AD not a done deal?

[Boardon Hamsay]

The poster is correct. There was no AD in hand when they fired Jeff Long. There may have been people they feel they can hire, but it isn't done and there won't be some Monday press conference announcing a hire unless some really key people in the UA decision-making are being left out of the loop.

I agree. I seem to remember the job has to be posted for a certain length of time for compliance reasons.  I'm betting a Monday presser doesn't fit said compliance timeline.

[Vantage 8 dude]

What were the reasons to fire Long? They've all been stated over and over on this board, and all of the reasons given for firing Long existed before the beginning of this season.  There isn't one reason given for his firing that wasn't true at the end of last year. They didn't fire him for cause so he didn't steal from the university or anything like that, if it was anything they could slightly prove they would have dismissed him with cause and not have to worry about paying him the rest of his contract.  The real reason that he was fired now as opposed to any other time is that folks in power got their panties in a twist, were being leaned on by big contributors and the season was tanking in a big way.

We are presumably going to part ways with Bielema at the end of the season on or about the 24th. So we are going into one of our most important coaching searches in my lifetime (meaning we can not afford to have two flops in a row that would put us at presumably 10 years of floundering and that is going to be a very tough hole to dig out of) without an AD in place.  No coach worth his salt is going to come here with out concrete knowledge of who the AD will be, and I don't mean assurances from the board, they are going to want to know with 100% certainty who it is.  If we can get it done in 4 weeks,which is a big if, that means hiring an new AD in mid-December.  So now you are looking at mid-December before a coaching search can begin in earnest. Factor in the holidays and the early signing period which is December 20th-22 I think, and I can't see how the timing could have been much worse.  What changed between 10/7 when we got drubbed by Scar and last Wednesday?   How about 10/14 or 10/21 when we got drubbed by Alabama and Auburn respectively. The season didn't get better. They could have let him go after any of those games and given us more time to find an AD and have him in place before the season ended. They made a knee-jerk reaction either at the BOT meeting or just after and have put us in a bad position going forward.  There isn't a plan, there isn't a secret AD who has been hired, They are feeling around in the dark trying to find someone to replace Long.  They may get someone good, may get someone great, but it isn't because they planned it that way.         

How about waiting to see how things unfold before going into panic mode Yes, we obviously need to do a excellent job of hiring both a new AD and HC. All those who are involved in both processes are no less aware of this fact than are any of the rest of us. They aren't living in some type of vacuum or "never, never land". They know the perils and pitfalls of making a hasty and uninformed decision. However, I don't believe that the BOT or whoever else was involved made hasty, "off the wall" decision. I honestly believe that there has been a constant evaluation ongoing, as there would be for all university employees and a number of factors that have been accumulating over time led to Long's being dismissed. In the end it matter not-he's gone.

As I said, let's sit back and see how things develop. Maybe, just maybe things will actually work out better than some of us think. That's what we can all hope for in any event.

[12247]

We do not need a permanent AD to hire a new HC.  I believe the next HC will not be hired by one individual.  Frank Broyles, in the good old days, could do that with success but not todays AD types.  We have a current AD.  She may or may not have any say in the next HC but she could certainly hire one tomorrow if everyone above her who matters would agree.

I doubt if we have a for sure HC chosen or a for sure AD chosen.  I would not be surprised if Peoples gets the job as AD.  I would not be surprised if Gus is the next coach or Norvell or Brohm or any of a dozen others.

What we do have is several Hogvillers doing what they do best and that is telling stores as if they were true when they are simply their opinions.  If anyone with cods actually knew, then the next step is that it is likely they would be sworn to keeping it quite so they would not b on here hinting around.  They would be trusted to honor their agreement to keep it quite.

Ever notice how if one poster says its for sure that within hours, several of the weaker minded of us is posting it as fact.  By tomorrow, Gus will have won his first 5 games as the new HC if you watch this website. 

The best we got in truth is to look at the average of how Arkansas does things.  We usually are a bit late to the table on these things.  Just look at what a mess we may have due to the early signing timetable.  If recruits aren't considering their options, then they may be too dumb to come here anyway.  Not having the AD thing in the bag is not the end of the world.  Not knowing about the HC thing can hurt us and very soon.  The question is will it help more to hurry and name a new HC or wait and maybe get a better person for the job who may do better in the long haul.

[Hogwild]

It would have to be soon for an AD. We need a new coach as soon as possible to try and salvage recruiting. So we need an AD to hire him.

No you don't, often it is the school's president who makes the decision.

Couple of examples from down on the bayou-
Nick Saban was hired at LSU by the school's president, Mark Emmert, now President of the NCAA.  Their AD was about to retire only had a year or two left, and was the one that hired Hallman and DiNardo. Saban took the job without knowing who his boss would be less than 24 months.  LSU hired the baseball coach who had 5 national titles.  Ironically enough when looking for Saban's replacement , it was Skip Bertman, who told LSU's president absolutely not to Petrino after they interviewed him.  He recommended Miles.

When Bowden left for Clemson, Sandy Barbour Tulane's  AD at the time was set to hire Rich Rod.  The school's President stepped in and hired Chris Selfo.  Rich Rod showed up at the athletic department wearing a green tie thinking he was going to be named the head coach at the afternoon press conference.  Rich Rod left Tulane for Clemson shortly afterwards. Barbour then went to Cal, where she fired the school's most successful HC Tedford and hired Sonny Dykes who was fired after 4 years and 30 losses.  Lucky for Sandy, Penn State needed an AD since the last one was fired for covering up child rape, and who would be the most opposite of that, than a lesbian.

The week of the LSU/Ole Miss game there was a really in-depth story in the New Orleans paper on how Ole Miss decided to hire Coach O.  Long story, short a committee was formed led by Boone the AD, they were set to interview Rick Neuheisel. The school's president said no, didn't feel comfortable with the gambling issues, and he wanted Coach O.  Neuheisel who was interviewed for the story, was in route to the airport, when Ole Miss called him to cancel the interview.  Rick gets home and his wife goes, Ole Miss called back, he was all excited, until she said they asked for Ed Oregron.

[wachhog]

Stupid people get rich too.  I have known my fair share of rich people in my life that have been very good at the thing they got rich doing and terrible at everything else. the other thing to keep in mind is that rich people are accustomed to getting what they want and thinking they always can.  Everybody kisses up to them so they start to believe they are the smartest guys in the room.  It wouldn't be beyond belief that a bunch of rich guys together would assume that they cold fire Long and just go grab the AD of their choice or take the sitting coach of their choice just because that is how they are used to things working. I may be wrong and I hope to God I am but I am not a big believer in secret plans and backroom deals.  I will be more than happy to eat crow if it turns out I am wrong, but this all looks bad to me.

With the exception of Jack Crowe, their way was certainly more successful than Long's way.
And, as to the timing, successfu business people know that you wait to strike when the iron, or, in this case, the seat is hot. Bret's and Long's seats were much hotter after Coastal Carolina than before the season started. Not many could or would try to make the case for keeping them, a few Hogvilains being the exception.

[OtterHog]

yeah, I get the feeling he is to the top choice, but it remains to be seen if he would accept the position.  its debatable whether its actually a step up from his current gig.

If Scanlon accepts the job, it won't have anything to do with money or prestige. It would be out of love and respect for the program and his chance to contribute even more to it.

My own opinion obviously, but he's had "f you" money for a LONG time and he doesn't quite NEED either position. I may be completely wrong, but it won't be a money decision imho.

[jvanhorn]

Stupid people get rich too.  I have known my fair share of rich people in my life that have been very good at the thing they got rich doing and terrible at everything else. the other thing to keep in mind is that rich people are accustomed to getting what they want and thinking they always can.  Everybody kisses up to them so they start to believe they are the smartest guys in the room.  It wouldn't be beyond belief that a bunch of rich guys together would assume that they cold fire Long and just go grab the AD of their choice or take the sitting coach of their choice just because that is how they are used to things working. I may be wrong and I hope to God I am but I am not a big believer in secret plans and backroom deals.  I will be more than happy to eat crow if it turns out I am wrong, but this all looks bad to me.

Sometimes they get to be president too.

[PorkSoda]

If Scanlon accepts the job, it won't have anything to do with money or prestige. It would be out of love and respect for the program and his chance to contribute even more to it.

My own opinion obviously, but he's had "f you" money for a LONG time and he doesn't quite NEED either position. I may be completely wrong, but it won't be a money decision imho.

and if that is the case and he does accept the position, then it sounds like they got the right guy

[razorbackfaninar]

With the exception of Jack Crowe, their way was certainly more successful than Long's way.
And, as to the timing, successfu business people know that you wait to strike when the iron, or, in this case, the seat is hot. Bret's and Long's seats were much hotter after Coastal Carolina than before the season started. Not many could or would try to make the case for keeping them, a few Hogvilains being the exception.

Then if this was the plan all along why not the week after the CC game?  No one would have batted an eye, everyone was so mad.  We would have had ample time to find an AD then.  IMO it's because there was never a plan to fire Long.  It was decided either at the BOT meeting or shortly thereafter. The seat as you say has been hot for a while we could already be that much closer to a new AD.  Was the seat going to get hotter than that, I doubt it.

[PorkSoda]

Then if this was the plan all along why not the week after the CC game?  No one would have batted an eye, everyone was so mad.  We would have had ample time to find an AD then.  IMO it's because there was never a plan to fire Long.  It was decided either at the BOT meeting or shortly thereafter. The seat as you say has been hot for a while we could already be that much closer to a new AD.  Was the seat going to get hotter than that, I doubt it.

I don't follow your logic.  you seem to think that any time other than the time they chose would have been the right time.  the reality is that at some point it was going happen, it did.  give it time to play out before going into freak out mode.

[Bkhardicars]

We did NOT take this action with no plan in place...it's not the way it's done in the corporate world nor big time athletics.

[razorbackfaninar]

How about waiting to see how things unfold before going into panic mode Yes, we obviously need to do a excellent job of hiring both a new AD and HC. All those who are involved in both processes are no less aware of this fact than are any of the rest of us. They aren't living in some type of vacuum or "never, never land". They know the perils and pitfalls of making a hasty and uninformed decision. However, I don't believe that the BOT or whoever else was involved made hasty, "off the wall" decision. I honestly believe that there has been a constant evaluation ongoing, as there would be for all university employees and a number of factors that have been accumulating over time led to Long's being dismissed. In the end it matter not-he's gone.

As I said, let's sit back and see how things develop. Maybe, just maybe things will actually work out better than some of us think. That's what we can all hope for in any event.

Ok so after the TCU, ATM, BAMA, AuBURN losses they said hey lets wait and see how this thing plays out, then the Coastal Carolina game and they still said, hey let's see how things go, but the loss to LSU and the PTB had had enough of this Long Character and that was enough?  Again if they were going to fire Long because of the way the football team was performing they could have done that months ago instead of putting us in this position.  Firing the AD on a Wednesday  two weeks before the season is over when you are probably going to fire the coach as well is no kind of plan.

[razorbackfaninar]

We did NOT take this action with no plan in place...it's not the way it's done in the corporate world nor big time athletics.

I agree that is not the way it is done in the corporate world or big time athletics, but I am telling you from everything I can see that's what it looks like we did.  I hope I am wrong and you are right, but I don't think I am.  but like with anything we'll see how it plays out and then we can tell. 

[PorkSoda]

Ok so after the TCU, ATM, BAMA, AuBURN losses they said hey lets wait and see how this thing plays out, then the Coastal Carolina game and they still said, hey let's see how things go, but the loss to LSU and the PTB had had enough of this Long Character and that was enough?  Again if they were going to fire Long because of the way the football team was performing they could have done that months ago instead of putting us in this position.  Firing the AD on a Wednesday  two weeks before the season is over when you are probably going to fire the coach as well is no kind of plan.

is your beef that you don't think they have a replacement lined up? or that you don't think they should have fired Long?

[razorbackfaninar]

I don't follow your logic.  you seem to think that any time other than the time they chose would have been the right time.  the reality is that at some point it was going happen, it did.  give it time to play out before going into freak out mode.

If they were going to fire him anyway because of the way the football team was performing, as we assume, then was the season going to get better after the CC game?   If the plan was to strike while the seat was hot as someone indicated it wasn't ever going to be hotter than right then.  What would be the point of waiting longer than that?  And how is firing the AD two weeks before the season is over "letting it play out".  It looks as much like freak out mode as anything else would. There is no good time to fire your AD without cause, but if the reason is that the football team is underperforming, they have been underperforming since the Missouri game last year why wait until the most inconvenient time to fire the AD?

[razorbackfaninar]

is your beef that you don't think they have a replacement lined up? or that you don't think they should have fired Long?

My beef is that it looks like they made a half cocked decision to terminate the AD aga plan in place just prior to us most likely having to have a coaching search. There is going to be a lot of desirable openings already and it is one more disadvantage to us to not have an AD in place.  I thought Long was doing a fine job, but I don't care about them firing him if they thought it was the best way to move the forward, but I don't like the fact that they seem to have done it without a plan in place.  Now two weeks may prove me completely wrong, but it looks to me like the decision got rammed through.  I am just worried about where things are going to go from here and I have a hard time buying things  like " they have a secret AD hire they have made, and they have a coach who will come here no matter who the AD is.  Those things are hard for me to believe. I think they are currently scrambling for a new AD, which in my opinion means we are screwed.  Maybe I'm wrong.

[PorkSoda]

My beef is that it looks like they made a half cocked decision to terminate the AD aga plan in place just prior to us most likely having to have a coaching search. There is going to be a lot of desirable openings already and it is one more disadvantage to us to not have an AD in place.  I thought Long was doing a fine job, but I don't care about them firing him if they thought it was the best way to move the forward, but I don't like the fact that they seem to have done it without a plan in place.  Now two weeks may prove me completely wrong, but it looks to me like the decision got rammed through.  I am just worried about where things are going to go from here and I have a hard time buying things  like " they have a secret AD hire they have made, and they have a coach who will come here no matter who the AD is.  Those things are hard for me to believe. I think they are currently scrambling for a new AD, which in my opinion means we are screwed.  Maybe I'm wrong.

its been all of 2 days since they fired him.  your freak out is a tad premature IMO. 

[ricepig]

If they were going to fire him anyway because of the way the football team was performing, as we assume, then was the season going to get better after the CC game?   If the plan was to strike while the seat was hot as someone indicated it wasn't ever going to be hotter than right then.  What would be the point of waiting longer than that?  And how is firing the AD two weeks before the season is over "letting it play out".  It looks as much like freak out mode as anything else would. There is no good time to fire your AD without cause, but if the reason is that the football team is underperforming, they have been underperforming since the Missouri game last year why wait until the most inconvenient time to fire the AD?

Why was it inconvenient? The board and administration had lost confidence in him, they didn't want him making the hire, or being associated with it, so they bit the bullet, fired him, and are paying him off.

[Justagp]

I'm not buying in to illuminati schemes or the sky is falling.   its too early to tell how this is going to play out.  I just think its obvious JL had made some enemies and due to the bad season, those enemies got enough support to pull off a coup.  I'm sure they had someone in mind that they thought would further their interests. whether that person accepts the job, or we are left doing a hiring search remains to be seen.  if someone with arkansas connections is hired in the next week, it will prove that theory.  if we go with a national search, then that means they struck out on thier top choice and are now forced to do a real search.

again, the only thing we can do is wait to see how it plays out, and make judgements from there.

Good assessment.

[The Hawg Marshal]

Just because we don't know what their plan is doesn't mean they don't have a good one.

[KlubhouseKonnected]

A little disappointed we didn't have our ducks in a row when we fired Long. Would have hoped that we had someone lined up and ready to go before we go whacking our AD. Makes the situation seem less cerebral and more emotional. That worries me.

Emotional is how I wanted to describe it

[Justagp]

The people I've been talking to haven't been wrong yet which is not to say that they can't be about the AD situation but they're not saying anything about a nationwide search. They have been tight lipped about who the AD might be but they do say he will have Arkansas ties. There is speculation that it will be an ex player (no, not Tim Horton) but they didn't say that.

Oh, thank you! Your insight is always appreciated!

[RedyorNot]

Just because we don't know what their plan is doesn't mean they don't have a good one.

Thank you -

[Pigsknuckles]

Personally, I think a sharp knife cuts the cleanest.  Do it all at once, quickly, and start the healing process immediately.  Don't drag it out.

In principle I have to agree. Hence my baby bath water analogy.

[razorbackfaninar]

Why was it inconvenient? The board and administration had lost confidence in him, they didn't want him making the hire, or being associated with it, so they bit the bullet, fired him, and are paying him off.

it's not inconvenient if we are keeping Bielema, it is if we are about to have a coaching search.  They didn't have to fire him to keep him from having anything to do with the hire.

[razorbackfaninar]

its been all of 2 days since they fired him.  your freak out is a tad premature IMO.

you may be right, it just looks like a poorly thought out move from the outside looking in.  they may have a great plan.  40 years of fandom tells me not to expect it though.

[razorbackfaninar]

Just because we don't know what their plan is doesn't mean they don't have a good one.

They may, I hope they do.  All I am saying is that from the timing and the information that is being leaked it doesn't look like it to me.  That doesn't necessarily mean anything.

[The Hawg Marshal]

it's not inconvenient if we are keeping Bielema, it is if we are about to have a coaching search.  They didn't have to fire him to keep him from having anything to do with the hire.

Jeff got caught up in the politics. He knew it could cost him ,or at least he should have.

[ricepig]

it's not inconvenient if we are keeping Bielema, it is if we are about to have a coaching search.  They didn't have to fire him to keep him from having anything to do with the hire.

They did if he wasn't playing nice, and that's your opinion if it's inconvenient. I suspect this isn't the first rodeo for those running the show, I'll let them have their 8 seconds.

[HogRyder]

They did if he wasn't playing nice, and that's your opinion of it's inconvenient. I suspect this isn't the first rodeo for those running the show, I'll let them have their 8 seconds.

Agree.  Here is to better times ahead

[wachhog]

My beef is that it looks like they made a half cocked decision to terminate the AD aga plan in place just prior to us most likely having to have a coaching search. There is going to be a lot of desirable openings already and it is one more disadvantage to us to not have an AD in place.  I thought Long was doing a fine job, but I don't care about them firing him if they thought it was the best way to move the forward, but I don't like the fact that they seem to have done it without a plan in place.  Now two weeks may prove me completely wrong, but it looks to me like the decision got rammed through.  I am just worried about where things are going to go from here and I have a hard time buying things  like " they have a secret AD hire they have made, and they have a coach who will come here no matter who the AD is.  Those things are hard for me to believe. I think they are currently scrambling for a new AD, which in my opinion means we are screwed.  Maybe I'm wrong.

I'm confused. You don't think we have been screwed since the day Long fired Petrino?
Anything  anytime  would be an improvement, IMO.

[razorbackfaninar]

They did if he wasn't playing nice, and that's your opinion if it's inconvenient. I suspect this isn't the first rodeo for those running the show, I'll let them have their 8 seconds.

It may just be my opinion, but I think that most people would agree that looking for a coach and an AD at the same time is not ideal

[razorbackfaninar]

They did if he wasn't playing nice, and that's your opinion if it's inconvenient. I suspect this isn't the first rodeo for those running the show, I'll let them have their 8 seconds.

You have a lot more trust in them than I do. I hope you are right and I am wrong.

[The Hawg Marshal]

You have a lot more trust in them than I do. I hope you are right and I am wrong.

I just have to believe that the BOT , a group of smart successful people , didn't just decide to do this on the spur of the moment, without any idea what they would do next. But that's just me.

[Hoggish1]

If that is true there is a serious problem here. It seems clear now that the firing of Jeff Long had nothing to do with Bielema's on field failure but was about insider politics. If they acted hastily then either Bielema stays until a new AD is hired or the BOT will tell Peoples who to hire- neither is good.

If the rift with Long was so irreparable that it was too uncomfortable for everyone to wait until the issue of a new coach was decided the powers that be need to look in the mirror and ask themselves if what they did was for the good of the athletic programs or was about their own personal grudges. Many here didn't want Long hiring the new football coach, fair enough. Do they want the BOT to make the decision based on whatever strange criteria and prejudices they may bring to the table? Do they want a lame duck coach to stay on until well into the new year? Do they feel comfortable with the probably anonymous "search committee"  looking for someone who can satisfy all of the egos on the BOT, when they know Long couldn't even though he is respected among his peers?

By playing loose with Long they have set themselves up to fail. The right way to go was to fire Bielema and Long at the end of the season. Make it appear that the reason Long was fired was related to Bielema's failure. Hire a new AD and let him (or her) decide about the new coach. People better hope this isn't true and they do have an AD but I suspect they don't.

Why come with all the rest of your rant.  Heed you first four words and wait to see what happens before going off half cocked..

[HogFanOSU]

Speaking of short memories...the last time we went through this I seem to remember Frank Broyles "stepping down" before we "fired" Houston Nutt. How long was it between Broyles being pushed out and Long hiring? Around a year?

This mantra that it's an impossibility to fire an AD before hiring a new coach is blah.

The way I remember that is Frank Broyles announced he would retire Dec. 31, 2007.  Jeff Long was selected to replace him and brought in during the late fall of 2007 as a consultant and was tasked with finding the next football coach.  Frank Broyles was AD thru Dec. 31, 2007, and Jeff Long became AD on Jan. 1, 2008.  Technically speaking Frank was the AD when Petrino was hired.

[Pork Twain]

A little disappointed we didn't have our ducks in a row when we fired Long. Would have hoped that we had someone lined up and ready to go before we go whacking our AD. Makes the situation seem less cerebral and more emotional. That worries me.

A little disappointed people assume we did not, based off of what Bo is saying.  The same Bo, mind you, that is still crying in shock that he had no idea Long was gone.

[razorbackfaninar]

A little disappointed people assume we did not, based off of what Bo is saying.  The same Bo, mind you, that is still crying in shock that he had no idea Long was gone.

I'm not basing my concerns on anything Bo has said.  I just think the whole thing has a slipshod look about it.  Maybe this was the plan all along, and granted there are probably a great many things that none of us are privy to, but it looks to me right now like there is no plan and they fired Long with no real idea where to move next.  I can't see how firing the AD at this point in the season and with a likely coaching search upcoming is a very good plan, if they had a plan why not fire Long earlier? The season was already in the tank.  To me it seems like there was no plan and they just decided to fire Long this week. But I don't know anything it's all just guesses based on past experience and gut feelings may not amount to anything.

[sickboy]

A little disappointed people assume we did not, based off of what Bo is saying.  The same Bo, mind you, that is still crying in shock that he had no idea Long was gone.

I don't know what you're trying to say. Are you saying I'm assuming we didn't have our ducks in a row because of something this Bo guy said?

[razorbackfaninar]

I just have to believe that the BOT , a group of smart successful people , didn't just decide to do this on the spur of the moment, without any idea what they would do next. But that's just me.

It wouldn't be the first time a group like this made a half cocked decision, and it probably won't be the last if they did.

[jgphillips3]

I'm not basing my concerns on anything Bo has said.  I just think the whole thing has a slipshod look about it.  Maybe this was the plan all along, and granted there are probably a great many things that none of us are privy to, but it looks to me right now like there is no plan and they fired Long with no real idea where to move next.  I can't see how firing the AD at this point in the season and with a likely coaching search upcoming is a very good plan, if they had a plan why not fire Long earlier? The season was already in the tank.  To me it seems like there was no plan and they just decided to fire Long this week. But I don't know anything it's all just guesses based on past experience and gut feelings may not amount to anything.

You ever see one of those couples everyone thought was perfect suddenly separate and be divorced in a matter of weeks or months?  It only appeared perfect from outside.  Inside, that divorce was coming for a long time but the couple knew how to project appearances.  I would say that whatever "slipshod" or sudden appearance this has only appears that way because we aren't inside the marriage.  Now, time will tell of course, but that makes the most sense to me.  In the next 45 days or so we'll have a new coach, new AD and we'll see how it all stacks up.  Until then, I'll hope for the best.

[razorbackfaninar]

You ever see one of those couples everyone thought was perfect suddenly separate and be divorced in a matter of weeks or months?  It only appeared perfect from outside.  Inside, that divorce was coming for a long time but the couple knew how to project appearances.  I would say that whatever "slipshod" or sudden appearance this has only appears that way because we aren't inside the marriage.  Now, time will tell of course, but that makes the most sense to me.  In the next 45 days or so we'll have a new coach, new AD and we'll see how it all stacks up.  Until then, I'll hope for the best.

That's a lot of dominoes that have to fall in 45 days.  The difference with your anaology is that a marriage and business relationship are much different.  Emotion should not enter into a business relationship.  If this "marriage" was rotting from the inside and it couldn't be sustained then the "divorce" should have come at the most convenient time for the university, and I don't think it did. Again that's only my opinion, but I think the timing of this whole thing is terrible. Like you said I guess we'll see in 45 days or so.

[Pig in the Pokey]

Playing the what if game here.....If it has already been decided that Gus is the next coach and they have an agreement in principal what does it change if we have an AD or not.  Now if they have no plan on who the next HC will be then yeah it would be bad to start a search with no AD.

especially considering the man doesnt even have an AD right now at Auburn. Whats the difference?

[snoblind]

A little disappointed people assume we did not, based off of what Bo is saying.  The same Bo, mind you, that is still crying in shock that he had no idea Long was gone.

It is amusing that the many of the folks on this board who knew exactly what was "not gong to happen to JL" and lectured the rest of us for the past few weeks now presume to tell us what is happening now and to come.

Seems to me the wise thing would be to step back and see how it plays out.   

[Hollywood870]

It is amusing that the many of the folks on this board who knew exactly what was "not gong to happen to JL" and lectured the rest of us for the past few weeks now presume to tell us what is happening now and to come.

Seems to me the wise thing would be to step back and see how it plays out.   

Truth

[Inhogswetrust]

I agree that is not the way it is done in the corporate world or big time athletics, but I am telling you from everything I can see that's what it looks like we did.  I hope I am wrong and you are right, but I don't think I am.  but like with anything we'll see how it plays out and then we can tell. 

Just because it might look like there wasn't a plan doesn't mean there isn't. It could also be a matter of details to any plan. Not all plans are broken down to the umpteenth degree.

[RexMentor]

People who fire people to get even rarely think past the getting even part. It happened late in the year because they needed CBB failure to bolster their vendetta against Long. Additionally, since powerful and rich boosters were heavily involved, you have to consider the fact that they don't believe they need a fully fleshed out plan. They believe in their own infallibility -- they believe they'll get it right. Their ego won't allow any other consideration. They got rid of him. A replacement at AD and coach. That's just the snap of fingers away. That's their thinking IMO.

[ricepig]

The way I remember that is Frank Broyles announced he would retire Dec. 31, 2007.  Jeff Long was selected to replace him and brought in during the late fall of 2007 as a consultant and was tasked with finding the next football coach.  Frank Broyles was AD thru Dec. 31, 2007, and Jeff Long became AD on Jan. 1, 2008.  Technically speaking Frank was the AD when Petrino was hired.

Correct

[ricepig]

People who fire people to get even rarely think past the getting even part. It happened late in the year because they needed CBB failure to bolster their vendetta against Long. Additionally, since powerful and rich boosters were heavily involved, you have to consider the fact that they don't believe they need a fully fleshed out plan. They believe in their own infallibility -- they believe they'll get it right. Their ego won't allow any other consideration. They got rid of him. A replacement at AD and coach. That's just the snap of fingers away. That's their thinking IMO.

Well, according to Long, one of them has been trying to fire him since 2012. Surely that fellow has a plan by now, lol.

[RexMentor]

Well, according to Long, one of them has been trying to fire him since 2012. Surely that fellow has a plan by now, lol.

You would think they have a plan. They should have a plan. But maybe they don't. We'll see.