Tulsa AD and coaches salaries voluntarily reduced

[Tulsa Guy]

Tulsa is getting raked over the coals on the ACC board for the salary adjustments as reported by the Tulsa World. However, I reviewed the football and basketball coaching salaries available publicly and Tulsa coaching salaries compared favorably before the voluntary reduction. But that's not the point I want to make here regarding the AAC board.

AAC fans are stating Tulsa is not "investing" in its program and therefore Tulsa cannot build or sustain a strong athletic program. I disagree. Tulsa administration will work thru this. But that still is not the point I wish to make. The point I wish to make is no G5 school can pay a football or basketball coach enough to keep them when a P5 school comes calling. The allure and salaries of P5 schools is overwhelming for G5 schools. Just as a reminder....

UCF lost its FB coach to Nebraska.
Houston lost its FB coach to Texas.
SMU lost its FB coach to Arkansas.
Temple lost its FB coach to Baylor.
Navy lost its FB coach to Georgia Tech.
Memphis lost its FB coach to Virginia Tech & its basketball coach to Kentucky.
USF lost its FB coach to Oregon.
UConn lost its FB coach to Maryland.
And, finally, TU lost its last two winning FB coaches to Louisville and Pitt.

My guess is that, even with the voluntary salary reductions, Tulsa is still competitive with other G5 schools. And the voluntary salary reductions were done to minimize cuts in all the other facets of a sports program, for example, money for recruiting. There is no doubt in my mind that Tulsa will continue to successfully compete in all AAC sports.

 

[goldenhurricane2]

Thanks for this post. It’s nice to see someone with a level head here. The AAC board is crawling with idiots, especially a couple of SMU posters who claim to be “in the know” about inner workings of TU.

Long story short, this has been blown WAY out of proportion and the less it’s talked about the better.

 

[Weatherdemon]

Thanks for this post. It’s nice to see someone with a level head here. The AAC board is crawling with idiots, especially a couple of SMU posters who claim to be “in the know” about inner workings of TU.

Long story short, this has been blown WAY out of proportion and the less it’s talked about the better.

Maybe so but, we would be slamming a school for doing this. It just doesn’t look good.

 

[goldenhurricane2]

Maybe so but, we would be slamming a school for doing this. It just doesn’t look good.

No where did I say it was awesome... I’m not super duper happy about it. However it’s being presented in a way that isn’t 100% accurate for the sake of making us look as bad as possible.

 

[rusty-c]

Our AD set it up in a manner that allowed it to be interpreted in a negative manner. The University doesn’t disclose salaries and various other details while hiding behind the private University status. Why did it seem prudent to air this to the world? Pisz poor decision...,

 

[HuffyCane]

99 out of 100 Presidents and AD’s polled would tell you doing this was a bad idea if they were being honest. The other one would be clinically insane.

At best, it smacks of a preemptive disclosure to avoid a university critic from tattling to the paper. So they made a very poor attempt at spin/PR to keep themselves from looking like things are worse than they are after some sensational coverage. All they did is make themselves look like mismanagers and amateurs.

Remember this day when the next version of the PR program called “Power 6” disinvites uss from the AAC. They didn’t spend all that time and money hyping the conference to have it undercut by us because Stead’s ego led to some bad borrowing and TU is top heavy in administration positions that nobody has the guts to cut. There will be a bill to pay for this short term decision and there’s a really good chance it will cost us millions.

 

[goldenhurricane2]

A LOT of pressure from the ever-bitching faculty did not help this situation. The faculty strongly despise athletics and would rather it be fine. Clancy is trying to balance the direction stead pushed us towards and the constant whining of the faculty and several trustees.

 

[rusty-c]

Are most faculty members not "At Will Employees"? I'm not sure how the whole tenure process works for a private institution. My thought though is, if all they have to do with their time is bitch and be petty then they obviously aren't spending the time needed to uphold the high stature of the university and it's academic standing. I'm sure it's not just athletics. Unhappy people are simply unhappy with everything and everyone around them, and don't isolate their vitriol toward an isolated target. There are ways to let folks that don't fit in the box to get on board or get on down the road.... maybe, Clancy and the trustees should consider a different approach.

 

[goldenhurricane2]

The university bends over backwards for the faculty... but the faculty are the most ungrateful and entitled bunch I’ve ever witnessed.

 

[cmullinsTU]

The university bends over backwards for the faculty... but the faculty are the most ungrateful and entitled bunch I’ve ever witnessed.

Let’s be clear here: SOME are ungrateful. Most are not. Unfortunately the ungrateful are the most vocal.

 

[TU 1978]

Those would be the Donaldsons of this generation?

 

[aTUfan]

Not every school has a money tree growing in its back yard

 

[goldenhurricane2]

Let’s be clear here: SOME are ungrateful. Most are not. Unfortunately the ungrateful are the most vocal.

If you’ve ever witnessed a faculty senate meeting, you’d know where I’m coming from. Of course not all faculty are this way, but we seem to somehow have more than our fair share of these types.

 

[chito_and_leon]

Honestly Haith and Montgomery probably haven’t had the performance to justify their salaries. Neither could get a comparable job on the open market. That said, I hope they don’t leave. I believe it was a desire to go cheap on coaches that led to Blankenship and Phillips.

 

[goldenhurricane2]

Honestly Haith and Montgomery probably haven’t had the performance to justify their salaries. Neither could get a comparable job on the open market. That said, I hope they don’t leave. I believe it was a desire to go cheap on coaches that led to Blankenship and Phillips.

Haith isn’t going anywhere (there will be an extension soon). Montgomery is genuinely a good guy, so I don’t see him up and bolting unless an offer too good to pass up comes along.

But to your point, yes - I hope TU learned a valuable lesson from the Billy B debacle.

 

[red dirt]

This all starts with the Regents. Most of them need to go because they have NO clue on what changes need to occur.

 

[astonmartin708]

Haith isn’t going anywhere (there will be an extension soon). Montgomery is genuinely a good guy, so I don’t see him up and bolting unless an offer too good to pass up comes along.

But to your point, yes - I hope TU learned a valuable lesson from the Billy B debacle.

There better not be. Not until he wins.

 

[aTUfan]

Does having a successful athletic program ( football, basketball ), have any baring on student enrollment?

 

[t-townpod]

Does having a successful athletic program ( football, basketball ), have any baring on student enrollment?

Absolutely!2

 

[goldenhurricane2]

Does having a successful athletic program ( football, basketball ), have any baring on student enrollment?

There is no question about it... in fact there were some studies done a few years ago that showed the effect successful football and basketball had on applications.

Anyone who denies that either has their head buried in the sand or up their ass.

 

[goldenhurricane2]

There better not be. Not until he wins.

I’d steer clear of the news over the next several months then if I were you.

 

[aTUfan]

It was determined that enrollment would suffer, if the ncaa had imposed the death penalty for penn st.

 

[Gmoney4WW]

I’d steer clear of the news over the next several months then if I were you.

He trades a salary cut for an extension?

 

[astonmartin708]

I’d steer clear of the news over the next several months then if I were you.

Thanks scoop

 

[goldenhurricane2]

He trades a salary cut for an extension?

Sort of... there is a little more to it than that.

 

[goldenhurricane2]

If Gragg helps that process along before Haith proves anything

Thanks scoop

Scoop? That’s a pretty low blow, man.

 

[Gmoney4WW]

Sort of... there is a little more to it than that.

I figured it was a little more complex than that. But it get's the point across in sound bite form.

 

[Original TULSAFAN]

Who is running things at 11th and Harvard?
It's like keystone cops... or, better comparison perhaps "the 3 stooges"

Stupid, Silly and Small.

 

[astonmartin708]

Sort of... there is a little more to it than that.

He got some new hardwood too? Lol. Not worth it if he just keeps us mediocre. I’m hopeful that he ups his performance, but there’s no reason to extend him if he’s not going to have tournament success

 

[goldenhurricane2]

He got some new hardwood too? Lol. Not worth it if he just keeps us mediocre. I’m hopeful that he ups his performance, but there’s no reason to extend him if he’s not going to have tournament success

Yes we know that you hate him. We get it. Haith bad. Wojcik good. You’ve made your point MANY times.

 

[Gmoney4WW]

I don't dislike Haith, but I agree with not giving him an extension until he gets in the tourney. And if it was a play in game I would be struggling about whether to give an extension. If he went far in the NIT(Madison Square Gardens) I'd probably be ok with an extension.

 

[astonmartin708]

Yes we know that you hate him. We get it. Haith bad. Wojcik good. You’ve made your point MANY times.

Lol. Don’t put words in my mouth. Wojcik was NOT good in any sense of the word.

 

[chito_and_leon]

I don't dislike Haith, but I agree with not giving him an extension until he gets in the tourney. And if it was a play in game I would be struggling about whether to give an extension. If he went far in the NIT(Madison Square Gardens) I'd probably be ok with an extension.

Be careful what you wish for. If Haith does, you’re probably getting Blankenship Part 2. Haiti’s replacement will be picked based on how little $$ he’ll accept, at least if it happens soon. Even if Haith isn’t our dream, he’s probably better than the alternative.

 

[Gmoney4WW]

Be careful what you wish for. If Haith does, you’re probably getting Blankenship Part 2. Haiti’s replacement will be picked based on how little $$ he’ll accept, at least if it happens soon. Even if Haith isn’t our dream, he’s probably better than the alternative.

You might be right for the time being. So a short extension, maybe!

 

[astonmartin708]

Be careful what you wish for. If Haith does, you’re probably getting Blankenship Part 2. Haiti’s replacement will be picked based on how little $$ he’ll accept, at least if it happens soon. Even if Haith isn’t our dream, he’s probably better than the alternative.

I don't expect that. Also, it's a lot easier to find a good basketball coach from a lower tier school than it is to find cheap and good football coach.

I think this situation follows the JD Barnett tenure closest of anyone we've had. Barnett had success at VCU and he didn't do poorly at Tulsa, but it was when we got his replacement and protege (Tubby from UK) that we really took off in the 90's. Barnett went to the tournament in his first two seasons, then finished 7th, 2nd, 2nd (NIT), and 3rd (NIT) in conference before we went in a different direction.

With the right hire that could happen again. Maybe we should try and repeat history and go after Haith's protege Kim English at Colorado. He'd improve recruiting and he's shown that he's a student of the game.

 

[goldenhurricane2]

Be careful what you wish for. If Haith does, you’re probably getting Blankenship Part 2. Haiti’s replacement will be picked based on how little $$ he’ll accept, at least if it happens soon. Even if Haith isn’t our dream, he’s probably better than the alternative.

This is exactly what would happen. We’d go from paying Frank $1.92 million to paying some lower level assistant $750k.

 

[astonmartin708]

This is exactly what would happen. We’d go from paying Frank $1.92 million to paying some lower level assistant $750k.

Worked in 1991 and it got us a run of how many Sweet 16's / Elite 8's?

 

[goldenhurricane2]

Worked in 1991 and it got us a run of how many Sweet 16's / Elite 8's?

It’s a crap shoot... it could work but it could just as easily be another bill or JP situation. Further it would be another instance of a really bad look for our conference.

 

[astonmartin708]

It’s a crap shoot... it could work but it could just as easily be another bill or JP situation. Further it would be another instance of a really bad look for our conference.

Well, how many seasons of missing the NCAA tournament or the postseason at all will make you want to roll the dice?

I’d rather try to get better than accept mediocrity.

If we extend Haith, then you’re already gambling that he’ll do better than he already has. I’m more willing to gamble on there being other good coaches or assistant coaches among 300 other D1 schools than I am that he will be successful over the long haul. He still has time to show us something though. It’s not like we have a ton of schools knocking down our door for him. The smart money would be to wait it out and make a decision as we get closer to his contract expiry. The only person that should be lobbying for an extension right now is Haith himself.

 

[tupatsfan]

It’s definitely not going to be a JP or Bill situation. This year will silence a lot of you haters