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Texas AD Chris Del Conte

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BurntOrange&White

BurntOrange&White 41,859

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3 hours ago, David Dennison said:

There's also this: https://www.hookem.com/story/20200901/texas-announces-tiered-salary-reductions-coaches-35-layoffs-result-covid-19/

 Paying $25 million in buyouts for the football team is not a good look. That plays a role in this whether we like it or not.

Your article is stupid. The money for the buyout isn’t coming from the department but the boosters. Also the coaches got salary deferments and will still get their contracts paid in full. 

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Mittens
Mittens

No CR:  

Penche Gringo
Penche Gringo

Here you go

JFKFC
JFKFC

Fortunate?!? There are 2 sports that matter: Football & Men's basketball. CDC's hires for both have been absolute abortions. 

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Hagbard Celine

Hagbard Celine 11,247

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1 hour ago, idigTexas said:

A tepid endorsement gives us all hope that it was merely lip service, and not an indication that CDC actually believes that Herman is the answer.

Great.  Someone has to pay.  Can we get the Regents to fire the position coaches at UTEP?

In the real world, someone gets shot.

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Hagbard Celine

Hagbard Celine 11,247

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53 minutes ago, idigTexas said:

I have no connection to CDC or anyone else associated with UT athletics.  I just happen to appreciate the scope of the job that we entrusted to him, and believe that he is far better equipped to do it well than the pretenders, interims, and burnouts that got us here.  When things aren't going well, it's a thankless job.  I'm a firm believer in stability and patience, but I can appreciate that the latter is in very short supply around here.  

I want what everyone else wants, but I appear to be in the minority regarding the best way to get there.  

recruiting is already fucked so there is no reason to not publicly shame thermensa and tell him we're going public with a contract proposal to rewrite his extension that lowers his base and makes the rest of the money incentive-laden.  if michigan can do it with harbaugh, why can't we do it with thermensa?   sure he can say no, but he's gone no matter what.  the msm will point and laugh, and who cares, they ridicule and bitch no matter what we do.

the best way to be ready for ohio state on august 30th 2025 is to shame the fuck out of thermensa on february 4th 2021 (day after signing day 2).

someone has to pay for this disaster, and i've seen evil assholes in the real world always win by shooting the innocent.

in this case, thermensa isn't even innocent.

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Had Enough

Had Enough 2,116

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If we can't win make the B12 title game with this rooster what makes you think we are going to make it with an even less talented one in the future? We are not OU so stop trying to point to them, if we where OU we wouldn't be having this conversation. The portal only works if you have something to offer the transfers which Texas currently doesn't have for any players worth anything. Whittingon can't stay healthy for more than 4 quarters so he add nothing at this point, the QB and running backs will be fucked when our shit O line rolls over and dies because of poor coaching and recruiting and O line recruiting has become dire enough that any coach comming into Texas is going to stuggle with. There are massive holes in this roster at OL, WR, and LB it will only get worse as recruiting collapses even more under another year of Herman and setting up the next coach for failure.
 
 


Sorry for the harsh intro to my initial response.

Here's where I am. I can only go on known information and some assumptions. And assumptions aren't worth much.

Option #1. Still pursue Meyer. Again CDCs statement left that open. Maybe that is 100% off the table. Hell if I know.

Option #2. Work to bring Urban on after next year. If you think that's 50%, then that can only happen if Herman stays another year. UM a year from now is better than missing on someone else.

Option #3. Campbell or Traylor. One can coach. One can recruit. Most upside. No legit confidence they win titles. No idea if they'd come here. If you go here, option #2 is forever gone.

Option #4. Bring Herman back. I don't have supreme confidence he'd win it. We aren't that far off though. Yes, I know we should have been there this year. Defense improved. Brown, Jamison, Thompson were all good and better than the year before. Unlike others I'm not convinced Yurcich is not responsible for the offensive shitshow. I do think covid affected us more than others. New offense, new defense but also our WR crew with new guys, injured or suspended guys who needed reps. It's not a great reason for failure but when evaluating overall it is a consideration.

Option #5. Off the radar guy.

Option #6. Mullen, Franklin, Kubiak, your mom. Yes I believe those are worse options than Hermsn returning.

For next year, we are in decent shape on OL but again some assumptions. Like Majors truly being effective and we're in significantly better shape than in 2013-14. Angilau stepped up. Jones should improve. And Thompson may help with the quick passing game. LBer is in decent shape too. DL is in a good shape even without Ossai. You've got 3 programs that 2 deep. That's it.
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satyanash

satyanash 15,601

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Bobby Burton: Update subsequent to CDC statement of support

Quote

This morning, I’m not going to pick apart every sentence in Chris Del Conte’s statement that he released on Saturday afternoon reaffirming his support of Texas coach Tom Herman. Doing so would be pointless. Nor am I going to refute the tweet from Kirk Bohls of the Austin American-Statesman that Del Conte told the paper Herman would return next season. I have zero doubt that Del Conte told the paper such things.

However, I would remind everyone of something I wrote earlier this year. Del Conte is not the final decision maker on Herman’s future. The football coach is the highest paid employee in the entire University of Texas system. Herman’s fate will ultimately be decided by the school president and the University’s board of regents, not its athletic director. Subsequent to the statement released by Del Conte yesterday, I was told by high-ranking officials at the university that Texas will monitor and pursue coaching candidates following the various conference championship games and into bowl season if necessary. In other words, Del Conte’s statement of support means virtually nothing.

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Not a Sock

Not a Sock 2,366

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32 minutes ago, Had Enough said:

 

 

 


Sorry for the harsh intro to my initial response.

Here's where I am. I can only go on known information and some assumptions. And assumptions aren't worth much.

Option #1. Still pursue Meyer. Again CDCs statement left that open. Maybe that is 100% off the table. Hell if I know.

Option #2. Work to bring Urban on after next year. If you think that's 50%, then that can only happen if Herman stays another year. UM a year from now is better than missing on someone else.

Option #3. Campbell or Traylor. One can coach. One can recruit. Most upside. No legit confidence they win titles. No idea if they'd come here. If you go here, option #2 is forever gone.

Option #4. Bring Herman back. I don't have supreme confidence he'd win it. We aren't that far off though. Yes, I know we should have been there this year. Defense improved. Brown, Jamison, Thompson were all good and better than the year before. Unlike others I'm not convinced Yurcich is not responsible for the offensive shitshow. I do think covid affected us more than others. New offense, new defense but also our WR crew with new guys, injured or suspended guys who needed reps. It's not a great reason for failure but when evaluating overall it is a consideration.

Option #5. Off the radar guy.

Option #6. Mullen, Franklin, Kubiak, your mom. Yes I believe those are worse options than Hermsn returning.

For next year, we are in decent shape on OL but again some assumptions. Like Majors truly being effective and we're in significantly better shape than in 2013-14. Angilau stepped up. Jones should improve. And Thompson may help with the quick passing game. LBer is in decent shape too. DL is in a good shape even without Ossai. You've got 3 programs that 2 deep. That's it.

 

 

 

How on earth you assume that the OL is remotely going to step I have no idea.

Nothing is worse then Herman returning this recruiting class has already collapsed and will result in stack up back to back transition classes is recipe for disaster. Also the fact that you think getting mullen is worse than keeping Herman is just laughable and probably the worst take in this thread. 

Edited by Not a Sock
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TexArcher

TexArcher 39,072

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4 minutes ago, David Dennison said:

No, people do give a shit. People who matter give a shit. The University of Texas is in the business of education, not football.

Why do people insist on believing that these are separate things?

The football program brings in over a hundred million dollars a year.  A lot of that money funds non-football projects.  The University of Texas is a better academic institution because of the football program (and because of anything else that raises buckets of money).  This shouldn't be hard to get.

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Hagbard Celine

Hagbard Celine 11,247

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1 minute ago, ClubWhatever said:

I am not saying Burton is wrong, but the worst thing in the world for his business is the fan base resigned to another year of Herman. 
What a terrible look that your AD is on the sidelines of a coaching search.  

Doublegold.  Unless CDC does something to humiliate thermensa, there will be airplane banners at the spring game.

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BurntOrange&White

BurntOrange&White 41,859

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4 minutes ago, ClubWhatever said:

I am not saying Burton is wrong, but the worst thing in the world for his business is the fan base resigned to another year of Herman. 
 

What a terrible look that your AD is on the sidelines of a coaching search.  

It’s what he deserves for being a dipshit. 

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pacman

pacman 7,507

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Since cdc seems to want to blame covid and fan expectations, let's be clear what the issue is here.

Starting a list: (in 4 years)

O chances in the CFP

1 big 12 Championship game, a loss

1-4 vs OU

1-3 vs tcu

0-2 vs Maryland

2 game losing streak to ISU

One asst coaching overhaul already

Poor LB/TE recruiting and usage

Poor Oline technique and coaching, 15 sacks vs OU last 2 years wtf!

Poor DB technique and coaching

Poor gameday coaching

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Guest Lobo

Guest Lobo

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I only see the twitter exchanges on this thread since I'm not on that social media site, but I've noticed our Athletic Director swapping pithy tweets chalk full of emojis, with fans less and less these days.  And whenever I see him, he still manages to make the narrative more about his choice in burnt orange attire and his beard rather than being about him doing his seven-figure fucking job.  I like him, but just some curious observations.  As much as it sucks, Covid-19 has revealed due to absence or events that there's more to the A.D. position at Texas than just showing up to donor events, shaking hands, and making hollow promises.  Who knew?  /rant

He's doing a lot of good around campus but when your facility upgrades are more geared towards attracting corporate donors rather than attracting athletes and coaches, that's sign one that you're fucked. 

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satyanash

satyanash 15,601

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18 minutes ago, longhornmatt said:

This would be so stupid, and so insubordinate from CDC, that frankly I have to believe it’s Burton trying to keep subscribers engaged for his bottom line.

Burton isn't Chip Brown. He's been in the industry for a very long time, and grown very rich/comfortable off of it. He's not at that level of desperation.

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Had Enough

Had Enough 2,116

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How on earth you assume that the OL is remotely going to step I have no idea.
Nothing is worse then Herman returning this recruiting class has already collapsed and will result in stack up back to back transition classes is recipe for disaster. Also the fact that you think getting mullen is worse than keeping Herman is just laughable and probably the worst take in this tread. 


The oline will be serviceable just as it was this year. We lose 3 guys. One was the worst of the 5. One was out of position and was mediocre at run blocking. So only 1 of 3 is difficult to replace. There were positive reviews of Majors at C. Cosmi and Kerstetter both outperformed their star rating. I fully expect Angilau and Jones to improve. Angilau sure as hell improved in year 2. Karic, Johnson, Hookfin are reasonable options. None of those are freshmen.

KState was beat up and crappy. Cosmi was out. Kerstetter out in 2nd quarter. We scored 69 points and didn't try in the 4th. Play calling much better. We stayed short and underneath early in the pass game. We used the run game to success. Yeah play calling helps your oline.

Those are reasons it could work. Chances are pretty decent this year's recruiting class has limited impact. The Brockermeyer ship was sailing a long time ago.

Tell me what Mullen has done that's so wonderful? He lost last night at home with a Heisman QB to a team with a freshman QB making his first start. That same team that had 1 returning offensive starter from last year. He lost to the Aggies because they couldn't run out the clock. He doesn't seem to be much of a personality to recruit especially with limited Texas ties. He did fine at MSU but nothing terribly special. He did have one overhyped team with a future NFL QB.

In his 8th year at MSU. He lost by 48 to Bama. Beat Miami by 1. That's of Ohio. He beat Samford. By 15. A 6-7 record. 100% his program. His record at UF is good. But few high quality wins. His record in year is no better than year 1. He's yet to play Bama while at UF. He's beaten 4 ranked teams while there. One was Michigan. Two were SEC teams that finished outside the top 25. His best MSU team won 10 but finished by giving up 49 to Georgia Tech. Pretty damn sure MSU had more NFL talent that GT.

Never have said Herman is the solution. I'm pretty convinced that a guy like Mullen has limited chance to get us where we want to be there.
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David Dennison

David Dennison 19,538

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3 hours ago, TexArcher said:

Why do people insist on believing that these are separate things?

The football program brings in over a hundred million dollars a year.  A lot of that money funds non-football projects.  The University of Texas is a better academic institution because of the football program (and because of anything else that raises buckets of money).  This shouldn't be hard to get.

Outside of the revenue from the LHN, to which academic departments does a lot of that other $100 million go? 

 

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BurntOrange&White

BurntOrange&White 41,859

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josephcook

Inside Texas Writer
 
 
 
Staff member
Darrell K Royal’s desk sits in the office of the athletic director of the University of Texas. The legendary football coach was faced with many decisions, including several that altered the future of the department he oversaw while men’s athletic director from 1962 to 1980.

Chris Del Conte now sits behind Royal’s desk. The former TCU athletic director recognized the outsized expectations of the same position at UT. He knew what he was getting into, and even gave Texas fans a taste of bovine humor his first day on the job.

“Why not at the University of Texas?” Del Conte said during his introductory press conference in December of 2017. “It is like riding a bull, eight seconds, hang on, let's see what we can do.”

Of the bulls in the draw, Del Conte has little experience with one of the more difficult rides he could be paired with. As an athletic director at Rice, TCU, and Texas, Del Conte has hired just one head football coach. He has never had to fire one. In fact, the only coaches he dismissed and found replacements for among the men’s major sports were basketball coaches.

Del Conte has hired well at Texas, snatching Mike White from Oregon for softball and Vic Schaefer from Mississippi State for women’s basketball. Neither of those hires drew a quarter of the scrutiny a potential replacement for Tom Herman would field.

Momentous decisions now are before Del Conte. Does he replace Herman after four years and a 6-3 2020 season? It seems as if he has already tried to do so in Texas’ pursuit of Urban Meyer. Even if the three-time national champion coach does not make Austin his new home, does Del Conte make a move and begin the search for the 31st head coach of the Longhorn football program? He does not appear to want to do that quite yet, releasing a statement Saturday that seemed to muddy the picture regarding Herman rather than clarify it.

Looking back on his career, these decisions would be new draws for Del Conte. This upcoming ride may be the one that defines him professionally. 

A look at the athletic buildings on TCU’s campus would illustrate the impact Del Conte can have on a department. You would see a renovated football stadium, a new basketball arena, an upgraded baseball stadium, and all would have the Big 12 logo brandished in plenty of places. The buildings were all built debt-free for TCU. The conference logo required additional work from Del Conte.

The accomplishment Del Conte is best known for is his effort to bring TCU into the Big 12, including traveling to Austin to personally ask former athletic director DeLoss Dodds for a ‘yes’ vote to add the Frogs. It changed the fate of TCU forever, and almost paid off in the form of a College Football Playoff appearance within a handful of years.

Being an athletic director, however, is a multifaceted role. It’s not all about fundraising. It’s not all about professional associations. Personnel decisions are crucial, and while at TCU, Del Conte was never forced to prove his mettle in that regard.

When he arrived at TCU, football head coach Gary Patterson and baseball head coach Jim Schlossnagle were in the middle of their successful and current tenures in Fort Worth. His lone men’s major sport hire occurred in 2016 when he relieved Trent Johnson and hired Jamie Dixon to lead the men’s basketball program.

Dixon was a no-brainer for Del Conte. Pittsburgh let him go after an 11th NCAA Tournament appearance in 13 seasons. He was a TCU alumnus, and a job was open at his alma mater. Del Conte’s search list was possibly one name in length. The circumstances around the hire could not have been more favorable for the Horned Frogs.

Del Conte’s hiring record at Rice is similarly short. Owl baseball, Rice’s most successful sport, was in the hands of Wayne Graham. The program won the 2003 national championship and was in Omaha the day Del Conte was introduced in 2006, as well as the two seasons following. Del Conte did replace Rice alumnus Willis Wilson as head basketball coach in 2008 with Ben Braun. Wilson won 219 games in 16 seasons. Braun didn’t last 200 games.

Owl football remains where Del Conte made his only football head coaching hire. When Todd Graham abruptly left Rice for Tulsa after one season, Del Conte tapped Texas State head coach David Bailiff to replace him. Bailiff lasted 11 seasons in Houston, winning three bowl games and one C-USA championship between 2007 and 2017.

Hindsight views Bailiff’s hire positively but that is with nearly 14 years to evaluate the move. Those 14 years are a long time between making the personnel move that resonates throughout an entire school, let alone the athletic department.

Head football coach was never an issue at TCU. Things went well enough for TCU to unveil a statue of Patterson back in 2016.

Now, it is the issue at Texas in a year filled with so many other issues. Texas representatives made their desire for Meyer known but saw their efforts stagnate. All this was while Herman coached games and recruited for Texas.

A dismissal would not be Del Conte’s first at Texas, but Herman’s would no doubt be his first big one at Texas. Men’s tennis, track and field, softball, and women’s basketball simply do not compare to filling the seat once occupied by Royal. The head coach’s seat, that is.

Del Conte has illustrated his strengths in his three years as athletic director. The football program broke ground on a new football facility combined with the enclosure of the south end zone of Darrell K Royal – Texas Memorial Stadium in 2019. Swimming coach Eddie Reese recently received the outdoor pool promised to him by Royal. Longhorn baseball has an indoor facility with the latest and greatest tech. The Moody Center will one day replace the Frank Erwin Center at no cost to the university.

Outside of the high-dollar fundraising, Del Conte has reached out to all Longhorn fans with his presence on social media and through his posts on TexasSports.com. His outreach is not just digital in nature. Del Conte turned San Jacinto Blvd. into Bevo Blvd. on gamedays, a carnival-like atmosphere with pre-game appeals for fans of all ages.

His administrative know-how will come in handy when conference realignment becomes the hot topic once again. After coordinating one school’s admittance into the power players of college athletics, there’s little reason to believe he won’t be able to do it once more.

That said, Longhorn football isn’t looking for administrative know-how or fundraising at this juncture. It’s looking for someone to navigate the current process and keep all parties, whether it be UT president Jay Hartzell or ready-to-help(-and-influence) boosters, on for the ride.

Texas is a different bull compared to ones Del Conte has ridden in Houston and Fort Worth, and those strongly associated with the bull have little time for its… stuff.

For the first time in his career, Del Conte is confronted with a decision on the head football coach’s future. It wouldn’t be cheap to remove Herman but keeping him around when it seems like fans and many notable blue-chip recruits have lost faith could deliver a financial impact, too. That’s a financial impact Texas would struggle to absorb in light of ongoing construction and 2020’s drastic effect on intercollegiate athletics.

Royal once quipped “you’ve got to be in position for luck to happen.” Del Conte has not been in this position in his career, but this is part of his job.

The chute is about to open. The eight seconds are about to begin.

Hang on.
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TexArcher

TexArcher 39,072

Posted
Posted (edited)
55 minutes ago, David Dennison said:

Outside of the revenue from the LHN, to which academic departments does a lot of that other $100 million go? 

 

"In addition to its operating expenses, Texas' athletics program reported making a separate $10.8 million transfer to the university. That type of transfer, beyond operating expenses, occurs annually at Texas. Over the past five years, the athletics department has sent roughly $50 million to the university in this manner."

https://www.usatoday.com/story/sports/2019/01/15/texas-athletics-program-had-over-219-million-revenue-2018/2586818002/

I'll say it again: UT is a better academic institution because of the football program.  Caring about football and caring about academics are not mutually exclusive.  It's all one big brand and one big general fund.

Edited by TexArcher
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clapclapclap

clapclapclap 9,000

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Posted
3 hours ago, longhornmatt said:

Our AD needs to be fired if this is true.  He’s going rogue and publicly telling the media Herman will be back in 2021 when that hasn’t been decided and it’s not his call?  What?

The damn ESPN ticker had this as the “lead” item all throughout CFB broadcasts yesterday.  It’s not even like you could wave it off as “no harm, no foul” at this point.  This ensures a giant shit show if we reverse course and fire Herman.  

This would be so stupid, and so insubordinate from CDC, that frankly I have to believe it’s Burton trying to keep subscribers engaged for his bottom line.   If it’s real then CDC should be getting his walking papers.   Nobody operates like this in the real world without consequences if they’re not the one in charge.  The more likely explanation is he said Herman is coming back because Herman is coming back.

I think I recall a self-declared friend of insiders saying similar.  Buried somewhere pages back in the MRS degree thread.

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Hagbard Celine

Hagbard Celine 11,247

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32 minutes ago, TexArcher said:

"In addition to its operating expenses, Texas' athletics program reported making a separate $10.8 million transfer to the university. That type of transfer, beyond operating expenses, occurs annually at Texas. Over the past five years, the athletics department has sent roughly $50 million to the university in this manner."

https://www.usatoday.com/story/sports/2019/01/15/texas-athletics-program-had-over-219-million-revenue-2018/2586818002/

I'll say it again: UT is a better academic institution because of the football program.  Caring about football and caring about academics are not mutually exclusive.  It's all one big brand and one big general fund.

in a recent conversation with our resident aggy, a number of $1 Billion Dollars was the value placed on winning a football national championship.

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Cajun

Cajun 11,776

Posted
Posted (edited)
3 hours ago, CUM2TX said:

all the CDC cucks should be banned.

there is no reason for herman to be employed today. none.

You don't understand.  This is complicated.  CUM be like Tom Cruise and CDC be all like Kelly McGillis and we are Ice Man, Slider, Hollywood and all the other guys back in the classroom --

 

Edited by Cajun
It's all on the low low mayne.
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