Tom Bowen is responsible for arguably the worst contract in college basketball history. That will stick with him. He's been looking for other jobs (Cal, Illinois), but I can't imagine he'll get one with that on his resume. He basically crippled a proud bball program.

As for those of you who want to argue that the Pastner contract isn't his fault, that's BS. He's the athletic director for crying out loud. It was his call.

fire him too?

(02-11-2016 10:22 AM)fsquid Wrote:  fire him too?

You certainly won't have to be concerned about him being scooped up by someone else.

(02-11-2016 10:22 AM)fsquid Wrote:  fire him too?

Once blood is in the water, feeding frenzies are likely.

(02-11-2016 10:25 AM)TiminMem23 Wrote:  

(02-11-2016 10:22 AM)fsquid Wrote:  fire him too?

You certainly won't have to be concerned about him being scooped up by someone else.

I think you are quite wrong about that. Can you name a better athletic director that we ever had?

(02-11-2016 10:27 AM)Gray Avenger Wrote:  

(02-11-2016 10:25 AM)TiminMem23 Wrote:  

(02-11-2016 10:22 AM)fsquid Wrote:  fire him too?

You certainly won't have to be concerned about him being scooped up by someone else.

I think you are quite wrong about that. Can you name a better athletic director that we ever had?

That's a trick question.

(02-11-2016 10:27 AM)Gray Avenger Wrote:  

(02-11-2016 10:25 AM)TiminMem23 Wrote:  

(02-11-2016 10:22 AM)fsquid Wrote:  fire him too?

You certainly won't have to be concerned about him being scooped up by someone else.

I think you are quite wrong about that. Can you name a better athletic director that we ever had?

Are you kidding? What part of 'He's responsible for arguably the worst contract in college bball history' did you not understand? That will stick with him any time he tries to apply for other jobs. If you were a university president looking to hire an AD, would you not have major concerns about that? Would you want to hire a guy who is responsible for having to pay the largest buyout in college bball history to get rid of a coach? And this at a school that doesn't have unlimited funding to pay it. It's one thing for Notre Dame to do it. It's another for Memphis.

Most schools looking for a new AD are worried about football. If I was looking for a guy who can turn around a football program I would at least consider him.

(02-11-2016 10:39 AM)Trapper John Wrote:  Most schools looking for a new AD are worried about football. If I was looking for a guy who can turn around a football program I would at least consider him.

Yep - the changes surrounding FB would supercede the bball contract in most program's eyes.

That said, Bowen has already been placing the blame on the contract with Shirley Raines. At the St. Louis men's thing apparently that's what he did...if/when he starts looking for other opportunities, you can bet he'll spin it that way to them as well, and there will be no one at the U of M to contradict him, because they've cleaned house since those days.

(02-11-2016 10:19 AM)TiminMem23 Wrote:  Tom Bowen is responsible for arguably the worst contract in college basketball history. That will stick with him. He's been looking for other jobs (Cal, Illinois), but I can't imagine he'll get one with that on his resume. He basically crippled a proud bball program.

As for those of you who want to argue that the Pastner contract isn't his fault, that's BS. He's the athletic director for crying out loud. It was his call.

Wasn't he new on the job when the extension was done? Not saying you are wrong, but someone else higher I would think ok'd it. Was Dr. Raines still the President ?

(02-11-2016 10:39 AM)Trapper John Wrote:  Most schools looking for a new AD are worried about football. If I was looking for a guy who can turn around a football program I would at least consider him.

Who turned the football program around? Bowen or Fuente? They were both hired at about the same time by a search committee. I'm not sure I'm willing to give Bowen credit for the Fuente hire. Even if you do want to credit him for that, that doesn't make up for absolutely crippling a basketball program, and by de facto, the overall athletic department. We are talking a $10.6 million hole. That's a hole Memphis can't afford to dig out of.

I understood that Bowen was brought in to fix football and several of his moves seemed to suggest that Bball had to take a back seat in order to do what was necessary to turn around the football program.

What I don't understand is why he felt like he had to go along with Pastner's contract extension. Even if Pastner had lived up to the potential, this contract tied up millions of booster donations for years.

(02-11-2016 10:46 AM)TiminMem23 Wrote:  

(02-11-2016 10:39 AM)Trapper John Wrote:  Most schools looking for a new AD are worried about football. If I was looking for a guy who can turn around a football program I would at least consider him.

Who turned the football program around? Bowen or Fuente? They were both hired at about the same time by a search committee. I'm not sure I'm willing to give Bowen credit for the Fuente hire. Even if you do want to credit him for that, that doesn't make up for absolutely crippling a basketball program, and by de facto, the overall athletic department. We are talking a $10.6 million hole. That's a hole Memphis can't afford to dig out of.

Yes we can good lord people act like the basketball team has never sucked before.

Here's what amazes me: the anger on this board is directed at Pastner and not Bowen. It's not Pastner's fault he has the contract he does. It's not his fault the University can't get rid of him.

(02-11-2016 10:48 AM)EdmondTiger Wrote:  I understood that Bowen was brought in to fix football and several of his moves seemed to suggest that Bball had to take a back seat in order to do what was necessary to turn around the football program.

What I don't understand is why he felt like he had to go along with Pastner's contract extension. Even if Pastner had lived up to the potential, this contract tied up millions of booster donations for years.

You don't tie up millions from boosters without the boosters wanting to do it

(02-11-2016 10:49 AM)MemphisFan95 Wrote:  

(02-11-2016 10:46 AM)TiminMem23 Wrote:  

(02-11-2016 10:39 AM)Trapper John Wrote:  Most schools looking for a new AD are worried about football. If I was looking for a guy who can turn around a football program I would at least consider him.

Who turned the football program around? Bowen or Fuente? They were both hired at about the same time by a search committee. I'm not sure I'm willing to give Bowen credit for the Fuente hire. Even if you do want to credit him for that, that doesn't make up for absolutely crippling a basketball program, and by de facto, the overall athletic department. We are talking a $10.6 million hole. That's a hole Memphis can't afford to dig out of.

Yes we can good lord people act like the basketball team has never sucked before.

We are talking about the financial hole. No school has ever had to dig out of one that deep, at least not in bball.

(02-11-2016 10:50 AM)TiminMem23 Wrote:  Here's what amazes me: the anger on this board is directed at Pastner and not Bowen. It's not Pastner's fault he has the contract he does. It's not his fault the University can't get rid of him.

I think there is plenty of anger to go around.

I'll leave it at this: whose fault is it that Pastner is still the coach? Here's a hint: it's not Pastner's fault.

(02-11-2016 10:51 AM)TiminMem23 Wrote:  

(02-11-2016 10:49 AM)MemphisFan95 Wrote:  

(02-11-2016 10:46 AM)TiminMem23 Wrote:  

(02-11-2016 10:39 AM)Trapper John Wrote:  Most schools looking for a new AD are worried about football. If I was looking for a guy who can turn around a football program I would at least consider him.

Who turned the football program around? Bowen or Fuente? They were both hired at about the same time by a search committee. I'm not sure I'm willing to give Bowen credit for the Fuente hire. Even if you do want to credit him for that, that doesn't make up for absolutely crippling a basketball program, and by de facto, the overall athletic department. We are talking a $10.6 million hole. That's a hole Memphis can't afford to dig out of.

Yes we can good lord people act like the basketball team has never sucked before.

We are talking about the financial hole. No school has ever had to dig out of one that deep, at least not in bball.

Doesn't matter plenty of good coaches to be had under a million then poof in 5 years no more hole

(02-11-2016 10:39 AM)Trapper John Wrote:  Most schools looking for a new AD are worried about football. If I was looking for a guy who can turn around a football program I would at least consider him.

Yep, not sure why people still struggle with this - basketball only "matters" for the small schools (the Butler's and Villanova's of the world). Sure, it's important at Memphis - it's really important! But it's not what is directing the future of the Athletic Department and the University itself! We neglected football for far too long, and Bowen has done a pretty fine job of getting it back on track. This is all about positioning ourselves for entrance into a P5.

I don't think Bowen could have said to the boosters (especially considering this was early on in his tenure) "No, I don't want you to give these millions of dollars to the University to pay our basketball coach". So, Pastner was getting paid no matter what.

However, I do think that, as the AD, he should have stepped in and prevented the auto-renewals (which are the only real issue I have with Pastner's contract). That, in my opinion, is the one thing you can look at to say where Bowen messed up.

Other than that, I gotta agree with GA - name me a better AD at Memphis.