Tennessee battle - AD vs Women's basketball

[doggydaddy]

Holy Cow! It's really gotten ugly in Knoxville. And please don't think this is me doing more Tennessee bashing. It's an interesting situation on many levels - Employment laws, Discrimination, Men vs Women....

Maria has written a scathing article, taking the new AD to task based on his firing of Lady Vols media relations head of 35 years, Debbie Jennings. Lawyers are releasing letters from both sides and it is crazy!

Here is Maria's article. And it's public, so no FBI on my tail.

What is happening on the Hill?

 

[trb123]

A Tennessee fan mentioned here a few times that Summitt has a lot of say in her retirement; she will decide on her own and so on. I had asked on more than one occasion where that info came from. My questions were never answered. And now this. That Tennessee fan should now make a statement (other than pointing out that Coach Summitt has not spoken).

Something is rotten in the great state of Tennessee.

 

[Tonyc]

Its always been rotten in Tenn, the only difference is they're not hiding it anymore, its being made public.

 

[EricLA]

I will say i liked this comment - talk about gilding the lily... signing a low rated JUCO and a low rated kid who decommitted from another program is a "coup"? it's not like they were competing with Duke or Stanford or ND for those 2 kids...

"Warlick is trying to replace a legend and getting undermined on her own campus through no fault of her own. (To her and her staff’s credit, they are handling it well and signed two players for 2012 this week, a coup at this late hour in the recruiting calendar.)"

 

[alexrgct]

In skimming over the documents (and no, I'm going to spend more itme reviewing them thoroughly), I gathered:

• Debby Jennings was "asked" to retire voluntarily, an act that allowed her to retain benefits and other goodies.
• Debby was an exemplary employee who nevertheless responded poorly to organizational change.
• She made the situation worse by diluting potentially legitimate concerns around the possible marginalization of the interests of women's sports at Tennessee with overblown and usubstantiable claims of gender and age discrimination.
• Pat in her heyday may have been able to protect Debby, but in Pat's current state, Debby found herself without any powerful friends.
• Being on one's high horse about operating a clean program (that is funded by the "dirty" programs she was allegedly criticising, BTW) is not a way to make friends and influence people.
• Given that men's sports subsidize women's sports at Tennessee, I expect further clashes without an icon like Pat at the helm. Whether and how this impacts the product on the court remains to be seen.

I shall now spend my holiday weekend thinking about anything but Tennessee's problems.

Thank you to any and all veterans and current military servicepeople.

 

[Wonkster]

.
This whole thread (and the Summitt thread prompting it) strikes me as overblown and more than a little off target. Wasn't there an equivalent sports information job slot also eliminated on the men's side at UT?

The true story is a dull, garden variety business story where someone is hired to chop heads and shrink the payroll. Big deal.

 

[Sakibomb25]

I will say i liked this comment - talk about gilding the lily... signing a low rated JUCO and a low rated kid who decommitted from another program is a "coup"? it's not like they were competing with Duke or Stanford or ND for those 2 kids...

"Warlick is trying to replace a legend and getting undermined on her own campus through no fault of her own. (To her and her staff’s credit, they are handling it well and signed two players for 2012 this week, a coup at this late hour in the recruiting calendar.)"

I don't think they mean "coup" in the sense that these players were highly-coveted; just in the sense that they were able to sign anyone at all in this late stage. That's all.

 

[Wbbfan1]

The threads on the Summitt are just more of we back our Lady Vols and anyone else that is associated with the program. If you're part of the program you can do no wrong and will get our support no matter what the facts may prove out. I do understand why they're upset, first Pat is no longer the head coach, Debby Jennings is fired and the women's programs no longer have the autonomy they used to have and have to report to someone they don't trust.

However, with that said, I do believe there is a strong probability that more women are out of a job then what was necessary. Its possible there was gender bias in the dismissals caused by the merging of the men and women's athletic departments and reduced revenue by the football program. But I also believe based on everything I've read and heard, Debby Jennings went about her protesting the wrong way and that contributed to her being fired from her job. She was offered retirement with full benefits and she declined which left no choice to the AD but to fire her since she wasn't supporting his actions.

I suspect this case will be settled out of court and Debby Jennings will receive additional financial benefits. It is a sad state of affair for those that support the women's programs at Tenn.

 

[UcMiami]

I do think this sort of thing can get blown out of proportion in any organization/business. I have no idea about the politics, department planning, and balance between women's sports/men's sports at TN, but requesting a retirement from someone when a new 'manager' takes over is not unheard of. The original article mentions that a male employee was also 'reassigned' and then released from the men's side of the athletic department. And the 'position' hasn't been cut for media relations as a new person has been hired.
Unless there is something more to come that appears aimed at reducing the importance of women's teams/support for women's programs I think this is more likely a standard employment issue.
As for 'Maria' - not sure anyone on this board would consider her a fair and balanced reporter, or even a very informed one. I would personally say on a scale of objective to emotional (not to say hysterical) she does not tend toward the objective end of the scale.

 

[EricLA]

to be accurate, Alex, Pat did NOT operate a clean program. the first 5 (plus or minus) years of her coaching career were marred by numerous accusations of recruiting and ethical lapses that were actually major recruiting violations (for example recruiting several players who were already PLAYING at another university). so yeah she cleaned up her act, but early on, it was very dirty.

 

[MilfordHusky]

I shall now spend my holiday weekend thinking about anything but Tennessee's problems.


Thank you to any and all veterans and current military servicepeople.

Good thoughts on both points!

 

[TRest]

.
This whole thread (and the Summitt thread prompting it) strikes me as overblown and more than a little off target. Wasn't there an equivalent sports information job slot also eliminated on the men's side at UT?

The true story is a dull, garden variety business story where someone is hired to chop heads and shrink the payroll. Big deal.

Back in the Dark Ages of Uconn athletics I knew several people working for the SID's office. They were employees of the SID and not the coaches whose games they worked. Things may be very different now, but I find it strange that Pat S. had her own media relations person working solely for her 12 months a year. Talk about excess fat in the budget. Does anyone know if Geno or JC have an equivalent person on staff to handle media relations soley for the one coach/sport?

 

[HuskyNan]

Back in the Dark Ages of Uconn athletics I knew several people working for the SID's office. They were employees of the SID and not the coaches whose games they worked. Things may be very different now, but I find it strange that Pat S. had her own media relations person working solely for her 12 months a year. Talk about excess fat in the budget. Does anyone know if Geno or JC have an equivalent person on staff to handle media relations soley for the one coach/sport?

UConn has several SIDs assigned to cover several sports. It makes sense that an SID would have a major sport (football, men's hoops, women's hoops) with a program that may not need as much direct involvement.

Dept. of Athletics Communications
Phone: (860) 486-3531/Fax: (860) 486-5085
Mailing Address: 2095 Hillside Road Unit 1173, Storrs, CT 06269

Mike Enright, Associate Director of Athletics/Communications
(Football, M&W Swim/Diving, Rowing) mike.enright@uconn.edu

Phil Chardis, Assistant Director of Athletic Communications
(Men's Basketball, Golf) philip.chardis@uconn.edu

Patrick McKenna, Assistant Director of Athletic Communications
(Women's Basketball, Field Hockey) patrick.mckenna@uconn.edu

Sagan Byrne, Athletic Communications Assistant
(WSoccer, Softball, M&W T&F) ) sagan.byrne@uconn.edu

Matt Lee Athletic, Communications Assistant
(MSoccer, Men's Ice Hockey, WLacrosse, M&W Tennis) matthew.2.lee@uconn.edu

Brendan Flynn, Athletic Communications Assistant
(Volleyball, Women's Ice Hockey, Baseball)brendan.s.flynn@uconn.edu

Luanne Dunstan Secretary luanne.dunstan@uconn.edu

 

[KnightBridgeAZ]

UConn has several SIDs assigned to cover several sports. It makes sense that an SID would have a major sport (football, men's hoops, women's hoops) with a program that may not need as much direct involvement.

Dept. of Athletics Communications

Patrick McKenna, Assistant Director of Athletic Communications
(Women's Basketball, Field Hockey) patrick.mckenna@uconn.edu

It is interesting that former Rutgers Asst. SID Stacy Brann was also WBB / Field Hockey. And, to answer Trest's question - she "worked" for CVS year-round. I don't know how the finances were handled, but she generally accompanied CVS to all external engagements, and handled the practical matters (not the contract) related to the appearance. We personally saw her at a charity function in South Jersey where CVS was honored and also at a CVS book-signing at the local Barnes and Noble.

Stacey went on to a similar position at Pittsburgh for personal reasons, although she visited the RAC one game and was announced by the PA announcer.

 

[HuskyNan]

I looked at some other Big East schools. Notre Dame has a system similar to UConn's where different SIDs are responsible for a few specific sports while DePaul has 3 people in its Sports Communications Department. Louisville seems to be set up in the UConn/RU/ND model as are St. John's, Georgetown and 'Nova (click on their names for the info).

 

[UConnCat]

I decided to devote the time it takes me to drink my morning cups of coffee to reading the linked article and try to get a sense of what's going on in Knoxville. To me, the most interesting of the allegations going back and forth is the University's response to a letter from Jennings' lawyers. The University's letter mentions an assertion made by Jennings, in a March email, that Pat Summitt's retirement was not voluntary. Jennings' assertion is certainly contrary to Pat's statements surrounding her retirement including those made at the farewell press conference. Here's what Jennings wrote to Hart on March 15, which was before the end of the LV's season:

I learned yesterday that you told Pat Summitt that she will not be back next year as our head women's basketball coach and I respectfully ask you to please reconsider this decision as it is not in the best interest of the University, and also, in view of Pat's condition, is both discriminatory and wrong. Additionally, please reconsider these actions as they are contrary to the support the University has professed publicly since Pat came forward with her diagnosis.

The AD's email response was short and not so sweet:

The email you you sent me at 12:25 a.m . regarding Coach Summitt is so inaccurate, on so many levels, that it does not warrant a meaningful response. I would think that a person holding a position such as yours would understand far better than most, the negative impact of rumor speculation.

It's interesting that it was the University's lawyers who referenced Jennings' "disturbing" and "self-serving mischaracterization" that Summitt's retirement was involuntary. Who was the source for Jennings' belief that Summitt was told to retire? Will Summitt address the allegations surrounding her retirement?

 

[vtcwbuff]

"Who was the source for Jennings' belief that Summitt was told to retire?

It was probably the same source that witnessed Geno buying a house for Moore's mom and saw Taurasi and Bird give Moore a lift to a game.

 

[Icebear]

Plus, at least according to the present information from Hart it was an email directly to him and not one published widely. If so, his response is odd because it chooses to elevate the communication to conflict rather than to attempt to address the issues clearly and sussinctly. Jennings asked for reconsideration.

Hart's response is miles from appropriate. His response only discourages people from dealing with things directly and approrpiately with him and increases the likelihood of a rampant rumor mill running at full tilt. Quite honestly he should be written up in his next evaluation report for failure to respond appropriately and effectively manage the situation.

ON the otherhand, it likely all points to an ongoing history of conflict between Hart and Jennings because there seems to be a strong undercurrent involved.

 

[Waquoit]

"Who was the source for Jennings' belief that Summitt was told to retire?

It was probably the same source that witnessed Geno buying a house for Moore's mom and saw Taurasi and Bird give Moore a lift to a game.

Can we be honest here? If Pat decided not to retire, higher-ups would not be acting in the best interests of the school and program if they didn't try to get her to do so.

 

[Kibitzer]

Her comment, "I learned yesterday. . . ," begs the question: "From whom?"

His response starts off curiously: "The email you you sent me at 12:25 a.m. . . ." [emphasis added]

She states only one (purported) fact (what she said she learned) yet he cites numerous inaccuracies. There can be only one possible inaccuracy since the rest of her email is her opinion and a request that he reconsider.

Her email (why did he call attention to the unusual time it was sent?) was straightforward, lucid, and respectful. His response, presumably composed in the light of day, was angry and insulting. Also, in my view, ill-advised.

Dare I say it? If (IF) her statement (about Pat being essentially terminated) is factual, then I come down on the side of the outraged Summitteers.

On the other hand, if she misrepresented this key element, then we might chalk it up to misplaced loyalty on her part (or placing reliance on a bad source) and in any case this guy Hart comes across as a heavy-handed jerk .

 

[vtcwbuff]

I just can't wrap my head around the 0ne thing - why would Hart force Summitt out? She had to retire soon anyway. It makes no sense.

I read Hart's response to Jennings as a "you just stepped on my last nerve" reaction to something that has been going on for some time. If Hart is not lying about Jennings' behavior, then she deserved to be fired.

The other thing to consider is that the author of the article isn't exactly a disinterested observer.

 

[SWHuskyFan]

I just can't wrap my head around the 0ne thing - why would Hart force Summitt out? She had to retire soon anyway. It makes no sense.

I read Hart's response to Jennings as a "you just stepped on my last nerve" reaction to something that has been going on for some time. If Hart is not lying about Jennings' behavior, then she deserved to be fired.

The other thing to consider is that the author of the article isn't exactly a disinterested observer.

Follow the money... I would bet the new coach makes a fraction of what Pat made, and rightfully so.

 

[UConnCat]

I just can't wrap my head around the 0ne thing - why would Hart force Summitt out? She had to retire soon anyway. It makes no sense.

I read Hart's response to Jennings as a "you just stepped on my last nerve" reaction to something that has been going on for some time. If Hart is not lying about Jennings' behavior, then she deserved to be fired.

The other thing to consider is that the author of the article isn't exactly a disinterested observer.

I share your reaction to this. Any upside to Hart forcing Summitt out -- maybe it'd be easier to accomplish his athletic department consolidation if the most popular and formidable member of the women's department were out of the way -- would be far outweighed by the substantial downside that would come from forcing a beloved Tennessee and women's sports icon to retire. It doesn't make any sense.

Now, as to why Hart would make Jennings' assertions public, his decision to do so makes sense. Jennings is alleging that her "forced retirement" was retaliation for her accusations that his organization was engaging in discrimination based on age and gender. Part of Hart's defense as stated in the University's lawyer's letter is that Jennings was "insubordinate," "disrespectful" and "fostered an an atmosphere of negativity and division." The University's exhibit A: her allegation that Hart (and therefore the University) forced Summitt to retire, an allegation which is contradicted by Summitt's (and her son's) own words. Hart and the University have now upped the ante by framing at least part of this dispute as Jennings' word against Pat Summitt's.

Jennings put the allegation about Summitt's retirement front and center in her long email to Hart and she put it in writing for a reason: she wanted to be able to use it later. That's a very serious accusation to level at the head of your organization and Hart reacted in a manner in which most leaders would react: he took steps to remove her from the organization.

 

[Waquoit]

Follow the money... I would bet the new coach makes a fraction of what Pat made, and rightfully so.

Follow the money? What about the fact that the current coach was incapable of doing the job?

 

[Kibitzer]

Follow the money... I would bet the new coach makes a fraction of what Pat made, and rightfully so.

Holly got a four-year contract to take a job that few quality coaches would touch. No doubt she makes less money than Pat did, but more than she had as an assistant.

Pat surely did not suffer a cut in either pay or perks to step back into the coach emeriti role she now occupies. By accepting this position she is spared the indignity of being the nominal coach of a team visibly declining. Thus she maintains her dignity and her reputation does not suffer. It all comes down on Holly (taking heat but comforted by that four-year deal).