Topic: Cost to buy out Huff contract?

[herdfan129]

I think the real question is, can we afford to keep him another year? I know to buy out the contract is less than $1 million. I think keeping Huff sets us back more than a million and sets our program back a few years which comes at the cost of MILLIONS.

Thoughts?

[herd2win]

129 is correct.  It would be foolish to keep him.  The damage to keep him is much greater than the $800k to buy him out.  Teams can have a down year but nothing is pointing to the future and getting better.  We will be worse next year without major changes.

We are a rudderless ship currently.

[Garbanjo]

I think the real question is, can we afford to keep him another year? I know to buy out the contract is less than $1 million. I think keeping Huff sets us back more than a million and sets our program back a few years which comes at the cost of MILLIONS.

Thoughts?

Have to buy him out

It's over

[Flat Tire 2]

To play the devil's advocate, where is the money going to come from to buy out Huff?

 MU currently has debt:
"?We?re projecting about $308.5 million in total revenue against $333 million in total expenses. That?s a $24 million financial statement loss expected for this current fiscal year on a budgeted deficit of about $19 million,? Tidd told members of the Marshall University Board of Governors last week."
https://wvmetronews.com/2023/06/25/marshall-set-to-end-challenging-fiscal-year-enrollment-looks-better-for-fall-semester"

In another post, the debt has been reduced from $28 Million to $22 Million.
http://www.herdfans.com/12thman/index.php?topic=116722.0

So my question is where will the money come from to buy out Huff? It would be dangerous to ask The MU Foundation for money. Would it take a donation to buy him out? Please don't use the argument "we can't afford not to buy him out".  You have deal with the realities of the situation. I am sure Smith doesn't want to offend the people who only give money to the academic side of MU since he trying to raise a ton of money for MU.

[ru4mu2]

To play the devil's advocate, where is the money going to come from to buy out Huff?

 MU currently has debt:
"?We?re projecting about $308.5 million in total revenue against $333 million in total expenses. That?s a $24 million financial statement loss expected for this current fiscal year on a budgeted deficit of about $19 million,? Tidd told members of the Marshall University Board of Governors last week."
https://wvmetronews.com/2023/06/25/marshall-set-to-end-challenging-fiscal-year-enrollment-looks-better-for-fall-semester"

In another post, the debt has been reduced from $28 Million to $22 Million.
http://www.herdfans.com/12thman/index.php?topic=116722.0

So my question is where will the money come from to buy out Huff? It would be dangerous to ask The MU Foundation for money. Would it take a donation to buy him out? Please don't use the argument "we can't afford not to buy him out".  You have deal with the realities of the situation. I am sure Smith doesn't want to offend the people who only give money to the academic side of MU since he trying to raise a ton of money for MU.

Each school is different and probably depends on the size of the buyout.  I've been told the money for buying out the current coach is not an issue if the AD and BOG decide to go in that direction.  Some money would be deducted if said coach takes another job, etc.  Also have assistant contracts but they are usually not for more than a few years.  Some schools, like Nebraska for instance, pay buyouts for years.  If we are worried about a buyout of 500-750K, we have bigger problems, IMO.

[Herdman77]

I think the real question is, can we afford to keep him another year? I know to buy out the contract is less than $1 million. I think keeping Huff sets us back more than a million and sets our program back a few years which comes at the cost of MILLIONS.

Thoughts?

This indicates Huffs buyout was $881,417 as of Oct 02, 2023. Who would your replacement be? I know a lot of people want Rich Rod but he is making $1 million a year and he's got $4,066,667 left on his contract at Jacksonville St. If you want him you are going to have to pay out the a$$.

https://sports.usatoday.com/ncaa/salaries/football/coach

[richmondherdfan]

Guys, they aren't firing him. Even if he loses the next 3 games, he's still the coach next year. He was 9-4 last year and we dont fire coaches and pay them to not coach, its not what we do.

He'll make changes to the OC position for sure, DC, who knows, but Huff will be the coach next year.

[herdfan129]

Guys, they aren't firing him. Even if he loses the next 3 games, he's still the coach next year. He was 9-4 last year and we dont fire coaches and pay them to not coach, its not what we do.

He'll make changes to the OC position for sure, DC, who knows, but Huff will be the coach next year.

Then I won?t be around next year and to be honest, I might not come back.

I?m not going to spend time and energy supporting a program which isn?t trying to win.

[muherd34]

Then I won?t be around next year and to be honest, I might not come back.

I?m not going to spend time and energy supporting a program which isn?t trying to win.

Money.  Starts and ends with money.  Stop going to games and stop donations.  It's the only way to be heard

[Herdman77]

Then I won?t be around next year and to be honest, I might not come back.

I?m not going to spend time and energy supporting a program which isn?t trying to win.

"Fans" were saying this a couple years ago when Doc was up to re-hired. Back then it was, "do we re-hire Doc or get someone better?" Many people then said, "Get a new head coach or I'm quitting Marshall football forever altogether." Well, we got a new coach. A Nick Saban protege.  We shortly thereafter beat Notre Dame on the road with Huff. Going into the NC St. game, only one month ago, we had won 9 straight games. Most everyone liked Huff then. But, then came 5 straight loses. Then it became "Fire Huff! or I'm quitting Marshall football forever altogether" You know, we can't just hire and fire and hire and fire coaches over and over and over again. Who will this savior head coach be who will win here and win consistently and want to stick around and not leave for more money?

[SuperAnjario]

Guys, they aren't firing him. Even if he loses the next 3 games, he's still the coach next year. He was 9-4 last year and we dont fire coaches and pay them to not coach, its not what we do.

He'll make changes to the OC position for sure, DC, who knows, but Huff will be the coach next year.

Bought out Snyder and bought out Herrion.  We can damn well buy out Huff.

[Herdman77]

Bought out Snyder and bought out Herrion.  We can damn well buy out Huff.

Maybe we can hire someone from Nick Sabans coaching staff at Alabama? That will certainly work out well for us.

[Garbanjo]

Guys, they aren't firing him. Even if he loses the next 3 games, he's still the coach next year. He was 9-4 last year and we dont fire coaches and pay them to not coach, its not what we do.

He'll make changes to the OC position for sure, DC, who knows, but Huff will be the coach next year.

He's a lame duck. Refused extension and now going into year 4 of contract......he will leave on his own (position coach somewhere) or be bought out.

My read based on where things stand now

Fluff gonzo

[THECHAMPISHERE]

Don't see how we can ever use the "we are poor" "we don't have enough money" argument again when we are paying a soccer coach over 375k a year. SEC schools and many "P5s" who have tons of money to burn...won't even do what we are doing with their money. It is a calculated decision on their part because there is zero return on investment. If we have nearly 400k to throw down the drain every year on soccer...we can't act poor when it's time to buy out a football coach.

[herdfan129]

Don't see how we can ever use the "we are poor" "we don't have enough money" argument again when we are paying a soccer coach over 375k a year. SEC schools and many "P5s" who have tons of money to burn...won't even do what we are doing with their money. It is a calculated decision on their part because there is zero return on investment. If we have nearly 400k to throw down the drain every year on soccer...we can't act poor when it's time to buy out a football coach.

Stop. Soccer is officially a revenue sport at Marshall right now. We aren?t throwing money d out in the drain in soccer.

[herdfan129]

"Fans" were saying this a couple years ago when Doc was up to re-hired. Back then it was, "do we re-hire Doc or get someone better?" Many people then said, "Get a new head coach or I'm quitting Marshall football forever altogether." Well, we got a new coach. A Nick Saban protege.  We shortly thereafter beat Notre Dame on the road with Huff. Going into the NC St. game, only one month ago, we had won 9 straight games. Most everyone liked Huff then. But, then came 5 straight loses. Then it became "Fire Huff! or I'm quitting Marshall football forever altogether" You know, we can't just hire and fire and hire and fire coaches over and over and over again. Who will this savior head coach be who will win here and win consistently and want to stick around and not leave for more money?

So you want to keep Huff? You are ok with the results we are getting?

[MUther]

Money.  Starts and ends with money.  Stop going to games and stop donations.  It's the only way to be heard

We did that starting in 2016.  Took them 4 years to hear it.  4 very mediocre years that cost a lot of fans that never did come back.  We have nowhere near the core fanbase we had prior to that, and that was already reduced from 2005 forward.   

[THECHAMPISHERE]

Stop. Soccer is officially a revenue sport at Marshall right now. We aren?t throwing money d out in the drain in soccer.

LOL. "A revenue sport." What is it making? 400 dollars? PAAALEASE. You can't be serious. Just cause we may be in the "black" doesn't mean it is really making anything worth bragging about. I mean what is it making? Seriously. 27 bucks a year? I wonder how they figure that up? There is absolutely no way it is coming close to paying Grassie's salary (that could go towards an OC or DC for Football and give us millions worth of exposure by having a good team). There is no way. It is a waste that even the elite schools won't invest in. The schools that wouldn't notice a million missing...won't spend a 100k on soccer. We are letting the sports that matter die in an effort to be a soccer school...and the only people who know or care (that we are a soccer school) is us.

[elginherd]

LOL. "A revenue sport." What is it making? 400 dollars? PAAALEASE. You can't be serious. Just cause we may be in the "black" doesn't mean it is really making anything worth bragging about. I mean what is it making? Seriously. 27 bucks a year? I wonder how they figure that up? There is absolutely no way it is coming close to paying Grassie's salary (that could go towards an OC or DC for Football and give us millions worth of exposure by having a good team). There is no way. It is a waste that even the elite schools won't invest in. The schools that wouldn't notice a million missing...won't spend a 100k on soccer. We are letting the sports that matter die in an effort to be a soccer school...and the only people who know or care (that we are a soccer school) is us.

Right now, it's possible that in terms of % return, soccer's is doing better than football.
Marshall has 85 full scholarship players, soccer probably none. The 9.9 scholarships are split among the the soccer roster.
Other than Grassie, the soccer coaches don't make near what the FB OC or DC make. There are many other assistant FB coaches, and the medical and training staff are much larger for football.

[herdfan129]

LOL. "A revenue sport." What is it making? 400 dollars? PAAALEASE. You can't be serious. Just cause we may be in the "black" doesn't mean it is really making anything worth bragging about. I mean what is it making? Seriously. 27 bucks a year? I wonder how they figure that up? There is absolutely no way it is coming close to paying Grassie's salary (that could go towards an OC or DC for Football and give us millions worth of exposure by having a good team). There is no way. It is a waste that even the elite schools won't invest in. The schools that wouldn't notice a million missing...won't spend a 100k on soccer. We are letting the sports that matter die in an effort to be a soccer school...and the only people who know or care (that we are a soccer school) is us.

Facts don?t care about your feelings.

Grassie is more than earning his salary.

In fact, we need to add another 500 or so seats if possible.

[elginherd]

Facts don?t care about your feelings.

Grassie is more than earning his salary.

In fact, we need to add another 500 or so seats if possible.

Plus, expanded concession facilities.