Warde's long, strong ties to Parker Exec. Search

[ruskin]

presented without (much) editorial comment. There's already a wonderful thread underway about that. Medic, others, if this story has already been posted, apologies.

Found this in a s c o u t dot-com story about Warde's chances for NC State's athletic director job before their Debbie Yow hire in 2010. It explains a lot.

Being associated with Parker has worked out very well for WM personally. Parker was involved with Buffalo when Warde hired Jeff Quinn, who did us a favor and ended our P misery in September. (BTW that game should have been called the the Parker-Alden Bowl)

It's pretty obvious reading this story and others that Manuel's retaining of Parker (if true) for this search will be used to boost Warde's career if/when he moves on from UConn.

If WM leaves behind a football coach who is having the same success Quinn is having at Buffalo. . . .great for UConn. I'll take it. And Warde seems to have the old-boy-network game down, so kudos to him.

Here's what I find unsavory: throwing 50-100K of other people's money at a company that on paper is being paid to help your school find a coach (something some people actually manage to do their own), but in reality is also a payoff to keep a relationship going that you hope will lead you to a better job down the road. As outlined here by Sports Illustrated

Like I said, if WM finds UConn a guy who wins like Quinn before Warde heads off for greener AD pastures, fine. But it would be pollyanna-ish to contend Warde's hiring Parker is strictly and only about finding UConn a football coach.

Scout's story

QUICK NOTES: Manuel is regarded as one of the top rising athletics directors in the business.

In his five years at Buffalo Manuel has had a high-level of success. The football program won a MAC title and played in the school's first bowl game. The men's hoops team won a share of the MAC reg. season title in 2008-2009, the first-ever MAC title, and advanced to postseason play for only the second time in school history. . . . . .

CONNECTING THE DOTS: Sources we've spoken with have indicated that Dan Parker is extremely high on Manuel and would likely recommend him for the NC State position, assuming Manuel is interested.

Parker Executive Search assisted Manuel with the recent hiring of head football coach Jeff Quinn, and Manuel was reportedly one of the candidates in the mix for the Rutgers AD search that Parker Executive Search was hired to assist with.

SPECULATING MUTUAL INTEREST: LOW -- There are no obvious connections between Manuel and the job outside of his previous dealings with Parker Executive Search. However, as one source has indicated, search firms tend to recommend "their guys" more often than not. That same source stated he would be shocked if Manuel didn't at least receive an early interview for the NC State job given just how highly the search firm thinks of him.

 

[metsfan2323]

Are you seriously worried about 50K - 100K? Uconn sports is a multi million dollar business, let them manage their money. Hathaway paid PGDL 7 million to wreck us, be mad about that.

 

[ruskin]

Are you seriously worried about 50K - 100K? Uconn sports is a multi million dollar business, let them manage their money. Hathaway paid P 6 million to wreck us, be mad about that.

Not directed strictly at you Mets but that is the common reply here "Hey, what's another $50-100K? We've got a $60 million business here". I'm wondering where people's "small change" line ends because you can bet search firms are going to be racing to get as close to that line as possible.

 

[sportsart]

I'm pretty sure the search firms have the final say in hiring decisions. Oh wait.....never mind.

 

[FrostyNuggets]

Here's what I find unsavory: throwing 50-100K of other people's money .

Exactly who is "other people"?

 

[huskymedic]

 

[Da_Aisijimo_Gou]

Really, it's OK not to be #)$*&@ clueless.

 

[Palatine]

Are you seriously worried about 50K - 100K? Uconn sports is a multi million dollar business, let them manage their money. Hathaway paid PGDL 7 million to wreck us, be mad about that.

I'm not worried about it. But it will have an influence. If there is one thing that you learn in business, is that folks can can be bought for amazingly small sums.

 

[noeynox]

For All we know they lined up a donor just to pay corcthe search firm expense. It is speculation on my part, just like the op is speculating that warde uses the search firm in hopes of benefiting from them in his hopes to land another job down the line.

 

[whaler11]

OP is right. It's a total and complete scam.

 

[Sky ball]

OK..We like that WM is in "The Good Old Boy Network" but are upset when he takes care of the "Good Old Boys". I guess we belong in the "Little Boy Network" playing Non Power 5 FB?

 

[ruskin]

Exactly who is "other people"?

Am assuming the search firm cost comes out of the UConn athletic budget, which is funded mostly by donors and ticket buyers, then TV revenue (shrinking, as we know). There's a pie chart somewhere that breaks down the sources of UConn athletic funding but i can't find it.

If the search firm cost is coming out of another budget. .. . . .uh, that's a belt-high fastball for certain state' journalists" I know. That would NOT be a good thing.

 

[ZooCougar]

So basically... Warde did a good job hiring a coach at UB. We knew this already, and I am certain he will be selecting from an even more impressive pool when it comes to hiring at UConn.

Warde has good old boy connections? Good.

Warde retaining Parker is part of playing the game that the good old boys play.. That's good too.

Unless someone can indicate and prove that he fired P, and is doing his best to make UConn worse which would be an absurd claim.... Then I don't see anything bad here.

At all.

This is not just about hiring a coach. We are going to have to compete with schools that have the same vacancy. We don't simply have the ability to select, unless we reach for someone that nobody else has any interest in. Which isn't neccesarily a bad thing either.

 

[ruskin]

For All we know they lined up a donor just to pay corcthe search firm expense.

Now if BB or a peer has so done finewith me. At least the guy who writes the check knows what he's writing it for.

 

[ruskin]

Then I don't see anything bad here.

At all.

Me either. But we should be honest in that if Warde is working with Parker, he is also collecting a chit for himself for somewhere down the line -- a chit that won't be negatively affected even if this hire happens to flame out.

 

[ZooCougar]

Me either. But we should be honest in that if Warde is working with Parker, he is also collecting a chit for himself for somewhere down the line -- a chit that won't be negatively affected even if this hire happens to flame out.

So if you are an executive, and you use a headhunter firm to fill a vacancy which is totally legit and someday down the line said firm that you have a relationship with floats you as a candidate for another job, is that bad? Not really.

By that logic Warde should have no relationships outside of UConn. Your expectations of him are too unrealistic. This is just the way the world works.

 

[CTMike]

You are insufferable.

 

[ruskin]

OK..We like that WM is in "The Good Old Boy Network" but are upset when he takes care of the "Good Old Boys". I guess we belong in the "Little Boy Network" playing Non Power 5 FB?

Uh, if Dan Parker has enough juice to get UConn into the P5 Warde should arrange to buy him a Newport mansion with UConn funds and force Kevin Rennie, Ken Krayeske, Jeff Jacobs, Colin McEnroe and Chris Powell to personally deliver the money in cash. Now THAT money would be well worth the cost.

 

[huskymedic]

Me either.

 

[ruskin]

You are insufferable.

and yet, you clicked on the thread

 

[freescooter]

In my job i hire consultants all the time. I have certain firms I almost always hire for certain types of assignments. Mostly I hire them because I'm comfortable with the firms and I know they can deliver what I need. There might be better ones out there, but I'm not really interested in finding out on my dime. the guy who I replaced had a different list of consultants that he like to use for certain assignments. that is just the way it is in business.

 

[EdgewoodNHV]

and yet, you clicked on the thread

Sometimes I watch links on reddit of some poor schmuck getting hit by a train. Doesn't mean you aren't the message board equivalent of someone being hit by a train.

It's hard to look away, but it's still disgusting.

 

[freescooter]

And not being a Warde Manuel fan, if Parker gets him a job somewhere else, even if UConn paid them, I'd say it is money well spent. If they happen to find a good football coach too, so much the better.

 

[metsfan2323]

OP is right. It's a total and complete scam.

Just about every school or business hires search firms for big hires, yet it's a scam. OK whatever you say.

 

[ruskin]

So if you are an executive, and you use a headhunter firm to fill a vacancy which is totally legit and someday down the line said firm that you have a relationship with floats you as a candidate for another job, is that bad? Not really.

By that logic Warde should have no relationships outside of UConn. Your expectations of him are too unrealistic. This is just the way the world works.

Guess we're going to have to disagree about what 'legit' means, and Warde is looking out for himself, which I have no problem with.

But where's Parker's accountability? Warde makes a good hire, he boosts his own stock, the value of his relationship with Parker goes up and Parker cashes in when Warde goes for his next job. Warde makes a bad hire, gets canned here, and Parker still ahead money-wise even after Warde's value goes down, because they got paid for 'helping' with this search.