STrib: Reversing course, Kaler in favor of search firm for Gophers AD

[bleedsmaroonandgold]

All of the armchair quarterbacks who post here are hilarious. What was the search committee supposed to do in order to determine that, at some indeterminate point in the future, Norwood Teague would royally screw up and turn out to be a sexual predator? Get their crystal ball repaired? Who here has read the entire 743-page external review, in particular the 12-page section regarding the hiring and vetting of Norwood Teague? I have. Here it is, I suggest that you read it: https://netfiles.umn.edu/regents/bor_-_dec_2015_-_special_meeting.compressed.pdf. These passages in particular are my favorites:

"The External Review Team concludes that the hiring and vetting process that resulted in Norwood Teague’s hire was generally consistent with comparable searches. The length of the process (approximately 11 weeks) and its confidential nature are consistent with Athletics Director searches at comparable institutions."

and

"The External Review Team concludes that had the form or the Candidate Questionnaire clearly called for the disclosure of all prior complaints, including those with and without merit, the Search Committee should have expected to learn of the existence of the VCU complaint. However, it is unclear what impact, if any, the disclosure of an internal complaint regarding salary and court-time would have had on the selection process on April 20, 2012, particularly
where the former employer found the complaint to be without merit. Moreover, even if University had known of the VCU complaint when Teague was hired, which it did not, or the University had learned more about the nature or lack of merit of the complaint when its existence was disclosed to it in 2013, this knowledge would not have foreshadowed that Teague would later engage in conduct of the type that occurred on July 15, 2015. It appears
unlikely that additional vetting by the Search Committee or Parker Executive Search would have uncovered evidence of conduct that Teague had engaged in sexual harassment while at his prior employers."

To be fair, I mean, these were professional litigators who were paid $690,000 over the course of several months to conduct this external review. I'm sure that all of you know better.

Stop trying to blame the U and place the blame where it accurately, and solely, lies: on the shoulders of Norwood Teague.

Can we blame the U for not taking action when it was reported to the U that Ellis was showing porn to coworkers and work-related contacts at a work event back in 2013?

 

[Pompous Elitist]

This is all the classic if something didn't work you have to do the exact opposite next time mentality. If they don't use a search firm, what are they going to do, post it on Monster and sort through the resumes? Call every university and see if they can hire their AD?

This is the standard way AD's are found. I would bet 90% of AD's at D1 schools were hired via search committee. Yes, the candidate hired may not work out, may drive drunk at some point, may get caught cheating on their spouse, etc. It doesn't mean the way they found the candidate was wrong. There's always risk. You can't know everything about a candidate. It's impossible.

The one thing I will say is this makes me wonder if Goetz is either not interested or being passed over. Then again, if the search committee recommends her it will be an additional vote of confidence to the public, even if it wasn't completely on the up and up (our ideal candidate would be female, 40's, already employed by the U...).

In the real world head hunters are used to help quickly find qualified candidates. They would then (normally) undergo an extensive interview process by interested colleagues to determine fit. That didnt happen.

Parker uses the usual weasel words that they are not ultimately responsible for vetting the candidate. They are not responsible. The U and their company men here say they are not responsible. Nobody is responsible. Must be nice. Middlemen.

So, going back to a fundamental issue: why use a search firm for a process that will take 10 months or so? The background checks, etc could be performed by an HR intern from the normal databases. What does Kathy Brown do? Is the U HR department unfamiliar with running background checks and references? We have no one affiliated with the U that can competently assess the public record to Title IX issues, criminal issues? We have no search committee members competent for or interested in assessing candidates fit and ability for the position?

 

[MennoSota]

You get this kind of dysfunction when your top State University is run by Progressives. It's an irony that you just can't make up.
Needless to say, there are a lot of political factions to appease before anything can be accomplished. It will never change at Minnesota. Either get used to it or go root for a different program. Socialism at its finest, right here in the good old Midwest.

 

[Mvgopher]

The ineptitude of our favorite university never surprises me. It appears they have no idea what they believe in. If you're going to hire a search firm, don't allow your president to state otherwise. No AD can be successful if the top have no idea what they need. The Regents are where the ineptitude originates. It cannot be as difficult as they make it look.

 

[Pompous Elitist]

I don't believe it has anything to do with politics. Delegating decision making, insulating one's self from responsibility, and incompetence is not the purview of any political party. I know many, MANY, raving mad righties that are guilty of all the above. It is a symptom of the quest for power and money. Take credit when things go well and deflect criticism when they don't.

 

[MennoSota]

I don't believe it has anything to do with politics. Delegating decision making, insulating one's self from responsibility, and incompetence is not the purview of any political party. I know many, MANY, raving mad righties that are guilty of all the above. It is a symptom of the quest for power and money. Take credit when things go well and deflect criticism when they don't.

I wasn't talking about government politics. I was talking about the politics within the University system. All the different colleges and committees that have opposing interests are all fighting for the same piece of pie. Networking, schmoozing, working coalitions, etc..., are all a part of a big University like the U of M. Nothing is simple and straight-forward in such a large bureaucracy.

 

[BleedGopher]

per Shooter:

University of Minnesota President Eric Kaler is asking for community leaders to submit nominations for the Gophers’ permanent athletics director job. Ex-Gophers AD Norwood Teague has moved to North Carolina, his assistant Mike Ellis to Virginia.

http://www.twincities.com/2016/02/1...taylor-satisfied-with-his-17-37-timberwolves/

Go Gophers!!

 

[jrock]

I nominate J. Robinson, University of Minnesota Head Wrestling Coach.

 

[vagopher]

You get this kind of dysfunction when your top State University is run by Progressives. It's an irony that you just can't make up.
Needless to say, there are a lot of political factions to appease before anything can be accomplished. It will never change at Minnesota. Either get used to it or go root for a different program. Socialism at its finest, right here in the good old Midwest.

You've lost me. Makes no sense at all.

 

[matt]

Who here has read the entire 743-page external review, in particular the 12-page section regarding the hiring and vetting of Norwood Teague? I have.

You read all 743 pages? Do you mind if I ask why?

Here is the reality. You either hire Beth or you go for a search firm. I suspect this means Beth is likely out as an AD candidate.

I personally would hire Beth and hope for the best.

I also believe that this means Beth will not be getting the job. And I also think that we shouldn't just have to "hope for the best" with the athletic department.

 

[MennoSota]

You've lost me. Makes no sense at all.

It's okay. Perhaps you are young and ignorant of college/university politics, especially at the U. Nothing gets done without a lot of schmoozing, appeasing and promise giving. Quid pro quo.

 

[MennoSota]

You read all 743 pages? Do you mind if I ask why?



I also believe that this means Beth will not be getting the job. And I also think that we shouldn't just have to "hope for the best" with the athletic department.

I see this as the process of politics. Goetz didn't say she wanted the job until the method of search was announced. It needs to appear that Goetz got the job in an open and fair process, even if the other candidates have little to no shot at getting the job. Appeasement and politics are at work. It's why Kailer had that big study done, over the AD, that cost half a million dollars. You have to appease various factions.

 

[Gopherguy0723]

You get this kind of dysfunction when your top State University is run by Progressives. It's an irony that you just can't make up.
Needless to say, there are a lot of political factions to appease before anything can be accomplished. It will never change at Minnesota. Either get used to it or go root for a different program. Socialism at its finest, right here in the good old Midwest.

You make F. Gump look like a genius.

Please tell us some more about how this quote only regards the U of M.

 

[MennoSota]

You make F. Gump look like a genius.

Please tell us some more about how this quote only regards the U of M.

It's funny when you attack a person who posts something you disagree with. It makes me laugh. Thanks for bringing humor to the thread.

 

[Gopherguy0723]

It's funny when you attack a person who posts something you disagree with. It makes me laugh. Thanks for bringing humor to the thread.

Actually I'm not disagreeing with you. I'm calling you a liar.

You're not smart enough to understand the difference.

 

[MennoSota]

Actually I'm not disagreeing with you. I'm calling you a liar.

You're not smart enough to understand the difference.

Again, thanks for bringing humor to the board.

 

[Mvgopher]

Again, thanks for bringing humor to the board.

How can one be a liar when stating an opinion?

 

[hungan1]

Politicians do all the time.

 

[vagopher]

It's okay. Perhaps you are young and ignorant of college/university politics, especially at the U. Nothing gets done without a lot of schmoozing, appeasing and promise giving. Quid pro quo.

At age 75, I'm not that young. And having practiced law in Washington DC for 40 years, I know something about how bureaucracies and other organizations function. There are plenty other universities that have successful athletic departments. What I don't understand why you seem to believe that Minnesota is inherently and uniquely dysfunctional.

 

[MennoSota]

At age 75, I'm not that young. And having practiced law in Washington DC for 40 years, I know something about how bureaucracies and other organizations function. There are plenty other universities that have successful athletic departments. What I don't understand why you seem to believe that Minnesota is inherently and uniquely dysfunctional.

40 years of observation watching a "Progressive" university deal with factions in-house. Efficiency has never been its strength.

 

[WindyCityGopher]

Illinois is down to its final 2 AD candidates. Interestingly, Sean Frazier was vetted but didn't make the cut. From the Chicago Tribune:


llinois is deciding between two final candidates for the athletic director position, according to a source.

The search committee was divided on Josh Whitman from Division III Washington University and Patrick Chun of Florida Atlantic, and so they recommended both candidates to interim chancellor Barbara Wilson.

Wilson has reportedly said that the university would make a hire by the end of the month.

Whitman played football at Illinois (1997-2000) and has been the athletic director at Washington in St. Louis since June 2014. He spent the previous four years as athletic director at Wisconsin-La Crosse.

Chun has been at Florida Atlantic since July 2012 and engineered the program's move into Conference USA. He spent the previous 15 years at Ohio State, where from 2009-2012 he provided oversight for the external relations division. He also served as the daily administrative liaison with the football team.

Illinois has been without a permanent athletic director since firing Mike Thomas on Nov. 9 amid scandals in the football and women's basketball programs.

The university formed a search committee in January and then later in the month hired search firm Korn Ferry to help identify candidates.

Others Illinois had targeted included Colorado athletic director Rick George, Australia Tennis CEO Craig Tiley, Eastern Illinois athletic director Tom Michael, Northern Illinois athletic director Sean Frazier, Central Michigan athletic director Dave Heeke and Maryland deputy athletic director Kelly Mehrtens.

 

[LakerFan]

Great to see we are making progress towards filling the AD position. Plan is: Kaler gets together a committee to recommend the search firm that will search for the search firm that we will use to make what some people would characterize as a decision and I would call a lack of decision. Nice leadership. This is a director level hiring. Your being paid to lead the university. Review the candidates yourself spend the $700,000 (in necessary) to interview candidates until you find the one you want and make a bleeping decision and hire someone. There will be no hiding behind a search committee if this hire goes south anyways. Might as well man up and make it your own decision instead of hoping someone else can figure it out.

 

[vagopher]

40 years of observation watching a "Progressive" university deal with factions in-house. Efficiency has never been its strength.

Well I've watched the University for an even longer period of time. And as I have said on numerous occasions, our revenue sports have suffered for years as the result of a conscious decision made in the 60s to de-emphasize those sports, especially football. In my view, however, Eric Kaler is much more supportive of our revenue sports than his predecessors, as evidenced in part, by the fact that we are going forward with the much needed Athletic Village. The Athletic Department obviously took a big hit with Norwood Teague's boorish behavior, which resulted in his resignation, and it is unfortunate that it is taking as much time as it is to replace him. But I think that is largely the product of having to deal with the internal department investigation trigged by NT's behavior and the decision of people within the track and field program to create leverage to support their drive for new on-campus facilities by filing a Title IX complaint. Those investigations have, as far as I can tell, reached relatively favorable conclusions, which, in my opinion, will be helpful in finding a well qualified AD. I'm sure, as we go forward, that there will be "in-house" factions that will be more concerned with values other than winning football and basketball, but I don't think I've ever seen a time since the 60s when the Administration is more commited to success in those programs. I'm not sure what it is about "Progressive" values that you find objectionable, but if those values help us to find a person of integrity and decency, who will made us all proud of our university, I'm all for them. The last thing I want to see is an AD who emphasizes winning at all costs.

 

[MennoSota]

Well I've watched the University for an even longer period of time. And as I have said on numerous occasions, our revenue sports have suffered for years as the result of a conscious decision made in the 60s to de-emphasize those sports, especially football. In my view, however, Eric Kaler is much more supportive of our revenue sports than his predecessors, as evidenced in part, by the fact that we are going forward with the much needed Athletic Village. The Athletic Department obviously took a big hit with Norwood Teague's boorish behavior, which resulted in his resignation, and it is unfortunate that it is taking as much time as it is to replace him. But I think that is largely the product of having to deal with the internal department investigation trigged by NT's behavior and the decision of people within the track and field program to create leverage to support their drive for new on-campus facilities by filing a Title IX complaint. Those investigations have, as far as I can tell, reached relatively favorable conclusions, which, in my opinion, will be helpful in finding a well qualified AD. I'm sure, as we go forward, that there will be "in-house" factions that will be more concerned with values other than winning football and basketball, but I don't think I've ever seen a time since the 60s when the Administration is more commited to success in those programs. I'm not sure what it is about "Progressive" values that you find objectionable, but if those values help us to find a person of integrity and decency, who will made us all proud of our university, I'm all for them. The last thing I want to see is an AD who emphasizes winning at all costs.

I agree with nearly everything you've said. My point is that the University has many entities that still have no concern or desire to emphasize excellence in sports. Those factions work to undermine President Kailer and the Board of Regents in regard to athletics at the U.

 

[vagopher]

I agree with nearly everything you've said. My point is that the University has many entities that still have no concern or desire to emphasize excellence in sports. Those factions work to undermine President Kailer and the Board of Regents in regard to athletics at the U.

I think the Title IX complaint illustrates your point, but this might be the first time since the 60s that the leadership recognizes the importance of successful revenue sports programs. I'm hopeful that will result in a better outcome than we have seen in the past. I have felt for years that - properly supported - those programs can be competitive, as our football program once was. Take care.