AsiaSunset
Postdoc
Posts: 4366
Reg: 11-21-04
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02-24-15 03:08 PM - Post#183510
In response to Ernie Nounou
Ernie
Penn's basketball and football coaches have historically been among the highest, if not the highest, paid coaches in the league. Funding relative to the competition is only out of whack when you look at the Amaker transaction and the very recent step up by Columbia. Because we didn't step up when Fran got the Temple offer doesn't mean he was underpaid relative to other Ivy coaches. So please - don't draw implications from my post that were not intended.
What I wrote in my initial post is that Amy Guttmann, through her past actions, didn't demonstrate a special commitment or even understanding opposite our mens basketball program that would have allowed us to move forward and to correct certain missteps that are squarely on Bilsky's shoulders. This may be because she doesn't care or doesn't understand that basketball holds a special place in the hearts and minds of Penn alumni and students (at least it used to). One can only hope Grace Calhoun has more leeway to right the ship.
As for others snide Bilsky comments in this thread aimed at me by others, I've stated clearly that he has to be held accountable for everything, but context is important. There are guidelines that a Penn AD is forced to operate under which hopefully Grace can persuade Amy to liberalize. Hopefully Bollinger has made it easier for her to do so.
Guttmann did play a very significant role in fundraising to help Penn Athletics create facilities that in many cases are superior to Ivy counterparts. And many teams have seen improvement as a result - notably lacrosse, softball, soccer, baseball and field hockey. She deserves credit for that.
Penn athletics is not in the toilet as you have consistently postulated. We are just not dominant. We don't have significant AI advantages. We do have certain fin aid disadvantages with respect to certain segments of the recruitable athlete pool and we don't have as strong a brand as H,Y or P. But, Penn men's basketball definitely is in the tiolet. And with the footprint Harvard has established in basketball, I think money and increased funding commitment is necessary for Penn to dig its way out. And - in my opinion - some of the names being tossed around as great candidates to get that job done (Toole, Langel etc) aren't the answer. The landscape has really shifted in the last few years. Harvard went with it. Columbia has taken action for its flagging football program. Will Penn do something in men's basketball. I really don't know. Amy's track record makes me skeptical.
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