http://www.commercialappeal.com/news/201...or-u-of-m/

Former Big East commissioner Mike Tranghese says the University of Memphis needs to win more in football to complement its compelling case for a major conference bid.

Tranghese served as a paid consultant to the UofM athletic department during a sixth-month stint in which he evaluated a Tiger program positioning itself for inclusion in a Bowl Championship Series conference. Tranghese's consulting work ended Dec. 31. He was paid $5,000 monthly through private donations, according to athletic director R.C. Johnson.


Mike Tranghese
While the Tiger football program has been to five bowl games in seven years, it hasn't had a 10-win season or won a division or league title in Conference USA. Coach Tommy West was fired last November in the midst of his second 2-10 season in four years. Former UofM running back and LSU assistant Larry Porter was hired to replace West.

''I think if Memphis could do one thing to help itself long term, it's probably win a little more in football,'' Tranghese said Tuesday by phone from his office in Bristol, R.I. ''I don't think that's rocket science. I think R.C. and everybody around the Memphis program knew that.

''That's why they made the decision to make the coaching change. I know that was hard for them. R.C. spoke highly of Tommy, but I just think they have to perform at a higher level in football.''

Tranghese said the rest of the athletic program required minor ''tweaking,'' not unlike what is needed at most major college programs.

''I think one of the greatest strengths (the UofM) has is just the community,'' Tranghese said. ''I understood that the University of Memphis was an important part of the community, but, to me, my impression (after the evaluation) was it's much larger, much more important than that.

''It's got incredible community support, far beyond what a lot of places have in college athletics. And clearly the linkage between FedEx and Memphis is vital. And it has fans who have passion. Those, to me, are very, very attractive things about the university.''

Johnson said the program benefited from Tranghese's consulting work and input. Johnson enlisted the help of Tranghese, a friend dating to Johnson's tenure as AD at Temple University in the early 1990s, last summer.

''It was six months, and we paid him for six, but he'd been helping me for longer than that,'' Johnson said. ''He helped me for another three or four months prior to that.''

Moving to a major conference would result in a boost in television revenue and prestige for the program, which has been part of Conference USA since the league's inception in the mid-1990s.

Johnson said Tranghese didn't submit a written report for his consulting work, but did give the department high marks.

''I think we got reassurance, more than anything, that we're on the right track in what we are doing and the way we are doing it,'' Johnson said.

Johnson said Tranghese made two trips to Memphis ''meeting with people and looking at things, looking at where we are.''

With the Big Ten having announced earlier this year it was looking to expand -- and possibly targeting schools in the Big East -- there have been discussions of possible conference re-shuffling beginning in the summer.

While Memphis continues to position itself for a potential move, Tranghese said the university must remain committed to its athletic program, including facilities upgrades.

''To me, facilities are an ongoing, everyday, pay-attention struggle,'' Tranghese said. ''Clearly, R.C. and the university have made incredible strides. They're going to have to continue because they are competing with other people who are doing the same thing. But R.C. knows that.''