To Ernie, Fly, and the rest of the 17

[KingDL1]

Hate to keep beating the "moderation" drum, but really, as much as I like Rick and as poor as the direction has been in the success of the revenue sports lately, can't we give him a spot in Development to focus on his strong points (bringing in donors and promoting rah-rah UNT attitudes) and have someone else as the AD?  Is that idea really that bad since no one on either extreme would get their way?

I don't think RV is very good at bringing in donors either. He has a very small group for 15 years of work. RV is good at promoting himself is there position for that? 

[EagleMBA]

I don't think RV is very good at bringing in donors either. He has a very small group for 15 years of work. RV is good at promoting himself is there position for that? 

 

Edited November 29, 2015 by EagleMBA

[GTWT]

  Is that idea really that bad since no one on either extreme would get their way?

You haven't been paying much attention to congress lately, have you?

I like your idea concerning RV.  It would allow UNT to benefit from his strengths & also bring in someone to deal with the problems the Athletic Department faces.  I'm afraid there are two difficulties:

First, you'll be paying RV a lot to perform his new limited role.

Second, I'm not sure his ego (or anyone's ego for that matter) would allow him to accept the demotion.  Does anyone remember Matt Simon being given a non-coaching position when he was replaced by Dickey?  I don't remember that working out real well.

[UNT90]

Hate to keep beating the "moderation" drum, but really, as much as I like Rick and as poor as the direction has been in the success of the revenue sports lately, can't we give him a spot in Development to focus on his strong points (bringing in donors and promoting rah-rah UNT attitudes) and have someone else as the AD?  Is that idea really that bad since no one on either extreme would get their way?

Because that isn't his strong point. 17 donors in 15 years at the 4th largest university in Texas isn't impressive.

Keeping the donor base small and completely in his corner appears to be his strength.

So... No thanks.

Kingdom building at it's finest.

Can you elaborate on this quote? I don't recall hearing about this.

You heard about it, we just aren't allowed to post about it here.

check Pony fans the week before our game.

[laxtonto]

Ive said this once before, but it bears repeating.

Smatresk is a hatchman doing a job that needs to be doing. He will always try to do these things in house instead of out in the public. He may not always get the accolades for fixing the mess of others, but that is what he does and does well.

In the context of athletics, he will demand more because he knows that athletics is the public face and the media exposure arm of the university. As the President he understands the balancing act between large donors and the performance of the university and will play the game accordingly.I would hope that the disgruntled fans and public outcries are providing him ample cover to do what he does inhouse to once again fix a mess that is not of his creation instead of having to eventually force a messy public ousting.

I would love to be able to say that I expect full fledged support from him to fix the AD immediately because he loves UNT athletics, but right now that is an unknown. I can state that he will fix the marketing and public relations arm of the university, and he considers the AD part of that. The timeline might not to be to everyone's liking, but he will fix it because that is in his nature.

 

[UNT90]

Ive said this once before, but it bears repeating.

Smatresk is a hatchman doing a job that needs to be doing. He will always try to do these things in house instead of out in the public. He may not always get the accolades for fixing the mess of others, but that is what he does and does well.

In the context of athletics, he will demand more because he knows that athletics is the public face and the media exposure arm of the university. As the President he understands the balancing act between large donors and the performance of the university and will play the game accordingly.I would hope that the disgruntled fans and public outcries are providing him ample cover to do what he does inhouse to once again fix a mess that is not of his creation instead of having to eventually force a messy public ousting.

I would love to be able to say that I expect full fledged support from him to fix the AD immediately because he loves UNT athletics, but right now that is an unknown. I can state that he will fix the marketing and public relations arm of the university, and he considers the AD part of that. The timeline might not to be to everyone's liking, but he will fix it because that is in his nature.

 

Problem is RV has just been involved in the next coaching hire that we will have to stomach for the next 4 years. Chances are about 10% that the coach (whoever it is) will be successful, going from past history.

That's stepping in just a bit late, don't you think?

[KingDL1]

Problem is RV has just been involved in the next coaching hire that we will have to stomach for the next 4 years. Chances are about 10% that the coach (whoever it is) will be successful, going from past history.

That's stepping in just a bit late, don't you think?

Has he? Really? 

I have heard much different, maybe I am just being hopeful that what I have heard is correct. 

[UNT90]

Has he? Really? 

I have heard much different, maybe I am just being hopeful that what I have heard is correct. 

Hope you are right.

[drex]

I've said this many times to friends.  I think Rick V. is burned out...I don't know if he will admit it to himself.

[DeepGreen]

I've said this many times to friends.  I think Rick V. is burned out...I don't know if he will admit it to himself.

burned out, you say?  Much like UNT sports fans?

[EagleMBA]

burned out, you say?  Much like UNT sports fans?

Worse than burned out, Deep! After this season I feel like I've been chewed up by a rabid wolf and shit over a cliff!

[DeepGreen]

Worse than burned out, Deep! After this season I feel like I've been chewed up by a rabid wolf and shit over a cliff!

I..........I.......... I don't quite know how to respond to that type of burn out.

[JesseMartin]

You haven't been paying much attention to congress lately, have you?

I like your idea concerning RV.  It would allow UNT to benefit from his strengths & also bring in someone to deal with the problems the Athletic Department faces.  I'm afraid there are two difficulties:

First, you'll be paying RV a lot to perform his new limited role.

Second, I'm not sure his ego (or anyone's ego for that matter) would allow him to accept the demotion.  Does anyone remember Matt Simon being given a non-coaching position when he was replaced by Dickey?  I don't remember that working out real well.

Not really.  We're already locked into a contract with him.  So we'd be paying him anyway, so he might as well be useful in the area he's best at.  And if his ego doesn't allow for it, he can quit, which would free us from his contract, so we would then be paying nothing.  So this scenario is the winningest I've been able to conjure, and if I'm not mistaken, I've just proved that it's the best way around both of the issues you've brought up, yes?

Because that isn't his strong point. 17 donors in 15 years at the 4th largest university in Texas isn't impressive.

Keeping the donor base small and completely in his corner appears to be his strength.

So... No thanks.

Kingdom building at it's finest.

You heard about it, we just aren't allowed to post about it here.

check Pony fans the week before our game.

See above.  Even if you're right and he's not that good, we have to pay out his contract anyway.  If he focuses on donors and nothing else, and brings 17 more donors with the same total amount as the others he's retained over the years, we're paying the same in his contract and increasing donations by that much more.  If he doesn't like it, he quits and we pay nothing.  Tell me another way that Rick would quit.  I'll admit I'm a bit of an over-loyal a-hole just like you hate, and I'd hate to see Rick go, but put it together in any form of diagram or stats you can.  I don't see any better way to guarantee that we can move on in one area but not waste millions in contract dollars by paying Rick to leave.  Give him an alternative position, and if he doesn't like it, he can forego the millions of contract dollars we'd be spending to retain him.  Either way, you guys get what you want, but if he quits, you also get the added victory of not paying out the rest of his contract...yes?

[UNT90]

Not really.  We're already locked into a contract with him.  So we'd be paying him anyway, so he might as well be useful in the area he's best at.  And if his ego doesn't allow for it, he can quit, which would free us from his contract, so we would then be paying nothing.  So this scenario is the winningest I've been able to conjure, and if I'm not mistaken, I've just proved that it's the best way around both of the issues you've brought up, yes?

See above.  Even if you're right and he's not that good, we have to pay out his contract anyway.  If he focuses on donors and nothing else, and brings 17 more donors with the same total amount as the others he's retained over the years, we're paying the same in his contract and increasing donations by that much more.  If he doesn't like it, he quits and we pay nothing.  Tell me another way that Rick would quit.  I'll admit I'm a bit of an over-loyal a-hole just like you hate, and I'd hate to see Rick go, but put it together in any form of diagram or stats you can.  I don't see any better way to guarantee that we can move on in one area but not waste millions in contract dollars by paying Rick to leave.  Give him an alternative position, and if he doesn't like it, he can forego the millions of contract dollars we'd be spending to retain him.  Either way, you guys get what you want, but if he quits, you also get the added victory of not paying out the rest of his contract...yes?

Do you honestly think a man who developed 17 large donors in 15 years can develop 17 more in the last 2 years of his contract? After being demoted and re=assigned?

Personally, I wouldn't want him anywhere near future donors, as he has always put his job before what is best for UNT with these donors.

Reassign him to some menial task or pay him to leave. That would be a good investment in the future of UNT athletics.

His buy out isn't "millions." Its about 700k. We aren't poor anymore., We can afford that.

Edited November 30, 2015 by UNT90

[Silent Eagle]

You haven't been paying much attention to congress lately, have you?

I like your idea concerning RV.  It would allow UNT to benefit from his strengths & also bring in someone to deal with the problems the Athletic Department faces.  I'm afraid there are two difficulties:

First, you'll be paying RV a lot to perform his new limited role.

Second, I'm not sure his ego (or anyone's ego for that matter) would allow him to accept the demotion.  Does anyone remember Matt Simon being given a non-coaching position when he was replaced by Dickey?  I don't remember that working out real well.

What strength? He can't solicit donations very well, he doesn't seem to really like the idea of personal accountability, he doesn't really like to push the interests of NT very hard, so please, illuminate me with his strengths. I really would like to know why we should keep someone who is actively playing a fiddle while Apogee is on fire.  

You haven't been paying much attention to congress lately, have you?

I like your idea concerning RV.  It would allow UNT to benefit from his strengths & also bring in someone to deal with the problems the Athletic Department faces.  I'm afraid there are two difficulties:

First, you'll be paying RV a lot to perform his new limited role.

Second, I'm not sure his ego (or anyone's ego for that matter) would allow him to accept the demotion.  Does anyone remember Matt Simon being given a non-coaching position when he was replaced by Dickey?  I don't remember that working out real well.

What strength? He can't solicit donations very well, he doesn't seem to really like the idea of personal accountability, he doesn't really like to push the interests of NT very hard, so please, illuminate me with his strengths. I really would like to know why we should keep someone who is actively playing a fiddle while Apogee is on fire.  

[Eagle-96]

Do you honestly think a man who developed 17 large donors in 15 years can develop 17 more in the last 2 years of his contract? After being demoted and re=assigned?

Personally, I wouldn't want him anywhere near future donors, as he has always put his job before what is best for UNT with these donors.

Reassign him to some menial task or pay him to leave. That would be a good investment in the future of UNT athletics.

His buy out isn't "millions." Its about 700k. We aren't poor anymore., We can afford that.

How ironic it would be if the last donations RV procured were the ones used to buy him out.

Edited November 30, 2015 by Eagle-96

[Cerebus]

How ironic it would be if the last donations RV procured were the ones used to but him out.

Like rain on your wedding day... or a free ride when your already late?

[Eagle-96]

Like rain on your wedding day... or a free ride when your already late?

[Christopher Walker]

This is the point where Texas state agencies being "at-will" employers seems actually beneficial.

[KingDL1]

How ironic it would be if the last donations RV procured were the ones used to buy him out.

I think that is the best kind of irony.

[Graddean]

This is the point where Texas state agencies being "at-will" employers seems actually beneficial.

I don't think "at-will" applies here.  He is working under a contract.  It maybe the President already has a plan to address all of the issues brought up, but remember he had to address a major budget issue and is currently facing renewal of SACS.  I know this may be heresy, but both of these are more important to UNT than what happens to RV.

[untjim1995]

I truly believe that Smatresk likes athletics--but he cannot remove RV as the AD because of the BOR and the UNT17. And the university President has to focus on so much other stuff, this isn't worth his political capital to burn thru with the BOR and administration, knowing it will probably cost him something of value, if not his job.

Look, it is what it is. RV won here, folks. He rubbed the right BOR elbows and insulated himself with 17 very wealthy people who basically fund the program above what the BOR will do. I think the university lost in all of this, but that's not how they feel, since its about known costs and revenue streams, instead of opportunity costs/revenues lost.

I'm just waiting for the RV PR announcement that the sections of Apogee and the Super Pit get named after the members of the BOR and the UNT17.

[KingDL1]

I truly believe that Smatresk likes athletics--but he cannot remove RV as the AD because of the BOR and the UNT17. And the university President has to focus on so much other stuff, this isn't worth his political capital to burn thru with the BOR and administration, knowing it will probably cost him something of value, if not his job.

Look, it is what it is. RV won here, folks. He rubbed the right BOR elbows and insulated himself with 17 very wealthy people who basically fund the program above what the BOR will do. I think the university lost in all of this, but that's not how they feel, since its about known costs and revenue streams, instead of opportunity costs/revenues lost.

I'm just waiting for the RV PR announcement that the sections of Apogee and the Super Pit get named after the members of the BOR and the UNT17.

What? Over? Did you say "over"? Nothing is over until we decide it is! Was it over when the Germans bombed Pearl Harbor? Hell no!

It is not over for me. 

[UNT90]

What? Over? Did you say "over"? Nothing is over until we decide it is! Was it over when the Germans bombed Pearl Harbor? Hell no!

It is not over for me. 

I agree. Until I'm gone, I'll continue to fight the accountability fight. There is zero when it comes to AD at UNT.

[greenminer]

According to this article, attendance was lowest since 1998.