David Harris Leaving for Tulane

[ronfitch]

[BrockLesnar]

I'm right there with you until your 3rd paragraph. This is not a FBS program. For one thing they just passes a rule that increases the transition fee from $5K to $5M. Plus you have to add scholarships and possibly more sports. Realignment doesn't mean much anymore with USC in the same conference as Rutgers but those schools are getting mountains of money from TV. If UNI went to the Mountain West, say goodbye to those relatively short road trips to Normal or Carbondale.

It comes down to money and other resources. We'll never have it. We're stuck. A move down to D2 would put us in an even deeper pit.

[UNIdad]

I am sorry that many of us are in a position where we are happy about this. I think if you go back and find the original thread when he was hired, most on this board were excited and wanted nothing more than for him to succeed here. I haven't seen anything to suggest that he is anything less than a great person who did his best for UNI. I'm happy for from that he has this opportunity at Tulane and wish him the best.

That said things have gotten pretty rough around here. I think yesterday may have been the actual rock-bottom point for me. Our teams we care most about have been mediocre and are facilities have crumbled, and we get less in-state media coverage than we ever have. Meanwhile, our peers have succeed on the field/court and built all kinds of exciting new projects. This news came out of left field today, it could not have been more of a surprise to me. There is so much work to be done at UNI, it will take years to get this program to a place where we want it to be. This barely counts as a first step but at least we know that things have a chance to change and we are no longer stuck under that contract.

Your first two paragraphs somewhat represent my feelings. I was a big advocate when the decision was made based on my observations prior to the hire at UNI and knowing people who were part of the hiring process at UNI. However, I was significantly disappointed. Perhaps the most telling evidence for me was seen at the two UNI/ISU wrestling meets I attended at McLeod, premier opportunities for nurturing boosters. I think I did more schmoozing at those events than he did. My hope is that he has the success at Tulane that we all hoped he would have at UNI.

[Wxcpanther]

Your first two paragraphs somewhat represent my feelings. I was a big advocate when the decision was made based on my observations prior to the hire at UNI and knowing people who were part of the hiring process at UNI. However, I was significantly disappointed. Perhaps the most telling evidence for me was seen at the two UNI/ISU wrestling meets I attended at McLeod, premier opportunities for nurturing boosters. I think I did more schmoozing at those events than he did. My hope is that he has the success at Tulane that we all hoped he would have at UNI.

I'd say for us it was reasonable to assume someone who worked under a guy like Jamie Pollard for so long had learned how to fundraise in the state of Iowa. Clearly, that was not the case.

[sivert]

I am sorry that many of us are in a position where we are happy about this. I think if you go back and find the original thread when he was hired, most on this board were excited and wanted nothing more than for him to succeed here. I haven't seen anything to suggest that he is anything less than a great person who did his best for UNI. I'm happy for from that he has this opportunity at Tulane and wish him the best.

That said things have gotten pretty rough around here. I think yesterday may have been the actual rock-bottom point for me. Our teams we care most about have been mediocre and are facilities have crumbled, and we get less in-state media coverage than we ever have. Meanwhile, our peers have succeed on the field/court and built all kinds of exciting new projects. This news came out of left field today, it could not have been more of a surprise to me. There is so much work to be done at UNI, it will take years to get this program to a place where we want it to be. This barely counts as a first step but at least we know that things have a chance to change and we are no longer stuck under that contract.

As a side note I've been thinking a lot about the recent court decision where Oregon State and Washington State were granted control of the Pac-12 and its assets. I haven't seen those contracts but I would imagine they would have to use that $400 million to further the conference as opposed to just pocketing it. In which case I imagine they'd use that money to buy out a number of those Mountain West schools to join the PAC. In which case, the Mountain West would need to backfill. And there's not a lot of obvious options outside of Montana and Montana State and I would think that a healthy UNI would be considered in such a hypothetical scenario. But right now we sure as hell do not have a healthy UNI and if that opportunity were to come up, UNI would be passed up in favor of other MVFC schools and that would be a tough pill to swallow.

Hmmmm… so ….
Paragraph 1: I see no reason to think DH isn’t great.
Paragraph 2: I see lots of reasons why he isn’t great.
Paragraph 3: we’re now in deep trouble

[Blue42]

I'd say for us it was reasonable to assume someone who worked under a guy like Jamie Pollard for so long had learned how to fundraise in the state of Iowa. Clearly, that was not the case.

Seems like something that would have been a particular point of interest / questioning during the interviewing process.

Specific examples of campaigns you've led...gifts you secured...

Pretty tangible thing to probe around.

[clenz]

Seems like something that would have been a particular point of interest / questioning during the interviewing process.

Specific examples of campaigns you've led...gifts you secured...

Pretty tangible thing to probe around.

That's what I wonder about the Tulane hire.

I laid out in this thread - maybe the other one? - that you David can do the paper resume super easy but I have to wonder what they actually uncovered in the interview and research side of things. It's not a secret there has been zero progress in 7 years. He laid out a vision and nothing happened with it. For us, and the BOR, it was assumed to be a safe bet that someone who spent a decade under Jamie, in the state of Iowa, was familiar with how to do things in the state of Iowa so hiring on a bit of a reach with a vision is/was understandable in 2016. He clearly sold the idea of a vision and goals for UNI and used the Pollard "training" as how he would do it.

I have to wonder what specific gifts, donations, projects, etc. were talked about during his interview process to show his ambition, drive, and ability to succeed with Tulane.

[TREE]

Tulane used Schemmels dads company to hire Troy and Harris. It worked out with Troy so it should workout with Harris

[clenz]

Tulane used Schemmels dads company to hire Troy and Harris. It worked out with Troy so it should workout with Harris

If you look through comments over the years, Tulane fans weren't actually impressed with anything Troy did. Outside of Willie Fritz, who happened because he wanted out of Georgia Southern desperately and his agent is Troy's agent, and both moves happened at the same time, they hate every single hire he has made. Their comments on his lack of ability to fundraise and do anything for facilities is almost identical to what we said about him, and then David. There are a fairly large number of them on social media that are blocked by him and claim hey never got any of the upgradse that come with donation levels and other givings (which was something he was known for doing here - blocking on social media and blacklisting from tickets and upgrades if you dared to question/cross him).

It'll be interesting to watch how David unfolds down there and if he repeats the same issues he had here and how long they'll put up with it.

[SteinPizza]

If you look through comments over the years, Tulane fans weren't actually impressed with anything Troy did. Outside of Willie Fritz

it.

I have zero inside knowledge, but that’s why I’d guess the Harris hire is not a done deal. Two things rule college sports - football and large donors. You’d think someone with money invested in Tulane would realize hiring Harris might well cause Fritz to leave, and he’s their only recent winning coach. You’d be putting a totally unproven guy in charge of your most important athletic hire, with zero assurance he’d hit a home run.

Football is religion in the south. It’s not LSU, but Tulane has to have some rabidly obsessed fans with **** you money who call the shots. You’d think they’d be ready to do whatever within reason to keep a winning football coach. Hiring the hand picked AD candidate is definitely within reason in today’s environment.

EDIT: just saw the post a few up that’s it’s announced publicly and official. Given what I wrote above, count me as mildly surprised.

[BCPanther]

Who's David's agent? That should tell us who his football hire is...

[SteinPizza]

Who's David's agent? That should tell us who his football hire is...

I Googled this out of curiosity, no results. However, the next coach could also be someone with ties to this guy:

The announcement of Harris’ hiring follows an extensive nationwide search led by Tulane Board Member Doug Hertz and a committee of board members, faculty, athletics staff, students and community members.

[Mudrafan]

I figured this probably needs it's own Thread.


Pete Thamel

@PeteThamel
Sources: Tulane is targeting Northern Iowa athletic director David Harris to be the school's next athletic director. Except something to be formalized in the upcoming days.

We couldn’t possibly be this lucky

[clenz]

I Googled this out of curiosity, no results. However, the next coach could also be someone with ties to this guy:

The announcement of Harris’ hiring follows an extensive nationwide search led by Tulane Board Member Doug Hertz and a committee of board members, faculty, athletics staff, students and community members.

From everything I found

Schemmel's dad's company (CSS) was used to Hire Dannen at Tulane - Dannen hired Justin here - as well as Willie Fritz to Tulane. As I read comments from the school, both people, and CSS it feels like it was a package deal without officially being a package deal.

The same company also seems to be connected to Harris to Tulane and Dannen to Washington. I can't say 100% on either one because it isn't as explicitly states as it was with Dannen to Tulane, however, I've seen enough people who would know make similar comments and found enough articles/press releases to come to the same conclusion with strong confidence.

Hertz is for Tulane what the Koch brothers are/were for WSU.

['70 Grad]

Moose or Farley I'm ok with

I second that emotion.