(12-03-2018 03:45 PM)EagNBran Wrote:  It's not about making gold out of poop. It's about reigniting our apathetic fanbase. If you can reach the common fan (something no AD has been able to do for us), we can raise the money to fix Reed Green. You'll get more people coming to games if they believe there's a vision for where USM is going and how they're being a part of it. More of the same 'we're happy where we are' nonsense will do nothing for us. Period. Get someone with a dream of bigger things and excite our fans with that prospect. Show me a definitive path of how we're going to get there.

Yep. Quit looking for someone who can do more with less and find somebody who can figure out how to get more to do more.

The guy who later led TCU into the Big XII had his name submitted as a candidate to replace Coach Mac. I’m pretty sure we never even called him to interview. The guy who’s currently Clemson’s AD actually made it to campus during that same search. We somehow decided Giannini was a better fit.

As far as conference affiiation goes, at this point we need to do what we did in the first place: if a better or at least more sensible conference doesn’t exist, then make one. All these G5 schools driving past and flying over each other to play is both wasteful and just plain dumb. Why in the f*** are we playing FAU every 3 years and ULL only every 10 if we’re all just streaming on some app regardless?

I bet Giblet never schedules Mississippi Southern..

Letter from USM President Dr. Rodney Bennett:

"I am writing today to share my initial plans for selecting a new Director of Athletics. As President of The University of Southern Mississippi, my expectation is that our student-athletes graduate with a treasured degree and that our athletics programs—all of our athletics programs—win championships and compete in postseason play. Our next Director of Athletics will be key to ensuring the success of our student-athletes in the classroom and in competition, and I am committed to bringing leadership stability to all areas of the University, including our Department of Athletics.

For now, the following three actions will be taken.

First, I am appointing Jeff Mitchell, current Deputy Director of Athletics, as our interim Director of Athletics, effective immediately. Jeff is an experienced athletics administrator who, prior to coming to Southern Miss, served as a member of the senior management team at Santa Clara University. He earned his bachelor’s degree and Master of Business Administration from Millsaps College and his Juris Doctorate from the University of Mississippi School of Law. Jeff is a native Mississippian who is certainly qualified to serve in this interim capacity, but most importantly, he is committed to helping us resolve the challenges we face in athletics.

Second, I am naming Brian Morrison to the position of interim Deputy Director of Athletics, effective immediately. Brian is a longtime, well-respected Southern Miss staff member who has most recently served as Senior Associate Athletics Director for Development. Jeff, Brian, and I will work together to identify a staff member to serve as the lead athletics fundraiser during this interim period.

Third, I will be visiting several cities in the spring for the purpose of hearing from Southern Miss stakeholders about our athletics programs. What we learn from this self-evaluation will help determine the timeline for my hire of a permanent Director of Athletics.

Thank you for your support of our institution.

Rodney D. Bennett
President"

Another letter to alumni from Bennett:

"I am writing today to share my initial plans for selecting a new Director of Athletics and, more importantly, to address concerns related to our Department of Athletics.

Like you, I am concerned that we are searching for a new athletics director for the third time in recent years. I am committed to a thorough selection process that will result in a Director of Athletics who will bring stability to the department, as well as consistent and sustained success for many years.

Like you, I am disappointed that bowl and television executives did not select our football program for participation in a bowl game this year. I do not agree with their decision, but I am now focused on how to help our football program become increasingly competitive next season.

And like you, I am not satisfied with our current place in the landscape of college athletics. I believe strongly we should be aspirational about our place both within Conference USA and in the NCAA.

As President of The University of Southern Mississippi, my expectation is that our student-athletes graduate with a treasured degree and that our athletics programs—all of our athletics programs—win championships and compete in postseason play. Our next Director of Athletics will be key to ensuring the success of our student-athletes in the classroom and in competition, and I am committed to bringing leadership stability to all areas of the University, including our Department of Athletics.

The selection process for our next Director of Athletics will not be quick. The complexity of our challenges will necessitate a different approach to the hiring process, one that requires patience, the engagement of our stakeholders, and a thorough review of our department. The process must include an intentional review to evaluate how we got here – how we got to this place of searching for our third Director of Athletics in recent years, how we got to this place of not being selected for postseason bowl competition, how we got to this place of unrest with our placement within the NCAA, how we got to this place of continued uncertainty with our financial sustainability within the department – and to determine what can be done to address these systemic challenges.

To prepare for the future we want in athletics, we must cultivate sustainable change. We must ask and answer these questions before we initiate a selection process for a new director.

So, for now, the following three actions will be taken.

First, I am appointing Jeff Mitchell, current Deputy Director of Athletics, as our interim Director of Athletics, effective immediately. Jeff is an experienced athletics administrator who, prior to coming to Southern Miss, served as a member of the senior management team at Santa Clara University. He earned his bachelor’s degree and Master of Business Administration from Millsaps College and his Juris Doctorate from the University of Mississippi School of Law. Jeff is a native Mississippian who is certainly qualified to serve in this interim capacity, but most importantly, he is committed to helping us resolve the challenges we face in athletics.

Second, I am naming Brian Morrison to the position of interim Deputy Director of Athletics, effective immediately. Brian is a longtime, well-respected Southern Miss staff member who has most recently served as Senior Associate Athletics Director for Development. Jeff, Brian, and I will work together to identify a staff member to serve as the lead athletics fundraiser during this interim period.

Third, I will be visiting several cities in the spring for the purpose of hearing from Southern Miss stakeholders about our athletics programs. Cities will include Hattiesburg, Gulfport, Jackson, Houston, Nashville, Birmingham, Mobile, and other locations if needed. The dates, times, and specific locations will be announced in the first part of the new year. I look forward to our conversations and the contributions of your ideas. What we learn from this self-evaluation will help determine the timeline for my hire of a permanent Director of Athletics.

Although we again find ourselves searching for a new Director of Athletics, we should not forget who we are—we are The University of Southern Mississippi. For more than 108 years, Southern Miss has never walked away from a challenge. Our story is one of ordinary people doing extraordinary things; it is one in which neither persistence nor resiliency wavers. Our journey is one in which we have always worked harder than required to succeed. It starts with me, but our success will require the commitment and action of all of our stakeholders.

As an institution, we have positive momentum in many areas—our enrollment is rising, fundraising has reached record levels, and we have continued to improve our reputation and status as a major research university. I am excited about the future of The University of Southern Mississippi, including our athletics programs. Nevertheless, we cannot be satisfied with our current level of success in any area. As we continue on our current trajectory toward becoming the model for public higher education across the country, we must continue to transform every aspect of the University.

Intercollegiate athletics has provided thousands of students with the opportunity to pursue and complete their degree requirements while playing their sports at the highest amateur levels since the earliest days of this institution. There are more than 300 Division I athletics programs across the country, and The University of Southern Mississippi is proud to be among that group. We are at another crossroads in Southern Miss athletics’ path to the top; however, each time The University of Southern Mississippi has faced a challenge, we have persevered. And we will do so yet again.

Thank you for your support of our institution.

Rodney D. Bennett
President
The University of Southern Mississippi"

As one of his big critics, I’m happy to see this from him. Hopefully something comes from it.

I thought the letter was good. If he is shooting straight then he knows we are underachieving and need leadership.

The end of paragraph 3rd paragraph regarding we need to be aspirational to our place in CUSA and the NCAA did not warm me too much. Yes we need to dominate the conference but what was not said many think it is essential we leave CUSA. I would have liked he mention possible alignment with a better conference.

(12-05-2018 03:49 PM)TTT Wrote:  Another letter to alumni from Bennett:

"I am writing today to share my initial plans for selecting a new Director of Athletics and, more importantly, to address concerns related to our Department of Athletics.

Like you, I am concerned that we are searching for a new athletics director for the third time in recent years. I am committed to a thorough selection process that will result in a Director of Athletics who will bring stability to the department, as well as consistent and sustained success for many years.

Like you, I am disappointed that bowl and television executives did not select our football program for participation in a bowl game this year. I do not agree with their decision, but I am now focused on how to help our football program become increasingly competitive next season.

And like you, I am not satisfied with our current place in the landscape of college athletics. I believe strongly we should be aspirational about our place both within Conference USA and in the NCAA.

As President of The University of Southern Mississippi, my expectation is that our student-athletes graduate with a treasured degree and that our athletics programs—all of our athletics programs—win championships and compete in postseason play. Our next Director of Athletics will be key to ensuring the success of our student-athletes in the classroom and in competition, and I am committed to bringing leadership stability to all areas of the University, including our Department of Athletics.

The selection process for our next Director of Athletics will not be quick. The complexity of our challenges will necessitate a different approach to the hiring process, one that requires patience, the engagement of our stakeholders, and a thorough review of our department. The process must include an intentional review to evaluate how we got here – how we got to this place of searching for our third Director of Athletics in recent years, how we got to this place of not being selected for postseason bowl competition, how we got to this place of unrest with our placement within the NCAA, how we got to this place of continued uncertainty with our financial sustainability within the department – and to determine what can be done to address these systemic challenges.

To prepare for the future we want in athletics, we must cultivate sustainable change. We must ask and answer these questions before we initiate a selection process for a new director.

So, for now, the following three actions will be taken.

First, I am appointing Jeff Mitchell, current Deputy Director of Athletics, as our interim Director of Athletics, effective immediately. Jeff is an experienced athletics administrator who, prior to coming to Southern Miss, served as a member of the senior management team at Santa Clara University. He earned his bachelor’s degree and Master of Business Administration from Millsaps College and his Juris Doctorate from the University of Mississippi School of Law. Jeff is a native Mississippian who is certainly qualified to serve in this interim capacity, but most importantly, he is committed to helping us resolve the challenges we face in athletics.

Second, I am naming Brian Morrison to the position of interim Deputy Director of Athletics, effective immediately. Brian is a longtime, well-respected Southern Miss staff member who has most recently served as Senior Associate Athletics Director for Development. Jeff, Brian, and I will work together to identify a staff member to serve as the lead athletics fundraiser during this interim period.

Third, I will be visiting several cities in the spring for the purpose of hearing from Southern Miss stakeholders about our athletics programs. Cities will include Hattiesburg, Gulfport, Jackson, Houston, Nashville, Birmingham, Mobile, and other locations if needed. The dates, times, and specific locations will be announced in the first part of the new year. I look forward to our conversations and the contributions of your ideas. What we learn from this self-evaluation will help determine the timeline for my hire of a permanent Director of Athletics.

Although we again find ourselves searching for a new Director of Athletics, we should not forget who we are—we are The University of Southern Mississippi. For more than 108 years, Southern Miss has never walked away from a challenge. Our story is one of ordinary people doing extraordinary things; it is one in which neither persistence nor resiliency wavers. Our journey is one in which we have always worked harder than required to succeed. It starts with me, but our success will require the commitment and action of all of our stakeholders.

As an institution, we have positive momentum in many areas—our enrollment is rising, fundraising has reached record levels, and we have continued to improve our reputation and status as a major research university. I am excited about the future of The University of Southern Mississippi, including our athletics programs. Nevertheless, we cannot be satisfied with our current level of success in any area. As we continue on our current trajectory toward becoming the model for public higher education across the country, we must continue to transform every aspect of the University.

Intercollegiate athletics has provided thousands of students with the opportunity to pursue and complete their degree requirements while playing their sports at the highest amateur levels since the earliest days of this institution. There are more than 300 Division I athletics programs across the country, and The University of Southern Mississippi is proud to be among that group. We are at another crossroads in Southern Miss athletics’ path to the top; however, each time The University of Southern Mississippi has faced a challenge, we have persevered. And we will do so yet again.

Thank you for your support of our institution.

Rodney D. Bennett
President
The University of Southern Mississippi"

When I read this:

" I am committed to a thorough selection process that will result in a Director of Athletics who will bring stability to the department"

My first thought was it is just another way of saying "We're going to hire one of us".

When I read this:

"And like you, I am not satisfied with our current place in the landscape of college athletics. I believe strongly we should be aspirational about our place both within Conference USA and in the NCAA. "

I almost fell out of my seat. Did someone in our administration really say that and put it in writing? Finally!! Hopefully, he actually meant it.

I'm hoping when he says he's going to different cities to listen to "stakeholders"...that he's talking about open forum type events where everyone is welcome from Billy Bob and his bleeding weenie/watered down coke to top level foundation/COC folks.

(12-05-2018 05:28 PM)Up2stuff Wrote:  

(12-05-2018 03:49 PM)TTT Wrote:  Another letter to alumni from Bennett:

"I am writing today to share my initial plans for selecting a new Director of Athletics and, more importantly, to address concerns related to our Department of Athletics.

Like you, I am concerned that we are searching for a new athletics director for the third time in recent years. I am committed to a thorough selection process that will result in a Director of Athletics who will bring stability to the department, as well as consistent and sustained success for many years.

Like you, I am disappointed that bowl and television executives did not select our football program for participation in a bowl game this year. I do not agree with their decision, but I am now focused on how to help our football program become increasingly competitive next season.

And like you, I am not satisfied with our current place in the landscape of college athletics. I believe strongly we should be aspirational about our place both within Conference USA and in the NCAA.

As President of The University of Southern Mississippi, my expectation is that our student-athletes graduate with a treasured degree and that our athletics programs—all of our athletics programs—win championships and compete in postseason play. Our next Director of Athletics will be key to ensuring the success of our student-athletes in the classroom and in competition, and I am committed to bringing leadership stability to all areas of the University, including our Department of Athletics.

The selection process for our next Director of Athletics will not be quick. The complexity of our challenges will necessitate a different approach to the hiring process, one that requires patience, the engagement of our stakeholders, and a thorough review of our department. The process must include an intentional review to evaluate how we got here – how we got to this place of searching for our third Director of Athletics in recent years, how we got to this place of not being selected for postseason bowl competition, how we got to this place of unrest with our placement within the NCAA, how we got to this place of continued uncertainty with our financial sustainability within the department – and to determine what can be done to address these systemic challenges.

To prepare for the future we want in athletics, we must cultivate sustainable change. We must ask and answer these questions before we initiate a selection process for a new director.

So, for now, the following three actions will be taken.

First, I am appointing Jeff Mitchell, current Deputy Director of Athletics, as our interim Director of Athletics, effective immediately. Jeff is an experienced athletics administrator who, prior to coming to Southern Miss, served as a member of the senior management team at Santa Clara University. He earned his bachelor’s degree and Master of Business Administration from Millsaps College and his Juris Doctorate from the University of Mississippi School of Law. Jeff is a native Mississippian who is certainly qualified to serve in this interim capacity, but most importantly, he is committed to helping us resolve the challenges we face in athletics.

Second, I am naming Brian Morrison to the position of interim Deputy Director of Athletics, effective immediately. Brian is a longtime, well-respected Southern Miss staff member who has most recently served as Senior Associate Athletics Director for Development. Jeff, Brian, and I will work together to identify a staff member to serve as the lead athletics fundraiser during this interim period.

Third, I will be visiting several cities in the spring for the purpose of hearing from Southern Miss stakeholders about our athletics programs. Cities will include Hattiesburg, Gulfport, Jackson, Houston, Nashville, Birmingham, Mobile, and other locations if needed. The dates, times, and specific locations will be announced in the first part of the new year. I look forward to our conversations and the contributions of your ideas. What we learn from this self-evaluation will help determine the timeline for my hire of a permanent Director of Athletics.

Although we again find ourselves searching for a new Director of Athletics, we should not forget who we are—we are The University of Southern Mississippi. For more than 108 years, Southern Miss has never walked away from a challenge. Our story is one of ordinary people doing extraordinary things; it is one in which neither persistence nor resiliency wavers. Our journey is one in which we have always worked harder than required to succeed. It starts with me, but our success will require the commitment and action of all of our stakeholders.

As an institution, we have positive momentum in many areas—our enrollment is rising, fundraising has reached record levels, and we have continued to improve our reputation and status as a major research university. I am excited about the future of The University of Southern Mississippi, including our athletics programs. Nevertheless, we cannot be satisfied with our current level of success in any area. As we continue on our current trajectory toward becoming the model for public higher education across the country, we must continue to transform every aspect of the University.

Intercollegiate athletics has provided thousands of students with the opportunity to pursue and complete their degree requirements while playing their sports at the highest amateur levels since the earliest days of this institution. There are more than 300 Division I athletics programs across the country, and The University of Southern Mississippi is proud to be among that group. We are at another crossroads in Southern Miss athletics’ path to the top; however, each time The University of Southern Mississippi has faced a challenge, we have persevered. And we will do so yet again.

Thank you for your support of our institution.

Rodney D. Bennett
President
The University of Southern Mississippi"

When I read this:

" I am committed to a thorough selection process that will result in a Director of Athletics who will bring stability to the department"

My first thought was it is just another way of saying "We're going to hire one of us".

When I read this:

"And like you, I am not satisfied with our current place in the landscape of college athletics. I believe strongly we should be aspirational about our place both within Conference USA and in the NCAA. "

I almost fell out of my seat. Did someone in our administration really say that and put it in writing? Finally!! Hopefully, he actually meant it.

there's a big difference being unhappy and being willing or able to do something about it....

with our current budget and facilities, it's obvious something major would have to happen - e.g., rename to The University of Southern Mississippi - athletics funded by Warren Hood

w/o a vi(s)able hoops program and a stagnant annual budget, we don't stand a chance to improve our current standing on a national basis...

the ship that could've/should've addressed that sailed long ago....

the only hope I see is the P5 elite breaking off with the leftovers ending up on a more level playing field....even if that were to happen, we'd still be behind the 8-ball....

that's just the cold hard truth of where we currently reside in revenue generating D1 athletics....we bring nothing of value to the table...

A new hope.

(12-05-2018 06:18 PM)FlamingoBoy Wrote:  I am disappointed that television executives did not select our football program for a bowl game this year.

Those damn television executives.

(12-05-2018 05:27 PM)dothaneagle Wrote:  The end of paragraph 3rd paragraph regarding we need to be aspirational to our place in CUSA and the NCAA did not warm me too much.

I felt the same way.

And this, "The process must include an intentional review to evaluate how we got here – how we got to this place of searching for our third Director of Athletics in recent years" - We got here bc of HIM making the last two dumb*** hires! I have NO confidence in him making a proficient hire, based on history alone. We will get more of the same, so long as he is picking former acquaintances / friends.

I believe the words you're looking for Reg are 'Yes men'.

Honest question, here. Wondering how our fans are measuring success for an AD. So...if you are on this board (picking an arbitrary time frame) five years from now and talking about what a great job the new AD has done, what is different?

Reed Green is upgraded. Our coaches are held accountable to meet expectations and aren’t given extensions for mediocrity. Fundraising is up. Has given fans a tangible vision of where we wanna go and how we’re gonna get there. Has been able to bring back long time fans who have given up since 2012.

(12-06-2018 07:08 PM)EagNBran Wrote:  Reed Green is upgraded. Our coaches are held accountable to meet expectations and aren’t given extensions for mediocrity. Fundraising is up. Has given fans a tangible vision of where we wanna go and how we’re gonna get there. Has been able to bring back long time fans who have given up since 2012.

w/o going deep into semantics, the above should be the immediate focus....

in five years, achieving a 30+ mm budget coupled with a focus on a major upgrade to the Yurt is a must if ANYONE will give us the time of day moving forward.....even it that were to happen, the chance of escaping our shadow is still a YUGE IF....

whoever we hire, he's gonna have his hands full - and he'll know it before he comes knockin'....

the question that should be asked is, if you were on the prowl for an open AD slot, would you consider Southern Miss as an option in today's market as it currently exists?

I would have a hard time answering yes to that one....