Athletic Directors Never Know if a Coach is Going to Pan Out

[moses_007]

Any Athletic Director at any university hires a coach based on his gut feeling... that the coach he is hiring will be a winner for him.

Jeff Long took a look at Brett Bielema's body of work at Wisconsin, and he genuinely believed he was hiring the right coach to lead our program.  From what he's said lately, he still believes that.  He said recently that Bielema was doing all the right things... players were making good grades, graduating, and staying out of jail.... but that Brett just needed to win a few more games.

The question is, what does he mean by a few more games?  Just a couple more a season?  He just left fans wondering what he really meant by that statement.

What we have here is an athletic director and administration that makes its top priority in academics and players doing right off the field. 

I always thought winning football games should be the top priority, with academics and off-field issues as secondary.

I wonder why Jeff Long has it backwards?

[woodrow hog call]

Any AD that would publicly say the coach is on the hot seat, would not be the right man for the job, that is for one on one, face to face meetings.

Now that people see JL didn't screw up the buyout, we have to find another reason to hate on him?

You are exactly right about the hiring part, he had a great resume and seemed like a really good hire. Probably any AD in the country if they were in JL's shoes would have thought they were very fortunate to get a quality hire like that to a school like ours.

What he honestly thinks about CBB's performance now nobody truly knows, other than everybody in the state knows CBB has not gotten the job done to this point, JL knows this too.

Don't be fooled by public statements.

[Razorbackers]

I always thought winning football games should be the top priority, with academics and off-field issues as secondary.

I wonder why Jeff Long has it backwards?

Maybe Jeff doesn't have it backwards. Maybe you do.

[elviscat]

I don't think JL knows if he is scratching his watch or winding his ass.

[hogginbama]

Maybe Jeff doesn't have it backwards. Maybe you do.

I too thought they were student/athletes and it was about the whole picture. Winning is great, but if those winning are doing it by unethical manners and players are not getting educated what are we doing for them? For the most part, JL is right, CBB has done a good job getting the behind the scenes stuff fixed. Players are graduating with degrees, are not becoming a burden on society and represent the state well as men. The down-side is winning the games. I still believe that it was looked at as a 6-yr project when he came in, but the fast-food mentality will not allow that anymore. We expect the coaches to compete for championships within a couple of yrs and if not, then they become the scum of the earth and we despise the very ground they walk on. The man has made mistakes in the coaching arena, no doubt, and every move he makes is criticized. If an assistant is not cutting it we say the guy needs to go. When CBB replaces him, we say he sucks at retaining assistants because he sucks as a coach. The O-Line coach isnt working out, yet if he dropped him tomorrow we wouldn't say he was trying to improve the staff, we would say he is desperate. There is not a move he could have made in the past or fiture that will satisfy anyone except leaving. I fully expect him to leave this year, why would anyone want to stay where you are attacked personally and have you wife attacked with disparaging comments based on mistakes during games? Arkansas is not looked down upon based on the field performance by football fans outside the state, it is looked down upon by the actions of a lot of their fans.

[HardCore]

Jeff Fired one who was panning out great.

[factchecker]

Arkansas is not looked down upon based on the field performance by football fans outside the state, it is looked down upon by the actions of a lot of their fans.

Amen.

[Tyro3]

Jeff Fired one who was panning out great.

You are joking, right?

[Snortingred1]

You are joking, right?

They are never going to get it.  Doesn't matter that BP spat in the face of the university, keep him, so he can keep spitting in the face of the university.  The legal issues don't matter, as long as he stays.  Let the university take the legal hit as long as we get to keep the coach.  Unbelievable.  I hope some of these people don't have kids that they are teaching morals. 

[moses_007]

I don't think JL knows if he is scratching his watch or winding his ass.

+100.

[Boardon Hamsay]

Jeff Fired one who was panning out great.

I typically have the mindset that on average, it takes half the duration of the relationship to move past the relationship when it ends.  So, the average fan moved past CBP fully (getting past anger, denial, acceptance, etc.) somewhere in 2014.  Since it's now nearing the end of 2017, I can only assume that the folks that are still arguing over CBP are the football fan equivalent of a creepy guy/girl that is still in some form or fashion, keeping tabs on an ex.  Could be the occasional facebook page creepage kind of keeping tabs or the more seriously demented creeping in the neighbor's bushes kind of keeping tabs.   

I think some here have even vaulted way past the neighbor's bushes kind of keeping tabs and moved to the apex of creepy tab keeping which is something along the lines of either still sleeping in the ex's underwear drawer or combing through their trash bags in the hopes of finding a sentimental toe nail clipping.  Seriously guys! You need to own your own baggage/creepiness! CBP is gone and some of you are clinging on like a psycho stalker!  Move on!

[moses_007]

Darrell Royal, our fans are still basking in the glory of the Petrino years since that's the last success we've had in football.  We finished his last season ranked #5 in the Nation... and were one victory away from playing for the National Championship.

Look where we are now.  Can't win a conference game, and cellar dwellers of our division.

[go hogues]

Arkansas is not looked down upon based on the field performance by football fans outside the state, it is looked down upon by the actions of a lot of their fans.

Please.

Put the loony problems that have beset our program over the last decade on any other rabid fanbase in the nation and watch how they react?

[BallHog1]

I always thought winning football games should be the top priority, with academics and off-field issues as secondary.

I wonder why Jeff Long has it backwards?

I think you'd be here raising he'll about the coach if the kids were winning but not passing class and getting arrested. And I dont mean just you.
People like to complain when someone has something they wish they had and those people are rarely satisfied.
The complaint would just change....he doesn't have discipline, he doesn't have control of the team, etc.

[thebignasty]

There are zero athletic directors in the power 5 who would say out loud that grades are less important than winning.

[Spektre]

At first, I thought it could possibly be a decent hire. It didn't take long to realize it wasn't going to work, so it should have been obvious to someone who is brought in to specifically make these kinds of decisions.

1) "We're going to line up and run it right down their throats." - with less talent than quite a bit of the conference. A strategy that is built on having more talent/size/speed than the other team.
2) "Our philosophy on defense is bend but don't break." - again, play off, and wait for teams with more talent to make mistakes. A strategy typically built on having more talent/size/speed than the other team... otherwise there is no making up for the cushion that is being provided in the so-called "bending." The only bending is over.
3) This is a big one that most don't notice: After the first 2 have NOT worked for quite awhile, instead of trying to come up with different ideas that MIGHT work against SEC teams and TRYING them against the cupcake teams... "We're going back to our roots... old school, smash mouth football!" Again... a strategy for having more talent/size/speed than the other team.

Just because it worked against Greensboro Tire and Lube Flag Football Squad 2B doesn't mean you can do the same damn thing against Auburn, Alabama, LSU, Miss St, etc... etc... etc...

It doesn't take Ms. Cleo to know the future of where that's going to get us. Either get a coach that can miraculously bring enough talent to allow for a standard strategy (unlikely), or get someone that's bringing something to the table that levels the damn playing field with the talent we CAN get.

[BallHog1]

I too thought they were student/athletes and it was about the whole picture. Winning is great, but if those winning are doing it by unethical manners and players are not getting educated what are we doing for them? For the most part, JL is right, CBB has done a good job getting the behind the scenes stuff fixed. Players are graduating with degrees, are not becoming a burden on society and represent the state well as men. The down-side is winning the games. I still believe that it was looked at as a 6-yr project when he came in, but the fast-food mentality will not allow that anymore. We expect the coaches to compete for championships within a couple of yrs and if not, then they become the scum of the earth and we despise the very ground they walk on. The man has made mistakes in the coaching arena, no doubt, and every move he makes is criticized. If an assistant is not cutting it we say the guy needs to go. When CBB replaces him, we say he sucks at retaining assistants because he sucks as a coach. The O-Line coach isnt working out, yet if he dropped him tomorrow we wouldn't say he was trying to improve the staff, we would say he is desperate. There is not a move he could have made in the past or fiture that will satisfy anyone except leaving. I fully expect him to leave this year, why would anyone want to stay where you are attacked personally and have you wife attacked with disparaging comments based on mistakes during games? Arkansas is not looked down upon based on the field performance by football fans outside the state, it is looked down upon by the actions of a lot of their fans.

This ...so much, just this.

[Spektre]

I too thought they were student/athletes and it was about the whole picture. Winning is great, but if those winning are doing it by unethical manners and players are not getting educated what are we doing for them? For the most part, JL is right, CBB has done a good job getting the behind the scenes stuff fixed. Players are graduating with degrees, are not becoming a burden on society and represent the state well as men. The down-side is winning the games. I still believe that it was looked at as a 6-yr project when he came in, but the fast-food mentality will not allow that anymore. We expect the coaches to compete for championships within a couple of yrs and if not, then they become the scum of the earth and we despise the very ground they walk on. The man has made mistakes in the coaching arena, no doubt, and every move he makes is criticized. If an assistant is not cutting it we say the guy needs to go. When CBB replaces him, we say he sucks at retaining assistants because he sucks as a coach. The O-Line coach isnt working out, yet if he dropped him tomorrow we wouldn't say he was trying to improve the staff, we would say he is desperate. There is not a move he could have made in the past or fiture that will satisfy anyone except leaving. I fully expect him to leave this year, why would anyone want to stay where you are attacked personally and have you wife attacked with disparaging comments based on mistakes during games? Arkansas is not looked down upon based on the field performance by football fans outside the state, it is looked down upon by the actions of a lot of their fans.

I agree with a lot of what you've said. I really do. It is a shame... in a way... except he's making millions and millions of dollars. The guy never has to work a day in his life again if he doesn't want to and his kids/grandkids/grandkids' grandkids could be set for life. That's for 5 years of work. I'm not going to throw a pity party for the guy, or anyone making that kind of money EVER. At the end of the day, he's golden. If he's not successful, bring in someone else. It's not a crime to want your team and program to succeed, and it's certainly not a crime to expect better things from someone making that kind of money at whatever they do. Contrary to most, I don't have anything against the guy whatsoever. He's probably a good dude, but he's not what Arkansas needs to get over the hump.

And there are fans like that for every team out there... we only see Arkansas fans because we don't spend time on forums reading about other teams we don't give a crap about. Why would we?

[Boardon Hamsay]

Darrell Royal, our fans are still basking in the glory of the Petrino years since that's the last success we've had in football.  We finished his last season ranked #5 in the Nation... and were one victory away from playing for the National Championship.

Look where we are now.  Can't win a conference game, and cellar dwellers of our division.

Is this whole basking in the past glory thing supposed to be filled with angst, anxiety, anger, derision, etc.?  Just want to level set here as I figured basking in past glory would involve more joyous and fun memories. How about we be a little more honest about things. Some folks simply can't untuck their sacks enough to own the fact that they can't manage their disappointment and that their fandom actually brings out the worst in them. But hey, keep enjoying that glory basking. Seems to be generating some fine results.

[Boardon Hamsay]

I keep a file on a redhead I've known since first grade. She was in second grade, so she's older.

So that's okay right?

I'm not weird? Right?

I'm gonna need to ponder on that one for a bit. I'll circle back once I run some numbers.

[BallHog1]

I agree with a lot of what you've said. I really do. It is a shame... in a way... except he's making millions and millions of dollars. The guy never has to work a day in his life again if he doesn't want to and his kids/grandkids/grandkids' grandkids could be set for life. That's for 5 years of work. I'm not going to throw a pity party for the guy, or anyone making that kind of money EVER. At the end of the day, he's golden. If he's not successful, bring in someone else. It's not a crime to want your team and program to succeed, and it's certainly not a crime to expect better things from someone making that kind of money at whatever they do. Contrary to most, I don't have anything against the guy whatsoever. He's probably a good dude, but he's not what Arkansas needs to get over the hump.

And there are fans like that for every team out there... we only see Arkansas fans because we don't spend time on forums reading about other teams we don't give a crap about. Why would we?

Are you upset that he makes a lot of money or that he isn't winning. If he was winning but kids were getting arrested, would you be upset that kids were getting anrrested or that he was making a lot of money?
He gets the the money because the market allows it. It's like getting mad at the oil companies when gas goes up. Not really their fault, they get what the market will pay them.

[Spektre]

Are you upset that he makes a lot of money or that he isn't winning. If he was winning but kids were getting arrested, would you be upset that kids were getting anrrested or that he was making a lot of money?
He gets the the money because the market allows it. It's like getting mad at the oil companies when gas goes up. Not really their fault, they get what the market will pay them.

Call me old-fashioned... I guess I just assume anyone making that kind of money would do their job. Pretty sure all of it falls into that category... being held accountable for all duties of the position. Last time I checked, hardly anyone gets a warm welcome at the office for a 30% success rate, even if their employees didn't steal the company staplers and they spelled their names correctly on the sign-in sheets.

Whether you make $10 an hour, $100,000 a year, or $150,000 per day... you're hired to do a job. Typically, the more the money, the more is expected by employers for their investment. Markets can say what they want, and I don't hold that against any coach or player. Make your paper, boo-boo. I'm just not going to feel bad when a person gets canned for not doing what they're being paid to do regardless of how much they're paid to do it, especially when they never have to work again as a result.

[BallHog1]

Call me old-fashioned... I guess I just assume anyone making that kind of money would do their job. Pretty sure all of it falls into that category... being held accountable for all duties of the position. Last time I checked, hardly anyone gets a warm welcome at the office for a 30% success rate, even if their employees didn't steal the company staplers and they spelled their names correctly on the sign-in sheets.

Whether you make $10 an hour, $100,000 a year, or $150,000 per day... you're hired to do a job. Typically, the more the money, the more is expected by employers for their investment. Markets can say what they want, and I don't hold that against any coach or player. Make your paper, boo-boo. I'm just not going to feel bad when a person gets canned for not doing what they're being paid to do regardless of how much they're paid to do it, especially when they never have to work again as a result.

Oh I won't feel bad for him either. he'll be fine.
Just seems like slot of people look for any fault they can find in anyone making more than they do. And I'd bet if the kids were getting arrested it would come up then too.

[HardCore]

They are never going to get it.  Doesn't matter that BP spat in the face of the university, keep him, so he can keep spitting in the face of the university.  The legal issues don't matter, as long as he stays.  Let the university take the legal hit as long as we get to keep the coach.  Unbelievable.  I hope some of these people don't have kids that they are teaching morals. 

Well, I guess you all will probably get to keep your "moral" Jeff Long.  I see him as the individual spitting on my Alma Mater.  We are now the laughing stock of the SEC.  JL is all about himself...everything he has done has only benefited one party....himself.  Pitt didn't chase him out for no reason.  But, I don't get it.

[DeltaBoy]

Any Athletic Director at any university hires a coach based on his gut feeling... that the coach he is hiring will be a winner for him.

Jeff Long took a look at Brett Bielema's body of work at Wisconsin, and he genuinely believed he was hiring the right coach to lead our program.  From what he's said lately, he still believes that.  He said recently that Bielema was doing all the right things... players were making good grades, graduating, and staying out of jail.... but that Brett just needed to win a few more games.

The question is, what does he mean by a few more games?  Just a couple more a season?  He just left fans wondering what he really meant by that statement.

What we have here is an athletic director and administration that makes its top priority in academics and players doing right off the field. 

I always thought winning football games should be the top priority, with academics and off-field issues as secondary.

I wonder why Jeff Long has it backwards?

I  believe lots of things with my gut but I  been wrong and Jeff is WRONG!

[SRV]

I typically have the mindset that on average, it takes half the duration of the relationship to move past the relationship when it ends.  So, the average fan moved past CBP fully (getting past anger, denial, acceptance, etc.) somewhere in 2014.  Since it's now nearing the end of 2017, I can only assume that the folks that are still arguing over CBP are the football fan equivalent of a creepy guy/girl that is still in some form or fashion, keeping tabs on an ex.  Could be the occasional facebook page creepage kind of keeping tabs or the more seriously demented creeping in the neighbor's bushes kind of keeping tabs.   

I think some here have even vaulted way past the neighbor's bushes kind of keeping tabs and moved to the apex of creepy tab keeping which is something along the lines of either still sleeping in the ex's underwear drawer or combing through their trash bags in the hopes of finding a sentimental toe nail clipping.  Seriously guys! You need to own your own baggage/creepiness! CBP is gone and some of you are clinging on like a psycho stalker!  Move on!

THIS...... .is an amazing freaking post. Excellent work sir.

[island hog]

Well, I guess you all will probably get to keep your "moral" Jeff Long.  I see him as the individual spitting on my Alma Mater.  We are now the laughing stock of the SEC.  JL is all about himself...everything he has done has only benefited one party....himself.  Pitt didn't chase him out for no reason.  But, I don't get it.

pls explain how everything Long has done was done just to benefit him. Where do you come up with this crap?  Oh that's right, you read it on HV

[wildhogman]

 

Darrell Royal, our fans are still basking in the glory of the Petrino years since that's the last success we've had in football.  We finished his last season ranked #5 in the Nation... and were one victory away from playing for the National Championship.

Look where we are now.  Can't win a conference game, and cellar dwellers of our division.

OMG. I wasn't gonna post about Harley booby again. But you people are pathetic. Great?? great??  is it great to lose to UK and LSU who at the time had an interim, and one year later loses to Troy? Troy who lost to UAB last night in a terrible fashion? 
If he is so great why is his team already out of the hunt for a playoff spot 6 games into this season??  Great??
Hatfield was great. Lou was Great.  Hell even the Nutt made it to the 'ship twice.  But hang your hat on a man who lost to OHst. One of the few loses by an SEC team to a Big team. Yeah Boobs is great. SMDH.
I guess your idea of great is putting up lots of numbers and looking pretty entertaining while losing games that matter.   

[HardCore]

You need to own your own baggage/creepiness! CBP is gone and some of you are clinging on like a psycho stalker!  Move on!

Apparently we did move on........on to JLS and now CBB.

[OneTuskOverTheLine™]

Any AD that would publicly say the coach is on the hot seat, would not be the right man for the job, that is for one on one, face to face meetings.

Now that people see JL didn't screw up the buyout, we have to find another reason to hate on him?

You are exactly right about the hiring part, he had a great resume and seemed like a really good hire. Probably any AD in the country if they were in JL's shoes would have thought they were very fortunate to get a quality hire like that to a school like ours.

What he honestly thinks about CBB's performance now nobody truly knows, other than everybody in the state knows CBB has not gotten the job done to this point, JL knows this too.

Don't be fooled by public statements.

Occam's Razor...

[HardCore]

I guess your idea of great is putting up lots of numbers and looking pretty entertaining while losing games that matter.   

So what constitutes great, then?   Losing ALL of our games?  That's where we are right now.  Tell me...because I don't get it.

[Porkchop#1]

  OMG. I wasn't gonna post about Harley booby again. But you people are pathetic. Great?? great??  is it great to lose to UK and LSU who at the time had an interim, and one year later loses to Troy? Troy who lost to UAB last night in a terrible fashion? 
If he is so great why is his team already out of the hunt for a playoff spot 6 games into this season??  Great??
Hatfield was great. Lou was Great.  Hell even the Nutt made it to the 'ship twice.  But hang your hat on a man who lost to OHst. One of the few loses by an SEC team to a Big team. Yeah Boobs is great. SMDH.
I guess your idea of great is putting up lots of numbers and looking pretty entertaining while losing games that matter.

You probably need to stop SYDH....Boob's last team finished #5 in the polls.....Lou's didn't, Kenny's didn't, Hootn's didn't and it's not looking like Bret's will.

[swineology]

Darrell Royal, our fans are still basking in the glory of the Petrino years since that's the last success we've had in football.  We finished his last season ranked #5 in the Nation... and were one victory away from playing for the National Championship.

Look where we are now.  Can't win a conference game, and cellar dwellers of our division.

Sadly BP is still in the same spot, Big game BOB!

[TheJoeyBucketz]

I keep a file on a redhead I've known since first grade. She was in second grade, so she's older.

So that's okay right?

I'm not weird? Right?

I will definitely need some pics of this redhead before I answer that.

[Inhogswetrust]

Jeff Fired one who was panning out great.

He was panning for something else.

[10thPlanet]

Isn't it part of an AD's duties to know if a coach they hired is going to pan out?

[NaturalStateReb]

Isn't it part of an AD's duties to know if a coach they hired is going to pan out?

Not really.

As anyone who's hired anyone will tell you, every time you hire someone you're taking a calculated risk regardless of their credentials.  No one can guarantee that a hire will work out, whether you're hiring a coach or a secretary.

[sickboy]

Isn't it part of an AD's duties to know if a coach they hired is going to pan out?

No one can predict the future. You think "falling off motorcycle with his mistress" was one of the caveats on Petrino's resume?

Unfortunately, it's a big country. Winning at one program doesn't always equate to winning at another program. Unless you're hiring a genius-level coach, which there are maybe two or three of out there... then hiring is absolutely a crap shoot.

[10thPlanet]

Not really.

As anyone who's hired anyone will tell you, every time you hire someone you're taking a calculated risk regardless of their credentials.  No one can guarantee that a hire will work out, whether you're hiring a coach or a secretary.

So you're saying if you're a manager at XYZ fast food restaurant, the manager isn't responsible for the candidates he or she had chosen for the job? Do you own a business? I have a B.S. in Business. I think I would be a great employee for you. I would hold myself accountable for my failures, even if you don't think I should be.

[BallHog1]

No one can predict the future. You think "falling off motorcycle with his mistress" was one of the caveats on Petrino's resume?

Unfortunately, it's a big country. Winning at one program doesn't always equate to winning at another program. Unless you're hiring a genius-level coach, which there are maybe two or three of out there... then hiring is absolutely a crap shoot.

Hiring is a lot like getting married. Its dangerous and you should only do it sober.

[10thPlanet]

No one can predict the future. You think "falling off motorcycle with his mistress" was one of the caveats on Petrino's resume?

Unfortunately, it's a big country. Winning at one program doesn't always equate to winning at another program. Unless you're hiring a genius-level coach, which there are maybe two or three of out there... then hiring is absolutely a crap shoot.

The motorcycle incident is different. If it had been at Ala he would still have a job. Wins and losses. We didn't hire BP to be our pastor.
Does anyone believe in accountability anymore? You think it's good to fire a man who was getting some tail while winning(his job), but not ok to fire a guy hiring dud(losing) coaches. I don't know maybe I am just old.

[hog911]

Maybe Jeff doesn't have it backwards. Maybe you do.

He's called athletic director, I repeat athletic director! If education is all he's focused on then pay him like a tenure professor! Also, I'm sure if winning doesn't matter, why expand the football stadium, build the football center, basketball practice facility, etc. Jeffy Long plays which ever side works best for him!

[BallHog1]

The motorcycle incident is different. If it had been at Ala he would still have a job. Wins and losses. We didn't hire BP to be our pastor.
Does anyone believe in accountability anymore? You think it's good to fire a man who was getting some tail while winning(his job), but not ok to fire a guy hiring dud(losing) coaches. I don't know maybe I am just old.

I believe Petrino was held accountable for his bad decisions.

[10thPlanet]

I believe Petrino was held accountable for his bad decisions.

Then so should an AD for having a losing program?

[sickboy]

The motorcycle incident is different. If it had been at Ala he would still have a job. Wins and losses. We didn't hire BP to be our pastor.
Does anyone believe in accountability anymore? You think it's good to fire a man who was getting some tail while winning(his job), but not ok to fire a guy hiring dud(losing) coaches. I don't know maybe I am just old.

I think you're missing my point. I'm not judging Petrino for getting some tail or cheating on his wife. That's between him and his ladies. I'm just saying you can't predict those things ahead of time. If you could, then hiring would be a lot easier.

And also keep in mind... Long is different things to fans than he is to the University and the BOT and the upper echelon of AD circles. To people around here, Long is the guy who picks the head football coach. To the University and the BOT, that's one of Long's duties, but his main prerogative is making this program lucrative. And if anyone read Bielema's contract, you'll see there's some nice little opening "toot our own horn" language in there where they make mention that Arkansas is one of the few programs in the country that is financially strong enough to pay their own coaches directly out of self generated revenues. That's what Long's real job is and that's why he's a well respected Athletic Director.

In fact, you can't really even compare a head coach and an AD. They have two totally different roles and agendas. There's some overlap, sure. But one's job relies on winning football games. The other's doesn't.

[Tyro3]

So you're saying if you're a manager at XYZ fast food restaurant, the manager isn't responsible for the candidates he or she had chosen for the job? Do you own a business? I have a B.S. in Business. I think I would be a great employee for you. I would hold myself accountable for my failures, even if you don't think I should be.

I believe the B.S. part.

[sickboy]

So you're saying if you're a manager at XYZ fast food restaurant, the manager isn't responsible for the candidates he or she had chosen for the job? Do you own a business? I have a B.S. in Business. I think I would be a great employee for you. I would hold myself accountable for my failures, even if you don't think I should be.

You may have BS in business, but have you ever worked at a fast food chain? Managers don't get fired when some stupid employee slacks or doesn't show up to work at a Taco Bell -- they just fire the employee and plug in a new minimum wage worker. The standards are pretty low.

At the end of the day -- the manager keeps his/her job if the Taco Bell is generating appropriate revenues. Not if Tammy Two-Toe isn't answering her phone when it's twenty minutes into her window shift and Jamal's burning buritos because he's high as a kite.

[rhames]

I think you're missing my point. I'm not judging Petrino for getting some tail or cheating on his wife. That's between him and his ladies. I'm just saying you can't predict those things ahead of time. If you could, then hiring would be a lot easier.

And also keep in mind... Long is different things to fans than he is to the University and the BOT and the upper echelon of AD circles. To people around here, Long is the guy who picks the head football coach. To the University and the BOT, that's one of Long's duties, but his main prerogative is making this program lucrative. And if anyone read Bielema's contract, you'll see there's some nice little opening "toot our own horn" language in there where they make mention that Arkansas is one of the few programs in the country that is financially strong enough to pay their own coaches directly out of self generated revenues. That's what Long's real job is and that's why he's a well respected Athletic Director.

In fact, you can't really even compare a head coach and an AD. They have two totally different roles and agendas. There's some overlap, sure. But one's job relies on winning football games. The other's doesn't.

Well put

[Inhogswetrust]

Not really.

As anyone who's hired anyone will tell you, every time you hire someone you're taking a calculated risk regardless of their credentials.  No one can guarantee that a hire will work out, whether you're hiring a coach or a secretary.

Bingo! It is simply mindboggling how some people think that hiring is so easy and always works out as planned. I've hired and fired a lot of people over the years. Some worked out as planned and some failed miserably. When I hired them though the plan and thought was that ALL of them would work out or I wouldn't have hired them.

[NaturalStateReb]

So you're saying if you're a manager at XYZ fast food restaurant, the manager isn't responsible for the candidates he or she had chosen for the job? Do you own a business? I have a B.S. in Business. I think I would be a great employee for you. I would hold myself accountable for my failures, even if you don't think I should be.

Sure you should be accountable. That's not the same as being assured that nothing will go wrong when you hire people. Ive hired dozens of people. You do your due diligence, but there's no such thing as an absolute guarantee when you hire someone.