Its Not Just Matress Mac

[Baby Arm!]

Unhappy with coaching choice. Wants his donations back and name off the building....

Story

[untbowler]

what a complete D-Bag, wahhh, wahhh I did not get to choose a coach. I guess he thinks UConn is still Mickey Mouse U.

Pasqualoni is a great hire for them, just look he was able to do at Syracuse and look where then went after he was fired.

This a joke and if I was UConn give him the money back and tell him to stick it where the sun does not shine.

[KRAM1]

Sad to see this sort of thing go on, but some people just don't get the concept of a "gift" or "donation", I guess. I would imagine the guy will take a ton of grief over this (probably well deserved) and the end result may not be that he takes the cash back...UNT does have the D Dickey practice field after all.

[rcade]

Sad to see this sort of thing go on, but some people just don't get the concept of a "gift" or "donation", I guess.

Million-dollar donations are almost never given to athletic programs with no strings attached. If this AD couldn't figure out a way to hire the right head coach *and* keep a $7 million donor happy, he's in the wrong line of work.

[meangreen]

What really made me angry was the letter that he wrote to the AD. He said he was not cut out to be a D1 AD. Look at UCONN's athletic department. This man has a serious ego problem and if I were UCONN I would not want him to have any part in my program.

[eppy4life]

stick it where the sun does not shine.

and where is that?

[KRAM1]

Million-dollar donations are almost never given to athletic programs with no strings attached. If this AD couldn't figure out a way to hire the right head coach *and* keep a $7 million donor happy, he's in the wrong line of work.

He isn't a $7million donor to the athletic dept. What more does the guy want? His name is all over the athletic facility? The amount he gave is large, agreed, but not large enough to give him hiring power in the athletic dept. If the guy wants to hire and fire coaches he needs to find a school that will let him be the athletic director. Who did he want one wonders? And, what made him think the guy he wanted was any better than who they hired? Poor baby, the current AD didn't kiss his rear enough, so now he and his big ego want to make an ass out of himself and make this demand on the university. My guess, the guy WAS consulted, but the AD went in a different direction, and that hurt the feelings of the donor...poor baby! He may have even bragged to his buddies that he really ran the dept. and told them early on who the next HC would be. Then, bam, it didn't happen and the guy is mad because he has egg on his face. I'll bet the documentation that accompanied the donation said nothing about allowing for the guys hiring input, and I'll even wager there are quotes that can be found of the guy saying that he did not want to run the athletic dept.

What do you think? Sounds like a big case of sour grapes to me or the old kids schoolyard cry of "if you don't play by my rules I am going to take my football and go home". Sad so sad, that egos can get in the way of clear and rational thinking at times.

[rcade]

He isn't a $7million donor to the athletic dept.

He is according to the story I read:

http://www.nbcconnec...-114560449.html

"... he wants back millions of dollars he gave the University of Connecticut football program -- $3 million of the more than $7 million he donated."

Here's his letter:

http://media.nbcbaya.../Burton+Ltr.pdf

He's UConn's largest athletic donor. The letter shows that he thinks a lot of himself and likes to wave his dick around at that school, but it was a major mistake for the AD to not keep him in the loop during the new coach hire.

Edited January 25, 2011 by rcade

[Quoner]

I think it's cute -- reminds me of many of you the day McCarney was hired. But, you know, with $7M.

[Green Mean]

I wish we could sniff $7 million donors. They could have all the power they want.

[GrayEagle]

Now do you see why Carl Matthews stonewalled attempts to form a Mean Green (actually Eagle) Club back when he was president in the 50s?

[rcade]

Now do you see why Carl Matthews stonewalled attempts to form a Mean Green (actually Eagle) Club back when he was president in the 50s?

No. We could've had a booster group for 60 years? That would have been horrible. Much better to be apathetic about our football success and watch the other Texas schools grow up around us.

[KRAM1]

He is according to the story I read:

http://www.nbcconnec...-114560449.html

"... he wants back millions of dollars he gave the University of Connecticut football program -- $3 million of the more than $7 million he donated."

Here's his letter:

http://media.nbcbaya.../Burton+Ltr.pdf

He's UConn's largest athletic donor. The letter shows that he thinks a lot of himself and likes to wave his dick around at that school, but it was a major mistake for the AD to not keep him in the loop during the new coach hire.

Articles I saw said he was a $7mm donor to the school...including the arts/music, etc. areas...not just athletics. However, the amount and to which depts. does not matter in this discussion. He's a spoiled rich guy who is used to having his way...my guess, he is a big jerk with a big ego. But, I'm just guessing. Too bad...dumb move on the guys part. Having boatloads of cash does not in itself make one a class act or a smart person. This is a case in point in my opinion.

[tylermeangreen]

Articles I saw said he was a $7mm donor to the school...including the arts/music, etc. areas...not just athletics. However, the amount and to which depts. does not matter in this discussion. He's a spoiled rich guy who is used to having his way...my guess, he is a big jerk with a big ego. But, I'm just guessing. Too bad...dumb move on the guys part. Having boatloads of cash does not in itself make one a class act or a smart person. This is a case in point in my opinion.

You are right. I learned long-ago that "class" and "wealth" are not necessarily synonymous.

And I am again reminded: I am glad I did not make a career as an athletic director OR college president.

[UNTDude]

For the record I believe that if you provide a donation to a university, you stick to it. The reality is that large donors do have a tremendous amount of influence in this time of shrinking public (and private) university budgets. I'm sure many of you have read the linked Sports Illustrated article on Phil Knights generosity to U of Oregon. ( http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/2011/writers/michael_rosenberg/01/06/oregon.knight/index.html ) I realize the scope of Burton's donations are not on the scale of Knight's generosity to U of Oregon, but it's interesting to read the steps a university will take to keep their largest donors happy.

[rcade]

For the record I believe that if you provide a donation to a university, you stick to it. The reality is that large donors do have a tremendous amount of influence in this time of shrinking public (and private) university budgets. I'm sure many of you have read the linked Sports Illustrated article on Phil Knights generosity to U of Oregon. ( http://sportsillustr...ight/index.html ) I realize the scope of Burton's donations are not on the scale of Knight's generosity to U of Oregon, but it's interesting to read the steps a university will take to keep their largest donors happy.

Phil Knight's donations to Oregon also have strings attached.

[KRAM1]

Phil Knight's donations to Oregon also have strings attached.

Really? Since you are so close to the inner workings of that program and what Phil Knight may or may not be doing regarding his donations, please do enlighten us on what those strings actually are? I am not saying there are no strings attached as I am not close to the Oregon program, but you appear to be, so please...do tell.

[Green Mean]

Really? Since you are so close to the inner workings of that program and what Phil Knight may or may not be doing regarding his donations, please do enlighten us on what those strings actually are? I am not saying there are no strings attached as I am not close to the Oregon program, but you appear to be, so please...do tell.

Phil Knight pretty much has say and access to whatever he wants. It is no secret...there has been several articles on this.

[Mean Green 93-98]

Phil Knight pretty much has say and access to whatever he wants. It is no secret...there has been several articles on this.

Yep. From his suite, he has access to listen to all the communication between the coaches, and to what plays are being called. And supposedly he had a lot to do with Mike Belotti being out and Chip Kelley being in.

[NorthTexan95]

Yep. From his suite, he has access to listen to all the communication between the coaches, and to what plays are being called. And supposedly he had a lot to do with Mike Belotti being out and Chip Kelley being in.

Also, he has coaches come to his office to give him tutorials on the game plans and such. Anytime big money is donated there are "strings" attached to some level.

[Green Mean]

Also, he has coaches come to his office to give him tutorials on the game plans and such. Anytime big money is donated there are "strings" attached to some level.

Not to mention during signing day head coaches personally have to go to his office or fax it to him before they make it official. But it is all worth it...there are always strings attached with big donors. If i was one I would probably be a little douchey myself.

[rcade]

Really? Since you are so close to the inner workings of that program and what Phil Knight may or may not be doing regarding his donations, please do enlighten us on what those strings actually are? I am not saying there are no strings attached as I am not close to the Oregon program, but you appear to be, so please...do tell.

Love the sarcasm. Other people have already answered for me. The amount of access Knight has at Oregon is legendary. Pick up a newspaper once in a while.

[KRAM1]

Not to mention during signing day head coaches personally have to go to his office or fax it to him before they make it official. But it is all worth it...there are always strings attached with big donors. If i was one I would probably be a little douchey myself.

Well, access to information is no big deal in my opinion. As long as it is not prohibited from a legal or regulatory or NCAA standpoint I see no problems with that for any big time donor who might be interested in that level of information. Offering an opinion on coaches is no different than any other alum who may have a bit of access as long as it does not come down to "fire this guy or I am taking my money back" sort of stuff as it seemed to have been in the UConn case.

Yes, agree, it is no secret that these folks get access that the rest of us mere mortals do not have. I have no problem with that. What I have a problem with is if the folks think they should have veto and preemptive powers into the programs they support. If the guy wants to say, "look, sorry, I don't like your selection for our new AD, and if you feel you must go that way, I will no longer be able to support the program financially". Well, so be it. It is then up to the administration to make the decision to go for the money or make the decision they think is correct for the institution. That's just the way it is in most cases. But, to say "if you hire that guy instead of my hand picked guy, I want all the money I have donated returned" is NOT OK in my book.

"knowing" that Knight has sway in the hiring and firing process is still speculation unless it has come from Knight's mouth or that of the university. We can all, however, "assume" it to be true. Whatever the case, it hasn't hurt the rise of Oregon football. We can certainly all agree on that.

[rcade]

"knowing" that Knight has sway in the hiring and firing process is still speculation unless it has come from Knight's mouth or that of the university. We can all, however, "assume" it to be true. Whatever the case, it hasn't hurt the rise of Oregon football. We can certainly all agree on that.

Read this piece from Sports Illustrated:

http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/2011/writers/michael_rosenberg/01/06/oregon.knight/index.html?eref=sihp#

Knight has so much control at Oregon that the university is leasing land to him where he'll build a 130,000 square foot football operations center exactly like he wants it and then donate it back to Oregon.

[KRAM1]

Nice article. If only Knight had graduated from UNT! Still didn't see where Knight said he controls the hiring and firing process, nor was any school official quoted as saying so, but, on the other hand......