(06-13-2021 08:29 AM)emu79 Wrote: Reality check. The AD is responsible for putting the schedule together not the basketball coaches. The coaches may have input but not control. At the end of the day the AD has something called a budget and must schedule around the budget. All of those wanting an improved home schedule, dig out your checkbook and write a check to the hoops program. I assume we could go on the road and try to get big money games and being blowed out. However, there are only a certain number of those games as well. Doesn't do much for the morale of the team or the coach's record in some instances.
I agree with the theme but not the details of your post.
in FOOTBALL the AD does the scheduling, negotiations, etc. As we know those contracts can easily exceed 1M road game guarantee AND over 250K home game guarantee.
As you suggest in MBB the HC is given financial parameters to work within. The AD might say, "We need 250K guarantee money and can spend no more than 75K on guarantee home games."
Kevin Mondro used to have the task of trying to arrange the OOC schedule. When I was at the Convo a few years ago, I asked about games on the East Coast or California. Murphy just took me over to Mondro's office and asked HIM. I believe this is typical with the assoc. HC assuming that role.
It can be like negotiating a labor agreement with the Big 3. Lot of going around and around, on dates, guarantee amounts, possible home and home. Remember each school EMU is talking with might be talking with say a dozen schools, also. Crazy example: Say Nov 21. EMU might be talking with CLE. State, IUPUI, OU, UDM, etc. CLE. State might be talking with EMU and say 4 or 5 other schools who are open that day. It becomes a messy web.
BTW, some schools do NOT want home and home. A HBCU (e.g., Howard) may wish to pocket 75 -85K rather than have a home and home and the home game might net say 10K. Have to remember that a lot of schools, including ones we've played over the years have small arenas and draw say 1 - 2K.
The HC then has to make it work INCLUDING home and homes which produce little monies. I think they may trade small guarantee either way. E.g., if we play home and home with CLE State we may given them say 30K to visit and they give us 30K when we visit. This is designed to cover expenses.