I'm 80% convinced that admin has never been in the ballpark with the pay required to get George or Tiley and the boosters know that. They're feeding the media in an effort to pressure admin to pay up. Admin won't though and we'll end up with someone on the Plan B list. I just hope it includes Whitman - he may not have the experience, but he seems like a guy with a super high ceiling.
The Illinois AD Search
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Sports is still some of the most valuable content available, so while the new deal may not be as huge as originally projected, it's not going to be going down in value.
Deleted member 569417
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I know who has paid the AD's salary - revenue from tickets, TV, etc. We do not have an endowed AD position. Someone could fund that, but we don't have it today. BTW, the donations are only about 20% of the DIA budget. Half or more of that is the iFund, which as I understand it goes to fund scholarships.
I think it's completely reasonable to assume that Killeen will not want to pay an AD more than he makes, which is about $750k. You're not getting Tiley or George for that.
If some heavy hitter wants George or Tiley they will probably have to set up an endowed position.
FeelYourPaign
- So Cal
It would be a truly miserable leader who was unwilling to have an employee that makes more than they do, if the nature of the subordinate's job is to have a high ceiling. For example, I have had any number of salesmen make more than I do. Its ok. I don't want their job, they don't want mine. Where is the conflict?
But he's willing to pay Bill Cubit more than that? He's willing to pay Mike Thomas $2.5 million to go away? You think he just saddled that on the DIA's balance sheet? Of course not. That firing was bought and paid for by the donors and whatever excess contract amount would be needed for George or Tiley would be too. You don't need an endowment for a targeted expenditure like that.
I'm not pretending we have a well-oiled machine of an administration fully committed to winning at sports and knowledgable about how to do it, especially right now with the Tim and Barb Show. But this concept of an ivory tower openly hostile to any DIA success is a very carefully curated myth. Ron Guenther used that bogeyman to great propaganda effect during his tenure, and his disciples learned well.
Why do schools with bigger more powerful boosters not have this problem? I think people are putting too much into it. Illinois has a bubget and can only pay what it can pay. Khan has his own things going on and will do what he does. Tiley and George have the power to demand anything they want. At some point someone has to say no. I want Tiley and George but at what cost? My best employee can come and ask for a 50% raise and I would love to give it to them but I can't.
In four years on this site I have never directed a post at a fellow Loyalty poster like this, but dude, could you take it down a notch please? I acknowledge that you have a breadth of knowledge about Illinois athletics past and present that a simple observer alumnus like me doesn't have, but there are other rhetorical devices besides condescension. Every differing opinion need be met with a stern rebuke from the learned schoolmaster. Especially since you are not above supporting your own viewpoints with a healthy allotment of informal fallacies and straw man arguments.
Some of them do. But schools with more boosters have more diversity of voices and agendas (which presents different problems, ask Les Miles), and almost all schools, including Illinois until recently, have enough strength in the administration not to let the tail wag the dog like this.
I'm sorry. I just care a lot and this makes me really mad.
Let me just say this much: On November 9th Barb Wilson stood at a podium and said three things:
1. I'm new and I don't really understand athletics
2. I am happy with Mike Thomas' leadership and feel he has done nothing wrong, including his handling of Beckman.
3. Nonetheless, we're handing him a $2.5 million check to go away.
Those are the facts, we can all agree on those. If your theories are inconsistent with those facts, I think you ought to carefully re-think your theories.
Illwinsagain
- Cary, IL
It depends on what they bring in to the organization. If your best employee brings in significantly more than they get paid, and you cannot easily replace them, a raise makes sense. I, fortunately, am straight commission. I do not have to ask for a raise, I simply have to close more business and the rest works itself out. The concept is that a well received AD can raise 8 or even 9 figures more for the DIA than a plan B. If that is true, an extra $500,000 is not too much to ask.
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Ditto for me. They have to do what they think is right. But this would be wrong in my eyes.
mattcoldagelli
- The Transfer Portal
Lol, awesome
IlliniOX08
- Bucktown, Chicago
Yep, I agree. Really, really poor list as any of them would have said yes within n minutes of Thomas' firing. And anyone who would have said yes within minutes likely isn't the guy you want.
Hope it's not true or our descent in to the joke program of the B1G may well be expedited.
BZuppke
- Plainfield
He interviewed, therefore he was interested. If he says he's not going to Illinois it must mean we have our guy!
You're paraphrasing here based on your interpretation of her words, which can be interpreted in a number of different ways. A lot of these words were also just press conference-speak and might have little to do with what Wilson actually thinks.
I personally believe that Barb Wilson cares about athletics. She mentioned her alma mater - Wisconsin - in the press conference and held UW up as a role model. I think she wants to hire someone good. Ultimately, however, I believe we'll end up with a MACish hire vs. a Power 5 hire because this administration hasn't shown me they will step up to the big time. That's all.
I hope they surprise me.
Don't know if this has anything to do with anything, but he is named as one of the candidates for the Uconn job....
Uconn Using Search Firm to Help Find New Athletic Director
I have a sinking feeling that we'll hire Tom Michael for $450,000/year after refusing to pay market value for Craig Tiley ($900k-ish). Michael will be hamstrung, do his best, but fail to galvanize the fan base or turn around the revenue sports. We'll wallow in mediocrity for the next decade. That's what my gut is telling me. Hope I'm wrong!
OrangeDeeLight
- Champaign Area
I agree with this. Except he will take the job for $350K :tsk:
Two.
Point.
Five.
Million.
Point.
Five.
Million.
I feel like I am on board with those infuriated with the process of this situation / search. I know there is only so much that can be done and that we have to sit back and wait to see how it plays out - but every single time a bit of news drops on this it always seems to be baffling.
This is such a big decision for the future of our major athletic programs. Both sports are in a complete sense of disarray right now and someone at the top needs to come in and set the tone to change things.
If we botch this hire, we'll keep going down the path that we're currently on. That path is fun for no one.
I do not think I am exaggerating the importance of this. Feel free to disagree with me, though.
This is such a big decision for the future of our major athletic programs. Both sports are in a complete sense of disarray right now and someone at the top needs to come in and set the tone to change things.
If we botch this hire, we'll keep going down the path that we're currently on. That path is fun for no one.
I do not think I am exaggerating the importance of this. Feel free to disagree with me, though.
So, your logic is "they paid a $2.5 million buyout --> that means they're committed to athletics --> money is not a problem for the new AD."
I don't agree. The size of the buyout has nothing to do with what they'll pay a new AD. It just means they felt like they had no choice but to fire Thomas for the shame and lawsuits he brought the University. The DIA eats the write-off and they move forward.
It's possible that all the buyout means is that the next guy is not getting a big buyout, which is a major obstacle for landing a big fish like George or Tiley. After all, didn't Killeen just give up his buyout? The board also voted down Wise's buyout. In this context how will they justify a multi-million buyout for a new AD?
This puts me back to my most likely scenario - a MACish AD who gets $500 or $600k with a really small buyout.
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