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PJ leverages UCLA

PJ has obviously been paying attention to how other coaches play the game. Personally, I’d have let him go, if that’s what he told his AD (boss).
I think one of Bump’s biggest mistakes as AD was letting Hayden leverage a raise out of UIowa back in the mid-80’s when he said “USC wanted him” as their coach. It’s a calculated black-mail move. If I were the AD and my coach approached me like this, I’d have wished him “good luck” at his new position and referred to “my short list” that all ADs supposedly carry around on their person.
Hayden might have been successful in LA and who knows...maybe someone like Barry A or Bill Snyder would have stayed to coach football at UIowa?
In short...all coaches are expendable.
 
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As for Fleck, the amended contract with Minnesota does not include an extension and is still set to expire after the 2029 season.

"With this new contract amendment today, it's interesting that the only real changes were slight bumps in head coach and assistant salary pay," Burns said. "The buyout was increased by two million to $7,000,000 until 2025, but no years were added to his deal."


I assumed UCLA would have balked at the $5M buyout figure, but evidently not.

There would have been no reason to do this unless there was a sincere possibility he might go to UCLA, so it must have gotten close to a deal.
 
As for Fleck, the amended contract with Minnesota does not include an extension and is still set to expire after the 2029 season.

"With this new contract amendment today, it's interesting that the only real changes were slight bumps in head coach and assistant salary pay," Burns said. "The buyout was increased by two million to $7,000,000 until 2025, but no years were added to his deal."


I assumed UCLA would have balked at the $5M buyout figure, but evidently not.

There would have been no reason to do this unless there was a sincere possibility he might go to UCLA, so it must have gotten close to a deal.
Fleck’s a fool for not moving west, if that’s a fact. Staying in the same conference...greater more local recruiting base, far better weather and playing in truly great stadium as your home venue...don’t understand.
 
It’s bit more prestigious than TCM Bank Stadium or whatever it’s called...The Rose Bowl is The Rose Bowl. Name me 5 great football stadiums...I bet the Rose Bowl gets more mentions than where the Goooofs play.
The Rose Bowl is iconic but I don't think that's Bonzo's point. UCLA is 2nd fiddle in their own city and the stadium is 30 mins from their own campus. Oh and they can't even sell out the Rose Bowl. I'd argue Minnesota is just as a good of job or maybe even better than UCLA
 
The Rose Bowl is iconic but I don't think that's Bonzo's point. UCLA is 2nd fiddle in their own city and the stadium is 30 mins from their own campus. Oh and they can't even sell out the Rose Bowl. I'd argue Minnesota is just as a good of job or maybe even better than UCLA
The Rose Bowl capacity is about 106k...and LA is not a real sports hot spot, especially for college sports..,UMinn has a much lower ceiling than UCLA.....Hayden always thought UMinn was a “sleeping giant” but in my adult life (since the Viking came to town) UMinn has always been a distant second fiddle to pro football. Plus.... weather wise and lifestyle wise, and campus-wise, UCLA is so far ahead of UMinn it defies comparison.
 
As mentioned, others, like KF/agent have been doing this for many years.

Just taking advantage of the opportunity.
Great business acumen.
 
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The Rose Bowl is iconic but I don't think that's Bonzo's point. UCLA is 2nd fiddle in their own city and the stadium is 30 mins from their own campus. Oh and they can't even sell out the Rose Bowl. I'd argue Minnesota is just as a good of job or maybe even better than UCLA
If Fleck or any head coach can recruit really well there is a ton of great talent just in Cali. Find players who want to play tough defense and your brand of offense and you can be perennial top 20.
 
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If Fleck or any head coach can recruit really well there is a ton of great talent just in Cali. Find players who want to play tough defense and your brand of offense and you can be perennial top 20.
The big improvement in west coast football will be the quality of defense they will play once these schools enter the B10...cold weather and wet footballs can change a lot of football philosophies rather quickly.
 
The Rose Bowl is iconic but I don't think that's Bonzo's point. UCLA is 2nd fiddle in their own city and the stadium is 30 mins from their own campus. Oh and they can't even sell out the Rose Bowl. I'd argue Minnesota is just as a good of job or maybe even better than UCLA
Exactly. I clearly said it's iconic. It's a National historic landmark. It's just not a great college football vibe during the regular season. It's more like an hour from UCLA's campus. Home attendance is about the same for Minne and UCLA which means the Rose Bowl is routinely half-empty for Bruin home games.

That said LA seems like the kind of place PJ would love to bring his shtick.
 
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It’s bit more prestigious than TCM Bank Stadium or whatever it’s called...The Rose Bowl is The Rose Bowl. Name me 5 great football stadiums...I bet the Rose Bowl gets more mentions than where the Goooofs play.
It’s due to location. Otherwise looks like a dump of a stadium.
 
Exactly. I clearly said it's iconic. It's a National historic landmark. It's just not a great college football vibe during the regular season. It's more like an hour from UCLA's campus. Home attendance is about the same for Minne and UCLA which means the Rose Bowl is routinely half empty for Bruin home games.
Oh, I’m sorry...let me move TC Bank Stadium back into the Top 5 stDiums...UCLA is a great job...a difficult job but the sky’s the limit there as compared to UMinn. For all the reasons I mentioned...except of course if you like 8 months of shitty weather.
 
It’s due to location. Otherwise looks like a dump of a stadium.
It’s dated but being constantly updated...lots of infrastructure improvements have been made the past decade..,I’m many cases the Rose Bowl is “state of the art” according to a classmate of mine who is an electrical engineer whose company has been overseeing this remodel for the past decade...
 
Oh, I’m sorry...let me move TC Bank Stadium back into the Top 5 stDiums...UCLA is a great job...a difficult job but the sky’s the limit there as compared to UMinn. For all the reasons I mentioned...except of course if you like 8 months of shitty weather.
Yeah, because that's what I said. FFS, man.

The UCLA job is a good one, despite luke warm fan support. Nobody suggested otherwise. But the Rose Bowl is way down the list of great game day vibes...despite its storied history.
 
Yeah, because that's what I said. FFS, man.

The UCLA job is a good one, despite luke warm fan support. Nobody suggested otherwise. But the Rose Bowl is way down the list of great game day vibes...despite its storied history.
Obviously way below the greatness of TC Bank StDium!
The two jobs defy comparison...if you think UCLA has “Luke warm” fan support, where on your scale does UMinn rank in comparison? They are pathetic...
 
Yeah, because that's what I said. FFS, man.

The UCLA job is a good one, despite luke warm fan support. Nobody suggested otherwise. But the Rose Bowl is way down the list of great game day vibes...despite its storied history.
UCLA football has a similar problem as Iowa basketball relative to drawing fans to games.

And it is not a stadium issue. In both cases. And btw I can’t wait to get out there to watch the Hawks this year.
 
UCLA football has a similar problem as Iowa basketball relative to drawing fans to games.

And it is not a stadium issue. In both cases.
Good point, but I somewhat disagree. When the football stadium is an hour from campus...you're gonna have a tough time drawing.
 
Obviously way below the greatness of TC Bank StDium!
The two jobs defy comparison...if you think UCLA has “Luke warm” fan support, where on your scale does UMinn rank in comparison? They are pathetic...
You really have difficulty staying on point, don't you? Let's review.

You initially listed things about the UCLA job that made it better. Most were true. I simply pointed out that the Rose Bowl despite it's storied history isn't really as big an advantage as you suggest. As others have pointed out...it's an hour from campus and usually half empty. The attendance numbers tell the story...regardless what you or I think. I didn't say the UCLA job wasn't a step up from Minne. You created that false assertion.

Maybe you should call PJ and tell him he should have taken the job.
 
PJ has obviously been paying attention to how other coaches play the game. Personally, I’d have let him go, if that’s what he told his AD (boss).
I think one of Bump’s biggest mistakes as AD was letting Hayden leverage a raise out of UIowa back in the mid-80’s when he said “USC wanted him” as their coach. It’s a calculated black-mail move. If I were the AD and my coach approached me like this, I’d have wished him “good luck” at his new position and referred to “my short list” that all ADs supposedly carry around on their person.
Hayden might have been successful in LA and who knows...maybe someone like Barry A or Bill Snyder would have stayed to coach football at UIowa?
In short...all coaches are expendable.
Fry was way below what coaches make today. He also was serious about going. He said something like going to USC would give the staff a better chance at a national championship.
 
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Fry was way below what coaches make today. He also was serious about going. He said something like going to USC would give the staff a better chance at a national championship.
Yep, understand. But I would have let him go, seriously. Back in the 80’s coaches did make considerably less, by today’s standards. ADs need to make their coaches pay the best it can be and coaches need to accept that. I’s saying I would not let a coach “blackmail” me, instead I would wish him well and consult my “short list”....
(Johnny Orr told me when he was at UWisconsin getting his masters, he coached varsity football for Milt Bruhn, Head assistant BB coach, head baseball coach for about $1000 a year in the late 50’s...)
 
Yep, understand. But I would have let him go, seriously. Back in the 80’s coaches did make considerably less, by today’s standards. ADs need to make their coaches pay the best it can be and coaches need to accept that. I’s saying I would not let a coach “blackmail” me, instead I would wish him well and consult my “short list”....
(Johnny Orr told me when he was at UWisconsin getting his masters, he coached varsity football for Milt Bruhn, Head assistant BB coach, head baseball coach for about $1000 a year in the late 50’s...)
If Bump let Hayden go in the mid-80s because of a little money, it would have been a PR nightmare for him. He couldn’t let that happen. He started as AD immediately after Ralph Miller left us for Oregon State and he had already let Lute head to Arizona. Both of which he saw was a huge impact, that our basketball program hasn’t truly recovered from 40 years later.

In the mid-90s would have been a bit different as it was obvious that Hayden was on the decline as he had lost so many great assistants by that point. Yes there were a few good seasons, but he wasn’t going to challenge nationally again.
 
Exactly. I clearly said it's iconic. It's a National historic landmark. It's just not a great college football vibe during the regular season. It's more like an hour from UCLA's campus. Home attendance is about the same for Minne and UCLA which means the Rose Bowl is routinely half-empty for Bruin home games.

That said LA seems like the kind of place PJ would love to bring his shtick.
The Goofs stadium isn't "on campus" either, is it?
 
I think one of Bump’s biggest mistakes as AD was letting Hayden leverage a raise out of UIowa back in the mid-80’s when he said “USC wanted him” as their coach........If I were the AD and my coach approached me like this, I’d have wished him “good luck” at his new position and referred to “my short list” that all ADs supposedly carry around on their person.
Hayden might have been successful in LA and who knows...maybe someone like Barry A or Bill Snyder would have stayed to coach football at UIowa?
In short...all coaches are expendable.
We here at GIA aren't gonna just let this go unpunished, are we?.........................


avengers-butwedid.gif



Being old is no excuse for irrationality. :)
 
The Rose Bowl is iconic...but it's not a truly great college football venue.
If you ever attend a game at the Rose Bowl with an afternoon start, sit on the West side.
Was there for Oklahoma vs UCLA a few years back. Sun was brutal, mid third it finally went down enough that we were in shade.
You are correct, it's nothing special.
 
If you ever attend a game at the Rose Bowl with an afternoon start, sit on the West side.
Was there for Oklahoma vs UCLA a few years back. Sun was brutal, mid third it finally went down enough that we were in shade.
You are correct, it's nothing special.
BUT….it is The Rose Bowl……the most famous (college) football venue in America!

(Lambeau might be the #1 venue for all football, I would guess.)
 
It’s dated but being constantly updated...lots of infrastructure improvements have been made the past decade..,I’m many cases the Rose Bowl is “state of the art” according to a classmate of mine who is an electrical engineer whose company has been overseeing this remodel for the past decade...
At the actual Rose Bowl game, the beauty as the sun sets is something that caused many people to move to California. Especially, when colored TVs became prevalent. I suppose the parade helped too.
 
Hook, line, and sinker for PJ. He's never made the B1G championship and didn't even make a bowl game the legitimate way this year, they were able to get in on a technicality. Not really sure what Minnesota sees in him
 
As mentioned, others, like KF/agent have been doing this for many years.

Just taking advantage of the opportunity.
Great business acumen.
Sure but frankly I wouldn’t have thought fleck had that much leverage here, not like he’s coming off a great season or something. He’s been solid at Minnesota but hardly great.
Exactly. I clearly said it's iconic. It's a National historic landmark. It's just not a great college football vibe during the regular season. It's more like an hour from UCLA's campus. Home attendance is about the same for Minne and UCLA which means the Rose Bowl is routinely half-empty for Bruin home games.

That said LA seems like the kind of place PJ would love to bring his shtick.

At this point I’d argue ucla is a job that has a higher ceiling than Minnesota.
 
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