Hearing a lot of rumors that David Mullins is going to retire this summer.

It makes sense from the standpoint he's of the age, and as time goes by and Brian Noland takes more of a hold on things it would stand to reason he would want to hire his own people.

Then again, there's no guarantee. I could easily see with the way ETSU brags on itself and how the fans around here tend to think in the clouds that this is a rumor along the lines of Brian T. Smith reporting unnamed sources that Paul Stanton was looking into firing Mullins.

But who else is hearing this?

Additional thoughts-

If Mullins does stay on until next year for whatever reason, I think our dreams of ETSU really going to a higher level will be over. I think instead the athletic model will be firmly in place to be the dominant program in the A-Sun.

And there's something to be said for that, but then again it does go along the lines of being the best meal in the school cafeteria.

If Mullins does leave, then we have a real interesting situation brewing.

I'm always amazed at how ETSU fans seem to totally ignore the athletic director's role in the development of the program and instead think it's all about the president. I'll admit the president has to sign off on things and a lot of the decisions made by ETSU in recent years have come from Paul Stanton's office.

But is it coincidence football was dropped only after three football-friendly ADs left? I think not. Most places the president just tells the AD to essentially do what he wants with the programs.

There figures to be about 60 or some applicants and you'll be lucky to have heard of two of them. One who figures to apply is Mike White, who tells everyone who will listen he'd like to be the new AD.

If that does happen, then figure the message ETSU will have sent to be "stay the course."

If someone from outside would be hired, here are my thoughts-

I personally wouldn't mind seeing Keener Fry come back. He's from Gate City, football enjoyed great success under his watch and he hired good coaches. Additionally, when he was at Marshall they made the moves- stadium expansion and the like- that took the program from the Southern Conference to Conference USA.

Negative for Fry- he's been out of the mix for many years.

But if you really wanted football to return, he's worth considering.

Two more thoughts. If Mullins does retire, please don't come on here and nominate people like Jerry Robertson or Lee Morrow for the job. This is not a personal attack on either one of them, I think highly of them both, but they don't have the backgrounds to lead an athletic department. You might as well hire Yaser Zaatini.

Don't nominate George Pitts, either.

We'd like the board to have a shred of credibility.

The only people internally who I think might be considered would be Fred Warren, who would turn the job down because he can't take the pay cut and doesn't want to share, or Karen Kemp.

Kemp would have the personality needed for the job but one wonders about her ability to fundraise. You could do far worse, but do you really want an internal hire?

I don't get this idea that if Mullins isn't gone in the next few weeks, months, its a bad sign or evidence that ETSU athletics is screwed for the foreseeable future.

Anyone heard of playing the long game?

(05-05-2012 06:45 PM)BucNut22 Wrote:  I don't get this idea that if Mullins isn't gone in the next few weeks, months, its a bad sign or evidence that ETSU athletics is screwed for the foreseeable future.

Anyone heard of playing the long game?

The long game? Mullins has been AD for almost ten years. I agree with you in theory though.

(05-05-2012 08:09 PM)Seattle Bucs Wrote:  

(05-05-2012 06:45 PM)BucNut22 Wrote:  I don't get this idea that if Mullins isn't gone in the next few weeks, months, its a bad sign or evidence that ETSU athletics is screwed for the foreseeable future.

Anyone heard of playing the long game?

The long game? Mullins has been AD for almost ten years. I agree with you in theory though.

Yes but we just got a new President. The clock started when he took over.

Yeah, I agree with that too. ETSU has been caught in a perfect storm of Stanton, Mullins, Bartow. It is only natural to discuss when the next domino will fall. Mullins wasn't made AD for life either.

Based on the things that Noland IS saying vs the things that Dave HAS BEEN saying for 9 years, a Mullins' retirement wouldn't be that unlikely.

What has Noland said that you would cite as evidence of your statement, 90?

I'm speaking to the apparent philosophical differences on key points and athletics in general. Noland hasn't alluded to the possibility of a new AD as far as I know, but if these two men don't think the same way then maybe the timing is right.

He hasn't, and he won't. The idea of Mullins retiring has been bantered about for some time. But here's the deal, how much is he making a year? How many years does HE have working for the state of Tennessee? How many years does Jackie have eating bons bons and appearing to be important in the Culp Center? I'd say if and when both hit that 25 year mark, talk might become serious about retirement. Truthfully speaking, the only way someone is getting him out is to walk into Noland's office and lay a suitcase full of money on his desk and tell him here's the ETSU PAC, retire or reassign Mullins or you won't see this, or the other suitcase full of money for the track.

I'm just saying that if Noland is who we think he is and Dave is who we know he is, then maybe he sees the writing on the wall and rides off into the sunset with his shiny new stadiums and DIAAA (no joke, thats what we officially are) conference "all sports" trophies. Everybody wins.

It's a good point, it just depends on years with the state for him and the queen of Mooney Field.

(05-07-2012 01:13 PM)Buccaneerlover Wrote:  He hasn't, and he won't. The idea of Mullins retiring has been bantered about for some time. But here's the deal, how much is he making a year? How many years does HE have working for the state of Tennessee? How many years does Jackie have eating bons bons and appearing to be important in the Culp Center? I'd say if and when both hit that 25 year mark, talk might become serious about retirement. Truthfully speaking, the only way someone is getting him out is to walk into Noland's office and lay a suitcase full of money on his desk and tell him here's the ETSU PAC, retire or reassign Mullins or you won't see this, or the other suitcase full of money for the track.

According to the official bio Dave became head coach in 1987 so that is 25 years. How long has his wife been eating Bonbons in the Culp Center?

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According to the official bio Dave became head coach in 1987 so that is 25 years. How long has his wife been eating Bonbons in the Culp Center?

[/quote]

Does anyone know for sure that Mullins is in the TCRS? That is not the only retirement plan option available at ETSU when he joined the staff. If he is in one of the optional retirement plans like TIAA/Cref time in service is irrelevant in many respects. What matters is where the stock and bond markets are sitting. Just another thought, the real magic number if he is in TCRS is not 25 years, it's 30. That's when the biggest jump in pay-out occurs. He is either 65 or 66 so the healthcare benefits won't matter. If he was in his late 50s there would be a lot of motvation to stick around 5 more years until he hit 30 years because that is the number of years of employment where a state employee can retire and keep their state health insurance at the same rate that they pay as an employee. BTW - when the question comes up about why someone might take a cut in pay to work for ETSU the benefit package needs to be noted. It includes a 10% of annual salary contribution to retirement with no required matching and very good health insurance at a family rate of about $280 per month. It also include up to 5 weeks annual leave after the employee has been around for a few years and sick leave which can accumulate essentially indefinitely. The annual leave only applies to 12 month employees, not faculty the vast majority of whom are on 9 or 10 month contracts, even if they teach in the summer. Unused annual leave accumulates until the total hits about 6 weeks and then it rolls into sick leave. If the employee is in the TCRS both a portion of sick leave and all accrued annual leave is paid in a lump sum cash payout. If he or she is in one of the optional plans no sick leave is paid out, but all accrued annual leave is paid at the rate of pay for the last year of employment.

(05-11-2012 12:27 AM)Seattle Bucs Wrote:  

(05-07-2012 01:13 PM)Buccaneerlover Wrote:  He hasn't, and he won't. The idea of Mullins retiring has been bantered about for some time. But here's the deal, how much is he making a year? How many years does HE have working for the state of Tennessee? How many years does Jackie have eating bons bons and appearing to be important in the Culp Center? I'd say if and when both hit that 25 year mark, talk might become serious about retirement. Truthfully speaking, the only way someone is getting him out is to walk into Noland's office and lay a suitcase full of money on his desk and tell him here's the ETSU PAC, retire or reassign Mullins or you won't see this, or the other suitcase full of money for the track.

According to the official bio Dave became head coach in 1987 so that is 25 years. How long has his wife been eating Bonbons in the Culp Center?

What did he do before that? Was he a tennis pro?

As a state employee id suspect yesand based on the circumference and girth of the bon bon eater, since about 1983-84.

Among other things, Mullins was an english professor at Roane State, I believe.

(05-11-2012 08:11 PM)PittsburghBucs Wrote:  Among other things, Mullins was an english professor at Roane State, I believe.

From the Tennessee Tennis Association website:

Prior to ETSU, Mullins was the head tennis coach at Roane State Community College (1978-1987), where he guided the men's and women's teams to junior college national rankings each year. Mullins began his coaching career at Harriman High School, starting that school's tennis program and coaching there from 1972-1978.


It is all starting to make sense now....

(05-15-2012 11:19 PM)Seattle Bucs Wrote:  

(05-11-2012 08:11 PM)PittsburghBucs Wrote:  Among other things, Mullins was an english professor at Roane State, I believe.

From the Tennessee Tennis Association website:

Prior to ETSU, Mullins was the head tennis coach at Roane State Community College (1978-1987), where he guided the men's and women's teams to junior college national rankings each year. Mullins began his coaching career at Harriman High School, starting that school's tennis program and coaching there from 1972-1978.


It is all starting to make sense now....

East Tennis-see State?

(05-16-2012 06:51 AM)abuc90 Wrote:  

(05-15-2012 11:19 PM)Seattle Bucs Wrote:  

(05-11-2012 08:11 PM)PittsburghBucs Wrote:  Among other things, Mullins was an english professor at Roane State, I believe.

From the Tennessee Tennis Association website:

Prior to ETSU, Mullins was the head tennis coach at Roane State Community College (1978-1987), where he guided the men's and women's teams to junior college national rankings each year. Mullins began his coaching career at Harriman High School, starting that school's tennis program and coaching there from 1972-1978.


It is all starting to make sense now....

East Tennis-see State?

Scarily, We have the tennis coach living out his dream-fantasy for the past ten years at the expense of the dignity and reputation of our university. A school headed towards 20,000 students as a major-regional state university and it has no marching band. We need leaders to be embarrassed about this as we are. I guess if the poetry slams for Homecoming do not embarrass them then nothing can.

Upon further review, his wife is retired. A couple of years back she took the early retirement package the state offered in order to cut costs. If Dave has been working in Tennessee since 1978, he clearly has his time in for the 30 year mark, at this point he's just padding his retirement. It's easy to talk retirement with Dave because he's old enough to retire and he has his years in with the state, so at this point he could retire and give private lessons on the side, and be golden. Perhaps one more year?