Comments on: Nice Guy Finishes Last

By: Defense Wins Champio

Defense Wins Champio — Thu, 29 Mar 2007 14:23:49 +0000

It is sad that big time college sports has pushed things to this. When this first came up, I thought that Coach Heath would be retained. So, I was surprised that he was not kept for another year. Then, my head kicked in over heart as I remembered how the EEO system works (or does not work in many cases). Contrary to what some think, supervisors hate to fire people. It is distasteful, may mean that you have failed in your hiring of a person, and means that your life may become more complicated because you must find, hire, and in some cases train another person. Most supervisors have an exceptionally strong tendency to give the person the benefit of the doubt ,and to be positive, and believe that another chance to improve or go higher in job accomplishments should be given. As I said, my mind kicked in today after I remembered how EEO works. It requires a strict accounting…no feelings allowed. Give Coach H. another year and if again the season is similar to the last one (2006-2007), and then a year later, you say this is just not going to work, therefore, we have to make a change. You make that change and then if the person challenges you in court under EEO, over and over again they will remind you that the record is the same as the one from the previous year and you did not fire the person last year, so why did you fire the person a year later. The answer must be that you descriminated against them because of …………… You then have to fight through those accusations. And some judges are ready to believe anything. Whereas, if you had taken the action a year earlier, it is more cut and dried (if things in court are every cut and dried) for that system.

If you will recall from the transcript of the court challenge by the former fired basketball coach, it was brought..alluded to… as to why that coach's actions were unsatisfactory several years later but UA did not fire him earlier, This is not how the normal person things but when you get challenged in court you have to start thinking in those ways. It forces the supervisor to be more brutal than they would like to be and forces the supervisor against their basic "want to give the benefit of the doubt" instincts. In the case of EEO, you do that and you stand a good change of being beaten by some judge that does not understand how it is in supervising people..and I doubt that most judges understand the intricacies involved in supervising and the fact that most supervisors hate to fire anyone. Based on what I know of the personnel system, Coach Broyles, as far in trying to be consistent in making personnel decisions that fit with EEO thinking, made the right call.

Now the Athletic Director that may need to be fired is the one that did not try to retain Coach Blair. That was a travesty and it was hard to watch a good women's basketball program be taken down, down, down. That was caused by a very bad personnel decision by the other UA athletic director.

By: GONZOHOG

GONZOHOG — Tue, 27 Mar 2007 17:29:21 +0000

It looks like nothing will be finalized about Gillespie, at least until Friday. A&M will finalize the package they hope he will take then. I wonder how committed Frank Broyles is to bringing him to Hogland. How high ($$$$$$$) will Frank go?

By: Seth

Seth — Tue, 27 Mar 2007 16:01:18 +0000

I would gladly welcome Rick Majeras. That would rule.

By: Carolina Hog

Carolina Hog — Tue, 27 Mar 2007 15:50:19 +0000

This is about basketball and it was time to make the move. Stan is a good man and left things better than he found them. d1nonlyhogfan, if you must divert into football, please back up your claim that football "has had more off field issues than any program in the nation." with some facts. I'm still waiting to hear Rick Majeras' name thrown around as a candidate.

By: Mike D

Mike D — Tue, 27 Mar 2007 15:39:06 +0000

Good luck Coach Heath. You were a class act when we needed it the most. You deserved one more year, but it is good to see UA committed to getting better now. Let us all hope that we get a proven winner as a coach. GO HOGS!

By: d1nonlyhogfan

d1nonlyhogfan — Tue, 27 Mar 2007 12:40:43 +0000

And once again, the "Good Ole Boy Network" is alive and well. The wrong coach is leaving the U of A. Stan earned one more season, unlike our football coach who can't keep his texts to himself and has had more off field issues than any program in the nation.

By: 10KHog

10KHog — Tue, 27 Mar 2007 10:00:43 +0000

White made the decision. Frank and most of the BOT wanted Self.

White should be the one leaving… I say we just clean house… let's hire a men's BB coach, women's BB coach, A.D., Football coach, AND a new chancellor.

(sarcasm for those who are sensitive)

By: BlindHog

BlindHog — Tue, 27 Mar 2007 08:22:11 +0000

Well said Sunshine.

ESPN made a good point about Stan leaving. Their take was that when you hire a coach with one year experience at a place like Arkansas the man making that decision should go as well. Of course Frank is on the way out. What about White?

I still worry about White.