Statement from Rodney D. Bennett, President of the University of Southern Mississippi
University of Southern Mississippi head football coach Jay Hopson and I have spoken on multiple occasions in recent days and met face-to-face over the weekend to chart the most successful path forward for the Southern Miss football program. Coach Hopson assured me of his commitment to overseeing a program that upholds the values of The University of Southern Mississippi. I know Coach Hopson to be a man of high ethics and integrity, and I assured him of the University's dedication to continuing our winning tradition.
Our conversation included many topics, including the events of the past week. As a matter of practice, Coach Hopson seeks approval from and works in good faith with athletic administration on prospective student athletes who have special or unique circumstances for admission to the University, which is consistent with University protocol in student-athlete recruitment. Additionally, Coach Hopson notified the University of his desire to meet with Art Briles, which is his right to do so as head football coach and is in line with normal University processes. After an intentional and thorough review of Mr. Briles' candidacy, I expressed my reservations, and ultimately that review led to the decision that Mr. Briles was not a viable candidate.
I consider the matter closed, and I am looking forward to working with Coach Hopson on our mutual priorities and shared goals for the Southern Miss football program and how it contributes to our vision for The University of Southern Mississippi.
(02-11-2019 10:41 AM)EagNBran Wrote: [ -> ]Statement from Rodney D. Bennett, President of the University of Southern Mississippi
University of Southern Mississippi head football coach Jay Hopson and I have spoken on multiple occasions in recent days and met face-to-face over the weekend to chart the most successful path forward for the Southern Miss football program. Coach Hopson assured me of his commitment to overseeing a program that upholds the values of The University of Southern Mississippi. I know Coach Hopson to be a man of high ethics and integrity, and I assured him of the University's dedication to continuing our winning tradition.
Our conversation included many topics, including the events of the past week. As a matter of practice, Coach Hopson seeks approval from and works in good faith with athletic administration on prospective student athletes who have special or unique circumstances for admission to the University, which is consistent with University protocol in student-athlete recruitment. Additionally, Coach Hopson notified the University of his desire to meet with Art Briles, which is his right to do so as head football coach and is in line with normal University processes. After an intentional and thorough review of Mr. Briles' candidacy, I expressed my reservations, and ultimately that review led to the decision that Mr. Briles was not a viable candidate.
I consider the matter closed, and I am looking forward to working with Coach Hopson on our mutual priorities and shared goals for the Southern Miss football program and how it contributes to our vision for The University of Southern Mississippi.
Beat me to it Bran...Looks like they kissed and made up.
(02-11-2019 10:45 AM)eaglebeaver Wrote: [ -> ] (02-11-2019 10:41 AM)EagNBran Wrote: [ -> ]Statement from Rodney D. Bennett, President of the University of Southern Mississippi
University of Southern Mississippi head football coach Jay Hopson and I have spoken on multiple occasions in recent days and met face-to-face over the weekend to chart the most successful path forward for the Southern Miss football program. Coach Hopson assured me of his commitment to overseeing a program that upholds the values of The University of Southern Mississippi. I know Coach Hopson to be a man of high ethics and integrity, and I assured him of the University's dedication to continuing our winning tradition.
Our conversation included many topics, including the events of the past week. As a matter of practice, Coach Hopson seeks approval from and works in good faith with athletic administration on prospective student athletes who have special or unique circumstances for admission to the University, which is consistent with University protocol in student-athlete recruitment. Additionally, Coach Hopson notified the University of his desire to meet with Art Briles, which is his right to do so as head football coach and is in line with normal University processes. After an intentional and thorough review of Mr. Briles' candidacy, I expressed my reservations, and ultimately that review led to the decision that Mr. Briles was not a viable candidate.
I consider the matter closed, and I am looking forward to working with Coach Hopson on our mutual priorities and shared goals for the Southern Miss football program and how it contributes to our vision for The University of Southern Mississippi.
Beat me to it Bran...Looks like they kissed and made up.
I read that differently. Hopson was going to hire him anyway even though the Admin. made it known they didn't want him. Hopson is on thin ice.
So basically the President had to make the tough call. Jay showed a determination to win by looking at a talented but controversial candidate. Ok, let's move along...the real culprits in this story are the media folk, if you ask me. They made up the details they didn't know.
as i was reading his statement all i heard in my head was Charlie Brown's teacher. WHa Wha Wha Wha.
(02-11-2019 12:18 PM)Footballeagle Wrote: [ -> ]as i was reading his statement all i heard in my head was Charlie Brown's teacher. WHa Wha Wha Wha.
I don't know, I find Bennett swings for the middle of the field. His outcomes far outpace some of his predecessors...enrollment up, ranking up...makes me wonder had he been here when the old CUSA broke down if we'd be somewhere else.
(02-11-2019 12:27 PM)LouisianaEagleEdD Wrote: [ -> ] (02-11-2019 12:18 PM)Footballeagle Wrote: [ -> ]as i was reading his statement all i heard in my head was Charlie Brown's teacher. WHa Wha Wha Wha.
I don't know, I find Bennett swings for the middle of the field. His outcomes far outpace some of his predecessors...enrollment up, ranking up...makes me wonder had he been here when the old CUSA broke down if we'd be somewhere else.
Unfortunately, the educational areas we're improving in aren't the ones that are going to bring back big donors after they graduate. The Business school continues to get worse and the grad program for it is an absolute joke. I know too many who graduated in the 80s in Business that are embarrassed by where we are now in that field.
So if we can believe everything in that statement, SB Nation completely whiffed with “Bennett didn’t know.” I know the media moves a lot faster than higher education and sitting down with Hopson was a good move, but Bennett should’ve cleared that up sooner after that story broke instead of waiting until now. I still have no issue in principle with Bennett telling Hopson he could go ahead and talk to Briles but ultimately pulling the plug on it, HOWEVER, Bennett should’ve know it would be found out & make news in the meantime and either gotten in front of it with some kind of preemptive statement or had Hopson just delay bringing in Briles to campus until a decision was made.
Most likely, Bennett was completely on board until the heat cranked up and he did a 180, as has been the story on the street. That sucks, but it’s his prerogative. In the end, Bennett shouldn’t have been surprised by the reaction and Hopson shouldn’t have been surprised that it all went to hell. This was just a big, unnecessary mess because people in important positions of leadership/control lacked foresight.
Just another day in paradise.
(02-11-2019 11:26 AM)Eagleaidaholic Wrote: [ -> ] (02-11-2019 10:45 AM)eaglebeaver Wrote: [ -> ] (02-11-2019 10:41 AM)EagNBran Wrote: [ -> ]Statement from Rodney D. Bennett, President of the University of Southern Mississippi
University of Southern Mississippi head football coach Jay Hopson and I have spoken on multiple occasions in recent days and met face-to-face over the weekend to chart the most successful path forward for the Southern Miss football program. Coach Hopson assured me of his commitment to overseeing a program that upholds the values of The University of Southern Mississippi. I know Coach Hopson to be a man of high ethics and integrity, and I assured him of the University's dedication to continuing our winning tradition.
Our conversation included many topics, including the events of the past week. As a matter of practice, Coach Hopson seeks approval from and works in good faith with athletic administration on prospective student athletes who have special or unique circumstances for admission to the University, which is consistent with University protocol in student-athlete recruitment. Additionally, Coach Hopson notified the University of his desire to meet with Art Briles, which is his right to do so as head football coach and is in line with normal University processes. After an intentional and thorough review of Mr. Briles' candidacy, I expressed my reservations, and ultimately that review led to the decision that Mr. Briles was not a viable candidate.
I consider the matter closed, and I am looking forward to working with Coach Hopson on our mutual priorities and shared goals for the Southern Miss football program and how it contributes to our vision for The University of Southern Mississippi.
Beat me to it Bran...Looks like they kissed and made up.
I read that differently. Hopson was going to hire him anyway even though the Admin. made it known they didn't want him. Hopson is on thin ice.
You are not very good at reading then. He did not say that at all.
This was about clearing up the fact that Bennett was made aware of the interview up front and Hopson did not call Briles in without Bennetts knowledge....contrary to reports (fake news). This also clears Hopson's name for the most part.
#firebennett
I'm not moving off that posit....
(02-11-2019 01:42 PM)Reggie Favre Wrote: [ -> ] (02-11-2019 11:26 AM)Eagleaidaholic Wrote: [ -> ] (02-11-2019 10:45 AM)eaglebeaver Wrote: [ -> ] (02-11-2019 10:41 AM)EagNBran Wrote: [ -> ]Statement from Rodney D. Bennett, President of the University of Southern Mississippi
University of Southern Mississippi head football coach Jay Hopson and I have spoken on multiple occasions in recent days and met face-to-face over the weekend to chart the most successful path forward for the Southern Miss football program. Coach Hopson assured me of his commitment to overseeing a program that upholds the values of The University of Southern Mississippi. I know Coach Hopson to be a man of high ethics and integrity, and I assured him of the University's dedication to continuing our winning tradition.
Our conversation included many topics, including the events of the past week. As a matter of practice, Coach Hopson seeks approval from and works in good faith with athletic administration on prospective student athletes who have special or unique circumstances for admission to the University, which is consistent with University protocol in student-athlete recruitment. Additionally, Coach Hopson notified the University of his desire to meet with Art Briles, which is his right to do so as head football coach and is in line with normal University processes. After an intentional and thorough review of Mr. Briles' candidacy, I expressed my reservations, and ultimately that review led to the decision that Mr. Briles was not a viable candidate.
I consider the matter closed, and I am looking forward to working with Coach Hopson on our mutual priorities and shared goals for the Southern Miss football program and how it contributes to our vision for The University of Southern Mississippi.
Beat me to it Bran...Looks like they kissed and made up.
I read that differently. Hopson was going to hire him anyway even though the Admin. made it known they didn't want him. Hopson is on thin ice.
You are not very good at reading then. He did not say that at all.
This was about clearing up the fact that Bennett was made aware of the interview up front and Hopson did not call Briles in without Bennetts knowledge....contrary to reports (fake news). This also clears Hopson's name for the most part.
...and to publicly show his full support of Hop, which was pretty important all things considered.
If it did happen I missed it but at the basketball game Saturday when Dr Bennett entered from the player's tunnel I noticed he shook quite a few hands on the courtside seats but he didn't stop by Bower to shake hands and chat.
(02-11-2019 04:39 PM)usm99 Wrote: [ -> ]If it did happen I missed it but at the basketball game Saturday when Dr Bennett entered from the player's tunnel I noticed he shook quite a few hands on the courtside seats but he didn't stop by Bower to shake hands and chat.
Is Bower normally at the MBB games? Or, was he just there to get Kamara's autograph?
(02-11-2019 01:10 PM)HarborPointe Wrote: [ -> ]So if we can believe everything in that statement, SB Nation completely whiffed with “Bennett didn’t know.” I know the media moves a lot faster than higher education and sitting down with Hopson was a good move, but Bennett should’ve cleared that up sooner after that story broke instead of waiting until now. I still have no issue in principle with Bennett telling Hopson he could go ahead and talk to Briles but ultimately pulling the plug on it, HOWEVER, Bennett should’ve know it would be found out & make news in the meantime and either gotten in front of it with some kind of preemptive statement or had Hopson just delay bringing in Briles to campus until a decision was made.
Most likely, Bennett was completely on board until the heat cranked up and he did a 180, as has been the story on the street. That sucks, but it’s his prerogative. In the end, Bennett shouldn’t have been surprised by the reaction and Hopson shouldn’t have been surprised that it all went to hell. This was just a big, unnecessary mess because people in important positions of leadership/control lacked foresight.
Just another day in paradise.
Wouldn't necessarily say SBNation whiffed but their "multiple" sources whiffed. If you've got multiple, credible sources saying something, any news outlet is going to roll with that story.
I'm not inclined to believe that the sources lacked credibility or were "lying." They were just wrong. Big difference. The inherent problem with claiming that someone didn't know something is just that--there's not much evidence for a negative. The only credible way of knowing that would be a personal conversation with Bennett, who explicitly stated, "I did not know." Maybe that's what they claimed? Who knows?
Even if Hopson had, in fact, gone behind Bennett and Mitchell's backs, there's no way Bennett would have acknowledged that publicly. The thing here is that Bennett explicitly states that Hopson did talk to him. If Hopson had gone behind his back, there was no reason to lie there. He didn't have to say anything.
Unless a major piece of evidence came out (and I don't know how that would happen), that part of it seems to be settled.
That does not absolve Hopson (and his wife) of the nonsense on Twitter that occurred after. The tweet after the announcement that Briles was no longer a candidate threw gasoline on the fire.
Maybe the biggest question I have (and as you said): If they cared so much about public opinion, why bring him in for an interview to begin wtih? Did they really not see this coming? That's a serious lack of awareness from everyone involved.
(02-11-2019 04:05 PM)TTT Wrote: [ -> ] (02-11-2019 01:42 PM)Reggie Favre Wrote: [ -> ] (02-11-2019 11:26 AM)Eagleaidaholic Wrote: [ -> ] (02-11-2019 10:45 AM)eaglebeaver Wrote: [ -> ] (02-11-2019 10:41 AM)EagNBran Wrote: [ -> ]Statement from Rodney D. Bennett, President of the University of Southern Mississippi
University of Southern Mississippi head football coach Jay Hopson and I have spoken on multiple occasions in recent days and met face-to-face over the weekend to chart the most successful path forward for the Southern Miss football program. Coach Hopson assured me of his commitment to overseeing a program that upholds the values of The University of Southern Mississippi. I know Coach Hopson to be a man of high ethics and integrity, and I assured him of the University's dedication to continuing our winning tradition.
Our conversation included many topics, including the events of the past week. As a matter of practice, Coach Hopson seeks approval from and works in good faith with athletic administration on prospective student athletes who have special or unique circumstances for admission to the University, which is consistent with University protocol in student-athlete recruitment. Additionally, Coach Hopson notified the University of his desire to meet with Art Briles, which is his right to do so as head football coach and is in line with normal University processes. After an intentional and thorough review of Mr. Briles' candidacy, I expressed my reservations, and ultimately that review led to the decision that Mr. Briles was not a viable candidate.
I consider the matter closed, and I am looking forward to working with Coach Hopson on our mutual priorities and shared goals for the Southern Miss football program and how it contributes to our vision for The University of Southern Mississippi.
Beat me to it Bran...Looks like they kissed and made up.
I read that differently. Hopson was going to hire him anyway even though the Admin. made it known they didn't want him. Hopson is on thin ice.
You are not very good at reading then. He did not say that at all.
This was about clearing up the fact that Bennett was made aware of the interview up front and Hopson did not call Briles in without Bennetts knowledge....contrary to reports (fake news). This also clears Hopson's name for the most part.
...and to publicly show his full support of Hop, which was pretty important all things considered.
What all presidents and ADs do just before they fire the coach....
IMHO he won’t be fired but his ‘love’ of USM is over. My guess is he will leave after this year for a P5 DC job. Good or bad for us? I don’t know but I don’t have much faith in this bunch to hire a proper head ball coach.
(02-11-2019 08:04 PM)SoMs Eagle Wrote: [ -> ] (02-11-2019 04:05 PM)TTT Wrote: [ -> ] (02-11-2019 01:42 PM)Reggie Favre Wrote: [ -> ] (02-11-2019 11:26 AM)Eagleaidaholic Wrote: [ -> ] (02-11-2019 10:45 AM)eaglebeaver Wrote: [ -> ]Beat me to it Bran...Looks like they kissed and made up.
I read that differently. Hopson was going to hire him anyway even though the Admin. made it known they didn't want him. Hopson is on thin ice.
You are not very good at reading then. He did not say that at all.
This was about clearing up the fact that Bennett was made aware of the interview up front and Hopson did not call Briles in without Bennetts knowledge....contrary to reports (fake news). This also clears Hopson's name for the most part.
...and to publicly show his full support of Hop, which was pretty important all things considered.
What all presidents and ADs do just before they fire the coach....
IMHO he won’t be fired but his ‘love’ of USM is over. My guess is he will leave after this year for a P5 DC job. Good or bad for us? I don’t know but I don’t have much faith in this bunch to hire a proper head ball coach.
other than money, I don't know why anyone with a grain would ever enter a resume at this shitehole....
you couldn't draw up a shiTTTier design in submission (bennett going to the mat).....
shockingly, people pay attention....
Correct me if I'm wrong, but that still doesn't let Bennett off the hook as his original statement STILL implied he had no knowledge of the interview process, right?
I mean this is a major backtrack from that statement.
He never made a statement. The news just said that sources close to the situation mentioned RB had no knowledge.
(02-12-2019 10:34 AM)EagNBran Wrote: [ -> ]He never made a statement. The news just said that sources close to the situation mentioned RB had no knowledge.
I think the statement he's referring to is this one that the Atlantic, Patrick Magee, and many others originally shared once it was first known that AB wasn't being hired on Wednesday morning:
"We have met with Art Briles regarding a position with the Southern Miss football program. Following that meeting, we informed him that he is not a candidate. The University will have no further comment on this matter."
Still, I don't know how this^ statement implies that Bennett didn't know about the interview??? Not sure how DaSaintFan is getting that from this statement.
The current statement from DB ( the statement that this thread is about) is clear. He was aware of the interview, before the interview took place. Of course, DB is trying to be a little cryptic with his wording, as to save face.
This does not bode well for DB, despite of what his ass kissing subordinates write in the letters to the editors. Those ass kissing losers actually are crapping on their beloved boss without realizing it. Why? Because beloved boss man gave his blessing to interview AB to begin with. That means he entertained the idea of hiring AB. Otherwise, he never would have let him step foot on campus. So their talking points of DB protecting students, etc., is all bull****. In fact, he was willing to risk it. He was open to the hire and then got afraid of the heat from students, loser faculty and social / national media.