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I found it stunning that Oregon, with 122 coaches on staff (yes, I hyperbolize), felt so blindsided by this sudden defection.
Not to get too far into the "I walked to school through the snow uphill both ways" line of thought, but christ, I was on a team that almost won the national championship and only got its first-ever actual paid assistant in January of that year, had no training table, a student trainer who wrapped ankles, no tutors, etc., etc.
When I think that the NCAA imposes scholarship limits, then allows hundreds of thousands to be spent on on (sorry all you hard-working guys I appear to be trashing here) non-athletes... fah!
Every $50,000 employee (including benefits) you have is, at most schools, at least 5 athletes who could be on a significant scholarship.
The NCAA is putting the spending limits in the wrong place.
I found it stunning that Oregon, with 122 coaches on staff (yes, I hyperbolize), felt so blindsided by this sudden defection.
I agree. I think maybe Oregon got so caught up in Eugene being "Tracktown USA" (i.e., that no one would want to be anywhere else) they forgot the lesson known by every Superbowl winner: Kiss your assistants good-bye!
I found it stunning that Oregon, with 122 coaches on staff (yes, I hyperbolize), felt so blindsided by this sudden defection.
I'm not surprised that UO would feel blindsided. Not that Steele left, but the timing. I think most school feel the moves occur during the summer, and once the school year starts your staff is pretty well set for the year.
"Summer" season concept varies in academe as reflected by school year calendars. "Fall" term at U. of Tennessee started August 16 and graduation is May 7. But at U. of Oregon, "Fall" term did not start until September 29 and graduation is June 14.
Reports from Eugene indicate that UO athletic leaders knew about Steele's potential departure beforehand so it seems unlikely that they would agree with "blind-sided" and "defection" labels for their former colleague.
<<...UO director of track and field Vin Lananna admitted he was “caught by surprise” when Steele decided to pursue the head coaching position at the University of Northern Iowa,...>>
When I think that the NCAA imposes scholarship limits, then allows hundreds of thousands to be spent on on (sorry all you hard-working guys I appear to be trashing here) non-athletes... fah!
Every $50,000 employee (including benefits) you have is, at most schools, at least 5 athletes who could be on a significant scholarship.
The NCAA is putting the spending limits in the wrong place.
I'm not sure I buy your beef here. The schools that can afford highly-paid coaches and support staff are the same ones that would have no problem covering more scholarships were the NCAA to increase the limits.
I think Kelly Blair was "caught by surprise" also last year when they pushed her out so they could hire another distance coach. Kind of shortsighted to burn bridges with a talented alum...hindsight is 20/20.
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