Facilities will also only be a benefit for a temporary period of time. With much of what we’re planning on that front, it’s honestly more catching up to other programs so it can’t be used to our detriment on the recruiting trail than actually being a selling point against upper half P5 programs (though I’m sure it will still be an emphasis for the coaching staff).
Realistically though the facility arms race will continue to grow within the next 10-15 years and we’ll be right behind again. Just the way it goes unfortunately.
Catching up on all this now was out of pocket counting my gambling money. Everything about this story true/false or in-between is awful. Anytime an athletic department becomes beholden to their donors they are in trouble. Football is littered with donor bases not understanding their place and subsequently selling their schools short. Auburn has been in turmoil over that for years (yes there are some success there).
If true, I go back to what @JoeBoxley amazing how for the last 25 years all I heard was Virginia donors don’t give enough and now they find $8mil at the drop of a hat for a short sighted goal? Refer back to my first point about why donors should not dictate policy.
I’m of a firm belief you don’t fire a guy unless you know what’s coming next. As some have mentioned it’s $6-8mil for the buyout a new HC of any talent is gonna run $8ish upfront plus a 4 year commitment at another $6mil per if they want to go where they indicate they want to go. Where’s that money coming from? This same group gonna bankroll the program for the next 5 years? If yes, then where the F%ck have they been for the past 20 years? If the program really drops $8mil to hire Charles Huff (who I like) that’s a massive mistake to invest all your hopes on an up and comer, which is all that will sniff this job. A new guy or someone on the way down.
Yes coaching is important and even I will admit Virginia could use an upgrade there, but in the age of NIL is coaching the ultimate most important? If we bring in Kirby Smart (for the sake of argument) does it matter if the program won’t spend on NIL to win the transfer portal and the recruiting battle? Brohm at UofL ignited his donors and they brought in 25 new players and look at the results. Sure Brohm is a good coach but the NIL money opened the transfer portal. Where’s the $8mil commitment to that? Without it, the program will be back in the same place a year from now.
Let’s look at the Utah offensive line - new trucks NIL deal as an example:
The offensive line unit gets “hired” by a local Ford dealer to promote their line of pickups, because what’s more “Built Ford Tough” than 300 pound offensive linemen. In exchange they get to drive new (or new-ish enough) trucks around town to help promote the brand and dealer.
New F-150 quad cabs are leasing at just under $1k/month per Edmunds, or about $10k a year (we’ll say dealers write off some of the fees since it’s part of a marketing deal). Let’s say 15 scholarship offensive linemen get the deal. You’re talking $150k a year. Throw in some sweeteners, some cash for their time, incidentals, maybe even rope in the tight ends, and you’re up to about $250k a year.
Shoot, add in the DL and Bandits and you’re up to a half million a year, right? Maybe some added incentives to feature the star players or the QB, whatever.
Bottom line, end of the day, this is a six-figure proposition, that could drastically help UVA get talent positive on the most critical position groups to help with both the running and the passing games. Would that make the difference in some of these one-possession games?
And is this not drastically, potentially order-of-magnitude, cheaper than $8-10mm in coaching change costs?
Donors being stingy on NIL but loose with cash for coaching buyouts is a pristine example of “penny wise, pound foolish.”
I legitimately have no idea what to do about the football program. It’s clear Kitchings is in over his head but forcing a head coach to make staff changes doesn’t seem likely to work. Firing a head coach after only two years, especially with the way last season ended, taints the job for years. But keeping the staff together doesn’t seem tenable if they go 2-10 or 3-11. This program is in an awful spot with no easy way out.
Guess we just hope beyond hope they can go 3-3, including beating VT, the rest of the way and that jumpstarts recruiting? Seems much more likely we go 1-5 and lose to VPI but they do play the games for a reason
I am aware. According to this database (https://sports.usatoday.com/ncaa/salaries/football/assistant), and I’m not sure if it is correct, the total assistant coaches comp is $4.4 mm. I would be surprised if the entire staff gets a 1x base severance, but perhaps that is the case. I would lean towards @AnonymooseHoo’s explanation, but I’ve already spent too much time on this.
So we buy out TE and his staff. Then we get to play “no one wants to coach at UVA” again.
The problem is UVA. 60% of the alums wouldn’t know he was gone unless it comes up in conversation at Biff and Buffy’s annual spring social. “Oh, was he the fellow from Utah with the horse’s name? Bucko, I think it was?”
