ADB on Hurley Hiring

[CL82]

Oh good another mouth breather who wants to celebrate their ignorance.

It’s a country moran jamboroo.

Easy there hoss. You've made your point. Don't validate theirs.

 

[CL82]

You know Whaler has the Yard on tilt when wanting greater transparency in our AD becomes a controversial topic.

Meh, it's a timing thing. Transparency is good. Ranting about it in every Hurley thread is bad.

 

[Jimmy Serrano]

Meh, it's a timing thing. Transparency is good. Ranting about it in every Hurley thread is bad.

Nope. People are arguing against people who they don’t like instead of discussing the topic at hand.

 

[CL82]

Nope. People are arguing against people who they don’t like instead of discussing the topic at hand.

I blame the Cesspool. That's pretty much the modus operandi down there and those bad habits are apparently tough to break.

 

[Jimmy Serrano]

I blame the Cesspool. That's pretty much the modus operandi down there and those bad habits are apparently tough to break.

Ok. Mets would’ve been better off if he just called him a miserable tool. Instead he went down a path that has an indefensible point of view.

 

[August_West]

I blame the Cesspool. That's pretty much the modus operandi down there and those bad habits are apparently tough to break.

Dumb is dumb whether you are talking sports or politics.

 

[CL82]

Ok. Mets would’ve been better off if he just called him a miserable tool. Instead he went down a path that has an indefensible point of view.

He's punching above his weight class. Still making the point that transparency is good once or twice in a thread is fine. More than that gets tiresome after a while.

Whaler's not wrong, but we're a public university, it's not like the finances won't be clear in short order. Why squawk about it?

 

[BlueMAB]

Yes. Private donations to the UCADF are not public funds and the donor information is private. Period. Again, it is not "public funding" or "government revenue". It's private money that offsets the need for public funds. The state of CT ought to be GRATEFUL for every single dollar that is donated that the state taxpayers don't have to provide to UConn.

I never said we shouldn't be grateful. I never said we should name the donor.

But if there is money that is coming from donations, they should specify how much and where it's being spent, not who the donors are (unless they've given permission).

Unless it's funneled through the UConn foundation, I don't think private funds can go toward the contract. But where is the buy-out money coming from? It's a fair question.

 

[Dogdeacon]

LOL

So you know what you posted was complete nonsense but challenged me to google what anyone with a clue already knows.

Clearly you know the student government destroyed the adminstration on the pathetic accounting tricks they deploy.

Thanks for making my point. When they pay another guy 3 million annually with a giant buy-out looming for the last guy we deserve to see the books. Only morans still buy it’s funded with non-taxpayer dollars. A bunch of 19 and 20 year olds burned that stupidity to the ground for fun in student government.

The STUDENT GOVERNMENT gets it. But the esteemed grads of such a high ranking institution just can’t figure it out.

How so, can you point to a story or link that summarizes? Not doubting, generally curious. Thanks

 

[Jimmy Serrano]

He's punching above his weight class. Still making the point that transparency is good once or twice in a thread is fine. More than that gets tiresome after a while.

Whaler's not wrong, but we're a public university, it's not like the finances won't be clear in short order. Why squawk about it?

If people stop being stupid and challenge him on it maybe he would shut up?

 

[UConnJim]

I think athletic spending is pretty transparent as I have seen the revenue and expense breakdowns as they are publicly available. People may not like the information, but it is out there. You may not get the detail you want immediately, but it comes out over time and you can see what every coach is paid.

Earned revenues (exclude subsidies) peaked in 2011 and they are down ~$7 million/yr. through 2017, but expenses have been going up. Based on direct revenues and expenses, the men's basketball team is the only team that makes money and football and women's basketball lose money. The direct numbers can obscure the numbers because things like royalties, licensing revenues, and some NCAA distributions are not allocated to specific teams and we know most if not all of those revenues are associated with basketball and football, but they are not allocated to those sports. Student fees have declined, but institutional support has gone up.

The biggest expense of the athletic department is overhead, which is ~33% of expenditures. That piece deserves more transparency as to why is this so high?

I think Whaler linked a presentation that Benedict gave to the state legislature about the widening funding gap in the athletic department. There were some interesting tidbits that I will share. In 2014, football ticket sales were about equal to men's and women's basketball ticket sales COMBINED. Also in 2014, Broadcast, TV, Radio, and Internet Rights were $1.125 million. I think this was mostly related to the women's basketball team.

My analysis of the situation is that there are plenty of opportunities to increase revenues in the athletic department, but men's basketball has to lead which is why you have to pay a coach as much as we do because men's basketball is where you can make the most profit. Specifically, here is where you can fill the revenue/expense gap without cutting sports:

1) Winning football and men's basketball will drive higher ticket sales, donations, and sponsorships.
2) Do more guarantee games in football, men's basketball, and women's basketball.
3) Better monetize women's basketball. UConn is driving women's basketball revenues when they play on the road, but UConn is not benefiting. Maybe you do some neutral site guarantee games instead of some of the non-conference road games.
4) Drive more media revenues. I would think that the next AAC media rights deal will be better than the current one, but it won't be up to P5 standards. Take back out as much of the tier 3 inventory so that UConn can monetize it.
5) Better monetize men's soccer and men's hockey. In 2014, it appears that men's soccer ticket sales were between $60k and $70k, yet we had total attendance of 39k. (Men's soccer directed donations were $137k.)
6) Each team should have a fundraising focus. For example, in 2014, the men's golf team had donations equal to ~27% of total direct expenses and baseball had donations equal to ~21% of total direct expenses.
7) Figure out how to reduce department overhead.

 

[whaler11]

How so, can you point to a story or link that summarizes? Not doubting, generally curious. Thanks

It’s in the post after the one you quoted.

 

[uchusky32]

Let us show our appreciation to them with transparency. Let’s be able to know our state employees are working in good faith.

We know they are awesome rockstars - what’s the danger in letting some sunlight in?

Shouldn’t be anything to be angry about - if they are doing such a great job they should show the world!

Why do you hate accountability so much?

Sunburn?

 

[CL82]

If people stop being stupid and challenge him on it maybe he would shut up?

If history is a guide, that's unlikely. Just sayin.

 

[huskeynut]

A quick Google search reveals the following UConn salaries paid by state funds for 2017:
Geno Auriemma - $400, 233.00
Kevin Ollie: $398, 242.00
Randy Edsel: $373,230.00

Total salaries:
Auriemma - $2,280.000.00 per year
Ollie: $3,000,000.00 per year
Edsel: $1,000.000.00

 

[polycom]

If you are going to argue with Whaler on this, this report should be required reading as it's been mentioned a few times in this thread specifically the conclusion.

https://senate.uconn.edu/wp-content...Senate-UBC-Report-on-AD-Subsidy-to-Senate.pdf

 

[UConnJim]

Here is the math on how the new men's basketball coach will be paid.

Ollie's pay was higher than many have been talking about. Here is his pay per season:

2016/2017: $3.1 million (plus deferred compensation and perks)
2017/2018: $3.2 million
2018/2019: $3.3 million
2019/2020: $3.6 million
2020/2021: $3.7 million

Let's compare it to Hurley's salary:

2018/2019: $2.75 million
2019/2020: $2.85 million
2020/2021: $2.95 million
2021/2022: $3.05 million
2022/2023: $3.15 million
2023/2024: $3.25 million

So, over the next 3 years, UConn will be saving ~$2.05 million in head coaching salary.

The next questions are how big is the buyout with Ollie and how long will you stagger the payments?

First, I'm not going to render an opinion on the "termination for cause" in Ollie's contract, but the contract language is pretty loose, so I would think Ollie would settle. Also, the contract does say that the payment schedule is negotiable.

Let's assume that Ollie and UConn reach an agreement to pay Ollie $5 million, which is about half of what he possibly could get. Then, let's assume that UConn will pay him over 5 years, or $1 million per year.

Under my scenario, the cost of firing Ollie will add over the next 3 years (Difference in salary between Ollie and Hurley plus the cost of the buyout):

2018/2019: $450k
2019/2020: $250k
2020/2021: $250k

These are not very large numbers and the cost should more than be made up with ticket sales, donations, and NCAA credits.

If this is the scenario that Benedict is using, there was no need for "donors" to step up to fund firing Ollie.

 

[Alum86]

It's still stunning to me that people thought Ollie's buy out and then affording a really good coach wasn't going to happen. Whether anyone wants it to stay that way or not - the basketball program is an integral piece to the University an the state's identity. To let it just wither and die because of a buy out - and leave all that potential revenue on the table - is far more irresponsible.

It's been an incredibly well funded state university and national brand for some time. If the money isn't in the athletic budget - it's somewhere. And I told you that they'd find it. Which they did. Ollie's contract was peanuts in the big picture.

No charmin in the tters I guess.

 

[Fishy]

Are they backstopping the Ollie buyout? That made more sense to me. It isn't atypical to have booster help pay to get a struggling coach out.

First, they're pretty clear that they do not intend to pay the buyout.

But if they do, there are no magic bullets. This will be paid for the way everything else is.

I think athletic spending is pretty transparent as I have seen the revenue and expense breakdowns as they are publicly available.

Exactly. You can see it in black and white/

 

[dennismenace]

Yep. We are not supposed to know. That’s so we can’t ask questions when the donor’s kid is made head of the Humanities dept.

Money is a fungible item. It doesn't have a specific identity unless is specifically allocated for a purpose. For example, say I donate $1000 to send kids to a camp. That is called a restricted operating gift and must be used for that specific purpose. Most donors don't put restrictions per se on gifts. I think the AD was saying that salaries are a budgeted item and those who call that shot have made a commitment to provide for that amount in the overall scheme of the budget.

 

[intlzncster]

Let us show our appreciation to them with transparency. Let’s be able to know our state employees are working in good faith.

We know they are awesome rockstars - what’s the danger in letting some sunlight in?

Shouldn’t be anything to be angry about - if they are doing such a great job they should show the world!

Why do you hate accountability so much?

Do ADB and the rest of the staff get paid through directly through Athletic Dept funds? If there's taxes that goes to any of that, we should know what they are spending their time on. Heck, Susan puts her time into it, and the State funds her salary.

 

[intlzncster]

Meh, it's a timing thing. Transparency is good. Ranting about it in every Hurley thread is bad.

When whaler gets fired up, he rivals upstater in doggedness.

 

[intlzncster]

Dumb is dumb whether you are talking sports or politics.

You're new avatar really works for you. Puts a nice exclamation point on whatever you are saying.

 

[August_West]

You're new avatar really works for you. Puts a nice excalmation point on whatever you are saying.

Now that cuse lost, it's going away for a while

 

[8893]

When whaler gets fired up, he rivals upstater in doggedness.

That would be a death match for the ages.

 

[Guapo]

Meghan Goes Full Lawyer on the Hurley Deal - A Dime Back

 

[whaler11]

Do ADB and the rest of the staff get paid through directly through Athletic Dept funds? If there's taxes that goes to any of that, we should know what they are spending their time on. Heck, Susan puts her time into it, and the State funds her salary.

The entire subsidy is tax money.

If A subsidizes B and B subsidizes C... than A subsidizes C

A is the taxpayers, B are the students and C is the AD.

That they try to hide it in a 100 level accounting trick doesn’t change much.

 

[CL82]

Meghan Goes Full Lawyer on the Hurley Deal - A Dime Back

This is a good overview. This was particularly interesting to me:

Unlike Ollie’s contract, there is no mention of Hurley being a member of the professor’s union.

I hope that holds true when pen is put to paper.

Overall, the Hurley terms seem much more intelligently thought out. In the past UConn has given too much in my opinion. This contract is fair. Hurley is getting a very good deal but it's not so one sided.

 

[J187Money]

I’m asking why a blungling leadership team that works for the state government isn’t required to be transparent.

Are you completely braindead? If you don’t think public institutions should be transparent with revenue and spending - good for you - but that makes you a waste of oxygen.

BTW it shouldn't matter if they are bungling (or blungling for that matter) - transparency should be there.

Are they not subject to FOI on this topic?

 

[huskymedic]

This is a good overview. This was particularly interesting to me:
I hope that holds true when pen is put to paper.

Overall, the Hurley terms seem much more intelligently thought out. In the past UConn has given too much in my opinion. This contract is fair. Hurley is getting a very good deal but it's not so one sided.

Unless the University cut a deal to carve out all the Coaches from the CBA in exchange for the Union getting something they really want in return - I’m betting that shows up in the actual executed contract (boilerplate).