Solich or Montgomery? Which example does BG follow?

OptionQB · Post by **OptionQB** » Thu Dec 30, 2004 12:05 am

Ohio U. hires a proven winner and a guy with a .750 winning percentage at a top tier institution. Solich's problem at Nebraska though was he could get "Nebraska" recruits . . .

Miami stays in-house with an unproven young, energetic guy who's reputation is built on developing players that didn't necessarily have the three or four star credentials coming out of HS (Roethlisberger) . . .

Once Gregg Brandon does leave . . . which example would you prefer BG to follow . . . A guy looking to catch back on who's won elsewhere or an unproven guy that is looking for an opportunity?

I personally can see the benefits of both . . . but would have to side with OU in this case . . .

transfer2BGSU · Post by **transfer2BGSU** » Thu Dec 30, 2004 9:10 am

If you can get a guy like Solich to come in for the amount of $$$ we are going to pay him, then it's a no-brainer.

But we are not going to give away a bank to get a head coach. The university has many important things that cost $$$ that will benefit the entire university community.

Schadenfreude · Post by **Schadenfreude** » Thu Dec 30, 2004 10:45 am

There's been a lot of talk in this off season about coaches' salaries. The Solich hire has prompted some of it, as has Brandon's interview at Nevada-Las vegas.

I'm coming around to the idea that this national arms race in coaches salaries is one we cannot win. That sounds obvious, but stick with me.

Look at Louisiana State and Nick Saban. Supposedly, Saban's contract guaranteed he would be the highest paid college coach in the country.

It was impossible for LSU to do better than that for Saban... and yet he only lasted a couple of years. The Miami Dolphins came around and offered to quadruple that.

In light of that -- and our own financial situation -- I'm not sure I see the point of even trying to compete. We can't. Even if we paid Brandon what Saban was making -- which would be impossible -- someone could still come around and offer more.

What worries me, a bit, is that we seem to have an emerging arms race right here in the MAC -- and it's unfortunate, because I don't see what it will accomplish.

Brandon deserves to be rewarded for his accomplishments. But I think we are only kidding ourselves if we think pushing ourselves to the breaking point in order to pay him will keep him here if he doesn't want to be here. Even if the money were equal, a whole lot of coaches would ditch us to coach at, say, Notre Dame.

Meanwhile, other MAC schools are starting to put pressure on us. Solich definitely will make more. I think Brian Kelly is making more. In fact -- I don't know this for sure, but it may be the case that Brandon is in the lower echelon of coaches salaries. And that's really unfortunate.

I hope we can offer Brandon a bit of a raise, and I also hope we can offer the assistants a bit of a raise. The assistants, in some ways, are more underpaid than our head coach because they don't get the prestige of being head coach.

But I think it would be foolish for us to try to match what Nevada-Las Vegas does (for example), even if we could. I don't know how much it would accomplish.

Falconfreak90 · Post by **Falconfreak90** » Thu Dec 30, 2004 11:04 am

I really agree with everything ya said, SF. Great post.

I am hoping we can do all we can as far as coaches' salaries. The assistants included, of course.

OptionQB · Post by **OptionQB** » Thu Dec 30, 2004 11:05 am

My future father-in-law has a theory that no college coach regardless of success should be paid more than the U. President. He uses a basic business model as his example. The CEO in any business model is the highest paid executive and not a department head (football coach). It only makes sense for your top official to be the bread-winner. I don't know if I am in favor of paying Sidney Ribeau any more money, but the theory does have merit.

The coaching salaries are getting to the point of ridiculous and it's not being tempered by the AFCA or NCAA because if they cannot come up with a biased fixed formula to exclude schools from the good 'ol boys club then they will do it by spending more money on coaches.

For the record, he is a football fan and not someone who is disgusted by sports in general.

FWIW, the Dolphins did not even double Saban's salary, but I think the lure of complete player personnel decisions and development was the so-called apple that made Saban bite

Flipper · Post by **Flipper** » Thu Dec 30, 2004 11:16 am

I've never been a big fan of trying to import principles from one area of employment to another. What fits the corporate world doesn't necessarily fit the coaching profession.

Ultimately, the market decides who earns what. If the market for a good mid major coach is $500,000, then we better be prepared to pay that or acknowledge that the on field results will suffer. Will paying GB $500,000 keep him here? Not forever, but paying a coah of that caliber that kind of money might keep him here five years instead of two.

Is that worth throwing the University pay scsles out of whack? That's the choice we face.

kdog27 · Post by **kdog27** » Thu Dec 30, 2004 1:37 pm

Schadenfreude wrote:There's been a lot of talk in this off season about coaches' salaries. The Solich hire has prompted some of it, as has Brandon's interview at Nevada-Las vegas.

I'm coming around to the idea that this national arms race in coaches salaries is one we cannot win. That sounds obvious, but stick with me.

Look at Louisiana State and Nick Saban. Supposedly, Saban's contract guaranteed he would be the highest paid college coach in the country.

It was impossible for LSU to do better than that for Saban... and yet he only lasted a couple of years. The Miami Dolphins came around and offered to quadruple that.

In light of that -- and our own financial situation -- I'm not sure I see the point of even trying to compete. We can't. Even if we paid Brandon what Saban was making -- which would be impossible -- someone could still come around and offer more.

What worries me, a bit, is that we seem to have an emerging arms race right here in the MAC -- and it's unfortunate, because I don't see what it will accomplish.

Brandon deserves to be rewarded for his accomplishments. But I think we are only kidding ourselves if we think pushing ourselves to the breaking point in order to pay him will keep him here if he doesn't want to be here. Even if the money were equal, a whole lot of coaches would ditch us to coach at, say, Notre Dame.

Meanwhile, other MAC schools are starting to put pressure on us. Solich definitely will make more. I think Brian Kelly is making more. In fact -- I don't know this for sure, but it may be the case that Brandon is in the lower echelon of coaches salaries. And that's really unfortunate.

I hope we can offer Brandon a bit of a raise, and I also hope we can offer the assistants a bit of a raise. The assistants, in some ways, are more underpaid than our head coach because they don't get the prestige of being head coach.

But I think it would be foolish for us to try to match what Nevada-Las Vegas does (for example), even if we could. I don't know how much it would accomplish.

Great points SF, I just wish the university would offer him a little more money. Even if it cannot compare with the likes of 500k at least it would be a gesture from the university that we appreciate what you are doing and we want you around here for a long time. 125k is a joke IMO.

Schadenfreude · Post by **Schadenfreude** » Thu Dec 30, 2004 2:24 pm

kdog27 wrote:Great points SF, I just wish the university would offer him a little more money. Even if it cannot compare with the likes of 500k at least it would be a gesture from the university that we appreciate what you are doing and we want you around here for a long time. 125k is a joke IMO.

There was a time when $125,000 wasn't a joke. But it seems the rest of the MAC is forcing our hand, a bit.

We need to be competitive within the MAC, and I think Brandon has earned a raise.

I just hope the rest of the league cools it a bit. If $300,000 becomes the mean in this league, we'll all be the poorer for it... because those kind of salaries aren't going to stop our coaches from leaving if they want to.

1987alum · Post by **1987alum** » Thu Dec 30, 2004 3:25 pm

I'm sure I'll catch static for this, but what the heck.

I agree that our coaches deserve a fair salary. I also agree that some schools have overspent.

That being said, I really appreciated it when Brandon said there was more to coaching than money. For now, I'll take him at his word.

I love my job. L-O-V-E my job. I make a decent salary, too. But I have turned down a number of other jobs - near here and others requiring a move, that would have significantly raised my salary and my "profile" within my industry. I have turned everyone of them down. Why? I like where I'm at. We're experiencing a lot of success, although it pales to some "larger" media companies and I really enjoy that I'm part of a building process that's really taking off.

I know coaching is a different realm. But would it be too much to expect Brandon to stick around for several years, turn down some big-ticket jobs because he actually likes being at Bowling Green? That he actually wants to see BG become an elite player in the "mid-majors"? I wouldn't expect him to stay forever, but I don't think it's too much to believe that a man with some real integrity would spend a decade in BG.

OK, feel free to flame away.

I can take it

Lord_Byron · Post by **Lord_Byron** » Thu Dec 30, 2004 3:41 pm

I'm not going to flame you '87, you're on target with this. There are quality coaches/people out there who are looking for stability for themselves and their family.

I can easily see someone in their mid 40s who's been caught in the ratrace saying, "You know, $250,000 a year to live in BG isn't a bad living for me and my kids. It's a good place to live, raise a family. I could see me staying here for 15 years and building something pretty special."

The key is finding that person, and many times, it's the person who's already been chasing something that really wasn't there.

That's my philosophy for today. Now I've got to think up some lame FAQs to try and piss Grant off.

transfer2BGSU · Post by **transfer2BGSU** » Thu Dec 30, 2004 3:51 pm

Brandon and Dakich can be the kings of Bowling Green, Ohio if they want to be. Both coaches are well liked in the community.

It would be great to see a coach stay here for the long-term.

Money does not buy happiness, but it sure will buy a lot of cheeseburgers at Al-Amar Lanes.