Dear Professor Fuchs

[InstiGATOR1]

Professor Fuchs,

If you were hiring a new assistant professor of chemistry, you might ask them in advance what their research plan was, you might give them a budget for their lab and you might ask them about their teaching philosophy, but you most certainly would NOT condition their hiring on them hiring a particular lab assistant. One could say similar things about hiring a new dean of a college.

Similarly with a football coach, you might interview him about his offensive and defensive philosophy and you might give him a budget for assistant coaches, but you should not start picking his assistant coaches. It does not matter that the incompetents that hired Zook, Muschamp and McElwain claim that is the way they have done this in the past.

As you know an assistant professor of chemistry (or dean) is a much much more important hire for the University than a football coach. If you can trust a newly minted Ph.D. chemistry professor (or new dean) to hire his own lab staff, then similarly you can must trust your new football coach to hire his own staff.

This is the way academic institutions work and that is what happened when UF recently hired a mens basketball coach. That hire seems to be working out much better than the football hires mentioned above.

Sincerely,

InstiGATOR1

 

[Zambo]

Did you mail this letter to PUFG c/o UFPO?

 

[Zambo]

Okay thanks for sharing.

 

[brittanygator]

When Fuchs was initially hired literally the first thing that entered my mind was "this dude will know **** about football"

 

[crosscreekcooter]

Did you mail this letter to PUFG c/o UFPO?

He didn't have to cause Dr Fuks is a poster here

 

[InstiGATOR1]

When Fuchs was initially hired literally the first thing that entered my mind was "this dude will know **** about football"

That's ok. Part of the problem UF has now is from Machen who seemingly wanted to be the AD not the president. Fuchs should really stay out of the football search other than making sure the AD does not put stupid constraints on the new coach they University would not stand for on a new assistant professor of anything.

 

[Gator Fever]

That's ok. Part of the problem UF has now is from Machen who seemingly wanted to be the AD not the president. Fuchs should really stay out of the football search other than making sure the AD does not put stupid constraints on the new coach they University would not stand for on a new assistant professor of anything.

Machen while arrogant would at least have had the sense not to make that trip unless of course he already had a deal with his choice like he did with Meyer.

 

[Swamp Donkey]

That's ok. Part of the problem UF has now is from Machen who seemingly wanted to be the AD not the president.

And yet he made the only decent football coach hire during the Fooley era.

 

[InstiGATOR1]

And yet he made the only decent football coach hire during the Fooley era.

Yeah, but not given the opportunity cost. Had Machen not been there for force Meyer on Foley, then maybe UF gets Spurrier, we never have Muschamp and maybe even McElwain, not to mention Aaron Hernandez. Sure we might have at some point a few years ago had the decline of Spurrier before retirement or we might be facing that decline now, but it would be a stronger program for not having had Meyer hollow it out and then Muschamp and McElwain fail to get it back on track.

 

[Theologator]

Yeah, but not given the opportunity cost. Had Machen not been there for force Meyer on Foley, then maybe UF gets Spurrier, we never have Muschamp and maybe even McElwain, not to mention Aaron Hernandez. Sure we might have at some point a few years ago had the decline of Spurrier before retirement or we might be facing that decline now, but it would be a stronger program for not having had Meyer hollow it out and then Muschamp and McElwain fail to get it back on track.

First time I’ve seen this theory. Sorry, but at the time only nostalgia would cause one to pine for Spurrier over Meyer in 2004. And today’s hindsight? Ok - no Hernandez. But no Tebow, no more NCs, He found one QB after 1996 (Rex) and the “#1” 2000 recruiting class was a disaster. None of the reasons he left had changed. Defenses caught up to the Fun n’ Gun.

It would have been a sentimental mistake to try and recapture the magic.

 

[CU-UF]

Your analogy is wrong, even assuming you are basing it on facts that UF was trying to dictate staff. When we hire faculty they typically receive a start-up package, and sometimes the start-up package includes funds to hire staff, but typically not since that is a recurring expense. But we do not allow them to fire current staff, so if they were coming to UF, then they have to work with the current staff.

 

[ChiefGator]

It is President, and yes he might insist on a person having a particular staff for a variety of reasons. I also doubt that this actually happened.

I would want to have a lot more input into this hire since the last two have put the university in a bad light, not because of losing football games.

 

[GatorStud]

It seems illogical to expect a HC to put his rep, family and comfort level at risk without picking his own shipmates... IMHO

 

[ChiefGator]

It seems illogical to expect a HC to put his rep, family and comfort level at risk without picking his own shipmates... IMHO

OK so you really think that a new CEO gets to pick and replace all the critical people? A new manager gets to replace all his team?

And who says it was even done. How about Mac was forced to hire a much better s and c team, a much more effective OC, a great specials teams coach, and a great receivers coach. He might still be here and we might be winning a lot more.

 

[Frozen Gator]

Dear President Fuchs,

I think it might be helpful to review the history of college Presidents in the South who allowed bad decisions when hiring the head football coach, it's not pretty. We are not Stanford or an Ivy League institution and in the end your perceived success and tenure may be heavily weighted by decisions made in the near future. I'm a 3rd generation unhappy Gator while my kids unfortunately are Alabama grads and they're quite content. Just sayin'

A loyal Alumnus

 

[GatorStud]

OK so you really think that a new CEO gets to pick and replace all the critical people? A new manager gets to replace all his team?

And who says it was even done. How about Mac was forced to hire a much better s and c team, a much more effective OC, a great specials teams coach, and a great receivers coach. He might still be here and we might be winning a lot more.

"All" and "Critical" are relative and point of view terms in this case. The point, to those that think during this "search" our Admin is placing pre-qualifiers on who the new HC retains from the previous staff, is a mistake when you're an ugly step child of the conference. Generally, when I've taken over a new department or project, I get rid or reassign the negativity, poor producers, disgruntled or resistant team players... that's part of my acceptance of the new gig. My goal is to be successful not support some pseudo politically correct 'dead wood'. It doesn't happen overnight as you have to evaluate what you have, but I secure that option, with proof, and make the changes if needed. I don't think our Admin is clamping down that tight on these lead negotiations, as some have reported, at least I hope not. I think we're on the same page but viewing it from a slightly different angle.

 

[ChiefGator]

"All" and "Critical" are relative and point of view terms in this case. The point, to those that think during this "search" our Admin is placing pre-qualifiers on who the new HC retains from the previous staff, is a mistake when you're an ugly step child of the conference. Generally, when I've taken over a new department or project, I get rid or reassign the negativity, poor producers, disgruntled or resistant team players... that's part of my acceptance of the new gig. My goal is to be successful not support some pseudo politically correct 'dead wood'. It doesn't happen overnight as you have to evaluate what you have, but I secure that option, with proof, and make the changes if needed. I don't think our Admin is clamping down that tight on these lead negotiations, as some have reported, at least I hope not. I think we're on the same page but viewing it from a slightly different angle.

Exactly and sometimes you can't make those changes, but rather need to side step.

If you gave me a federal department to run many would be in a large room, no phones, no computers, using calculators to add up phone numbers from the phone book. Eventually they would quit, or at least I hope so.

I also wonder for our coach how far does he get to decide. Can he say choose which commercials to be on, change the host of his "show", decide which people in the AD he will respect and work with?

Mac should have been fired some time ago. Reasons

Arrogant disrespect for other AD employees.
Arrogant handling of the press.
Refusal to replace his friends who were ineffective.

Being HBC is much more than winning games.

Thanks for the input, I have never managed a project where I got to choose my associates, when I did have that responsibility I did directly most of the critical things and took responsibility for results. With a much bigger job you can't do that.

 

[Frozen Gator]

Exactly and sometimes you can't make those changes, but rather need to side step.

If you gave me a federal department to run many would be in a large room, no phones, no computers, using calculators to add up phone numbers from the phone book. Eventually they would quit, or at least I hope so.

I also wonder for our coach how far does he get to decide. Can he say choose which commercials to be on, change the host of his "show", decide which people in the AD he will respect and work with?

Mac should have been fired some time ago. Reasons

Arrogant disrespect for other AD employees.
Arrogant handling of the press.
Refusal to replace his friends who were ineffective.

Being HBC is much more than winning games.

Thanks for the input, I have never managed a project where I got to choose my associates, when I did have that responsibility I did directly most of the critical things and took responsibility for results. With a much bigger job you can't do that.

He really didn't project a good image when on TV either.

 

[PaterLacerta]

Professor Fuchs,

If you were hiring a new assistant professor of chemistry, you might ask them in advance what their research plan was, you might give them a budget for their lab and you might ask them about their teaching philosophy, but you most certainly would NOT condition their hiring on them hiring a particular lab assistant. One could say similar things about hiring a new dean of a college.

Similarly with a football coach, you might interview him about his offensive and defensive philosophy and you might give him a budget for assistant coaches, but you should not start picking his assistant coaches. It does not matter that the incompetents that hired Zook, Muschamp and McElwain claim that is the way they have done this in the past.

As you know an assistant professor of chemistry (or dean) is a much much more important hire for the University than a football coach. If you can trust a newly minted Ph.D. chemistry professor (or new dean) to hire his own lab staff, then similarly you can must trust your new football coach to hire his own staff.

This is the way academic institutions work and that is what happened when UF recently hired a mens basketball coach. That hire seems to be working out much better than the football hires mentioned above.

Sincerely,

InstiGATOR1

Dear Dr. Instigator

Thank you for accompanying me to New Hampshire. I wish you had been more forthcoming with your advice while we were there.

Looking forward to your continued service as we strive to keep the University of Florida among the nation’s elite institutions of higher education.

Regards,
President Fuchs

 

[InstiGATOR1]

But no Tebow, no more NCs,

So you imagine that Mike Shula's 8 hour in home visit would have worked and Tebow would have gone to UAL or you think Tebow would not have been good enough to win the job at UF under Spurrier?

I do agree that coming back for a second try is very uncertain. I do know that he became the coach with the most wins in SoCar history while UF was dealing with this what has become with this program.