getting contracts for your two most important coaches. Well never mind that, how's the practice facility coming? How's that baseball stadium coming Joel? No shovel in the ground on either? Hey take your time there too.

Maturi gets criticized because he's not good at most aspects of the job. And all we get his him whining about it in the paper. He's had it long enough. He's at retirement age. Do everyone including yourself a favor and step away already.
 

This guy becomes more pathetic every time I read an interview with him. Gopher revenue sport success is at an all-time low and he is whining about the criticism. He is lucky he has a g@d-d@mn job. Be-gone Badger Joel!!!
 

howeda7 said:
How's Tubby's contract extension coming, Joel? Oh yeah, it's 'with the lawyers' for the last year and a half. How about Kill's contract? No worries Joel, take your sweet time. I guess 'the lawyers' are too busy defending you from lawsuits to focus on getting contracts for your two most important coaches. Well never mind that, how's the practice facility coming? How's that baseball stadium coming Joel? No shovel in the ground on either? Hey take your time there too.

Maturi gets criticized because he's not good at most aspects of the job. And all we get his him whining about it in the paper. He's had it long enough. He's at retirement age. Do everyone including yourself a favor and step away already.
Click to expand...

The economy might have something to do with his in ability to find money for baseball and basketball. IMO, getting the public to pay for the TCF Bank stadium was the most important project being done at Minnesota in the last 30 years.
 

4four4 said:
The economy might have something to do with his in ability to find money for baseball and basketball. IMO, getting the public to pay for the TCF Bank stadium was the most important project being done at Minnesota in the last 30 years.
Click to expand...

I don't doubt that. And if these were Maturi's only issues, it would be easy to give him a pass. But bad economy or not, he promised Tubby a practice facility in 2007 when he was hired. And 4 years later, not one shovel of dirt has been moved and none is on the horizon. Meanwhile, Anderson's been promised a baseball stadium for what, a decade? And that doesn't appear all that close either. That's pretty sad, no matter the economy.

As for TCF, Joel deserves some credit. But not more than Bruinicks, Mason, Carl Pohlad, Jerry Bell, Mike Opat and several members of the Legislature.
 

Go4Broke said:
So you are saying that the Board of Regents and U President are not involved in setting Athletics Department budget priorities and approving multi-million dollar sports facilities?

The general level of ignorance in GopherHole about the duties and authority of the U's Athletics Director is pathetic. If you want to eliminate a sport you will have to walk across the bodies of every person who supports that sport and donates big money to the U. When those people are unhappy about something at the U they tell the President or one or more members of the Board of Regents during lunch.

Joel Maturi doesn't get to decide what intercollegiate sports the U has and how much money gets spent on new sports faciliities. AD's have bosses just like most of the rest of us. Bosses get to make the big decisions.
Click to expand...

Yikes. Armageddon has set in; I agree with G4B!

This is the only criticism I've ever had of the folks that bag on Maturi; 99.9% of the average fans (myself included) as to what's involved in being the AD at a major university on a day-to-day basis. People see hiring and firing of coaches and don't look much past that. They also have no clue just WHO the AD has to report to and be accountable to, almost seem to think the AD acts completely autonomously, making whatever decisions they want.

I have no clue where Maturi sits on the spectrum of being a good AD or a horrible one; I just don't think many folks on a college messageboard are capable of making that assessment either. Let's face it, the average sports fan is pretty much clueless when it comes to a LOT of things; this isn't any different.

He's handled some things well, some things poorly. Maybe it is time for some new blood, who knows. I guess we'll find out soon enough.
 

Go4Broke said:
The general level of ignorance in GopherHole about the duties and authority of the U's Athletics Director is pathetic.
Click to expand...

dont-taze-me-bro.jpg
 

Attachments

  • dont-taze-me-bro.jpg
    dont-taze-me-bro.jpg
    83.1 KB · Views: 0



Ol' Spermy Is Going On Record To Help and Support Maturi . . .

. . . in moving any boxes or items out of his office as he needs, when that blessed day (soon) arrives. ;)
 

howeda7 said:
How's Tubby's contract extension coming, Joel? Oh yeah, it's 'with the lawyers' for the last year and a half. How about Kill's contract? No worries Joel, take your sweet time. I guess 'the lawyers' are too busy defending you from lawsuits to focus on getting contracts for your two most important coaches. Well never mind that, how's the practice facility coming? How's that baseball stadium coming Joel? No shovel in the ground on either? Hey take your time there too.

Maturi gets criticized because he's not good at most aspects of the job. And all we get his him whining about it in the paper. He's had it long enough. He's at retirement age. Do everyone including yourself a favor and step away already.
Click to expand...

And just how have you determined that JM is "not good at most aspects of the job"? That is an absolutely absurd statement. If you have some evidence that corresponds to an objective evaluation of his performance vs. his job description, then let's hear it? You've expressed your opinion and it is obviously based on ignorance. A contract being signed is NOT his job...it's a lawyer's job. JM has a signed Memorandum of Understanding that states all the term, salary, etc. for Coach Kill. Obviously the U wants some things in terms of dismissal language at minimum expense and Kill's lawyer wants the opposite. Quite normal. (And the U may have learned a few things from the Clem buyout fiasco). IMO, the opposite is true...he's done a pretty fair job for the U and he represents this state's values very well.
While I would be the first to agree that JM is not perfect (yeah he's slow to fire, but that's not a terrible human quality...and then there is Brewster), these times are incredibly difficult for raising money and you forget we got TCF under his regime...how many hundred million more do you think donors have to give and would do so if only Joel wasn't the one asking? If you think it's easy to raise money for ANY worthwhile cause these days...go for it...you'll find out it's far easier to criticize others.
JM is a known quantity...we all know what he wants to do and how he goes about it. Hiring a new guy may turn out better for us but I'll give you even odd's that there's a pretty fair possibility that the opposite will happen.
 

I'm not seeing how the criticism or the possible removal of Maturi is a problem. The entire "money-making" sports side of the
Athletic Dept. has regressed horribly under his leadership. Never thought I'd see the day where Men's Hockey absolutely sucked, but
it's here. He's got to go.
 

You must log in or register to reply here.



Top Bottom