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EagNBran Offline
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Bennett stepping down
Another good thing for Athletics. Now need a president who actually cares.
01-21-2022 07:41 PM
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SouthernMissSNu Offline
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RE: Bennett stepping down
I’ve heard this sentiment a lot but what makes Bennett care less about Athletics as compared to Saunders or Lucas or Thames? They’re presidents, not ADs
01-22-2022 06:28 PM
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gdunn Offline
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RE: Bennett stepping down
Any reason as to why he’s stepping down
01-23-2022 04:39 PM
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SouthernMissSNu Offline
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RE: Bennett stepping down
(01-23-2022 04:39 PM)gdunn Wrote:  Any reason as to why he’s stepping down

His contract is not being extended by IHL. He’ll be President through 2023 unless he steps down sooner.
01-24-2022 12:11 AM
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HarborPointe Online
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RE: Bennett stepping down
(01-22-2022 06:28 PM)SouthernMissSNu Wrote:  I’ve heard this sentiment a lot but what makes Bennett care less about Athletics as compared to Saunders or Lucas or Thames? They’re presidents, not ADs

Yeah, I can’t wait to be mad at the next guy who doesn’t close the Math Department in order to fund an IPF. LOL

Did he do everything right? Of course not, but if he didn’t care, Hammond would still be our A.D. He took a shot that McGillis’ AAC contacts would get us in with them, and it nearly worked. When it didn’t and McGillis spun our wheels otherwise, McGillis was gone. Gilbert was a dud, there’s no polishing that turd, but now we have McClain and are TFO of CUSA, so he’s leaving us better off than he found us. He’s also the one who instigated putting artificial turf on the baseball field. There’s a post somewhere on this board with a link confirming that.

Some folks are still mad because he didn’t let a desperate coach hire an assistant who rained sh*t down upon us just by interviewing and hasn’t been touched by another college program since.
01-24-2022 01:16 AM
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EagNBran Offline
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RE: Bennett stepping down
In the first couple years of his tenure, he sat in a room of supporters who told him the improvements that needed to happen to our facilities, our coaches, and our conference. They didn't say we needed to be in the SEC, just said the obvious problems we were facing as an athletic department that they'd witnessed over decades of support. His response?

"I think you guys view Southern Miss way more highly than I do."


The guy thought we belonged at the bottom of CUSA. Heck yeah Saunders supported athletics far more than Bennett. That statement alone shows me you haven't had much interaction with the presidents. She was far from perfect, but she did support athletics.
01-24-2022 09:48 AM
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EagNBran Offline
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RE: Bennett stepping down
(01-24-2022 01:16 AM)HarborPointe Wrote:  
(01-22-2022 06:28 PM)SouthernMissSNu Wrote:  I’ve heard this sentiment a lot but what makes Bennett care less about Athletics as compared to Saunders or Lucas or Thames? They’re presidents, not ADs

Yeah, I can’t wait to be mad at the next guy who doesn’t close the Math Department in order to fund an IPF. LOL

Did he do everything right? Of course not, but if he didn’t care, Hammond would still be our A.D. He took a shot that McGillis’ AAC contacts would get us in with them, and it nearly worked. When it didn’t and McGillis spun our wheels otherwise, McGillis was gone. Gilbert was a dud, there’s no polishing that turd, but now we have McClain and are TFO of CUSA, so he’s leaving us better off than he found us. He’s also the one who instigated putting artificial turf on the baseball field. There’s a post somewhere on this board with a link confirming that.

Some folks are still mad because he didn’t let a desperate coach hire an assistant who rained sh*t down upon us just by interviewing and hasn’t been touched by another college program since.

McGillis got us nowhere close to the AAC. He and Gilbert were yes men brought in to do what the IHL wanted. Just like Bennett.
01-24-2022 09:50 AM
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SouthernMissSNu Offline
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RE: Bennett stepping down
(01-24-2022 09:48 AM)EagNBran Wrote:  In the first couple years of his tenure, he sat in a room of supporters who told him the improvements that needed to happen to our facilities, our coaches, and our conference. They didn't say we needed to be in the SEC, just said the obvious problems we were facing as an athletic department that they'd witnessed over decades of support. His response?

"I think you guys view Southern Miss way more highly than I do."


The guy thought we belonged at the bottom of CUSA. Heck yeah Saunders supported athletics far more than Bennett. That statement alone shows me you haven't had much interaction with the presidents. She was far from perfect, but she did support athletics.

Hearsay from nearly a decade ago isn’t enough to really sway me. No one in this group was in that room at that time. From what I saw, Bennett was at nearly every home football game, many road games, and many baseball and other sporting events too.

Things done under his tenure and spread among multiple ADs:
- Volleyball facility built
- BVB Facility built
- Multiple Pete Taylor Park upgrades (weight room, locker room, turf, lights)
- Multiple Reed Green enhancements (court, light, etc)
- The Duff Renovation
- Locker Room for football
- New weight room in the Duff
- Bower Academic Center
- Golf Facility upgrade at HCC

Berry, Hall, and Coach Mo all at least have credited Dr. Bennett and The support they’ve gotten from the administration. So it sounds like he’s involved and kept abreast of most coaches and sports.

- McGillis was a meh hire. But he was stable.
- Gilbert was a terrible hire. So that’s a big strike against Bennett.
- Bennett has gotten complacent in other areas of the school as of recent.

And that’s why i think it’s just time for him to move on. Is he “the reason we are where we are right now”? No not by a long shot. He’s done some great things as President on the academic side and finally hired the right guy to stabilize things on the Athletics side. So, I appreciate his contribution, wish him well. And it’s time to move on to new, younger, hungrier leadership.
01-24-2022 04:36 PM
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FairwayEagle Offline
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RE: Bennett stepping down
(01-24-2022 09:48 AM)EagNBran Wrote:  In the first couple years of his tenure, he sat in a room of supporters who told him the improvements that needed to happen to our facilities, our coaches, and our conference. They didn't say we needed to be in the SEC, just said the obvious problems we were facing as an athletic department that they'd witnessed over decades of support. His response?

"I think you guys view Southern Miss way more highly than I do."


The guy thought we belonged at the bottom of CUSA. Heck yeah Saunders supported athletics far more than Bennett. That statement alone shows me you haven't had much interaction with the presidents. She was far from perfect, but she did support athletics.

Did you personally witness that? There is no way he would say that. It doesn’t even seem plausible to believe. I’ve been in plenty of meetings with him and not once has he failed to be anything but positive about Southern Miss.
01-24-2022 08:01 PM
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FairwayEagle Offline
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RE: Bennett stepping down
(01-24-2022 09:50 AM)EagNBran Wrote:  
(01-24-2022 01:16 AM)HarborPointe Wrote:  
(01-22-2022 06:28 PM)SouthernMissSNu Wrote:  I’ve heard this sentiment a lot but what makes Bennett care less about Athletics as compared to Saunders or Lucas or Thames? They’re presidents, not ADs

Yeah, I can’t wait to be mad at the next guy who doesn’t close the Math Department in order to fund an IPF. LOL

Did he do everything right? Of course not, but if he didn’t care, Hammond would still be our A.D. He took a shot that McGillis’ AAC contacts would get us in with them, and it nearly worked. When it didn’t and McGillis spun our wheels otherwise, McGillis was gone. Gilbert was a dud, there’s no polishing that turd, but now we have McClain and are TFO of CUSA, so he’s leaving us better off than he found us. He’s also the one who instigated putting artificial turf on the baseball field. There’s a post somewhere on this board with a link confirming that.

Some folks are still mad because he didn’t let a desperate coach hire an assistant who rained sh*t down upon us just by interviewing and hasn’t been touched by another college program since.

McGillis got us nowhere close to the AAC. He and Gilbert were yes men brought in to do what the IHL wanted. Just like Bennett.

Actually, if the Big 12 had expanded in 2016 (they were looking at Houston, Memphis, Cincinnati then) we were in line to go to the AAC as a replacement, arranged by MCGillis.
01-24-2022 08:05 PM
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EagNBran Offline
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RE: Bennett stepping down
I wasn’t in the room, but someone close to me was. He’s wanted Bennett gone ever since.
01-26-2022 03:03 PM
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SouthernMissSNu Offline
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RE: Bennett stepping down
I think all in all he’s done about as good as a president does. Improved our research profile, enrollment has been climbing or steady most years, academic profile of students has increased. Plenty of construction and projects on campus (Scianna Hall, Student Theater, Nursing building, new Residence Halls, etc.). Jump in enrollment at the Gulf Park Campus, the Blue Economy Initiative/partnership in Gulfport. He “left the university better than he found it”. He’s just gotten stale and complacent the last two or so years.
01-26-2022 10:33 PM
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HarborPointe Online
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RE: Bennett stepping down
(01-26-2022 03:03 PM)EagNBran Wrote:  I wasn’t in the room, but someone close to me was. He’s wanted Bennett gone ever since.

I’m calling b.s. and that your friend wanted him gone the day he was hired and made up a literally unbelievable story to sway you. No university president would say something that stupid in front of a room of supporters.

That you’re extolling Saunders’ competence makes me immediately think the Church of Hammondtology is involved in this yarn.
01-27-2022 02:42 AM
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RE: Bennett stepping down
(01-26-2022 03:03 PM)EagNBran Wrote:  I wasn’t in the room, but someone close to me was. He’s wanted Bennett gone ever since.

So it’s hearsay. I don’t believe a word of it.
01-27-2022 07:11 AM
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EagNBran Offline
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RE: Bennett stepping down
Choose to believe or not. Doesn’t change truth. I’m not gonna waste energy trying to convince you otherwise.
01-27-2022 08:43 AM
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SouthernMissSNu Offline
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RE: Bennett stepping down
Even so, if one story at the beginning of his tenure defines how you feel about a guy who's been with the university for 10 years - that's kind of sad.
01-27-2022 05:09 PM
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Golden Fogg Offline
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RE: Bennett stepping down
(01-27-2022 02:42 AM)HarborPointe Wrote:  
(01-26-2022 03:03 PM)EagNBran Wrote:  I wasn’t in the room, but someone close to me was. He’s wanted Bennett gone ever since.

I’m calling b.s. and that your friend wanted him gone the day he was hired and made up a literally unbelievable story to sway you. No university president would say something that stupid in front of a room of supporters.

That you’re extolling Saunders’ competence makes me immediately think the Church of Hammondtology is involved in this yarn.
I would up arrow this, but i don't have the right.
02-14-2022 11:03 AM
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