Topic: YourProblemNow...

[W0lfman]

From one of his posts in 2002 warning us.

YourProblemNow
Herd Fan
Posts: 3
(12/30/02 4:01 pm)
Reply  Not here to argue.
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 You'll see.

Wanna hear what UMass fans know?

We know that in his first 3 years at UMass, the program was already strong enough to have an average rank of #45 in the Sears Cup standings. In his last 3 years, after years of his leadership, guidance and policies, UMass' Sears Cup Rank averaged #103.7. During this period, Alumni Donations, revenues generated from ticket sales and tournament appearances dried up, alumni anger turned to apathy and now UMass basketball, the flagship program of the school sets record lows in attendence. We had to cut 7 sports because of his complete mismangagement of school funds and inability to connect with alumni and local corporations. He was a complete and utter disaster as an Athletic Director which is why he wasn't allowed to continue at UMass.

Nice guy? Maybe. The people you know would know better about that. But he is a complete incompetent. He is loathed so much in Amherst that some fans are actively rooting for your program to fail as badly as ours did during his time here. I don't go that far. Just as we couldn't have known how much damage he would singlehandedly do to UMass athletics when he was brought aboard in '93, neither could you possibly know how far your program can regress with him mailing in the shots. But you are being warned in the first year... any warning signs will be ignored. He will hang onto an underachieving coach for way too long (it was a point of pride that until 2000 he had never fired a coach) and then be completely unable to provide the support needed for the new coach to reinvigorate the program. Bob Marcum is the stalest gust of washed up air you could possibly imagine. If you are hoping for more out of Marshall athletics than you have right now, prepare to be bitterly disappointed. Because Bob Marcum is an abject failure.



YourProblemNow
Herd Fan
Posts: 4
(12/30/02 4:40 pm)
Reply  We were
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 When Bob Marcum decided to hire Flint, UMass fans were apalled that he couldn't come up with a better candidate for a team just off a Final Four and stunned when he settled on him. We were aghast when Marcum decided to extend Flint's contract after two lackluster seasons and irate when Marcum, standing up to everyone in the UMass adminsitration, insisted that Flint be brought back for a 5th lackluster year.

Of course during this time period, Marcum raised ticket prices beyond what the market would bear in the hopes he could bilk the basketball fans out of enough money to keep other programs afloat rather than think of ways to get those programs to generate more revenues themselves. He alienated long-time season ticket holders by forcing them from their seats in favor of corporations that abandoned the program when it was no longer fashionable. He completely shirked all departmental responsibility for marketing the program by blaming the coach for not doing enough (but then bringing him back anyway). Marcum also started selling UMass road games to generate revenues for the department and refused to "buy" home games for UMass as is customary for programs with top 25 aspirations.

We were mad at Bruiser Flint for a while, but what was the 31-year old supposed to do when offered the job, say no? Sure he stunk, but Marcum should have known better and he didn't. And then he compounded his mistake by keeping Flint around long after it was obvious that he wasn't going to be able to reverse the slide given his inexperience, lack of ability and the complete lack of support from the AD's office.

Bob Marcum was hired to take a strong and growing program and establish it as a national power (sound familiar?). When he left, UMass was down 7 sports, outside the top 100 in the Sears Cup standings, receiving minimal media attention and fan interest in Boston and suffering a malaise that will take years to recover from. Don't let it happen to you. Pay very close attention to results. His spin people have a talent for ignoring the obvious and selling you a bill of goods. By the time you see through his act, it might be too late for Marshall.
 
YourProblemNow
Herd Fan
Posts: 6
(12/31/02 10:06 am)
Reply  Have it your way.
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 "Football and basketball pay the freight in college athletics, yet you criticize Marcum for raising basketball prices to help support other sports that no one wants to see. There's a reason those are called non-revenue sports. Then you complain about the demise of some of those sports."

Well when you raise the prices to a point where people decide not to buy the tickets anymore, then where are you? Raising basketball prices by $2 per game reduced season ticket sales by 27%. Then, when the team was struggling, the people that decided not to get seasons and just buy tickets for the games they could get to didn't come to as many games. So now instead of 9,400 paying $18 a pop, UMass quickly saw itself playing in front of 4,000 paying $20. UMass was soon generating less than half per game at the door than it was. That's about $1.1 million less revenue for UMass. The annual cost of covering those 7 sports? Seriously, guess... It was $1.1 million. Title IX doesn't really enter in to that mathematical equation does it. And UMass football loses $2.5 million a year. UMass lost $2.1 million the year it won the National Title. Basketball and Football SHOULD pay the freight, but Marcum couldn't get it to work.

"Myth: Bob Marcum recommended that Bruiser Flint be fired last year, but was overruled.

Truth: Despite reservations as to whether or not Bruiser could get things turned around, Bob made the recommendation to keep Bruiser. The quote from Marcum to his superiors: "If you are leaving it up to me, Bruiser stays." And that was that. Bob's decision was not popular with some of the higher ups, but it was accepted. I was in the room. I know what took place. Anything else you've heard is completely false. There would have been no 2000-01 season for Bruiser Flint without Bob Marcum." - UMass Associate Athletic Director Bill Strickland in "Maroon and White" the official newsletter of UMass Athletics.

That decision is what got him fired at UMass. Even though he didn't think Bruiser could do the job, and even though everyone in power wanted him gone and even though he knew that it could cost him his job, Bob Marcum stood up to the administration and insisted that a coach he claims in private he "never really wanted in the first place" be brought back for a 5th season. Well, this is what I'm talking about. He didn't care. If everything that UMass is officially saying and everything Marcum said on his vacations back to Huntington is true, and I have no reason to believe it isn't, then Marcum simply didn't care enough to do what was best for the program. Now, maybe he was lying about not wanting Bruiser in the first place (he did also stunningly give Flint a contract extention after his first two lackluster seasons). Or maybe UMass is lying to make him look bad. But in any case this decision is just one of many that Marcum made that killed all the positive momentum generated in through the Mid 90's.

Kansas FLOURISHED as an athletic program in the years after Marcum left. South Carolina fired him because his program was put on probation. Former University of Florida Chancellor John Lombardi, with his extensive big-time collegiate athletics experience made removing Bob Marcum one of his top priorities. But his rivals thought he did a great job (of course BC and UConn rocketed past UMass as the premier athletic programs in New England during Marcum's time at UMass) and I hear he's a nice guy, so maybe things will be fine for you guys.

I'm not here to insult you or your program. I just know how much it hurts to know that one man's apathy is responsible for having a once promising athletic program come crashing to Earth. Hold him to a different standard than we did here. Don't be his apologist because he will use it against you. Be demanding of him. He may be able to produce, but not if you don't demand it out of him. Not if you let him shift blame as he constantly did at UMass. Not if little controversies are allowed to become full-blown scandals. Demand more. And good luck. We're very, very glad to be rid of him. Hopefully things work out better for you guys. Good luck with your season. Greg White is pretty well thought of outside Huntington. If that puts any perspective on what I am saying about Marcum.

 
YourProblemNow
Herd Fan
Posts: 7
(12/31/02 10:15 am)
Reply  Odd then...
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 4 games into Flint's 3rd year (record 1-3 and just having gotten blown out by a little team from West Virginny  ), Bob Marcum gave him a 2-year contract extention. Marcum was so wrong about that, in the same year that cash-strapped UMass cut 7 sports, it was paying Bruiser Flint $250,000 to Coach Drexel's basketball team. It's very troubling that a couple of months earlier Marcum was STILL sure that the wrong man was hired, but went and added two years to his contract.

If Marcum didn't carry enough weight in his own department that he could have a sub-standard coaching candidate shoved down his throat, then what use is he? If the administration is hiring the coaches, then why is Bob Marcum getting a paycheck? If Marcum didn't have what it takes to get the guy he wanted hired (which happened again later when he tried to hire Fran McCaffrey and was told that wouldn't be good enough) then that doesn't say much about him, does it? Bob Marcum is supposed to be the expert. That's why he got the job. If what is being said is true, then he is supposed to be able to tell the administration when they are making a mistake. He couldn't so we needed someone who can.

If you start getting into the practice of defending his glaring inadequacies, you'll follow the same trajectory UMass did. Demand more out of him.
 
YourProblemNow
Herd Fan
Posts: 8
(12/31/02 10:21 am)
Reply  Odd then...
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 4 games into Flint's 3rd year (record 1-3 and just having gotten blown out by a little team from West Virginny  ), Bob Marcum gave him a 2-year contract extention. Marcum was so wrong about that, in the same year that cash-strapped UMass cut 7 sports, it was paying Bruiser Flint $250,000 to Coach Drexel's basketball team. It's very troubling that a couple of months earlier Marcum was STILL sure that the wrong man was hired, but went and added two years to his contract.

If Marcum didn't carry enough weight in his own department that he could have a sub-standard coaching candidate shoved down his throat, then what use is he? If the administration is hiring the coaches, then why is Bob Marcum getting a paycheck? If Marcum didn't have what it takes to get the guy he wanted hired (which happened again later when he tried to hire Fran McCaffrey and was told that wouldn't be good enough) then that doesn't say much about him, does it? Bob Marcum is supposed to be the expert. That's why he got the job. If what is being said is true, then he is supposed to be able to tell the administration when they are making a mistake. He couldn't so we needed someone who can.

If you start getting into the practice of defending his glaring inadequacies, you'll follow the same trajectory UMass did. Demand more out of him.  
 
 

[carolinaherdfan]

Thanks for the link, and post Wolfe. Well any Herd fan can see that is exactly what is taking place here. The damage has already been done. The question is do we Alumni step up and clamour enough now to really make a difference, and get the job done now, or allow this to continue until it very well may be 2015, or dare I say longer, before we are back on solid footing. This gives me a sick feeling right in the pit of my stomach. You know I began following the Herd with peach fuzz, and now I don't know if I have enough the time left for this type of bull crap to transpire. It really hurts!

CHF

[Thunders]

You know, I was saying some of this stuff a while back and was getting blasted by a lot of people. Guess that hits the head of the nail with exactly what is happening here. Sounds just like our progam.

[Anonymous]

No one mentins that we were 20 scollies down in football in 2004, 12 in 2005, and that our baseketball program was nothing more than a .500 team.

We're down fellas, I agree, but let's not take all of the positives from the previous 7 years of D-I athletics and try and create a mutiny and get rid of the whole AD. Be careful what you wish for.

Amazing that some of you have forgotten the success of the Volleyball and Soccer teams.

[carolinaherdfan]

Texas I generally agree with most of your posts. I have been one poster who has continually applauded the accomplishments of our olympic sports programs. I am very proud of what they are accomplishing. However, it does not negate the State of Marshall University Major Atheletics at this time, and IMHO the State of our Athletic Programs are not where they should be. It is the AD's responsibility. I am sorry, but he does not have our department, or University in a proactive position. Our mainstay football program is somewhat reeling. Our once great basketball program languishes in the very depths of Sports Hell. Our hardly ever has been baseball program is in the same condition it was in 35 years ago. We have improved our womens basketball program, and volleyball program. Our golf program is still medicore at best. This has been going on for the past 50 years. I haven't checked on the badmitton program lately, but our department is full of nothing, but yesteryears accomplishments, and hot air. We need a change, and we need one now. KO needs to resign. Jirsa shouldn't even be given the time to resign. I guess if he somehow defeats that team up north again this year, he can continue to languish in the depths of pure pig mud, and get another 5 year extention on his contract. I got news for everyone. The team up north is one game, and really not all that big of a deal. We have to play 26, or more games each year in front of a lot of people in a lot of states, and this University, our University and the State of West Virginia, our State, is being disgraced.

CHF

[TomorrowHERD]

For the record, I am not at all impressed with Marcum, in the least bit.  
 I am not sure the recent decline of the football program is on his shoulders though.  I do not know if he is the one who hired Snyder, or if it was the acting president.  He wasn't here when the violations took place.  I do not NOW think that Snyder is a bad hire, although I hope he learns from his many mistakes of this year.

I do though, blame him for the present state of MU mens hoops.  The hiring process that landed us Jirsa was amatuer at best.

Marcum is doing absolutely NOTHING that I think is proactive for Marshall athletics.

[herdseasprayone5]

tomorrow. There is nothing in your post with which I disagree. However,when the football position opened, instead of having a nationwide search he was simply going to give the job to Kueck until our acting prez stepped in. This is the way he operates,never consulting with anyone. He did the same with the starting time for football games. I know of no one who was consulted on that decision and that includes three Hall of Fame givers among many others. I think he  simply decided he was going that direction regardless of how anyone else felt.
However,I am certainly not down on Snyder as a result of the way the appointment was handled.

[MUtant1]

The basketball program was in the crapper before Marcum arrived.  Snyder, and his staff, seem to be a great hire.  We'll see if he pulls a Flint with Jirsa this year.  Jirsa seemed like a good hire at the time, being a Tubby disciple and Dawg coach, but his teams place no importance on protecting the ball.  I don't know how he expects to win with 20 turnovers a game.  This year it could get really ugly, really fast.  Keep 'em both on a short leash I guess.

[Anonymous]

Carolina et all,

Thanks for your input,m but we differ on this subject.

The main issue was the lack of fundraising and facility building when LW was our AD. We were at the zenith of our rise from mediocrity. Our football team was the calling card while all other programs including M&W BBAll were deplorable. Fast forward to 2005, we are excelling in Olympic sports, and our women's BBall team is on the rise. The men are in stuck in glue, but I feel we have the opportunity to rise as well. When LW was AD we did not capitalize on our success. We had more season tickets that ever, more BG members than ever, and no new facilites to boast. Since BM has taken over, we are getting an IPF, new weight room, and a baseball stadium at some point. Our AD as a whole is better than under the previous regime, yet some still wonder why we are in a "horrible State of Athletics."  We aren't.

There has been no single greater project in building than the IPF and Weight room in the last 50 years, minus the football stadium. We are on the way up fellas. Every school has a few down years, Miami, FL, Tennessee, Alabama, Penn State, Auburn, USC, Notre Dame, Nebraska. These programs went down a little all within the last 6 years. Perhaps if we started on these endeavors a few years earlier, we would still be on the same plane, however, evetually we would have a few down years.

Get on board fellas, don't divide; unite!

[carolinaherdfan]

Carolina et all,

Thanks for your input,m but we differ on this subject.

The main issue was the lack of fundraising and facility building when LW was our AD. We were at the zenith of our rise from mediocrity. Our football team was the calling card while all other programs including M&W BBAll were deplorable. Fast forward to 2005, we are excelling in Olympic sports, and our women's BBall team is on the rise. The men are in stuck in glue, but I feel we have the opportunity to rise as well. When LW was AD we did not capitalize on our success. We had more season tickets that ever, more BG members than ever, and no new facilites to boast. Since BM has taken over, we are getting an IPF, new weight room, and a baseball stadium at some point. Our AD as a whole is better than under the previous regime, yet some still wonder why we are in a "horrible State of Athletics."  We aren't.

There has been no single greater project in building than the IPF and Weight room in the last 50 years, minus the football stadium. We are on the way up fellas. Every school has a few down years, Miami, FL, Tennessee, Alabama, Penn State, Auburn, USC, Notre Dame, Nebraska. These programs went down a little all within the last 6 years. Perhaps if we started on these endeavors a few years earlier, we would still be on the same plane, however, evetually we would have a few down years.

Get on board fellas, don't divide; unite!

Well Texas if you're going to use LW as the model, that you win, I lose, and MU would even be in worse condition than it is today. LW was never an AD. He was put in there after Lee Moon had chartered the course, and J.Wade Gilley was the AD. When J. Wade left, we had to find a new AD, so we fished in LW. You could have taken over, and did a better job, and I mean that as a compliment. Then we get KO, because of our pending move to C-USA, but like I said  before what we work like the dicken's for other institutions take for granted. Anyhow, UMass, just the last two years are starting to get the AD back on thrack after the KO tenure. Same way with Jirsa at Georgia. Heck, you don't have to ask Tubby, just look at what Jirsa did at Georgia. Come down here and ask some of her people.
That would be like calling me about someone I had employeed. I am not going to say, Hell no I was a dumb ass for having that person on my staff.

We need a new AD, a new head BB coach, and to get busy with our physical plant building programs.

CHF

[Anonymous]

I never said I disagreed, but again what everyone fails to realize is that it cost money! We are still paying Greg White, we fire Jirsa, we'll still pay him, we fire KO, we'll still pay him. We don't have that cash, unles you or I know someone who can write $10 million checks without blinking. I don't know anyone.

Moreover, people need to step up and give $25 to the BG. I went to the meeting 2 Wednesday's ago and felt welcomed by all. I know of some of the big donors there and all were extremely nice to me and asked me to help get my friends involved. WE NEED MONEY!!!!!!! If we want to hire and attract big names to coach here we have to offer more than $275,000 for a head football coach and more than $150,000 for a basketball coach. Those of you who want to argue that BG monies are used to augment salaries, they are, but not above $500,000 for football, and basketball is around $215,000. Name me a coach who will come here for that kind of dough? Not many, except those that are trying to rehabilitate their images and leave in 2 years.

Good things come to those who are patient. I haven't lost mine.

[carolinaherdfan]

Well Texas I agree with your premise here, except with the keeping of Jirsa. We may have to did deep, but the hole will eventually get too deep if he sticks much longer. This is where a really good new President would come in handy. If we had a President like J.Wade Gilley, or ???????, or even the President of MU before Gilley, they would always step in, and take over, and really aided us in becoming what we have become today. Our new President needs to take over. I know he can't take over publically, but we need new direction, and leadership now, and we don't need to put that out for a public consensus, or vote.

Carolina

[firstate]

anytime, anywhere, any place......unless Marcum says no.

[herdseasprayone5]

Texas. Where did you come up with the $275,000 number for football? Pruett was closer to a half mil when he left. How many outstanding people would come for what Pruett was paid? Many I suspect, however, you must first be willing to ask. Marcum himself said we had many outstanding people interested but he was determined to hire Kueck, so he did not bother to interview anyone. It is a huge mistake to diminish the value of the head coaching position at Marshall. Carolina is dead on, we desperately need housecleaning in the entire department. Marcum is a disaster and it is begining show its ugly face.

[Anonymous]

Texas. Where did you come up with the $275,000 number for football? Pruett was closer to a half mil when he left. How many outstanding people would come for what Pruett was paid? Many I suspect, however, you must first be willing to ask. Marcum himself said we had many outstanding people interested but he was determined to hire Kueck, so he did not bother to interview anyone. It is a huge mistake to diminish the value of the head coaching position at Marshall. Carolina is dead on, we desperately need housecleaning in the entire department. Marcum is a disaster and it is begining show its ugly face.

herdseasprayone5,

This was money from the AD. The Big Green makes up the rest with "supplemental" income from us, the boosters. Every D-I public school head coach is compensated this way due to state contracts and state regulations. That was a guess at best, but MU (the Athletic Dept.) never paid the full amount. Hope this clarifies my earlier post.

[herdseasprayone5]

You're right, and it does clear it up. We were on two different wave lengths.

[2xBison]

White resigned AND go another job, HE WAS NOT FIRED so how are we paying him?  i don't think we are.  he was working again immediately.

also, i don't think it's the big green that makes up the difference but another group...big green funds scholarships.

[Photo by]

The hiring process that landed us Jirsa was amatuer at best.

Those words are kind...

[carolinaherdfan]

White resigned AND go another job, HE WAS NOT FIRED so how are we paying him?  i don't think we are.  he was working again immediately.

also, i don't think it's the big green that makes up the difference but another group...big green funds scholarships.

This is an excellent point, and literally breathes new life into the possibilities that exist for our University. If our new President has any leadership qualities at all, he should see this need by now, and begin some back room initiates too cause a change in our athletic administration. We need good leadership, and some changes are imminent. This is not just my opinion.

CHF

[DJdaHERDfan]

Well, friends, at the time, I didn't think this guy was a real UMASS fan. But after all that has happened I think he is a true fan who was trying to let us know what Marcum is all about.
But................
I also think Marcum and his crew were stopped in their tracks on the football hiring of Snyder. Marcum and his good ole boys wanted someone else and was going to pull the trigger on it. Big People with BIG MONEY said "NO" they want Snyder.

My point is Snyder was never Marcum's pick. And that's why I believe Snyder and MU will be bouncing back with authority 2006 and beyond.
Too many positive things going on at MU. And that tells me that Marcum may be the A.D. but he definitely and running things like he was when Angel brought him aboard. This Kopp guy has gotten Marcum's attention real quick too.

Everybody talks about changes for 2006. Here is a change that may happen that nobody is expecting: Marcum finally resigns as AD for 2006 and possibly PRUETT becoming AD for 2006.

[carolinaherdfan]

Well, friends, at the time, I didn't think this guy was a real UMASS fan. But after all that has happened I think he is a true fan who was trying to let us know what Marcum is all about.
But................
I also think Marcum and his crew were stopped in their tracks on the football hiring of Snyder. Marcum and his good ole boys wanted someone else and was going to pull the trigger on it. Big People with BIG MONEY said "NO" they want Snyder.

My point is Snyder was never Marcum's pick. And that's why I believe Snyder and MU will be bouncing back with authority 2006 and beyond.
Too many positive things going on at MU. And that tells me that Marcum may be the A.D. but he definitely and running things like he was when Angel brought him aboard. This Kopp guy has gotten Marcum's attention real quick too.

Everybody talks about changes for 2006. Here is a change that may happen that nobody is expecting: Marcum finally resigns as AD for 2006 and possibly PRUETT becoming AD for 2006.

Exactly my hope, and my thinking. Now when we go to Church this weekend let's put in a petition.

CHF

[West Virginia Hillbilly]

I don't pretend to be the smartest guy in the world, but there is a general feeling amongst a bunch of us people that Marshall needs a housecleaning. They are playing bigtime opponents now, and the leadership is not what it ought to be. The school has worked hard, and deserved to move up, but they are going to be embarassed I'm afraid, if they don't make some changes. That is a shame. Playing WVU, and there new conference  teams, and Wisconsin, and Tenn. They don't need to be playing worse ball then they have played in years. And the basketball program is the worst it has been in 50 years, and I know I have watched them and the Mountaineers for longer than that, and this is the worst team Marshall has had in 50 years. They need a house cleaning. I am not trying to start nothing, but it is a shame.

WVH