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When somebody over sells it's generally when they want you to look the other direction. KB several times mentioned how the offer from WMU wasn't pressed because of wanting the focus on the kids. To me it shows a lack of understanding what this interim period could look like....because as she said we have never been here before. KB was too afraid of forcing PJs hand, that she let him dictate the transition in effect.

KB should've put a deadline on the raise and extension for 1 day after the Cotton Bowl. Both sides knew the score, and PJ would've struggled risking giving up his raise.

Now that wouldn't lock him in, but it certainly would've clarified his intentions to her.

I know some will say we'll be fine if we get the right guy. That could be true. But our inexperience dealing with an upward mobile coach when we we've become yesterday's news shows.

She is in over her head when it comes to this sort of thing.

Don't get me wrong - she's an OK MAC AD - but if we want to "change our best" then we need someone more shrewd then her. She did not have her bases covered.

(01-07-2017 09:15 AM)Doo Wrote:  When somebody over sells it's generally when they want you to look the other direction. KB several times mentioned how the offer from WMU wasn't pressed because of wanting the focus on the kids. To me it shows a lack of understanding what this interim period could look like....because as she said we have never been here before. KB was too afraid of forcing PJs hand, that she let him dictate the transition in effect.

KB should've put a deadline on the raise and extension for 1 day after the Cotton Bowl. Both sides knew the score, and PJ would've struggled risking giving up his raise.

Now that wouldn't lock him in, but it certainly would've clarified his intentions to her.

I know some will say we'll be fine if we get the right guy. That could be true. But our inexperience dealing with an upward mobile coach when we we've become yesterday's news shows.

Short answer is yes. She was clearly out of her league with this level of negotiation -multi years/multi million dollar-where you are essentially in a competitive negotiating situation. I have negotiated these types of contracts for a long time and it took more than a couple of bad negation for me to get the experience of how these things work.

Very true - I've learned a thing or two by failing.

Fleck and his boosters have been calling the shots for a few years now.

"Whatever PJ wants, PJ gets..."

IMO - signing a new WMU contract would not have stopped PJ from leaving. Remember this is the guy that bailed on his new Northern Illinois OC job after only 24 hours.

Only item that might have changed would be buy out dollars & someone will pay those for him anyway.

Exactly what I said. This wouldn't have locked him in, but it would've forced his hand earlier. If he agreed then bolted he in effect would've given up a years worth of raise st Minnesota. If he didn't sign it he gambled big time financially. If he attempted to delay true colors would've shown through.

(01-07-2017 09:15 AM)Doo Wrote:  When somebody over sells it's generally when they want you to look the other direction. KB several times mentioned how the offer from WMU wasn't pressed because of wanting the focus on the kids. To me it shows a lack of understanding what this interim period could look like....because as she said we have never been here before. KB was too afraid of forcing PJs hand, that she let him dictate the transition in effect.

KB should've put a deadline on the raise and extension for 1 day after the Cotton Bowl. Both sides knew the score, and PJ would've struggled risking giving up his raise.

Now that wouldn't lock him in, but it certainly would've clarified his intentions to her.

I know some will say we'll be fine if we get the right guy. That could be true. But our inexperience dealing with an upward mobile coach when we we've become yesterday's news shows.

It wasn't pressed because his agent said they wouldn't be signing anything until after the Cotton Bowl. Forcing him to sign the day after is silly, and would do nothing other than breed distrust. All coaches "dictate the transition".

She is not to blame. Not at all.

I'm more concerned with how she is handling this transition now that he's gone, not how she didn't "force his hand".

Why hasn't she named an interim so we can try to hang on to some recruits?

(01-07-2017 09:26 AM)backinkazoo Wrote:  She is in over her head when it comes to this sort of thing.

Don't get me wrong - she's an OK MAC AD - but if we want to "change our best" then we need someone more shrewd then her. She did not have her bases covered.

She has proven her doubters wrong time and time again.

How exactly did you expect her to handle it?

I'm not sure we really had leverage after a coach led us to our best season in history.

(01-07-2017 10:22 AM)broncofan1 Wrote:  

(01-07-2017 09:15 AM)Doo Wrote:  When somebody over sells it's generally when they want you to look the other direction. KB several times mentioned how the offer from WMU wasn't pressed because of wanting the focus on the kids. To me it shows a lack of understanding what this interim period could look like....because as she said we have never been here before. KB was too afraid of forcing PJs hand, that she let him dictate the transition in effect.

KB should've put a deadline on the raise and extension for 1 day after the Cotton Bowl. Both sides knew the score, and PJ would've struggled risking giving up his raise.

Now that wouldn't lock him in, but it certainly would've clarified his intentions to her.

I know some will say we'll be fine if we get the right guy. That could be true. But our inexperience dealing with an upward mobile coach when we we've become yesterday's news shows.

It wasn't pressed because his agent said they wouldn't be signing anything until after the Cotton Bowl. Forcing him to sign the day after is silly, and would do nothing other than breed distrust. All coaches "dictate the transition".

She is not to blame. Not at all.

I'm more concerned with how she is handling this transition now that he's gone, not how she didn't "force his hand".

Why hasn't she named an interim so we can try to hang on to some recruits?

She stated in her press conference that she wasn't going to let the timing dictate the attention to detail when evaluating the next coach. I do wish that she would have made Simon or Wenger the interim as you said... but I think those guys are waiting on PJ to decide on whether or not they are headed to Minn...

If we end up with klieman, Houston, aneese, or miles I'll be ok. One recruiting class won't doom the program.

I don't blame her at all. She may have been over confident in his alegence to wmu but many of us were. At the end of the day he held the leverage and played it masterfully.. Continues to considering we hardly have a recruiting class anymore after our best season ever.

I always get a kick reading criticism of the best AD in our history and the best AD in the conference, hands down.
I have nothing but praise for her and offer this: Thanks Kathy!!!

(01-07-2017 12:33 PM)texasbronco1 Wrote:  I always get a kick reading criticism of the best AD in our history and the best AD in the conference, hands down.
I have nothing but praise for her and offer this: Thanks Kathy!!!

Agreed.

Kathy has been a VERY good AD for us, especially when you consider some of the presidents she has had to deal with.

Her stability-consistency of philosophy and vision for the department, and devotion to the university-community have all been positives.

You just aren't going to hit home runs with all your HC hires regardless, at any level.

yeah.... remember Prez Bailey! omg! Kathy bleeds brown and gold and an amazing ambassador and leader. #inKBwetrust

Kathy has been an amazing ambassador for our University and the MAC. She has always fought on the side of the student-athlete... We are lucky to have her. Like Hoople said... you aren't going to hit home runs with EVERY hire...

(01-07-2017 09:15 AM)Doo Wrote:  When somebody over sells it's generally when they want you to look the other direction. KB several times mentioned how the offer from WMU wasn't pressed because of wanting the focus on the kids. To me it shows a lack of understanding what this interim period could look like....because as she said we have never been here before. KB was too afraid of forcing PJs hand, that she let him dictate the transition in effect.

KB should've put a deadline on the raise and extension for 1 day after the Cotton Bowl. Both sides knew the score, and PJ would've struggled risking giving up his raise.

Now that wouldn't lock him in, but it certainly would've clarified his intentions to her.

I know some will say we'll be fine if we get the right guy. That could be true. But our inexperience dealing with an upward mobile coach when we we've become yesterday's news shows.

Not much she could do without any leverage. I think PJ held all the cards.

No.




Based on everything I've read and heard, she did everything possible to retain PJ while keeping our student athletes at the very top of her list of priorities.