Machen and Foley's $11 million dollar dilemma...

[Mainland_Buc_75]

In December 2010, Will Muschamp signed a 2.7 million+ dollar a year contract running through 2015. In 2011, his first season, he finished 7-6 (3-5 in the SEC). It was the Gators first losing SEC conference record since 1979.

Following that season, in February 2012, Foley exercised the contract option to give Muschamp a one year extension through 2016. The annual salary stayed at 2.7 million+.

https://collegefootballtalk.nbcsports...amps-contract/

In August 2012, Machen and Foley both decided to extend Muschamp's contract an additional year through 2017. The annual salary stayed at 2.7 million+. This extension was not officially announced until after the regular season in late November 2012.

https://collegefootballtalk.nbcsports...ion-in-august/

At the time of the second extension, other than the April recruiting class signings and spring game earlier in the year, Muschamp was a 7-6 (3-5 SEC) coach. Everyone looked brilliant after the fact following the 2012 11-2 season, but why did the president and athletic director decided to extend the contract twice in 6 months without a single down of regular season football being played in 2012?

“It’s easy to do it when you’re 11-1, but we did it back in August because we liked the direction the program was heading,” Foley told Pat Dooley of the Sun. “We wanted to convey to Will how much confidence we had in what he was doing.”

Now, after a disastrous 4-8 season in 2013, the Gators are 3 games into the final 4 years of a contract worth just under 11 million dollars through 2017.

Muschamp's seat might be hot, but his parachute is golden, thanks to Machen and Foley's off season double extension after a pedestrian first season.

 

[Swamp Donkey]

Take it out of the money you keep by firing Fooley.

 

[Mainland_Buc_75]

Foley will retire before 2017. It won't be his problem.

 

[T REX]

2017? Muschamp is gone THIS year. Foley might be too(retirement).

 

[Mainland_Buc_75]

2017? Muschamp is gone THIS year.

Maybe...maybe not. 8.1 million dollars for three remaining years is a bitter pill to swallow, especially after giving 2 contract extensions in one off season following the first contract year. I believe this is one of the reasons Foley has been non-committal about the number of wins and losses he needs to see allow WM to continue on in 2015.

 

[MJMGator]

2017? Muschamp is gone THIS year.

Maybe...maybe not. 8.1 million dollars for three remaining years is a bitter pill to swallow, especially after giving 2 contract extensions in one off season following the first contract year. I believe this is one of the reasons Foley has been non-committal about the number of wins and losses he needs to see allow WM to continue on in 2015.

Don't think Foley has ever attached a required number of wins to any coach in any program. I've only ever heard him say we are expected to compete for championships. The "significant improvement" attached to WM was a first if I'm not mistaken.

 

[Bernardo de la Paz]

Maybe...maybe not. 8.1 million dollars for three remaining years is a bitter pill to swallow, especially after giving 2 contract extensions in one off season following the first contract year. I believe this is one of the reasons Foley has been non-committal about the number of wins and losses he needs to see allow WM to continue on in 2015.

How much do you think we are losing in revenue each year with the lousy product we are putting on the field? I don't think 8 million will be an issue.

 

[Mainland_Buc_75]

How much do you think we are losing in revenue each year with the lousy product we are putting on the field? I don't think 8 million will be an issue.

That's valid question. I don't have access to those numbers, obviously, but rumors are flying.

 

[Zambo]

Maybe...maybe not. 8.1 million dollars for three remaining years is a bitter pill to swallow, especially after giving 2 contract extensions in one off season following the first contract year. I believe this is one of the reasons Foley has been non-committal about the number of wins and losses he needs to see allow WM to continue on in 2015.

8.1 million is NOTHING! Hell, I'll cut the check right now. Gimme a pen.

 

[ThreatMatrix]

 

[Floridagator]

He will be here all year, barring a losing record next year as well.

 

[TallyGator]

While certainly a consideration, a lack of money from pissed off boosters will have a bigger influence, IMHO.

 

[Mainland_Buc_75]

The focus of ire of late has been on WM and JD, but Foley and Machen extended his contract twice before the 2012 11-2 season. There has been little ink on this because the second extension was announced after the 2012 season, but in 45 years of following college football, I can't remember a single time a HBC has received 2 extensions to his multiyear contract in one off season. What were they thinking after a 7-6 season and first losing SEC season since 1979?

 

[Swamp Donkey]

There is PLENTY of ire for Foley floating around the Gator Nation.

 

[Mainland_Buc_75]

There is PLENTY of ire for Foley floating around the Gator Nation.

I agree, Law, But I'm referring to the press as in "ink". Plenty of articles on WM and JD; little being said "in the press" about Foley.

 

[Swamp Donkey]

While certainly a consideration, a lack of money from pissed off boosters will have a bigger influence, IMHO.

20,000 empty seats is 1 million at least, not counting the falling UAA donations, merchandise and everything else.

It's not just big money boosters that have the clout.

 

[SavannahGator]

Everyone keeps mentioning Machen, but, besides that he is retiring and the university is conducting an active search for his successor - what, y'all didn't know that? do you really think that football is the #1 concern of Machen? As a university professor (albeit at a Div II school that doesn't have football) I can assure you that football is not all that a president of a D-I school that is a major research institution cares about. Especially said institution that is the ONLY one in the South with Colleges of Medicine, Dentistry, Law, Veterinary Medicine, and Engineering all on the same campus.

 

[Mainland_Buc_75]

While certainly a consideration, a lack of money from pissed off boosters will have a bigger influence, IMHO.

Both good points. But those numbers, as real as they may be, don't have the same visual to the public as an institution having to cough up an 8 million dollar check because they were falling over themselves to double extend a 7-6 coach.

 

[Jake from State Farm]

Everyone keeps mentioning Machen, but, besides that he is retiring and the university is conducting an active search for his successor - what, y'all didn't know that? do you really think that football is the #1 concern of Machen? As a university professor (albeit at a Div II school that doesn't have football) I can assure you that football is not all that a president of a D-I school that is a major research institution cares about. Especially said institution that is the ONLY one in the South with Colleges of Medicine, Dentistry, Law, Veterinary Medicine, and Engineering all on the same campus.

Nope, Machen stays up every night worrying about how the posters on Gatorchatter are pissed off about Gator Football.

 

[Mainland_Buc_75]

Everyone keeps mentioning Machen, but, besides that he is retiring and the university is conducting an active search for his successor - what, y'all didn't know that? do you really think that football is the #1 concern of Machen? As a university professor (albeit at a Div II school that doesn't have football) I can assure you that football is not all that a president of a D-I school that is a major research institution cares about. Especially said institution that is the ONLY one in the South with Colleges of Medicine, Dentistry, Law, Veterinary Medicine, and Engineering all on the same campus.

Of course I know that. Machen is being mentioned by me because he went on record as approving two contract extensions in the 2012 off season to a 7-6 HBC and placing his university on the hook through 2017 to the tune of 13.5 million dollars.