FOLEY?

[DRU2012]

J. Foley is playing a stubborn, prideful game Of "Chicken" with our program, all over his OWN rep and power within the Gator hierarchy and among the AD-fraternity in general.
At one point early today, arrangements were begun for some sort of "Announcement" out of his office at the Florida Athletic Dept...
Then it was "pre-cancelled", the whole thing buried, all discussion, even acknowledgment that calls out of that office regarding anything more than "response to many questions circulating among various media", now suddenly denied.
Can't say yet where this is all headed in the short term, what it means more than what we're now hearing--"Muschamp 'safe' for now"...
But I know what it means to ME, to all of us:
The suffering continues...Our team and program continues its extended, accelerating slide past "irrelevance" and now into freefall towards complete, long term SHITTINESS.
We are F*CKED--and starting to tip towards a version of that that's gonna take a LONG time to climb out of.
Time to start looking at who else needs to be directly pressured, whose feet need to be "'held to the fire" in more public a display of fan and booster displeasure if we wanna get this done any earlier than the end of this season.
That's what Foley is playing for now--and it's all about HIS "image", his sense of control and reputation among the people he expects will be his "colleagues" and sources-of employment, no matter WHERE he is, for some time to come. Maybe this is "shrewd power politics", a way to ensure his continued security even if he is forced out of THIS job now. I don't care--or really, I am ready to not give a DAMN what happens to ANYONE who isn't a Gator thru-and-thru now, fighting for our lives now and for our very future as a major force in college football.
Hence, the title of this thread.
Whatever it takes to get us MOVING.

 

[Escambia94]

No. Just no. This is stupid. The athletic director is in charge of more than football. Foley is the most successful AD in the nation. Anyone who says crap like this is ignorant as to how NCAA sports works. This is over the line.

 

[Escambia94]

Just to back up my points:

• Even in years that Florida football has been 7-6 or 4-8, the program has generated $72M in revenues (#5) in football, generated $10M in basketball (#5) and finished 2nd in Director's Cup standings. Who was first in the Director's Cup? Stanford.
• Even in years Stanford went 4-8 and 5-7 back to back (and back to back 1 or 3 win seasons), the strength of their other sports carried Stanford to first in the Director's Cup with $25M in football revenues (#23).

College sports is a business that few fans comprehend. Football tends to generate 75% to 100% of the revenue needed to float all the other sports, but it is not the only sport.

Oddly enough, winning percentage does not in and of itself hurt revenues. The same fans that stop paying for $10 student tickets or StubHub $50 tickets are the same ones that bail out on the team when they go 7-6. The fans that dish out the full $90 or more per ticket regularly stick around whether the team is 12-1 or 0-10-1. Most of us fall into the middle category where we generate pennies by buying licensed merchandise and a couple $90 tickets once every few years.

Firing the athletic director over what will amount to pennies is insane. We the cheap fans are not that important. I have a coworker here in Los Angeles that buys about four $200 game tickets per year, regardless of whether the Gators are 0-10-1 or 12-1. The athletic director has plenty of folks like that to support the sports programs.

 

[Dale J. Rodriguez]

WM will be gone at the end of the season, just let Foley do his calls to coaches, and he will have a decision made after WM is gone probably December or January.

 

[Dale J. Rodriguez]

Firing a college coach during mid season does nothing at all for improving the program, if anything it causes students to transfer faster.

 

[miltongator]

OK Dru. Come back off the ledge. Yeah, his last pick didn't turn out so well and he's being a little slow in pulling the trigger for my taste, but we seem to be in pretty good shape in other areas. Besides, when he originally made the present pick, the prevailing wisdom was that he's be a good coach. How could we (or anyone else for that matter) have known what a bad pick he would turn out to be. I guess I've eased up on my stance a bit because I now feel certain that WM is done as the Gator coach. May have to wait till the end of the year, but at least I can see the light from here. And I was was done with him part way thru his first. He was explaining a loss and basically threw his players under the bus (not to mention acting like a maniac on the sidelines). I guess I've mellowed since our last debacle, safe in the knowledge that WM is not our coach going forward. I wish him well in his next post and hope he walks away with some lessons learned. Too bad it was at our expense.

 

[DRU2012]

OK. But you'll see. We're headed for "bad a long time".
Foley is still playing for time--we beat a rival or two, and he may not fire Muschamp after all. What then? Do Y'ALL think that'll make it OK, change YOUR minds as to what has to happen? I just want to see him (Foley) pressured to wake up, to bow to that pressure. I wasn't all THAT serious about seeing him actually fired--only that he should feel some of what "HIS" Coach is feeling, maybe feel a little of what WE'RE all feeling too. But so far he's Teflon. Even here.
(And now I'm "insane". So much for venting... )

 

[DRU2012]

Oh, and as for "revenues"--those "other sports" are a net DRAIN on resources--Football doesn't just dwarf their budgets, ticket-sales, or general enhancement of University prestige and enrollment--it foots-the-bill for ALL OF THEM.
So you can disagree, but the rest of the above arguments are, well let's say they're "somewhat off the mark". I understand anyone disagreeing--Hell, I'm not so sure I want, certainly don't EXPECT the title here to do anything more than get us talking (it's done THAT), let alone any mythical "movement" to result from this or any fan-site OR media criticism. But GEEZ...The very fact of such knee-jerk and extreme reaction to the very idea that (OMG!) "maybe we should fire THIS guy", at least get him in the crosshairs and rattle his cage, well, obviously , "You've gone too far, Dru."
In my simplest, straightforward assessment, we have GOT to get this Coach gone and begin anew AS SOON AS POSSIBLE. Things are that bad, and heading worse, WILL get worse now in more and more accelerated fashion no matter WHAT happens next... It's getting to be a matter of having to do it the hard way no matter what, and the longer we wait, the longer it will take to UNdo the damage that will have to be undone regardless. The only valid reason to "wait" has to do with who we bring next--but I am now convinced that it is far and away best for the team, its future, and the process of bringing us back (in other words best for the NEXT Coach, too--even if it isn't the "interim Coach", probably Roper, who would take over right away) to at least get THIS one out of there NOW. No way to PROVE it, I suppose--but I hate having to watch this "play out in slow motion", seeing it as I do.

 

[Escambia94]

Muschamp is going to be let go at the end of the season. Foley will let him go with class, maybe even offer him a non-coaching job or advisory role until he gets picked up. Foley is all about making money with class, and we should be happy to have him.

Hate on Muschamp's coaching ability all you want for the product on the football field, but don't hate on his character. He is a longtime Gator fan coaching for his childhood team. He cleaned up the off field problems. He did his best, but it was not enough. He will probably get a job as a DC elsewhere and do well.

 

[miltongator]

I don't see any realistic scenario where Foley doesn't fire WM by years end. If the offense all of a sudden started scoring 50 points a game and we win out.....perhaps. Chances of that happening: 1 in 99999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999.
But, I agree that the sooner we get rid of this albatross, the better.

 

[Escambia94]

I don't see any realistic scenario where Foley doesn't fire WM by years end. If the offense all of a sudden started scoring 50 points a game and we win out.....perhaps. Chances of that happening: 1 in 99999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999.
But, I agree that the sooner we get rid of this albatross, the better.

I am certain he will be fired, but not before the end of the season. To reiterate: Jeremy Foley will handle the situation with class. As long as Muschamp does not have issues with players getting into drunken fights at fraternity houses like Ron Zook, he will get a paycheck from UAA until 1 December at least. He may be fired after the Georgia game effective 1 December, but not before then.

Even if Florida beats Georgia 10-9 and FSU 21-20, and everyone else 66-0, I *think* the Mizzou loss at home sealed the deal. The SEC East is out of the realm of possible without 2-3 more UGA, UK, and Mizzou losses, and I think that was Foley's marker.

 

[DRU2012]

I don't see any realistic scenario where Foley doesn't fire WM by years end. If the offense all of a sudden started scoring 50 points a game and we win out.....perhaps. Chances of that happening: 1 in 99999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999.
But, I agree that the sooner we get rid of this albatross, the better.

As you must realize, I am totally with you on this now...But I am NOT optimistic that Foley will move on this anytime soon. He doesn't WANT to, you see--doesn't really want to fire him at all, even now is searching, waiting, HOPING for a scenario where the pressure's off, and he can "let it ride", keep his promise to Muschamp. Never mind "us", Gator Nation (and to hear some of our friends here tell it, we don't count in the slightest, "in the wider, real world scheme of things"...well, we're here, we're many, and our numbers do count for something, if not our opinions--or worse, and of apparently less value still, our passion).
That is why I want to see pressure turned UP, more than that, switched over, brought to bear directly on Foley himself. It is simply horrible to find even some small part of me with the secret , well, "hope" isn't the word, but "ready rationale for being OK with the idea" that if the Gators lose REALLY BAD we get moving to "NEXT" all the sooner. If it were to keep happening, especially in rival-games, he'll be FORCED to fire him--but that implies the END of the season, at best. So never mind the subtleties of arguing what's "classy", what'll be better when for who and how, "THE HOUSE IS BURNING!" And we're saying, time, every BIT of it, counts now.

 

[miltongator]

As you must realize, I am totally with you on this now...But I am NOT optimistic that Foley will move on this anytime soon. He doesn't WANT to, you see--doesn't really want to fire him at all, even now is searching, waiting, HOPING for a scenario where the pressure's off, and he can "let it ride", keep his promise to Muschamp. Never mind "us", Gator Nation (and to hear some of our friends here tell it, we don't count in the slightest, "in the wider, real world scheme of things"...well, we're here, we're many, and our numbers do count for something, if not our opinions--or worse, and of apparently less value still, our passion).
That is why I want to see pressure turned UP, more than that, switched over, brought to bear directly on Foley himself. It is simply horrible to find even some small part of me with the secret , well, "hope" isn't the word, but "ready rationale for being OK with the idea" that if the Gators lose REALLY BAD we get moving to "NEXT" all the sooner. If it were to keep happening, especially in rival-games, he'll be FORCED to fire him--but that implies the END of the season, at best. So never mind the subtleties of arguing what's "classy", what'll be better when for who and how, "THE HOUSE IS BURNING!" And we're saying, time, every BIT of it, counts now.

Who knows what's going on behind the scenes. I would hope that Foley has already talked to the next coach and has an "understanding" with him. Perhaps the next guy has asked to keep it on the down low until years end. However, it wouldn't bother me in the least if Foley axed Mushie today. As a matter of fact, I check the computer several times a day in hopes of seeing the headline "Muschamp Fired". Hasn't happened yet......drat!

 

[miltongator]

About time!
GAINESVILLE, Fla. -- The Gators have a new starting quarterback.

Florida head coach Will Muschamp announced Wednesday that true freshman Treon Harris will start against Georgia.

Harris has played in three games and saw his most extended action in Saturday's 42-13 loss to Missouri.

"Treon, you saw what he did late in the game,'' Muschamp said. "He has a knack for making plays and making some good things happen for our football team. We've struggled with production at the quarterback position and that's been an issue for us.

"We've got an open week where he is getting a bunch of reps. Right now we felt like that was the best move moving forward."

 

[Dale J. Rodriguez]

I think there is a chance that WM gets picked up by his Jimbo Fisher as a the Florida State DC.

 

[DRU2012]

Who knows what's going on behind the scenes. I would hope that Foley has already talked to the next coach and has an "understanding" with him. Perhaps the next guy has asked to keep it on the down low until years end. However, it wouldn't bother me in the least if Foley axed Mushie today. As a matter of fact, I check the computer several times a day in hopes of seeing the headline "Muschamp Fired". Hasn't happened yet......drat!

I did that for a coupla days after the LSU game--especially after I got the word there was by now estrangement between he and Roper AND (more importantly) between he and Foley--but not only didn't it happen, there has been word (along with various signs) that he has back-tracked on all of this. A part of me still "hopes" to see it, waits for it, but my gut-level suspicion now is that the BEST we can hope for is a day or two after the season (mercifully) ends for us..."DOUBLE drat!"

 

[DRU2012]

I think there is a chance that WM gets picked up by his Jimbo Fisher as a the Florida State DC.

Perfect. "A Gator thru' and thru'..."
I find myself wondering about the karma of hiring a Georgia grad (AND former UGA PLAYER, no less) in the first place--never mind WHERE he's supposed to have "grown up".

 

[DRU2012]

About time!
GAINESVILLE, Fla. -- The Gators have a new starting quarterback.

Florida head coach Will Muschamp announced Wednesday that true freshman Treon Harris will start against Georgia.

Harris has played in three games and saw his most extended action in Saturday's 42-13 loss to Missouri.

"Treon, you saw what he did late in the game,'' Muschamp said. "He has a knack for making plays and making some good things happen for our football team. We've struggled with production at the quarterback position and that's been an issue for us.

"We've got an open week where he is getting a bunch of reps. Right now we felt like that was the best move moving forward."

Uh Coach? WE "saw what he could do" long before that--where YOU been?

 

[Escambia94]

I think there is a chance that WM gets picked up by his Jimbo Fisher as a the Florida State DC.

If Fisher can afford to, he would take Muschamp as his DC in a heartbeat. FSU can barely afford its coaches now, which is why they are so desperate for success.

Floridarevenue $123,514,257cost $107,157,831


FSUrevenue
$78,575,788cost
$86,949,804

Note that FSU is operating in the red. They were in the red before the IPF construction and stadium renovation, which was before they got good.

On top of that, Fisher was making less than a million per year in salary until a couple years ago. His contract is highly incentivized for low base pay with bonuses for achievements. Going undefeated, beating rivals, winning division, winning conference, etc push him over $4M. His assistants get paid less than UF's.