Where does blame fall in latest snubbing of UConn... Don Amore

[huskymedic]

More info needed...

 

[Adios]

As Calhoun once said, "I up." It's hard to believe it might come down to Herbst not lobbying harder instead of partying in the Virgin Islands. That vacationing really stained the administration's reputation.

 

[noeynox]

If we ever play one conference against Tulane and ECU Herbst failed. Big Time. Period. At the least she should have instructed Manuel by saying you "see what Jurich is doing, go do it louder, and put the god damn donuts down."

 

[ZooCougar]

It doesn't even matter if the Virgin Islands thing wasn't decisive. It just looks wrong.

I always thought that if we got beat, it would be because of circumstances beyond their control. Now we are left wondering, "what if they had tried harder" we'll be wondering that for a long time.

 

[caw]

If we ever play one conference against Tulane and ECU Herbst failed. Big Time. Period. At the least she should have instructed Manuel by saying you "see what Jurich is doing, go do it louder, and put the god damn donuts down."

I don't agree completely. If we ever play Tulane/ECU without a contract saying, "next year we are in the ACC/B1G" then I agree.

 

[uchusky32]

It's all of the above. Higher s big up and comer young coordinator to be your coach and market him and your program. Go all in on Kev and market him and your program. Play to win, invest to win and shout it out.

Louisville looks better for the 2 major sports that because our AD with the ok from the prez allowed it

 

[IMind]

Yesterday.. I would have said it's got nothing to do with who our head football coach is. Today... I think it's 100% about who our head football coach is. It's about perception. We went out and hired a re-tred who hadn't been near the college game for years. A guy no one else really wanted. That said we weren't serious about football. It's not even really about our win/loss record.

If they don't fire PP at the end of this season it's basically confirming everything they already think about UConn. That we aren't a serious football program.

That and our marketing sucks. It's always sucked. We have a top tier products and we get passed over by 2nd rate competition because of this. Others put up banners in time square and get the Empire State's building lit up. We have a couple of radio ads on 1080 and a billboard or two on I-95. It just sucks.

I don't put this entirely on Herbst and Manuel... yet.

 

[freescooter]

It doesn't even matter if the Virgin Islands thing wasn't decisive. It just looks wrong.

I always thought that if we got beat, it would be because of circumstances beyond their control. Now we are left wondering, "what if they had tried harder" we'll be wondering that for a long time.

This is exactly on target. If you remember it, this was like Tom Meskill staying on a ski trip in Vermont during an ice storm that crippled the state. There may have been nothing they could have done differently, just as there was nothing Meskill would have done in Hartford really. It wasn't like he was going to drive a snow plow or string power lines. But the impression is completely wrong. Absolutely and completely.

 

[ZooCougar]

This is exactly on target. If you remember it, this was like Tom Meskill staying on a ski trip in Vermont during an ice storm that crippled the state. There may have been nothing they could have done differently, just as there was nothing Meskill would have done in Hartford really. It wasn't like he was going to drive a snow plow or string power lines. But the impression is completely wrong. Absolutely and completely.

I think people call it tone deaf. Not sure if that is the correct usage though.

 

[uconNYC]

Yesterday.. I would have said it's got nothing to do with who our head football coach is. Today... I think it's 100% about who our head football coach is. It's about perception. We went out and hired a re-tred who hadn't been near the college game for years. A guy no one else really wanted. That said we weren't serious about football. It's not even really about our win/loss record.

If they don't fire PP at the end of this season it's basically confirming everything they already think about UConn. That we aren't a serious football program.

That and our marketing sucks. It's always sucked. We have a top tier products and we get passed over by 2nd rate competition because of this. Others put up banners in time square and get the Empire State's building lit up. We have a couple of radio ads on 1080 and a billboard or two on I-95. It just sucks.

I don't put this entirely on Herbst and Manuel... yet.

What would the perception of UConn football be if our coach was RichRod? Far different than it is right now, i believe.

 

[Cheddie]

As Calhoun once said, "I ****ed up." It's hard to believe it might come down to Herbst not lobbying harder instead of partying in the Virgin Islands. That vacationing really stained the administration's reputation.

Irrespective of the ACC thing, Herbst's job is to lead UConn in an economically difficult period, and not to be a super-fan traveling to Germany and the Caribbean. Her travel and the hiring of a $225K PR guy look terrible while the state is struggling.

 

[businesslawyer]

Irrespective of the ACC thing, Herbst's job is to lead UConn in an economically difficult period, and not to be a super-fan traveling to Germany and the Caribbean. Her travel and the hiring of a $225K PR guy look terrible while the state is struggling.

LOL. We needed the PR guy. We just needed him sooner.

 

[Druken Friar]

According to David Borges one reason the ACC took Louisville was to pre-empt the Big 12 making a move. When the ACC does get raided, UConn and Cincy will be waiting.

"Perhaps that's one reason why the ACC is going with Louisville now — it knows that, unlike Louisville, UConn and Cincy have no other place to go, so if the conference were to lose another school, each program would still be there, groveling to get into the ACC."​

​

Read more: http://www.newstimes.com/news/article/UConn-passed-over-by-ACC-for-Louisville-video-4073816.php#ixzz2DXYxAnpC​

 

[freescooter]

Amore makes a good point though. UConn's administration really does need to point out where it wants to go with the Athletic Department. They haven't been clear at all. And I have to say that part of me has the sense that Herbst isn't all that upset over this in part because she isn't that keen on big time athletics and doesn't have that much of a problem with seeing things downgraded a bit. Not that different from Shalala in that respect. Donna was pretty clear that she didn't have a problem with Miami lessening its national profile in football. I have a sense that Susan, although she doesn't say it publicly, has the same view with respect to UConn basketball. Her hope is that it remains somewhat competitive, let's say bottom of the top 25 with the occasional Top 10 run in a very good year...more Xavier than what we've been used to, but she would prefer not to have to deal with the embarrassment of poor APRs, recruiting violations and questionable behavior by basketball players...Now the ACC also gave her that chance, but it didn't matter that much. This result almost forces that decision.

 

[06029]

Why is there a need to blame anyone in the State of CT or at Uconn? Everyone in the state from the guv, to the school prez to the AD made it well known that they would jump at any offer out of the BE. Everyone knew this in the ACC. Everyone in the B1G knows this. The choice of Rutgers to the B1G and Lville to the ACC has nothing to do with the lack of effort by the AD and the prez. You don't think they were on the phone, skype, emails, etc reminding everyone that they were ready to join if invited? You really think they were not talking why Uconn is a logical choice? That they were outworked by the other schools? That everyone was lazy just because the result sucks?

The invitation did not come for 1 reason and 1 reason only - Uconn is always going to be there for the invitation. The Big 12 is not looking at Uconn. The SEC is not looking at Uconn. The B1G might be, but they also may be looking at other teams in the ACC and Big 12. The ACC knew that Lville was high on the list for the Big 12. That pushed the decision their way. Scarcity of product and pre-emptive of another conference taking them.

Yeah, it sucks, but there is very little anyone could have done to change the fact that Uconn will always be available if a conference needs them.

 

[businesslawyer]

Amore makes a good point though. UConn's administration really does need to make a point case where it wants to go with the Athletic Department. They haven't been clear at all. And I have to say that part of me has the sense that Herbst isn't all that upset over this in part because she isn't that keen on big time athletics and doesn't have that much of a problem with seeing things downgraded a bit. Not that different from Shalala in that respect. Donna was pretty clear that she didn't have a problem with Miami lessening its national profile in football. I have a sense that Susan, although she doesn't say it publicly, has the same view with respect to UConn basketball. Her hope is that it remains somewhat competitive, let's say bottom of the top 25 with the occasional Top 10 run in a very good year...more Xavier than what we've been used to, but she would prefer not to have to deal with the embarrassment of poor APRs, recruiting violations and questionable behavior by basketball players...Now the ACC also gave her that chance, but it didn't matter that much. This result almost forces that decision.

Oh stop it. She didn't decide to deemphasize sports -- if the Big Ten isn't in play she screwed up. The school told the Big East we were out. ### up was believing (and we don't have a clue why) that us to the ACC was a done deal when in fact it wasn't.

Was she lied to? Did she take to much for granted? Did something change? I don't know. But this was not a conscious decision to deemphasize -- this was a mammoth f### up. We counted unhatched chickens.

 

[businesslawyer]

Why is there a need to blame anyone in the State of CT or at Uconn? Everyone in the state from the guv, to the school prez to the AD made it well known that they would jump at any offer out of the BE. Everyone knew this in the ACC. Everyone in the B1G knows this. The choice of Rutgers to the B1G and Lville to the ACC has nothing to do with the lack of effort by the AD and the prez. You don't think they were on the phone, skype, emails, etc reminding everyone that they were ready to join if invited? You really think they were not talking why Uconn is a logical choice? That they were outworked by the other schools? That everyone was lazy just because the result sucks?

The invitation did not come for 1 reason and 1 reason only - Uconn is always going to be there for the invitation. The Big 12 is not looking at Uconn. The SEC is not looking at Uconn. The B1G might be, but they also may be looking at other teams in the ACC and Big 12. The ACC knew that Lville was high on the list for the Big 12. That pushed the decision their way. Scarcity of product and pre-emptive of another conference taking them.

Yeah, it sucks, but there is very little anyone could have done to change the fact that Uconn will always be available if a conference needs them.

Nothing in your post explains why Aresco thought we were gone when he gave his presser in New Orleans yesterday. Please try a theory that doesn't ignore that.

 

[UConnSportsGuy]

I would point to the job the ADs have done across the spectrum in this latest expansion round.

Warde always seemed to say "don't worry, Susan has this covered" and just laid back as they thought they were a sure thing for the ACC. Whether that was a specific directive from Susan to do that as she really thought she had the ACC locked down and didn't Warde to get involved...we don't know. But it is clear that Susan was leading the discussions and politics with the other schools/conferences.

Now contrast that with the schools that were successful in this round. As you read about what happened with Rutgers and B1G, you see that Pernetti was the point person on the original discussion with Delaney and was the key person that made the deal happen. And we all know the front-and-center role that Jurich played at Louisville. In each of those situations (which were successful), the AD was an integral part of the deal. In UConns case, the AD had very little involvement and basically sat back and let it all happen without getting his hands dirty (again...we don't know if that was a directive by Herbst or not).

I think UConn didn't play this right at all. You need to have the AD doing the PR and dirty work and working closely with the other ADs and conferences. Meanwhile, you need to have the President doing the 'ambassador' work and glad-handing with the academics and other school Presidents. Herbst tried to do this all herself...and it didn't work. Either Herbst micro-managed this to a detriment and didn't enable her AD, or she has no confidence in Manual to do his external job on this. Either way, our President-AD combo failed us here.

 

[freescooter]

Irrespective of the ACC thing, Herbst's job is to lead UConn in an economically difficult period, and not to be a super-fan traveling to Germany and the Caribbean. Her travel and the hiring of a $225K PR guy look terrible while the state is struggling.

Actually that kind of thing IS part of the University president's job. the guy making 45,000 a year who buys a couple of discount tickets from AAA isn't going to Germany or the Caribbean to watch UConn play. Big donors tend to make those trips and the President really needs to be there under normal circumstances to put the arm on them, if not immediately, at least tee 'em up for the future. There are of course exceptions and exceptional circumstances where the President needs to be seen on the home front. See my Meskill vs Malloy in their handling of storms. NU didn't get the lights turned on any faster becasue malloy was there hectoring them, but no chance was he staying in Vermont during a crisis as Meskill did. Herbst really needed to fly home early for this, even if it failed. Now we'll forever wonder if she could have done something more.

 

[FASTEDDY]

I would point to the job the ADs have done across the spectrum in this latest expansion round.

Warde always seemed to say "don't worry, Susan has this covered" and just laid back as they thought they were a sure thing for the ACC. Whether that was a specific directive from Susan to do that as she really thought she had the ACC locked down and didn't Warde to get involved...we don't know. But it is clear that Susan was leading the discussions and politics with the other schools/conferences.

Now contrast that with the schools that were successful in this round. As you read about what happened with Rutgers and B1G, you see that Pernetti was the point person on the original discussion with Delaney and was the key person that made the deal happen. And we all know the front-and-center role that Jurich played at Louisville. In each of those situations (which were successful), the AD was an integral part of the deal. In UConns case, the AD had very little involvement and basically sat back and let it all happen without getting his hands dirty (again...we don't know if that was a directive by Herbst or not).

I think UConn didn't play this right at all. You need to have the AD doing the PR and dirty work and working closely with the other ADs and conferences. Meanwhile, you need to have the President doing the 'ambassador' work and glad-handing with the academics and other school Presidents. Herbst tried to do this all herself...and it didn't work. Either Herbst micro-managed this to a detriment and didn't enable her AD, or she has no confidence in Manual to do his external job on this. Either way, our President-AD combo failed us here.

Excellent summary. I completley agree.

Warde has done absolutely nothing to date to give me any confidence that he is capable of being front and center on anything. He is not in Pernetti's or Jurich's class.

 

[freescooter]

Oh stop it. She didn't decide to deemphasize sports -- if the Big Ten isn't in play she screwed up. The school told the Big East we were out. ### up was believing (and we don't have a clue why) that us to the ACC was a done deal when in fact it wasn't.

Was she lied to? Did she take to much for granted? Did something change? I don't know. But this was not a conscious decision to deemphasize -- this was a mammoth f### up. We counted unhatched chickens.

What is her vision for UConn athletics? Aside from platitudes I mean...

 

[huskymedic]

I would point to the job the ADs have done across the spectrum in this latest expansion round.

Warde always seemed to say "don't worry, Susan has this covered" and just laid back as they thought they were a sure thing for the ACC. Whether that was a specific directive from Susan to do that as she really thought she had the ACC locked down and didn't Warde to get involved...we don't know. But it is clear that Susan was leading the discussions and politics with the other schools/conferences.

Now contrast that with the schools that were successful in this round. As you read about what happened with Rutgers and B1G, you see that Pernetti was the point person on the original discussion with Delaney and was the key person that made the deal happen. And we all know the front-and-center role that Jurich played at Louisville. In each of those situations (which were successful), the AD was an integral part of the deal. In UConns case, the AD had very little involvement and basically sat back and let it all happen without getting his hands dirty (again...we don't know if that was a directive by Herbst or not).

I think UConn didn't play this right at all. You need to have the AD doing the PR and dirty work and working closely with the other ADs and conferences. Meanwhile, you need to have the President doing the 'ambassador' work and glad-handing with the academics and other school Presidents. Herbst tried to do this all herself...and it didn't work. Either Herbst micro-managed this to a detriment and didn't enable her AD, or she has no confidence in Manual to do his external job on this. Either way, our President-AD combo failed us here.

From a Dave Borges column: :According to a UConn source, the program “worked really hard (to state its case to the ACC),” and that president Susan Herbst talked “to a ton of presidents” and athletic director Warde Manuel “talked to just about every AD." http://borgesblognhr.blogspot.com/

 

[businesslawyer]

What is her vision for UConn athletics? Aside from platitudes I mean...

Other than that I've heard the same "athletics is the front porch" speech that many others have, I don't know. But the facts are not consistent with her wanting to stay in the Big East for any reason.

 

[huskymedic]

Actually that kind of thing IS part of the University president's job. the guy making 45,000 a year who buys a couple of discount tickets from AAA isn't going to Germany or the Caribbean to watch UConn play. Big donors tend to make those trips and the President really needs to be there under normal circumstances to put the arm on them, if not immediately, at least tee 'em up for the future. There are of course exceptions and exceptional circumstances where the President needs to be seen on the home front. See my Meskill vs Malloy in their handling of storms. NU didn't get the lights turned on any faster becasue malloy was there hectoring them, but no chance was he staying in Vermont during a crisis as Meskill did. Herbst really needed to fly home early for this, even if it failed. Now we'll forever wonder if she could have done something more.

The Germany trip was November 7-10 way before the Maryland/Rutgers elopement.

 

[CL82]

This is exactly on target. If you remember it, this was like Tom Meskill staying on a ski trip in Vermont during an ice storm that crippled the state. There may have been nothing they could have done differently, just as there was nothing Meskill would have done in Hartford really. It wasn't like he was going to drive a snow plow or string power lines. But the impression is completely wrong. Absolutely and completely.

Meskill? Man you are old