Regents want bigger say in size of U of M coaching deals

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maroonfive said:
Do they know we are in the Big Ten?
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This micro management has been going on for 50 years and is a major reason for the "wilderness" years we have experienced. Needs to change now!
 

Dear Mr. Maverick, ( senior member):

The ever inquisitive Mr. Maroonfive posed the following question:

"...do they know we are in the Big Ten..."
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</dd></dl> I guess I wonder that too. On a number of different levels...including what I hear coming from our new, exciting head football coach...

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Sometimes I fear Coach Fleck thinks he is still back in KZOO and all his slogans and language and "always elite all of the time" makes him forget he is no longer @ WMU. He needs new material here at the University of Minnesota in Big Ten Conference Country. Some of the teams in the conference may think the KZOO crew is coming into their stadiums to play when the games are in the Horseshoe, the Big House or @ PSU. Sometimes I think that with all the money the BOR will have to sign off on to make sure Coach gets his pay check, the BOR might expect some new material coming from their coach for 3 1/2 million a year. That recycled WMU stuff might not be "elite" enough for the BIG TEN...or at least some of the BOR. So I hope that coach PJ remembers that this IS the Big Ten and that he is no longer in KZOO. He may have brought a lot of WMU's recruits with him to Minneapolis, but the TWIN CITIES has a unique identity too and doesn't want to be thought of as just another KZOO stop along the way for PJ.

But, since you didn't like it, I deleted my entire post. Have a nice day! ; 0 )
 

imthewalrus said:
Do they know we are in the Big Ten? I don't know how Big Ten the often repeated mantra: "...row the boat... WE are ELITE..." sounds. At least SKI-U-MAH has some history, but: "...row the boat...SKI-U-MAH..." sounds pretty cheesy. "...and that's another Golden Gopher first down...row the boat SKI-U-MAH..." "...please Mr. Fleck...I don't want to row..."

NOT good...NOT too Big Ten...Pretty much KZOO Western Michigan like if you ask me.

I don't care as much what the BOR does in the privacy of their hallowed chambers ...or...where ever it is they meet...but...our football coach is kind of making me shudder the way he throws around his crazy little "culture club" pharses, words and slogans. Please Mr. Fleck...don't make us be ashamed of what you are bringing here from WMU & KZOO..

Let our Football Team be big, grown up Big Ten representatives. NO MORE MAC for us.
we had to put up with badger joel MAC (turi) for entirely too long. He tried to steal Penn State's cheer by disguising it as "...we ARE Minnesota..." That was shameful enough. Please don't make us look too KZOO...You may have had a good time there and thought you had taken the BIG MAC Conference by storm with all your cute stuff...but, please leave us with SOME dignity my good friend Mr. Fleck. For ALL the money you are being paid, you can come up with some new material, can't you. One mantra does not fit all football teams. Don't just give us an instant replay of all that MAC/KZOO razzel-dazzle...Just wait until all the other Big Ten Stadiums start mocking you and your players with "elite", "Row the boat...
Instead of the axe, the stinking badger will want to cut the goal posts down with an oar or a paddle. You just can't do that stuff to the GOPHER Mr. Fleck. The Horseshoe Crowd will go nuts. In the BIG HOUSE they probably heard rumors about the
culture in KZOO..." East Lansing might have heard about it too. I love to go to watch the GOPHER play in other Big Ten Stadiums...but you are just giving them too much material to play with. Go gently with this "slogan" builds "culture" business. It might get ugly out there around the Big Ten when the Gopher comes to call. Row the boat won't play too well @Kinnick, Evanston, or even out at PSU. College Park in Maryland or any where in Jersey...I fear the only place "row the boat ..." played well was back at dear old WMU...the PRIDE of your KZOO. Better win big @ home or TCF might get a little sarcastic too...in Big Ten Stadiums, the sarcasm, "friendly rivalry" and even hostility is a matter of pride for the home field student sections and fan bases. Those darn students are ALWAYS looking for the NEXT over the top, cutting and rude thing to yell at the "U"...Some times it's even really funny too.
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What???? This has to do the Board of Regents how?
 

Maverick said:
This micro management has been going on for 50 years and is a major reason for the "wilderness" years we have experienced. Needs to change now!
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Bingo. All this BS over a contract that puts the MN coach near the midpoint of B1G salaries. This culture is the long term reason Gopher revenue sports have struggled and as always, there is a lack of quotes from regents explaining desire to match the academic standing of higher ranked B1G schools who also happen to pay their "state employee" coaches MORE.
 

The only question the BOR should ask is: Can your budget handle the salaries?

To which Coyle would say yes.

That is the end...
 


Schnauzer said:
Bingo. All this BS over a contract that puts the MN coach near the midpoint of B1G salaries. This culture is the long term reason Gopher revenue sports have struggled and as always, there is a lack of quotes from regents explaining desire to match the academic standing of higher ranked B1G schools who also happen to pay their "state employee" coaches MORE.
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I think this started after Pitino got a raise ... for I guess some reason?
 

In general, I feel like it started about 50 years ago.
 


Schnauzer said:
Bingo. All this BS over a contract that puts the MN coach near the midpoint of B1G salaries. This culture is the long term reason Gopher revenue sports have struggled and as always, there is a lack of quotes from regents explaining desire to match the academic standing of higher ranked B1G schools who also happen to pay their "state employee" coaches MORE.
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Yep, the Regents need to let these people do their jobs. I know most people are not pleased with how Coyle went about making the change, but for the first time in a long time an AD hired an in demand coach and is paying market salaries.
 



Kill was making 2.5 million per year or therabouts? So 12.5 million over 5 years for comparison's sake. If he had continued to perform he'd have been extended for....probably about the Big Ten median 3+.

In any event, Fleck's 6 million dollar premium over Kill's compensation will in all likelihood be made up for with increased ticket sales, donations, etc and Kills compensation would be very close to Fleck if he had stayed. It's an argument over optics. Football brings in a lot of beans.
 

Maverick said:
This micro management has been going on for 50 years and is a major reason for the "wilderness" years we have experienced. Needs to change now!
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And I don't think it's just in athletics that the micromanaging of the BoR has had a negative effect. We have become a state that is lazily relying on a reputation that was established a half century ago and is afraid to challenge itself. I'm old, grew up in a small town, and am a fan of Garrison Keillor, but we have to start putting some speedboats on Lake Wobegon if we plan on burnishing the U's reputation. That starts with leadership and, more importantly, allowing that leadership to truly lead. The BoR of the past generation seems to be determined not to let that happen.
 

I am sure they wanted to hire a search firm and take a slow process approach so they could all have a voice in the matter. They need to move on and let those that were hired to do their jobs take on the decision.
 

50PoundHead said:
And I don't think it's just in athletics that the micromanaging of the BoR has had a negative effect. We have become a state that is lazily relying on a reputation that was established a half century ago and is afraid to challenge itself. I'm old, grew up in a small town, and am a fan of Garrison Keillor, but we have to start putting some speedboats on Lake Wobegon if we plan on burnishing the U's reputation. That starts with leadership and, more importantly, allowing that leadership to truly lead. The BoR of the past generation seems to be determined not to let that happen.
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Agree 100%.
 



The interview Dean Johnson had on KFAN with Dan B, after Claeys was fired, is somewhat relevant to this topic.

To add context, Dean Johnson was a GOP leader (also Lutheran Minister and National Guard leader) at the MN Capitol for years, and after having a falling out with the party and Pawlenty he went DFL and was tossed out of office at the next election by the good people of Willmar. I always though Dean Johnson was difficult guy to read. He resurfaced as a Regent, and after I saw him on the field after the Holiday Bowl win looking excited, which I saw as a good sign for Claeys.

Fast forward a few days, and good old Dean pretty much told Dan he was surprised that Coyle and Kaler wanted to fire Tracy, but he had to stand behind those two since they are paid to make these decisions, not the regents. That was probably the right answer, but now this whole pay oversight discussion again shows how much dis-function surrounds U of M Football and Basketball, and pretty much is explains why Minnesota has not won big for 50 or 55 years.

These guys do not know what they are doing and keep stepping on their own Xicks, hard and repeatedly.
 

50PoundHead said:
And I don't think it's just in athletics that the micromanaging of the BoR has had a negative effect. We have become a state that is lazily relying on a reputation that was established a half century ago and is afraid to challenge itself. I'm old, grew up in a small town, and am a fan of Garrison Keillor, but we have to start putting some speedboats on Lake Wobegon if we plan on burnishing the U's reputation. That starts with leadership and, more importantly, allowing that leadership to truly lead. The BoR of the past generation seems to be determined not to let that happen.
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They should be the one that should have a monopoly on a clear vision about the direction of the entire university enterprise.
 

hungan1 said:
They should be the one that should have a monopoly on a clear vision about the direction of the entire university enterprise.
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I agree. They should set the vision and then hire and maintain an administration that will implement that vision. I have worked with a lot of school boards and school administrations during my career and the overlapping of roles isn't isolated to the U. I think it's a function of "advocates" as opposed to "legislators" finding their way onto governing boards and then they ride the administration toward their particular sentiments as opposed to looking at the entire enterprise. Add to that the complications that maverick and others have pointed out regarding the fiefdoms that exist within the University and you can see why this place isn't considered as a warm and fuzzy place for prospective high level administrators. There are more complications given the nature of the U in the mind of Minnesotans and the existence of MnSCU and how that complicates legislative decisions regarding funding for higher education and we have kind of a perfect storm in this state.
 

Memo to regents:

Fleck's contract puts him in the middle of the pack in the BIG. It's on-par with the contracts of the other "big name" hires from non-P5 conferences going to a P5 conference team (see Taggart, Brohm).

Essentially, the price of gas has gone up. You can choose to bike to work, or suck it up and fill up the tank.
 

One thing about all this is that I'm not entirely convinced the Reagents are on some kinda anti athletics rampage or anything.

For all I know some are, but others might be more like Look if football pays the bills then we should be sure they're successful.

And really that Pitino extension, that was kinda crazy, I get their concern there.
 

A_Slab_of_Bacon said:
One thing about all this is that I'm not entirely convinced the Reagents are on some kinda anti athletics rampage or anything.

For all I know some are, but others might be more like Look if football pays the bills then we should be sure they're successful.

And really that Pitino extension, that was kinda crazy, I get their concern there.
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I don't think that they are necessarily anti-athletics either. I just think they need to get some extensive training in how this type of board should operate.
 


Wow .... whole thing seems really weird, from a distance.

While my Dad's an alum of Minnesota, i went to Florida, where athletics is run by a separate entity - the University Athletic Association - which has its own board of directors, and its own budget.

It may help that the UAA sends money to the academic side pretty much every year.

How much $ does the State put into the athletic programs? I ask because, unless there's $ going from the state into athletics - unless the athletic programs are a "drain" on state funds - the Regents interests really should begin and end on the "student" part of "student/athlete."
 

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