Meanwhile at 11th & Harvard...

[Old Titan]

14 hours ago, ORUTerry said:

That’s not quite the story I heard…. 

Do tell…

The only thing I would add is a prevalent rumor that TU no longer thought they could win with formerly-successful Gene Shell as coach, they were particularly frustrated with losing several games a season to up-and-coming crosstown rival ORU (I think they were 0-6 vs. ORU in their final campaign), and they felt the easiest way to rid themselves of Shell and the expense of baseball was to just eliminate the program altogether.  

[Bogus Smith]

On 6/14/2024 at 9:40 AM, Idig32 said:

So their new AD is a former baseball player (a sport TU doesn’t have) who is a football guy? I guess we’ll just keep beating them in the sports that really matter. 
 

Seriously, though, he seems like a decent hire, albeit a risky one. I’m surprised that Dickson didn’t have someone on his staff that he was grooming to replace him. That would seem to have been a more logical, less risky move. I’m sure the challenges of running the smallest D1 FBS athletic department are going to be very different from the challenges he saw at Texas A&M. 

TU found a guy that was out of a job (new AD came in and cleaned house) that doesn't have experience being a head guy as a D-1 AD.  This is the job that TU has become. 

Justin seems like a nice enough guy, but the TU job has become the job of "affording what you can buy at the candy store" rather than getting the best candidate that could cost you a price in the mid-$000's. 

If Justin can come in and not knowing a soul, but just by being the AD at the University of Tulsa, raise the funds needed to get better talent - both on the field and in the office - then he will make more money; otherwise, he will be the head guy looking for a better assistant's job at a P4 school in the next 3-5 years.  We have been there before with some of our coaches, I believe.

[titansforever]

Just saw this on the Tulsa World's site:

Tulsa athletic director Rick Dickson announced Tuesday that the University of Tulsa's Athletics Endowment Fund received a $30 million donation from an anonymous donor.

“I am deeply grateful that I can wrap up my career as a collegiate athletics director by announcing this important gift, which will leave UTulsa Athletics on sound financial footing for generations to come,” said Dickson in a press release. “There is no way to thank these donors enough for their leadership, generosity, and commitment to our shared alma mater.”

The endowment's funds will cover scholarship student-athletes' tuition fees indefinitely. Donations help make certain financial limitations are not a hindrance to any student-athlete's ability to succeed in the classroom or on the field.

The donors are former letterwinners and student-athletes.

[Old Titan]

11 hours ago, titansforever said:

Just saw this on the Tulsa World's site:

Tulsa athletic director Rick Dickson announced Tuesday that the University of Tulsa's Athletics Endowment Fund received a $30 million donation from an anonymous donor.

“I am deeply grateful that I can wrap up my career as a collegiate athletics director by announcing this important gift, which will leave UTulsa Athletics on sound financial footing for generations to come,” said Dickson in a press release. “There is no way to thank these donors enough for their leadership, generosity, and commitment to our shared alma mater.”

The endowment's funds will cover scholarship student-athletes' tuition fees indefinitely. Donations help make certain financial limitations are not a hindrance to any student-athlete's ability to succeed in the classroom or on the field.

The donors are former letterwinners and student-athletes.

This is a strangely-worded announcement.

It appears what they're trumpeting is the total amount pledged in a fundraising campaign for endowed athletic scholarships.  It's not one big "anonymous" gift to spend from a Boone Pickens-type donor.  It's presumably promises from dozens - even hundreds - of "former letterwinners and student-athletes" who will apparently remain unrecognized publicly, at least for now.

The announcement also lacks details of how much of the $30 million is actual gifts right now, as opposed to how much is promised in the future.  While $30 million is an impressive amount to announce for any fundraising effort (even if it's non-binding pledges), that figure might possibly represent a projection over a long period of time, and may include financial instruments such as insurance policies, annuities, etc., with TU's athletic scholarship fund earmarked as the eventual beneficiary.

Theoretically, endowing scholarships at some point in the future should free up dollars within the Athletic Department for facilities upgrades, coaches salaries, recruiting budgets, travel, guarantee games, etc.  But the question is, "When?"  Or, more specifically, "How soon?"

Realistically, it may merely slow down the bleeding for a while of trying to play D-1 football when you really can't afford to anymore.

[ORUSwagger]

On 7/3/2024 at 11:08 PM, Old Titan said:

This is a strangely-worded announcement.

It appears what they're trumpeting is the total amount pledged in a fundraising campaign for endowed athletic scholarships.  It's not one big "anonymous" gift to spend from a Boone Pickens-type donor.  It's presumably promises from dozens - even hundreds - of "former letterwinners and student-athletes" who will apparently remain unrecognized publicly, at least for now.

The announcement also lacks details of how much of the $30 million is actual gifts right now, as opposed to how much is promised in the future.  While $30 million is an impressive amount to announce for any fundraising effort (even if it's non-binding pledges), that figure might possibly represent a projection over a long period of time, and may include financial instruments such as insurance policies, annuities, etc., with TU's athletic scholarship fund earmarked as the eventual beneficiary.

Theoretically, endowing scholarships at some point in the future should free up dollars within the Athletic Department for facilities upgrades, coaches salaries, recruiting budgets, travel, guarantee games, etc.  But the question is, "When?"  Or, more specifically, "How soon?"

Realistically, it may merely slow down the bleeding for a while of trying to play D-1 football when you really can't afford to anymore.

Wow…. Lots going on here….

[Roll Eags New Era]

Not sure if anyone saw this, but thought I would toss this in here...

Not sure what the motivation or reasoning is behind an extension that goes through 2029, but okay I guess? Winning 5 games in his first season and then 16 the following year and then losing his best player to Memphis. Just not seeing the reason to extend yet. Not a big fan of this guy anyways. My first guess is the new AD doesn't want to rattle the cage with anyone or make any fans upset if someone likes the guy. Any thoughts? 

 

 

[Idig32]

I agree it seems like a weird time to extend him, especially for so long. I could understand if his contract was expiring next summer that the new AD would want to give him a year or two extension just to give him some breathing room, but this long of an extension doesn’t make sense. 

[Bogus Smith]

I doubt that the AD made the decision to extend the contract.  He hasn't been around long enough to put the quality of the work being done by Konkol in comparison to the extension of the financial commitment being made.  I would think Carson and, on his way out, Dickinson made the decision to get this contract done.

[Otis 83]

Heard this news at a dinner party Saturday night as I have friends whose son is on the team.  I was also surprised he was extended so early in his existing contract based on what he's accomplished so far.  Friends' kid is happy because he chose TU because of Konkol, duh, and is pleased that Konkol should be there for the player's time at TU. 

In another interesting note, the father pays $9.99 a month for some insiders message board where folks attending practice share thoughts and, I guess, other insider information is shared.  I told him that at orusports.com I get all of that inside information for free from the likes of @eagle88 @Old Titan @Bogus Smith and other well informed, local fans.

[SpaceManSpiff]

3 hours ago, Otis 83 said:

In another interesting note, the father pays $9.99 a month for some insiders message board where folks attending practice share thoughts and, I guess, other insider information is shared.  I told him that at orusports.com I get all of that inside information for free from the likes of @eagle88 @Old Titan @Bogus Smith and other well informed, local fans.

That model may have made sense 20+ years ago when finding recruiting information / player reports online was almost impossible. Now every recruit has a mixtape video due to smartphones and YouTube - plus post-game press conferences are often streamed as well. Not sure how Chris Harmon has kept it going...

[Bogus Smith]

36 minutes ago, SpaceManSpiff said:

That model may have made sense 20+ years ago when finding recruiting information / player reports online was almost impossible. Now every recruit has a mixtape video due to smartphones and YouTube - plus post-game press conferences are often streamed as well. Not sure how Chris Harmon has kept it going...

They are sheep....they just follow whatever they have always done.  

[GoldenEagleFan]

Tough home opener for the Golden Hurricanes… takes OT to beat D2 Missouri S&T. 

[seanabbot7]

Based on the title of the video, I'm guessing this was intended as entertainment at their all-sports banquet last month?

[Old Titan]

Not a great weekend for TU Athletics:

 

[Bogus Smith]

10 hours ago, Old Titan said:

Not a great weekend for TU Athletics:

 

Does the possibility exist that TU is paying off TWO coaches' contracts by the end of March 2025? 

[Old Titan]

1 hour ago, Bogus Smith said:

Does the possibility exist that TU is paying off TWO coaches' contracts by the end of March 2025? 

TU's obsession with D1 football is baffling.  They will have to pay off Wilson and his staff AND pay for a new coach and his staff coming in.

They just went "all in" on football with this move, and basically said to basketball, "Figure it out."

Konkol's contract pays him $1.2 MILLION per year, and this past summer it was extended through 2029 (!)

Like it or not, they're stuck with him for now. 

Which presents an INCREDIBLE opportunity for ORU to dominate the local basketball landscape in the next few years.  Just gotta win some games!!

[Bogus Smith]

1 hour ago, Old Titan said:

TU's obsession with D1 football is baffling.  They will have to pay off Wilson and his staff AND pay for a new coach and his staff coming in.

They just went "all in" on football with this move, and basically said to basketball, "Figure it out."

Konkol's contract pays him $1.2 MILLION per year, and this past summer it was extended through 2029 (!)

Like it or not, they're stuck with him for now. 

Which presents an INCREDIBLE opportunity for ORU to dominate the local basketball landscape in the next few years.  Just gotta win some games!!

All great points!  Thanks for the perspective.

[titansforever]

Nice to know that TU is all in when it comes to football.

TU President Brad Carson: Football to be ‘top of the AAC’ when it comes to resources

Dec 11, 2024

After taking the podium during Tre Lamb’s introductory press conference Tuesday, University of Tulsa President Brad Carson addressed his remarks to “alumni, fans, students, faculty and staff.”

One group he didn’t mention but was clearly targeting: those who think TU should deemphasize its athletic program.

Lamb was hired as the newest football coach for the Hurricane, receiving a five-year contract with a salary believed to be in the neighborhood of $1.4 million. That would put Lamb in the middle of American Athletic Conference coaching salaries. However, when it comes to the new era of athlete compensation that is coming to the NCAA, Carson wants TU to be at the top of its conference.

“It’s being at the top of the AAC in terms of the resources we’re providing the program,” said Carson when asked about the “unprecedented investment” in football he mentioned in Lamb’s introductory press release. “We’re never going to be Georgia, Oklahoma, A&M, somewhere like that.

“Our goal is to look at what it takes to win in the AAC in terms of player compensation, coaching salary, staff salary, those kind of things, and make sure we’re at the top of our league.”

Not long ago there was a debate on the TU campus if the school should be funding athletics at all. Academic programs were being cut and some questioned the logic of spending money on an athletic program in the face of those reductions.

A similar decision took place three years ago at Hartford, when the school decided to drop from Division I to Division III shortly after its men’s basketball team made the NCAA Tournament. A few weeks ago, Temple President John Fry had to reaffirm his commitment to the school’s football program after being vague about his support in the wake of the firing of head coach Stan Drayton.

“Five or six years ago, maybe we’re going to be like Temple or what’s happening at Hartford now. Maybe that’s our destiny,” Carson said.

Instead, Carson, who became school president in 2021 after serving in the U.S. House of Representatives and as Under Secretary of the Army and Under Secretary of Defense for President Barack Obama, is committed to running a top tier AAC program even in the face of the modern name, image and likeness era.

While reporting the hiring of Central Florida running backs coach Kam Martin to Tre Lamb’s staff, FootballScoop.com quoted sources as saying Lamb would have a $3 million NIL pool. TU officials wouldn’t comment on the report, but sources confirmed the “ballpark” of the initial $3 million NIL report.

Martin was officially announced via social media Wednesday afternoon as TU’s new associate head coach/running backs coach. It was also announced current TU cornerbacks coach and former Union star Dominique Franks will stay on Lamb’s staff.

The website NIL-NCAA.com estimates the highest yearly revenue from an NIL collective in the AAC at just under $3 million per year.

“I think it is important for alumni, fans, everybody who cares about the programs to say we’re in it to win it,” Carson said. “If we’re going to do this, we should try to win it. If we’re not going try to win it, if we’re going to try to be sixth place in the AAC every year, it is an expensive vanity. So let’s try to do it, let’s try to win at the top level and use it to benefit the university.”

In that regard, Carson views the athletic department as a high-value marketing arm.

“You see when TCU made the national championship game, the applications for their school went up by like 20,000 that year,” Carson said. “That’s because some people are checking out TCU, and it’s a cool spot, but they weren’t thinking about it.

“That’s what we have at Tulsa. This university is beautiful. The academics are fantastic. It’s a great place to come. The city is cool. But if you’re in Florida, it’s probably not on top of mind. But then they see it through sports, and it’s a great thing.”

Carson is sold on athletic director Justin Moore’s vision for building the Hurricane program and on Lamb, the person Moore picked to make a football renaissance happen.

But there is still work to do on raising the money necessary to fund NIL initiatives and facility upgrades.

“We’re trying to fundraise for that,” Carson said. “Justin is terrific with that. I’ve been out there a lot. We’re trying to go to what is a very wealthy donor base and have them believe in the program.

“We have to have an indoor practice facility if we’re going to be serious in football. That doesn’t happen overnight. We’ve been talking about it for a while. I don’t want to get ahead of the Board of Trustees. There are decisions that have to be reached. But in my own mind, an indoor practice facility is critical.”