Tennessee battle - AD vs Women's basketball

[SWHuskyFan]

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

Obviously if Pat was in her prime and Tennessee was winning championships, they wouldn't fire her to save money. Given the circumstances, her salary would make her a target, especially with a new boss.

 

[Bestiarius]

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).

There was an article when Pat stepped down that outlined the salaries. I can't remember the numbers exactly, but I remember that Pat took a significant cut in pay. Somewhere around $500k, down from $1.8 million. Holly got a raise I think to around $400k. When I get a chance, I'll see if I can find the article because as I've said before, my photographic memory ran out of film years ago. TN being a public school means the info is public.

 

[Alydar]

Having worked in government all my life and having defended employees as a union steward I can assure you that despite Hart's signature his emails to Jennings were written by an underling and edited by the university legal staff. Phrases such as ""insubordinate," "disrespectful" and "fostered an an atmosphere of negativity and division." are chosen by lawyers who know they will end up as evidence.

I also found it interesting that Jennings was on the road with the team. Not that it isn't appropiate but rather that there is cost savings to the school beyond her salary. It would be interesting to see the expense reports of the team as far as how much of an entourage travelled with the team. Things like that are just what an accountant charged with trimming budgets would look at.

Lastly, whenever an entrenched bureaucratic structure such as LV basketball exists for as long as it had under one leader, inefficiencies grow. I'm sure Tenn is in the same fiscal shape as the rest of the states and I'm also sure that Hart was hired in no small part to cut costs. If that was his mandate then it was inevitable that he was going to enrage the LV "family".

 

[Kibitzer]

There was an article when Pat stepped down that outlined the salaries. I can't remember the numbers exactly, but I remember that Pat took a significant cut in pay. Somewhere around $500k, down from $1.8 million. Holly got a raise I think to around $400k. When I get a chance, I'll see if I can find the article because as I've said before, my photographic memory ran out of film years ago. TN being a public school means the info is public.

If your figures are accurate (and they certainly make sense), Pat got $1.8M to coach full time and now will get $1.3M to lend her presence and prestige to the program on a not quite full-time basis. Not bad and I'm sure they feel she desereves it. Her perks (tickets, etc.) probably remain about the same.

It is a medical fact that her condition will gradually deteriorate at some speed no one can predict with precision. This could be an annual issue for a while.

 

[UcMiami]

I don't want to be negative about Pat, but ... it was clear at the end of last year her medical condition made it impossible for her to fully perform the duties of a head coach. While I am pretty sure it was all Pat's decision to step back, the university would have been fully justified in reassigning her without her permission or agreement. A medical condition that prevents you from fully performing essential aspects of your job is not a 'protected' class of employee, and especially one that is degenerative and non-curable.
Receiving any email of a business nature from a subordinate at 12:25 AM that is not an emergency situation requiring immediate action would raise a lot of questions in my mind. I would not be surprised if the AD has his email delivered to his smart phone when not in the office, and be awoken by this email would likely annoy anyone.

 

[Bestiarius]

If your figures are accurate (and they certainly make sense), Pat got $1.8M to coach full time and now will get $1.3M to lend her presence and prestige to the program on a not quite full-time basis. Not bad and I'm sure they feel she desereves it. Her perks (tickets, etc.) probably remain about the same.

It is a medical fact that her condition will gradually deteriorate at some speed no one can predict with precision. This could be an annual issue for a while.

My wording was unclear. I didn't mean she took a $500k cut. I meant that $500k was her new salary. That struck me when I read it, because I wasn't expecting that much of a cut. I remember thinking the whole women's BB staff including Pat was now making less than head coach Pat use to make by herself.

I'm going to search for the article now.

 

[Bestiarius]

Here it is from the Knoxville News Sentinel. I guess I was close on the salary. Somehow forgot about getting the $1 million bonus early.
http://www.govolsxtra.com/news/2012/apr/19/pat-summitt-to-get-1-million-bonus/

Pat Summitt didn’t complete her 40th year as the Tennessee women’sbasketball coach, but she did receive the $1 million bonus the university originally committed to paying her if she reached that milestone.
Summitt, 59, had two years remaining on her previous contract that paid her $1.5 million in total compensation for the 2011-12 season.
An amendment document obtained Thursday by the News Sentinel through a public records request stated the university “believes it is fitting and appropriate” to pay the bonus upon Summitt’s retirement to become a head coach emeritus. In her new role, Summitt’s new deal is for one year with a salary of $354,375. She will receive four tickets at Thompson-Boling Arena for home women’s basketball games and the university will arrange for four seats in a comparable location for away games.
Summitt stepped down Wednesday after 38 seasons as coach and was replaced by associate head coach Holly Warlick.
Warlick’s memorandum of understanding, also obtained Thursday, covers four years with a base salary of $485,000. Bonuses and other compensation included in the deal could add up to as much as another $175,000 per year annually. The biggest possible bonuses are for the Lady Vols winning a national championship ($150,000) or for reaching the Final Four ($80,000).
Warlick’s annual salary was $204,000 this past season.

 

[Bestiarius]

Holly's agreement.
http://www.documentcloud.org/documents/339805-memorandum-of-understanding-between-holly.html

Pat's agreement.
http://www.documentcloud.org/documents/339806-head-coach-emeritus-agreement-between-pat.html

Pat's amended agreement - bonus
http://www.documentcloud.org/documents/339807-second-amendment-to-university-of-tennessee-lady.html

 

[Kibitzer]

Some things are coming into focus now:

• Pat's agreement and amendments do not appear to be something tossed on the table with a "take it or leave it" ultimatum. They were hammered out in negotiations between the AD and her representatives, presumably including son Tyler as well as her attorney.
• Pat is comfortable financially, even with the pay cut. She retains opportunities to pad her income and she will be well compensated for part-time employment.
• One likely incentive for Pat was seeing Holly get the HC job for 4 years (instead of some outsider) with a boost in pay and job security.
• Another incentive (perhaps the "deal maker") was the payment of $1M bonus even though Pat was a bit shy of the 40 years of coaching. The pot was nicely sweetened and helped make the package digestible.
• I was startled at the difference in signatures by Pat on the two documents, signed at different times.
• In her new duties, Pat basically just rides the wave. Everything listed is optional ("may" do this, "may" do that). She has zero responsibility to show up for games or practices and no accountability for the performance of a team that is in decline.

I can't help but think that UT will pay lawyers much more than they would have paid to keep Debbie Jennings on staff with Holly for a year. Take a lesson from LBJ. When asked why he kept J. Edgar Hoover as FBI chief (with all the turmoil he caused), LBJ said, "I would rather have him on the inside of the tent pi$$ing out than on the outside of the tent pi$$ing in."

 

[KnightBridgeAZ]

I also found it interesting that Jennings was on the road with the team. Not that it isn't appropiate but rather that there is cost savings to the school beyond her salary. It would be interesting to see the expense reports of the team as far as how much of an entourage travelled with the team. Things like that are just what an accountant charged with trimming budgets would look at.

I think the WBB SID always travels with the team. That's part of the job description. Also in any teams entourage are an academic advisor and ops director (if any). At Rutgers, former assistant coach Betsy Yonkman is designated "Assistant to the Head Coach" and also travels. She sits on the bench with the Director of WBB operations, as is customary. The SID generally sits at the end of the officials table, next to the end of the bench where the head coach generally sits. The academic advisor is not generally on the bench.

Additionally, during NCAA games, various school officials may accompany the team (the further they advance, the more officials and higher ranked they are likely to be).

 

[CamrnCrz1974]

As an employment law attorney (who has represented public and private sector employers for 12 years), I am offering a few thoughts on this situation. These are my personal opinions/observations/thoughts based on my analysis of the available documentation and do not reflect any opinions/observations/thoughts of my employer.

If you analyze Ms. Jennings' performance evaluation from March 2011, and compare it with Mr. Stanton's memo from September 2010 and the university's letter from May 24, 2012, the purported reasons for Ms. Jennings' separation from employment (consolidation of the departments; fostering a negative atmosphere; insubordination) simply do not make sense, in my estimation/analysis.

If she had been fostering such a negative atmosphere and was demonstrating a patteron of disrespect and resentment back in September 2010, why would her performance evaluation in March 2011 (which covered the period of January 1, 2010, until December 31, 2010) delineate that she fully met expectations in 100 percent of all categories evaluated and exceeded expectations (either occasionally or consistently) in 60 percent of categories evaluated?

It is also important to note that the performance evaluation was not just completed in March 2011 for the previous year, which would encompass the purported conversation with and memorandum from Jimmy Stanton. Ms. Jennings' performance review was completed by none other than Jimmy Stanton himself.

 

[Vowelguy]

Some things are coming into focus now:

• Pat's agreement and amendments do not appear to be something tossed on the table with a "take it or leave it" ultimatum. They were hammered out in negotiations between the AD and her representatives, presumably including son Tyler as well as her attorney.

Of course. Did anyone really think any different?

 

[Bestiarius]

Thanks for your insight CamrnCrz. The memos and Performance Eval certainly don't make sense with each other. Do you think the 2012 evaluation, if it is filled with management's complaints about Jennings, could trump the 2011 Eval?

 

[Kibitzer]

Of course. Did anyone really think any different?

Two events could persuade people that Pat was given an unexpected push out the door.

Debbie Jennings was given an ultimatum to decide her future (retire or fire) within a few hours. And her memo to Hart ("I have just learned. . . .") implied that Pat was given short shrift. It would be understandable for some PHS fans to draw a mistaken conclusion and, from what I have read, some did.

 

[Bestiarius]

Two events could persuade people that Pat was given an unexpected push out the door.

Debbie Jennings was given an ultimatum to decide her future (retire or fire) within a few hours. And her memo to Hart ("I have just learned. . . .") implied that Pat was given short shrift. It would be understandable for some PHS fans to draw a mistaken conclusion and, from what I have read, some did.

I agree that it’s likely that Pat was pushed out. Another clue is that Pat was given Daedra Charles-Furlow’s job as part of the emeritus position, the result of which was Daedra losing her job at TN. I can’t see Pat agreeing to take a job at the expense of another employee if she still had any control over what happened at TN. It will be interesting to hear what Pat has to say (if she ever says anything), as she is the key to this puzzle.

 

[Vowelguy]

What leverage would the AD have had? There was NO way he was gonna fire her.

 

[speedoo]

What leverage would the AD have had? There was NO way he was gonna fire her.

Firing her is not the same thing as encouraging her to make the change.. And I can see the AD having an overall mandate to a) reduce spending and b) get the LV basketball program back on track, and that would cause him to believe it was necessary to replace her as HC quickly.

And if he had that mandate, it came from the top levels at UT, and that's all the leverage he needed.

 

[Vowelguy]

Firing her is not the same thing as encouraging her to make the change.

Exactly my point.
The latter is not "forcing her out", since he had no ability to force her to do anything.

 

[Bestiarius]

What leverage would the AD have had? There was NO way he was gonna fire her.

He wouldn't fire her, but given the nature of her illness, he could make her look bad, selfish, incompetent. His leverage is that it's likely she would choose to go out with dignity and while her mental faculties were still mostly intact.

In light of TN's cost cutting program, and the resistance that seems to be occurring in the minds of management, in my opinion management thinks Pat is the resistance leader. They are now taking the opportunity presented by her illness to "take back" the women's side of the program. This cost cutting was much more difficult with Pat at full strength. Again, I know nothing other than what we've all read, so I could be way off base. This is just my opinion and if you don't like it, well, I have others.

 

[Vowelguy]

He wouldn't fire her, but given the nature of her illness, he could make her look bad, selfish, incompetent. His leverage is that it's likely she would choose to go out with dignity and while her mental faculties were still mostly intact.

I doubt that.