This diversion is fun, because it’s pretty meaningless. Nobody is going to lose sleep over Jen Cohen leaving. Even if she was a top-10 AD, it’s not the same as losing a coach.
A great coach can be program changing, and a mediocre one will tank the program.
Even if I buy that a great AD (whatever that means) can really help a program, a mediocre one isn’t the same drop off as it is with coaches.
Relatedly, the string of AD failures at USC suggests to me that the problem there isn’t that they haven’t found the right AD, there’s an institutional issue.
This diversion is fun, because it’s pretty meaningless. Nobody is going to lose sleep over Jen Cohen leaving. Even if she was a top-10 AD, it’s not the same as losing a coach.
A great coach can be program changing, and a mediocre one will tank the program.
Even if I buy that a great AD (whatever that means) can really help a program, a mediocre one isn’t the same drop off as it is with coaches.
Relatedly, the string of AD failures at USC suggests to me that the problem there isn’t that they haven’t found the right AD, there’s an institutional issue.
Here is how I'd rate some moments from her tenure:
Good - Hiring Deboer: Although he wasn't her first choice - Stadium renovations: This probably would have happened regardless of who the AD was
Neutral - Hiring Hopkins: At the time this was an intriguing hire but in no way a "splash" hire. Coach in waiting behind Boeheim, good recruiter and tied into team USA basketball - De-prioritizing football during the pandemic: Not sure how much of this was her fault
Bad - Firing Jimmy and paying him his full salary - Hiring Jimmy: Some reasons to think he was a good hire but also reasons to think he had worn out his welcome - Brand/Game day experience: Can be so much better
That list just screams "mediocre" to me.
What else would you throw on here/change?
I think you are already answering your own question on the "Good" line items -- not sure we can truly credit her for bagging her third choice in DeBoer, and for renovations that had to happen anyways.
Let's chronicle some additional "Bad" items: - Negotiating against herself with Jon Don and then firing/paying buyout 18 months later - Her large (60%!!!) raise she gave herself in 2018, while attendances and revenue continued to decline through the Peterman era, and kept hidden for quite some time -- thanks for the 5% clawback during the pandemic, Jen - Hopkins extension (the initial hire can be neutral, sure, maaaaybe even good until we got to the extension) - All three of her NIL hires -- Ramming, the disbarred lawyer and now someone from Eastern Illinois of all places - Burying the sexual assault allegations against Roy Shick (her assistant AD) in 2018 - her contribution being to let the fucker leave quietly with no consequences, and offering to "pay for therapy" for the affected student athlete - The general state of the AD finances (yes, that's on you, Jen, not "upper campus") - Persevering on the WSU matchup/relationship and talking openly in the media how she wanted UW to stay linked with them conference-wise
It's hard for me to see how you can even get to "average" or "mediocre" in terms of her ability as an AD. You really have to give her full credit for DeBoer (and Peterman too) to have even come close on the pluses and minuses side to a balanced set.
Take a look at the last few AD hires at USC. All disasters. Then the list of other candidates they had besides Jen this time around. SC can pay whatever and has one of the most desirable spots for an AD west of the Mississippi.
The profession seems filled with mediocrity. So not exactly sure what's an amazingly better option than Peterman is my only point... yes, we should try though. However, we probably need to manage expectations in here a bit before we hire internally or take on the AD from Southeastern Tennessee State University.
My elation at the news has turned to horrified as people I (previously) consider(ed) intelligent keep name-dropping Petersen to be the replacement. I'm way more pro-Petersen than most here as a coach, and I still think he's one of the worst choices to be an AD in the current age. Philosophically he's about as anti-NIL as you can get, and experientially he has never even been an AD before. Get the fuck out of here with that.
This is a major inflection point for the AD. With Cohen's departure, our connection to the Decade of Shame is now fully severed. We can dramatically upgrade (or downgrade) the AD culture with this hire. Let KDB pick the next one, or at a minimum let him heavily vet and sign-off on candidates before putting offers in front of them.
Not out of the realm of possibilities that Cohen just takes Peterman along as her "consultant" -- lots more money in the USC coffers coming with that sweet full share, and to other people's points, doesn't actually have to be responsible for anything specific in that sort of role
Comments
A great coach can be program changing, and a mediocre one will tank the program.
Even if I buy that a great AD (whatever that means) can really help a program, a mediocre one isn’t the same drop off as it is with coaches.
Relatedly, the string of AD failures at USC suggests to me that the problem there isn’t that they haven’t found the right AD, there’s an institutional issue.
Let's chronicle some additional "Bad" items:
- Negotiating against herself with Jon Don and then firing/paying buyout 18 months later
- Her large (60%!!!) raise she gave herself in 2018, while attendances and revenue continued to decline through the Peterman era, and kept hidden for quite some time -- thanks for the 5% clawback during the pandemic, Jen
- Hopkins extension (the initial hire can be neutral, sure, maaaaybe even good until we got to the extension)
- All three of her NIL hires -- Ramming, the disbarred lawyer and now someone from Eastern Illinois of all places
- Burying the sexual assault allegations against Roy Shick (her assistant AD) in 2018 - her contribution being to let the fucker leave quietly with no consequences, and offering to "pay for therapy" for the affected student athlete
- The general state of the AD finances (yes, that's on you, Jen, not "upper campus")
- Persevering on the WSU matchup/relationship and talking openly in the media how she wanted UW to stay linked with them conference-wise
It's hard for me to see how you can even get to "average" or "mediocre" in terms of her ability as an AD. You really have to give her full credit for DeBoer (and Peterman too) to have even come close on the pluses and minuses side to a balanced set.
Then the list of other candidates they had besides Jen this time around. SC can pay whatever and has one of the most desirable spots for an AD west of the Mississippi.
The profession seems filled with mediocrity. So not exactly sure what's an amazingly better option than Peterman is my only point... yes, we should try though. However, we probably need to manage expectations in here a bit before we hire internally or take on the AD from Southeastern Tennessee State University.
Maybe we don't know shit about this subject... including me.
Rowboat rules the world as always
Has someone made the stepping stone school joke yet?
Like there would be a Senior Man Administrator.