Lack of Institutional Control applies to the entirety of the University of Michigan. Starting at the top with The Office of The President. The last 4 years through multiple head coaches and multiple AD's. The way the University of Michigan has handled their business publicly is an embarrassment. It's been nothing short of a circus. This starts at the top of the University and has nothing to do with the athletic department. Mary Sue Coleman is a bumbling fool when it comes to the business of sports. She is the one constant.
I'm going to partially disagree. I will guess that Coleman would tell you she's no sports expert. And, though she's too discreet to tell you, I think she now understands the extent to which she got led down a primrose path by bonehead Bill Martin. Martin did that hire of RR, and MC Coleman went along. So this whole RR mess needs to be laid on Martin: he's a real estate developer who thinks in square feet, and is a poor judge of character. And – most important – Martin's plan to bury the NCAA sanctions, after he clearly knew about their entire length and breadth in Jan 09, was illegal and unethical under NCAA By Law 10.1, and is the real evidence of lack of institutional control. Martin's the bad guy here, not Coleman.
The problem is the University of Michigan is trying to once again become an elite athletic institution and keep its elite status as a educational institution. I feel like MSC can't justify breaking the bank to pay a coach huge sums of money. She hired Ferentz at Iowa, and he made more once she left. She will probably go with a safe and cheap bet like Hoke. However, I'm surprised Brandon hasn't forced her hand through his position as a former regent.
UM didn’t create the circus, the people on message boards and blogs did. If the responsible people in the building handle their business properly, and some other people stage a circus, then it’s just their private performance. If you didn’t read the blogs and message boards, you’d have no idea a circus was being performed.
Well there's one objective fact which suggests that Brandon's created at least a tiny circus: no college football program can afford to waste one hour or one day of the period between Jan 2 and Feb 5 ("signing day" for recruits.) Brandon's had 5 weeks since OSU to pore over RR evaluation docs and data, and to draw up option plans for potential coach hires. On Jan 1, he adds an "F" for Gator Bowl. Ergo, announce Jan. 2, and move on. This delay by Brandon is the first evidence that he's floundering — because now he's the one not only wasting precious Jan. recruiting days, but he's also heightening the uncertainty of all those recruits. Not a good sign.
Greg – Yes. Not yours, but in general. Some columnists in the professional media help too.
Look at the posts everywhere. Dave Brandon is evaluating his employee at the end of the current ‘term’ (football season). He’s meeting with his employee discuss it, which is the smart and fair thing to do. A few extra days makes no difference, but outraged bloggers and posters want their answer now now NOW, and they think Brandon is a fool because he’s not responding to the insanity of their virtual worlds — doesn’t he know how angry everyone is (on message boards) and what a circus it’s become (on message boards)? I’d ignore the message boards too, if I were him; in fact, I think he’s being very clear about his plan and the fact that he’s following it, to establish his control of the situation. God forbid the message boards ever get any real influence — can you imagine policy guided by that?
No matter what Brandon or any public figure does, the Internet’s angry mobs will BBQ him; that’s just what they do, it’s the algorithm they follow, their entertainment after a long day of work. Wait until the hiring begins. I predict that less than 5 minutes after he fires the current coach (assuming that happens), criticism of the hiring process will begin.
9 Comments
mgoshoe
Nicely done, Greg.
James
At least Dewey was a Michigan Man :-)
Teddy
Lack of Institutional Control applies to the entirety of the University of Michigan. Starting at the top with The Office of The President. The last 4 years through multiple head coaches and multiple AD's. The way the University of Michigan has handled their business publicly is an embarrassment. It's been nothing short of a circus. This starts at the top of the University and has nothing to do with the athletic department. Mary Sue Coleman is a bumbling fool when it comes to the business of sports. She is the one constant.
brewonsouthu
I'm going to partially disagree. I will guess that Coleman would tell you she's no sports expert. And, though she's too discreet to tell you, I think she now understands the extent to which she got led down a primrose path by bonehead Bill Martin. Martin did that hire of RR, and MC Coleman went along. So this whole RR mess needs to be laid on Martin: he's a real estate developer who thinks in square feet, and is a poor judge of character. And – most important – Martin's plan to bury the NCAA sanctions, after he clearly knew about their entire length and breadth in Jan 09, was illegal and unethical under NCAA By Law 10.1, and is the real evidence of lack of institutional control. Martin's the bad guy here, not Coleman.
barnesaintnoble
The problem is the University of Michigan is trying to once again become an elite athletic institution and keep its elite status as a educational institution. I feel like MSC can't justify breaking the bank to pay a coach huge sums of money. She hired Ferentz at Iowa, and he made more once she left. She will probably go with a safe and cheap bet like Hoke. However, I'm surprised Brandon hasn't forced her hand through his position as a former regent.
guanxi
UM didn’t create the circus, the people on message boards and blogs did. If the responsible people in the building handle their business properly, and some other people stage a circus, then it’s just their private performance. If you didn’t read the blogs and message boards, you’d have no idea a circus was being performed.
brewonsouthu
Well there's one objective fact which suggests that Brandon's created at least a tiny circus: no college football program can afford to waste one hour or one day of the period between Jan 2 and Feb 5 ("signing day" for recruits.) Brandon's had 5 weeks since OSU to pore over RR evaluation docs and data, and to draw up option plans for potential coach hires. On Jan 1, he adds an "F" for Gator Bowl. Ergo, announce Jan. 2, and move on. This delay by Brandon is the first evidence that he's floundering — because now he's the one not only wasting precious Jan. recruiting days, but he's also heightening the uncertainty of all those recruits. Not a good sign.
Greg from MVictors
message boards and blogs created the circus?
guanxi
Greg – Yes. Not yours, but in general. Some columnists in the professional media help too.
Look at the posts everywhere. Dave Brandon is evaluating his employee at the end of the current ‘term’ (football season). He’s meeting with his employee discuss it, which is the smart and fair thing to do. A few extra days makes no difference, but outraged bloggers and posters want their answer now now NOW, and they think Brandon is a fool because he’s not responding to the insanity of their virtual worlds — doesn’t he know how angry everyone is (on message boards) and what a circus it’s become (on message boards)? I’d ignore the message boards too, if I were him; in fact, I think he’s being very clear about his plan and the fact that he’s following it, to establish his control of the situation. God forbid the message boards ever get any real influence — can you imagine policy guided by that?
No matter what Brandon or any public figure does, the Internet’s angry mobs will BBQ him; that’s just what they do, it’s the algorithm they follow, their entertainment after a long day of work. Wait until the hiring begins. I predict that less than 5 minutes after he fires the current coach (assuming that happens), criticism of the hiring process will begin.