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Full Version: Should MAC Coaches Have To Pay To Leave?
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I'm very curious what the other wise minds on this board think. I've been going back and forth on this for a while with the recent situations at Eastern Michigan (coach has to stay) and Western Michigan (coach leaves). The Rob Murphy saga is getting a lot of play in Detroit right now. Not only are there the basic school arguments, but there is also a lot of back and forth about employee vs employer rights in Michigan right now.

http://themacdaily.com/?p=1097
(08-21-2012 06:23 PM)psc2009 Wrote: [ -> ]I'm very curious what the other wise minds on this board think. I've been going back and forth on this for a while with the recent situations at Eastern Michigan (coach has to stay) and Western Michigan (coach leaves). The Rob Murphy saga is getting a lot of play in Detroit right now. Not only are there the basic school arguments, but there is also a lot of back and forth about employee vs employer rights in Michigan right now.

http://themacdaily.com/?p=1097

Yes if it is in their contract. No if it is not in their contract. If EMU was to fire him, I'm sure he would want to be paid whatever salary was due to him during the remainder of his contract. That's why contracts are written. If a team wants to hire him away, they should be willing to pay the salary or buyout that is listed in the contract to take him out of the contract. It's much the same when businesses recruit employees to come work for them and pay their moving costs, closing costs, and aid in the selling of their homes. They take this on because they are the people that are recruiting this employee.
With the NCAA tournament and Bowl money at stake for the MAC they have to atleast get a buyout from the coach if they leave. Unless your coach is named O'Shea and you can't wait for him to leave to hire the guy that will win 2 MAC tournaments, 3 NCAA tournament games in four years on the job and replace the likes of Mike Allen, Alan Hester & Bert Whittington the 4th with DJ Cooper, Walt Offutt and Nick Kellogg in the backcourt. Bryant U called and asked what was O'Shea's buyout....Ohio told them they will pick him up in a limo , fly the fastest lear jet the school has and deliver him with a brief case on cash to help start the Bryant hoops program.
Four years later.........
Ohio last March won two games in the NCAA tournament and 3 games in the MAC tournament.

O'Shea at Bryant was 2-28 for the entire season at Bryant U. Ohio won a school record 29 games. Thank god we didn't bicker with Byant and O'Shea about the 1 year remaining on his contract and him leaving mid summer with little coaches out there to hire.
???... These coaches are granted MAC head coaching positions out of "coordinator obscurity" from some random FBS school, get more annual $, promise to stay for a while in exchange for the obvious coaching UPGRADE, then leave at their own whim and folly? Yes they should pay, AS PER THEIR CONTRACTS, if they leave early, and then the schools that delivered them A HAND UP, that need to find a replacement therefore, can the cover costs of replacement appropriately.

Its both contractually necessary, as well as equitable.

How is that even a reasonable query?
(08-22-2012 01:51 AM)NIUfilmmaker Wrote: [ -> ]How is that even a reasonable query?

That was my thought. How is it even a discussion on talk radio?
(08-21-2012 06:37 PM)Campbell4President Wrote: [ -> ]
(08-21-2012 06:23 PM)psc2009 Wrote: [ -> ]I'm very curious what the other wise minds on this board think. I've been going back and forth on this for a while with the recent situations at Eastern Michigan (coach has to stay) and Western Michigan (coach leaves). The Rob Murphy saga is getting a lot of play in Detroit right now. Not only are there the basic school arguments, but there is also a lot of back and forth about employee vs employer rights in Michigan right now.

http://themacdaily.com/?p=1097

Yes if it is in their contract. No if it is not in their contract. If EMU was to fire him, I'm sure he would want to be paid whatever salary was due to him during the remainder of his contract. That's why contracts are written. If a team wants to hire him away, they should be willing to pay the salary or buyout that is listed in the contract to take him out of the contract. It's much the same when businesses recruit employees to come work for them and pay their moving costs, closing costs, and aid in the selling of their homes. They take this on because they are the people that are recruiting this employee.

03-yes
(08-21-2012 06:37 PM)Campbell4President Wrote: [ -> ]
(08-21-2012 06:23 PM)psc2009 Wrote: [ -> ]I'm very curious what the other wise minds on this board think. I've been going back and forth on this for a while with the recent situations at Eastern Michigan (coach has to stay) and Western Michigan (coach leaves). The Rob Murphy saga is getting a lot of play in Detroit right now. Not only are there the basic school arguments, but there is also a lot of back and forth about employee vs employer rights in Michigan right now.

http://themacdaily.com/?p=1097

Yes if it is in their contract. No if it is not in their contract. If EMU was to fire him, I'm sure he would want to be paid whatever salary was due to him during the remainder of his contract. That's why contracts are written. If a team wants to hire him away, they should be willing to pay the salary or buyout that is listed in the contract to take him out of the
contract. It's much the same when businesses recruit employees to come work for them and pay their moving costs, closing costs, and aid in the selling of their homes. They take this on because they are the people that are recruiting this employee.

Could not agree more. The "employee rights' is a specious argument. No one is claiming a coach can't leave. They are saying the coach has to live up to the terms of a contract that he or she signed. Coaches, if you want to leave, arrange to pay the buy out clause. If you are fired in your contract, you should get paid the balance of the term. Why is this so hard to understand?

I am glad you raised the private employer clause. The organization I worked for had a policy that if an employee left, he or she had to reimburse the company for any training, education or relocation expenses invested in them within the last two years. The employee could leave, but it was not the organization's responsibility to develop talent for someone else. Everyone seems to get it.

Maybe coaches could benefit from experiencing life in the private sector.
Let me explain the Murphy contract which I read (it is public and was posted on the EMU board).

IMHO it is a very well written contract with some provisions which are (or should be) standard in employment contracts especially conferences like the MAC.

As we all know, coaches in the MAC don't stay for half or two-thirds of a lifetime ala Joe Paterno.

MAC coaches usually move up or move out. E.g., Ben Braun (1996) moved up. Charles Ramsey (2011) moved out.

That said, provisions SHOULD be made for early termination BY EITHER SIDE, i.e., employee (leaving for a better employment opportunity) or an employee terminated for lack of successful performance.

EMU's contract with Murphy provides:

1). Murphy shall pay the university one year's base salary if he leaves early,

2). Murphy shall be paid by the university one year's base salary if he is terminated early,

In either case, both the coach or university has a possible liability of one year's base salary.

The terms are symmetrical i.e., identical to each party, and the terms do not sound draconian to me.

If Murphy were to have a great season this coming year and then accepts a big time offer (say 500K - 1M) then 210K to be paid over the next three years is hardly draconian to him.

Likewise, if Murphy were to have been a poor coach, a 210K buyout would not be draconian enough to keep him employed by EMU.
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