Hillbillies drowning in red ink

[HungaryGator]

https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-rSGzZk3_Xp0/UGRPFlcoUuI/AAAAAAAAAuA/PM6vQ4xzVz4/s400/x2_eca647f.jpg

Paying several failed former coaches and throwing money at assistant coaches while continuing to suck does not lead to positive financial results. Who knew?

http://www.sportsbusinessdaily.com/Journal/Issues/2013/01/28/Colleges/Tennessee.aspx

[ApexNC]

Biggest mistake of all (and there have been many) was hiring Spanky as their AD

[gator7_5]

^ werd!

[cpgator]

Note the consultant that the article quoted: Bill Carr, former UF AD and All-American. Many people believe Jeremy Foley created Florida's strong financial position. In fact, Carr, Richard Giannini laid the foundation for much of UF's success during the 80s. Not to diminish JF's role...he has was an important part of the picture and has done an excellent job building on what he received. However, many Gator fans don't realize just how big a debt we owe to Carr and Giannin.

[rounds]

Since being fired by FSU, Spanky has aged 25yrs. in 7yrs. Pompous ass.

[theghost]

Note the consultant that the article quoted: Bill Carr, former UF AD and All-American. Many people believe Jeremy Foley created Florida's strong financial position. In fact, Carr, Richard Giannini laid the foundation for much of UF's success during the 80s. Not to diminish JF's role...he has was an important part of the picture and has done an excellent job building on what he received. However, many Gator fans don't realize just how big a debt we owe to Carr and Giannin.

Carr did a great job laying a nice foundation. JF has done great keeping it moving.

One thing we haven't had to deal with is big payouts to fired coaches. Zook cost us some cash, but we came out okay (not sure if him landing the Illinois job immediately helped us out or not...as far as reducing the size of his buyout because he found employment).

Regardless, this situation at Tennessee has to be an eye opener for many colleges athletic departments. There is a big push these days to pay athletes. If a big SEC program is struggling, imagine what smaller schools are dealing with. I can't imagine Southern Miss, Idaho State, Middle Tennessee, Central Michigan and other such schools are in the black and are in a position to pay all of their athletes a stipend (including every athlete at the school).

[grant1]

Yes, Foley has kept the machine moving and growing, but no one can discount the good that Charlie Pell made. He raised a lot cash when he first arrived.

While Foley has done a lot of good, I still can't fathom him "giving" $1,000,000 to Meyer. That was a retention bonus has he stayed another month. Meyer quit before the retention date and Foley gave it anyhow. And then raises ticket prices to cover a shortfall!

[Claygator]

Paying Lame Kiffins and his assistants the salaries they did was idiotic.

And I agree with the comments about how important the contributions were from Pell and Carr in the '80's. Pell galvanized the gator fans, created the booster clubs, and reeled in the cash, starting us on the path to success.

[bofusgators]

Yes, Charlie Pell was a big help to us.

[Go2gtr]

Oh, the historians on this site.

[Go2gtr]

Yes, Foley has kept the machine moving and growing, but no one can discount the good that Charlie Pell made. He raised a lot cash when he first arrived.

While Foley has done a lot of good, I still can't fathom him "giving" $1,000,000 to Meyer. That was a retention bonus has he stayed another month. Meyer quit before the retention date and Foley gave it anyhow. And then raises ticket prices to cover a shortfall!
Get over it. The payout to Meyer did not create a shortfall.

[Go2gtr]

"The athletic department spends a startling $21 million a year on debt payments, $13.5 million of which comes from the school’s stressed $99.5 million athletic budget and the rest from donations."

Eerily similar to where our country is going.

[Swampmaster]

why did the moron's in the UT ath dept give derek dooley a $5 million buyout in his contract??? He came to UT from a small program with a losing record.

[Bradass]

why did the moron's in the UT ath dept give derek dooley a $5 million buyout in his contract??? He came to UT from a small program with a losing record.

Because they're morons! That's really the only answer.

[jagervol01]

why did the moron's in the UT ath dept give derek dooley a $5 million buyout in his contract??? He came to UT from a small program with a losing record.

It is a very good question. There is too much talk on this thread about Dave Hart, however. I understand that Gator fans don't like him because of his history at FSU but the fact is the current financial state of Tennessee's athletic dept has nothing to do with him. He has only had the job since September 2011. This is all on Mike Hamilton's doorstep including our three straight losing seasons. Kevin Sumlin openly lobbied for the Tennessee job before Hamilton hired Dooley.

[theologator]

Note the consultant that the article quoted: Bill Carr, former UF AD and All-American. Many people believe Jeremy Foley created Florida's strong financial position. In fact, Carr, Richard Giannini laid the foundation for much of UF's success during the 80s. Not to diminish JF's role...he has was an important part of the picture and has done an excellent job building on what he received. However, many Gator fans don't realize just how big a debt we owe to Carr and Giannin.

Let's not leave out Charley Pell's role in building of the booster clubs across the state and getting Ben Hill Griffin Jr. to bowl in the south end zone.

I loved when, years after Pell was run off, Griffin was presented some award at midfield. They put the mike in front of him and he growled, "I'm still a Charley Pell man!" The crowd cheered wildly.

Foley has been incredible in identifying extraordinary young coaches and coupling them with first class facilities. He has also shaped a culture of excellence at the UAA. He's amazing, and absolutely building on the foundation you describe.

[Jaggator]

why did the moron's in the UT ath dept give derek dooley a $5 million buyout in his contract??? He came to UT from a small program with a losing record.

Because the other 4 coaches they offered to before him all declined and then to save face and further embarrassment they offered Dooley the job and Dooley being the attorney he is made sure they included that $5 million dollar buyout. Smart guy!

[bofusgators]

Foley has been very good for the Gators in many ways.

[Gatorgal04]

Kevin Sumlin openly lobbied for the Tennessee job before Hamilton hired Dooley.

Wow. Hamilton should have paid TN for armed protection to get out of town after that decision.

[GatorSean]

Kevin Sumlin openly lobbied for the Tennessee job before Hamilton hired Dooley.


hahaha.... that is so awesome if true.

[GatorDoc74]

Dave Hart only took the Tennessee job because he assumed he'd be able to go to the State and the good ole boys in the legislature would throw money at the athletic program. After all, it worked at FSU.

Turns out he was wrong, so now he should be spanked and sent to bed.

Perhaps our own UAA should take note. It is possible for college football attendance to wane, even in a football-crazy state.

[1984Gator]

Get over it. The payout to Meyer did not create a shortfall.

$1MM is a drop in the bucket for our program, well under 1% of the annual budget. meyer did win 2 national titles after all!

[GatorJeff]

Yes, Foley has kept the machine moving and growing, but no one can discount the good that Charlie Pell made. He raised a lot cash when he first arrived.

While Foley has done a lot of good, I still can't fathom him "giving" $1,000,000 to Meyer. That was a retention bonus has he stayed another month. Meyer quit before the retention date and Foley gave it anyhow. And then raises ticket prices to cover a shortfall!

The UAA has had more than a 6 million dollar surplus every year for many consecutive years now.

[theologator]

$1MM is a drop in the bucket for our program, well under 1% of the annual budget. meyer did win 2 national titles after all!

The part that bothered me is that Meyer was able to get out of that contract then sign with OSU within a year. I don't begrudge the severance and goodwill, but given the health reasons etc. he should have been expected to stay out of coaching college elsewhere for the full term of the contract.

OSU is one thing. What if he had gone to UT or FSU? The no-strings departure left UF at some disadvantage.

[jagervol01]

Dave Hart only took the Tennessee job because he assumed he'd be able to go to the State and the good ole boys in the legislature would throw money at the athletic program. After all, it worked at FSU.

Turns out he was wrong, so now he should be spanked and sent to bed.

Perhaps our own UAA should take note. It is possible for college football attendance to wane, even in a football-crazy state.
That is ridiculous. Lol! The state of Tenn fund the athletic dept at UT? They don't even pay for functioning air conditioning systems in inner city Memphis schools where it reaches 100+ degrees in May. Hart was not expecting funding from the state, that can not be a serious post.

[GatorBen]

That is ridiculous. Lol! The state of Tenn fund the athletic dept at UT? They don't even pay for functioning air conditioning systems in inner city Memphis schools where it reaches 100+ degrees in May. Hart was not expecting funding from the state, that can not be a serious post.

The State of Florida doesn't fund a lot of things either, but FSU conned them into building a massive brick wall around their erector set stadium.

[rounds]

That was T.K. Wetherall as House Speaker with John Thrasher & Jim King both future Senate Presidents that wrapped that erector set cesspool with brick "clownrooms" to the tune of $160 mil taxpayer bucks. scumbags

[cocodrilo]

Carr did a great job laying a nice foundation. JF has done great keeping it moving.


Didn't Carr get some kind of black eye while AD at UF? I don't remember what it was, I just recall some controversy, not of a major nature.

Foley literally gave someone a black eye as AD at UF.

[gator85jd]

$1MM is a drop in the bucket for our program, well under 1% of the annual budget. meyer did win 2 national titles after all!

You're wasting your talents here on SG. With thinking like that, you belong in the Washington DC. A million dollars is a drop in the bucket?

Meyer clearly didn't earn the retention bonus -- it's a retention bonus. By his own decision, he wasn't retained. In today's world of college coaches who are essentially hired guns passing through programs on their way to bigger or better things, it's not a loyalty relationship, it's a contractual relationship and per the terms of his contract with UF he wasn't entitled to the $1,000,000.00. Part of the AD's job is administering the contracts for the athletic department.

[HungaryGator]

That retention bonus helped secure the commitments of Shariff Floyd, Matt Elam, Dominique Easley and several others who formed the backbone of our team this year. I say it was worth it.

[Swampmaster]

fsu fired hart for incompetence and he gets hired by tennessee and their athletic program is $200 million in debt???? funny stuff---he will only make it worse.

[tilly]

fsu fired hart for incompetence and he gets hired by tennessee and their athletic program is $200 million in debt????

Give the guy some slack. He's building his resume for a congressional run. :bored:

[HungaryGator]

Give the guy some slack. He's building his resume for a congressional run. :bored:

I wish I could laugh at the obvious truth of this statement, but....... :sad:

[GatorDoc74]

Didn't Carr get some kind of black eye while AD at UF? I don't remember what it was, I just recall some controversy, not of a major nature.I believe Carr was the AD when Charlie Pell was doing the things that led to our probation.