(12-12-2019 06:16 PM)bluebacker Wrote:  

(12-12-2019 05:49 PM)griffin Wrote:  There are those who get their information from googling things on the internet which is fine and relevant to an extent.

There are those who are told directly in one on one conversation from the participants of what occurred, in this case Tom Bowen and Mike Norvell.

Not knowing is ok but it doesn't mean those that know the answer are incorrect just because you don't know.

I trust Stammers on what he outlined here for the most part. I am fully aware myself of what occurred based on direct conversations from the players who played.

On what basis are you trusting Stammers?

That seems really, really odd.

Not sure what some are missing here:

What occurred with the search firm, what it was used for and the players involved - was all told to me directly first hand from TB and MN.

Not second hand, not from sources not from someone who did something then found out from someone.

Stammers info aligns with mine and mine is first hand not second hand.

Not odd at all.

(12-12-2019 05:49 PM)griffin Wrote:  There are those who get their information from googling things on the internet which is fine and relevant to an extent.

There are those who are told directly in one on one conversation from the participants of what occurred, in this case Tom Bowen and Mike Norvell.

Not knowing is ok but it doesn't mean those that know the answer are incorrect just because you don't know.

I trust Stammers on what he outlined here for the most part. I am fully aware myself of what occurred based on direct conversations from the players who played.

Cool. You should let GP, Calkins, and Giannotto know this as well. They must have just blindly googled at the time and also now, 4 years later.

Meh, it doesn't really matter at this point.

Stammers was just all over the place yelling, "WE DIDN"T USE A SEARCH FIRM!!!!" when very clearly one was used at least in some capacity.

So, Griffin, can you explain exactly what was told to you? How exactly did the Norvell hire go down?

(12-13-2019 11:08 AM)bluebacker Wrote:  Meh, it doesn't really matter at this point.

Stammers was just all over the place yelling, "WE DIDN"T USE A SEARCH FIRM!!!!" when very clearly one was used at least in some capacity.

So, Griffin, can you explain exactly what was told to you? How exactly did the Norvell hire go down?

1) Fuente walked into Bowen's office to get sign off on taking the offensive staff along with himself to Arizona State to learn more about MN and what he was doing with his offense.
2) Tom Bowen then decided that MN would be someone he would keep up with. He did research and talked to a lot of people at that time, the summer before Fuente's last season
3) Fuente decides to take the path to leave - Tom knew he was leaving in or after the Ole Miss game that year and it really picked up steam towards the end of the season which allowed Tom to get ready for the next HC
4) Memphis like most universities hire a search firm. Some search firms do all of the work of finding candidates etc. if the universities do not have candidates etc. According to Tom, most firms are hired for two reasons: First being to keep everything confidential (unless the university wants that info out and if they do they leak it themselves - each situation is different). Next is so that the firm can do extensive background searches
5) A selection committee is formed - because you have to get input on perceived input. In the end the guys actually paying the salaries have a lot of input but not the "final" input
6) Offer was made to Odom - with Tom knowing he would turn down the first offer
7) Odom was offered the HC job, Memphis countered with a low ball second offer knowing again he would turn this down - all according to Tom to me.
8) All the while MN was the main target all along.
9) Search firm the background checks etc
10) We hired MN

That's how most searched go and btw, Agents are the key players here - not mentioned above because of the steps in the process. They are in touch with all ADs working them.

Also, do not pay attention to plane tail numbers. Everyone knows they are watching those, they have lots of ways of fooling peeps.

That's it. Hope this helps.

(12-13-2019 11:24 AM)griffin Wrote:  

(12-13-2019 11:08 AM)bluebacker Wrote:  Meh, it doesn't really matter at this point.

Stammers was just all over the place yelling, "WE DIDN"T USE A SEARCH FIRM!!!!" when very clearly one was used at least in some capacity.

So, Griffin, can you explain exactly what was told to you? How exactly did the Norvell hire go down?

1) Fuente walked into Bowen's office to get sign off on taking the offensive staff along with himself to Arizona State to learn more about MN and what he was doing with his offense.
2) Tom Bowen then decided that MN would be someone he would keep up with. He did research and talked to a lot of people at that time, the summer before Fuente's last season (BB Note - Pretty damned insightful.)
3) Fuente decides to take the path to leave - Tom knew he was leaving in or after the Ole Miss game that year and it really picked up steam towards the end of the season which allowed Tom to get ready for the next HC
4) Memphis like most universities hire a search firm. Some search firms do all of the work of finding candidates etc. if the universities do not have candidates etc. According to Tom, most firms are hired for two reasons: First being to keep everything confidential (unless the university wants that info out and if they do they leak it themselves - each situation is different). Next is so that the firm can do extensive background searches
5) A selection committee is formed - because you have to get input on perceived input. In the end the guys actually paying the salaries have a lot of input but not the "final" input
6) Offer was made to Odom - with Tom knowing he would turn down the first offer
7) Odom was offered the HC job, Memphis countered with a low ball second offer knowing again he would turn this down - all according to Tom to me.
8) All the while MN was the main target all along.
9) Search firm the background checks etc
10) We hired MN

That's how most searched go and btw, Agents are the key players here - not mentioned above because of the steps in the process. They are in touch with all ADs working them.

Also, do not pay attention to plane tail numbers. Everyone knows they are watching those, they have lots of ways of fooling peeps.

That's it. Hope this helps.

It does and it makes sense. I found a lot of archived CA articles from 12/3 to 12/8/2015 and the Fuente visit to Arizona State was specifically mention by MN in one of them and caught my attention.

Thanks for the blow-by-blow. The school / committee did a really good job of keeping both the Fuente and the Norvell hires quiet until the very end.

(12-12-2019 05:14 PM)aardWolf Wrote:  If the UofM is paying people $75,000 for four days of work and doesn't even care what you tell them, sign me up!!!

There's a word for that: consulting.

(12-13-2019 12:42 PM)TGTiger Wrote:  

(12-12-2019 05:14 PM)aardWolf Wrote:  If the UofM is paying people $75,000 for four days of work and doesn't even care what you tell them, sign me up!!!

There's a word for that: consulting.

Happens all of the time in business and sports. Its the norm in business and started about ten or so years ago in college sports

(12-13-2019 12:42 PM)TGTiger Wrote:  

(12-12-2019 05:14 PM)aardWolf Wrote:  If the UofM is paying people $75,000 for four days of work and doesn't even care what you tell them, sign me up!!!

There's a word for that: consulting.

And background checks which was the main reason they were hired in both instances. Didn’t need background checks this time.

(12-13-2019 12:51 PM)uskjtc02 Wrote:  

(12-13-2019 12:42 PM)TGTiger Wrote:  

(12-12-2019 05:14 PM)aardWolf Wrote:  If the UofM is paying people $75,000 for four days of work and doesn't even care what you tell them, sign me up!!!

There's a word for that: consulting.

And background checks which was the main reason they were hired in both instances. Didn’t need background checks this time.

75 grand for background checks...


Colossal waste of money.

(12-13-2019 01:10 PM)memtigbb Wrote:  

(12-13-2019 12:51 PM)uskjtc02 Wrote:  

(12-13-2019 12:42 PM)TGTiger Wrote:  

(12-12-2019 05:14 PM)aardWolf Wrote:  If the UofM is paying people $75,000 for four days of work and doesn't even care what you tell them, sign me up!!!

There's a word for that: consulting.

And background checks which was the main reason they were hired in both instances. Didn’t need background checks this time.

75 grand for background checks...


Colossal waste of money.

some people are just gonna find a reason to bltch.

(12-13-2019 11:24 AM)griffin Wrote:  

(12-13-2019 11:08 AM)bluebacker Wrote:  Meh, it doesn't really matter at this point.

Stammers was just all over the place yelling, "WE DIDN"T USE A SEARCH FIRM!!!!" when very clearly one was used at least in some capacity.

So, Griffin, can you explain exactly what was told to you? How exactly did the Norvell hire go down?

1) Fuente walked into Bowen's office to get sign off on taking the offensive staff along with himself to Arizona State to learn more about MN and what he was doing with his offense.
2) Tom Bowen then decided that MN would be someone he would keep up with. He did research and talked to a lot of people at that time, the summer before Fuente's last season
3) Fuente decides to take the path to leave - Tom knew he was leaving in or after the Ole Miss game that year and it really picked up steam towards the end of the season which allowed Tom to get ready for the next HC
4) Memphis like most universities hire a search firm. Some search firms do all of the work of finding candidates etc. if the universities do not have candidates etc. According to Tom, most firms are hired for two reasons: First being to keep everything confidential (unless the university wants that info out and if they do they leak it themselves - each situation is different). Next is so that the firm can do extensive background searches
5) A selection committee is formed - because you have to get input on perceived input. In the end the guys actually paying the salaries have a lot of input but not the "final" input
6) Offer was made to Odom - with Tom knowing he would turn down the first offer
7) Odom was offered the HC job, Memphis countered with a low ball second offer knowing again he would turn this down - all according to Tom to me.
8) All the while MN was the main target all along.
9) Search firm the background checks etc
10) We hired MN

That's how most searched go and btw, Agents are the key players here - not mentioned above because of the steps in the process. They are in touch with all ADs working them.

Also, do not pay attention to plane tail numbers. Everyone knows they are watching those, they have lots of ways of fooling peeps.

That's it. Hope this helps.

What I want to know is why make the offers to Odom? That is where it all falls apart... What if Odom would have said yes? This sounds more like someone screwing up, things actually working out, then pretending like it was done on purpose the entire time....

"BUT BUT, this is what I wanted to happen!"


Like Marcus Mariota throwing a pass that bounces off the defenders head, back into Mariota's arms, where he steps in for a td..


that was a planned play!


While I do believe Griffen was told this.... I don't believe the truth of it at all... They made 2 offers to Odom who rejected both... That is exactly the kind of information you would want out.. We were rejected twice... but it is all in the grand scheme on purpose... bull****... Bowen screwed up and made up some crap to cover his butt.

FOR THE LOVE OF PETE, CAN WE PLEASE GET THE AUDIO FIXED AT THE AOB!!!!! BUSH LEAGUE.

(12-12-2019 05:00 PM)Tiger87 Wrote:  

(12-12-2019 03:43 PM)bluebacker Wrote:  

(12-10-2019 05:36 PM)UofMstateU Wrote:  

(12-10-2019 05:20 PM)bluebacker Wrote:  

(12-10-2019 05:03 PM)UofMstateU Wrote:  Noones denying we had a firm on retainer. But there are no links showing we used a firm to LOCATE the candidates. I believe thats the issue thats being conflated. The search firm did not come up with the names of the past 4 candidates. We put the same search firm on retainer for both hires, but the internal committees already had these candidates lined up.

And yes, there are media links from back when he hired Norvell that stated this exact process; that the firm would, once again, be put on retainer, but would not be activated for a national search unless one was needed. This was very common knowledge from reporting on the process while it was playing out.

Do you have any links that clarify that? I'm honestly curious because I followed the entire process very closely at the time and recall the search firm being mentioned.

If you try Googling anything about Norvell now about all you can get is FSU stuff.

I seriously doubt that the AD / University President at that time pulled a list out of their pocket and pointed at Norvell's name and said, "Go get me that guy". It was probably the agent, the search firm, and the search committee and all the intertwined relationships that got it rolling. I don't know for sure because I wasn't in the room but neither was anyone else in this board.

I recall in both the Fuente and Norvell hires that neither name came up almost to the day they were announced. Seemed pretty hush-hush.

Yea, thats the issue with search engines. They'll give you everything you dont really want.

I'll go back later this evening and search Wolken and Calkins twitter feeds. I'm fairly certain it was one of those guys that laid out the process.

Ever find anything definitive? I am curious to know exactly how MN ended up with the job.

I guess it could be as simple as his agent called to express interest and he killed the interview.

However we got Fuente and however we got Norvell - I'd like to repeat the process...….

Yeah, crickets on the whole "well-documented" thing.

All local media, as well as USA Today, have indicated we used E&B search firm during the Norvell hire. Nothing about "retainer status" only. Heck, even Rudd & Veatch alluded to doing it differently this time and placing the work with Veatch instead.

If we simply had Odom and Norvell on a list in the AD's pocket, then we would have NEVER paid E&B $75k. Not with what the dept was going through financially at that time.

No one has said we contracted out the entire hiring process to them. Obviously Rudd, Bowen, Martin, and a couple of others made the final decision. But the firm was used during the opening days of the search to some extent. (And not just background checks - that wasn't even needed for Odom.)

The issue with finding the media reports is that, when I searched this site to find the links, most of them are now 404'ed. (ie Comercial Appeal site, etc.) Also, trying to find twitter feeds from 4 years ago is useless.

(12-13-2019 08:56 PM)UofMstateU Wrote:  

(12-12-2019 05:00 PM)Tiger87 Wrote:  

(12-12-2019 03:43 PM)bluebacker Wrote:  

(12-10-2019 05:36 PM)UofMstateU Wrote:  

(12-10-2019 05:20 PM)bluebacker Wrote:  Do you have any links that clarify that? I'm honestly curious because I followed the entire process very closely at the time and recall the search firm being mentioned.

If you try Googling anything about Norvell now about all you can get is FSU stuff.

I seriously doubt that the AD / University President at that time pulled a list out of their pocket and pointed at Norvell's name and said, "Go get me that guy". It was probably the agent, the search firm, and the search committee and all the intertwined relationships that got it rolling. I don't know for sure because I wasn't in the room but neither was anyone else in this board.

I recall in both the Fuente and Norvell hires that neither name came up almost to the day they were announced. Seemed pretty hush-hush.

Yea, thats the issue with search engines. They'll give you everything you dont really want.

I'll go back later this evening and search Wolken and Calkins twitter feeds. I'm fairly certain it was one of those guys that laid out the process.

Ever find anything definitive? I am curious to know exactly how MN ended up with the job.

I guess it could be as simple as his agent called to express interest and he killed the interview.

However we got Fuente and however we got Norvell - I'd like to repeat the process...….

Yeah, crickets on the whole "well-documented" thing.

All local media, as well as USA Today, have indicated we used E&B search firm during the Norvell hire. Nothing about "retainer status" only. Heck, even Rudd & Veatch alluded to doing it differently this time and placing the work with Veatch instead.

If we simply had Odom and Norvell on a list in the AD's pocket, then we would have NEVER paid E&B $75k. Not with what the dept was going through financially at that time.

No one has said we contracted out the entire hiring process to them. Obviously Rudd, Bowen, Martin, and a couple of others made the final decision. But the firm was used during the opening days of the search to some extent. (And not just background checks - that wasn't even needed for Odom.)

The issue with finding the media reports is that, when I searched this site to find the links, most of them are now 404'ed. (ie Comercial Appeal site, etc.) Also, trying to find twitter feeds from 4 years ago is useless.

You have to search the Commercial Appeal archive site to find the specific headlines for, in this case the days leading up to and immediately following Norvell's hire.

I did that and read them. There is no breakdown / timeline of the process in any CA article that I found; however, griffin's 'horses mouth' itemization of the process as told to him makes sense and I don't think he'd make it up. Why would he?

In one of his initial interviews Nolevell references Fuente & staff's visit to Arizona State to study the offense so there is the direct contact / connection to Memphis.

I just flew back in from the game and this thread is still going on.

I have a headache, can we stop replying to this thread.