Honest question for the board. And I’m not just talking about with Neal Brown and his buyout. I’m talking in general for Athletics. Can anyone explain this? How are programs like Iowa State and Kansas State doing it? Winning and spending. Recruiting etc. Tonight we had Hoppy repeating this mantra of no money. Maybe Vernon can answer or any WVU affiliated administrators or boosters. I’m not trying to start an argument, I just think the fans like myself deserve an explanation. Frankly, it’s just not adding up.
Why and how does WVU not have the money?
- Thread starter ThePunish-EER
- Start date
I would fire Neal Brown.
I would look at options for dropping certain sports at WVU.
I would move forward with adding suites to the press box area.
I would pursue any outside funding I could get in terms of sponsorships and investments.
I would cut several jobs in and around the athletic department.
That's where I would start and not necessarily in that order except Neal would be first. Nothing at WVU is more important than that football program. If it dies, WVU dies on many levels. These are unprecedented times and that calls for drastic measures. Do whatever you can to fix it and fix it now.
If what I heard from Wren Baker during a pregame convo with Tony Caridi is true after he released the money appeal, he was saying that Olympic sports travel in the Big XII was very costly and wanted to have those in a more regional conference. Soccer is already in the Sun Belt Conference. If Brown is retained for next year, I fully expect that we will be downgraded to the Sun Belt by 2026.
I like your ideas. I think it’s inevitable they will need to cut sports. I agree football drives the bus. WVU needs to really look at similar programs like the ones I mentioned in Kansas State and Iowa State. For instance, many are talking about Neal Browns salary as if it’s astronomical. It’s 12th out of 16 Big12 league members. In comparison, the Kansas State coach is 1st and (I believe) a 27 million dollar buyout.
WVU's problem is coaching, period. There is no need to look at what ISU and KSU are doing. They have better coaching. That's it. But with that said, don't get too carried away with them. ISU won seven games last year, WVU won nine. They're having good seasons but WVU could as well if the coaching was there.
Yep I would go all in on football. It drives everything else. Go get a good coach and watch everything improve, even overall attendance.
WVU is in the red as a whole because of Gee. He has spent so much money on unnecessary/glitzy infrastructure when West Virginia as a state has done nothing but shrink in population.
Especially when that shrinkage has been going on since 1950 or so.
Gee wants to keep up with all his other president buddies at bigger universities. WVU was great as it was and his spending has driven us into the ground.
Yes, I do realize the athletic department has its own budget, but when the university as a whole is in debt, then it does reduce the flexibility of all departments.
Especially when that shrinkage has been going on since 1950 or so.
Gee wants to keep up with all his other president buddies at bigger universities. WVU was great as it was and his spending has driven us into the ground.
Yes, I do realize the athletic department has its own budget, but when the university as a whole is in debt, then it does reduce the flexibility of all departments.
When WV DHHR gave EGG permission to buy up as many small hospitals in West Virginia as possible under the guise of WVU Medicine, that was his main driver.
Again, cornering the market in a dying state wasn’t a great flex. I shudder to think what they spent at Wheeling Hospital alone to offset that $50M penalty WH got before being sold.
The beauty of a free market is that you pay for what you get and the market bares what you’re worth. While we don’t like the results of Neal Brown, WVU is essentially getting what he’s worth. 12th out of 16 teams of the Big 12. About where we finish each year. I agree, it’s time to fire Neal Brown and prepare to pay a top salary if we plan to compete at the top of the league. Nobody is expecting WVU to contend for the NC, we just expect to contend for the Big 12 Championship and maybe dream of playing for a NC.
Thanks Vernon. Well thought out. In the last decade. NCAA football and sports have changed as fast as one thinks it's settled for awhile.
As with anything changes have to take place to adjust. Your statement here is thought through.
For WVU for football it is about down to go all in or watch WVU sports as well at a lot of things go backwards. Thanks.
I fully expect you are wrong on WVU football, baseball, WBB, MENS BB being downgraded to the sunbelt. Only way that happens is the destruction of Big 12.
I get the Fire Neal Brown! stuff. I agree... to a certain point.
If WVU fires Brown, that leaves really 2 choices - go for a homerun hire or try to find a replacement from the lower levels (much like we did with Brown).
Let's take the latter approach. There will be initial excitement but we have to account for the fact it will take that new coach time to build his program, build relationships with HS coaches, etc. and hope for the best. Question is, how soon would the fans turn on him if he has Neal Brown type seasons at the start? Which, to be honest, is about the best one can hope for, at least at first. 3 or 4 years? Then, are we right back at where we are now - throwing good money at bad results with a fan base that has tuned out?
How about the former? A homerun hire that gets everyone excited. But, the big question, can WVU afford it? Can they keep him if he's successful and the Bama's and Michigan's come calling again? How long does he last if he doesn't have instant success and WVU is on the hook for YEARS worth of salary and is stuck basically mining the WVIAC for coaches?
I just believe that WVU has to hire a recruiting SOB. Someone who can bring in the Jimmies and Joes. Jimmy and Joe can cover up a lot of X and O failures. The one thing that can bring the fans back other than a big name coach is a bunch of big name players. Bama fans didn't tune in to watch Saban strategize on the sidelines, they tuned in to watch NFL studs pummel the opposition week after week. WVU's 30+ ranked recruiting classes just show its going to be another ho-hum year - year after year.
But, if that coach isn't available, stick with what you have until he does. WVU may suffer in the short term, but may come out ahead in the long run.
If WVU fires Brown, that leaves really 2 choices - go for a homerun hire or try to find a replacement from the lower levels (much like we did with Brown).
Let's take the latter approach. There will be initial excitement but we have to account for the fact it will take that new coach time to build his program, build relationships with HS coaches, etc. and hope for the best. Question is, how soon would the fans turn on him if he has Neal Brown type seasons at the start? Which, to be honest, is about the best one can hope for, at least at first. 3 or 4 years? Then, are we right back at where we are now - throwing good money at bad results with a fan base that has tuned out?
How about the former? A homerun hire that gets everyone excited. But, the big question, can WVU afford it? Can they keep him if he's successful and the Bama's and Michigan's come calling again? How long does he last if he doesn't have instant success and WVU is on the hook for YEARS worth of salary and is stuck basically mining the WVIAC for coaches?
I just believe that WVU has to hire a recruiting SOB. Someone who can bring in the Jimmies and Joes. Jimmy and Joe can cover up a lot of X and O failures. The one thing that can bring the fans back other than a big name coach is a bunch of big name players. Bama fans didn't tune in to watch Saban strategize on the sidelines, they tuned in to watch NFL studs pummel the opposition week after week. WVU's 30+ ranked recruiting classes just show its going to be another ho-hum year - year after year.
But, if that coach isn't available, stick with what you have until he does. WVU may suffer in the short term, but may come out ahead in the long run.
A home run hire could be anyone, I assume you mean a high profile talent in demand. I think the other option is an experienced coach who has had success in the past. Saw Tom Herman just got fired, wonder what he could do with our resources versus FAU. Not promoting him, just an example. Someone that gets us in the top 1/2 of the big 12 every year, beats sPitt regularly and every 3-4 years competes for a conference title. I can live with that if our resources aren't enough for being a top25 annually.
