Here's an excerpt:
I'm not changing coaches," Johnson said.
Hmmm. Not even if Memphis loses the rest of its games?
"Tommy West will be our coach next year," Johnson said. "I guarantee it."
Well. That settles that, then. The athletic director guarantees Memphis isn't making a coaching change.
So go ahead and get all outraged if you like, Memphis fans. Call the talk-in shows and flood the message boards and send off angry E-mails.
But Johnson is right about one thing: The head coach is not the only problem with Memphis football.
The problem is also Johnson. And president Shirley Raines. And a university that says it wants a first-class football program but doesn't have the ambition or the vision to get it done.
Ok then. Regardless of whether you support an On-Campus Stadium for the U of M or not, you have to agree that the football program is wandering aimlessly, as we have gone from a coach who could recruit but couldn't coach his players (Rip Scherer) to a coach who could coach the hell out of his players but couldn't recruit good ones (West). The University does not appear to give two hoots in hell about the program, so if you're not going to commit to it, why keep it?Read the rest of Calkins' column; as always, it's well worth your time.
Hat tip to Julie for the link!
6 comments:
I have nothing more to add
Tiger Hi doesn't need a "first-class football program."
It needs a first-class academic program, and first-rate students.
These taxpayer-subsidized state institutions weren't created to provide ritualized tribal warfare for wahoos.
The bigger question: "Why is RC Johnson still the athletic director?"
RC showed he is, at best, third rate for firing Larry Finch at the hot dog stand. It may have been time for a change, but there is a time and a place. Coach Finch did so much for the school and for Memphis; such disrespect is indicative of the third-rate, classless style RC perpetuates.
I voted with my "feet" and cancelled my long-time season tickets to U of M atheletics after that debacle. Won't go back until RC is gone.
Wintermute obviously doesn't believe in multi-tasking.
The U of M can, and should improve both academics AND athletics.
They made a mistake not looking into a new stadium sooner. UCF built their 45,000 seat stadium for 55 million. Ive also heard the new AD at UAB is currently trying to come up with the funding to build a 35,000 seat stadium on UAB's campus.
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