Florida A & M coaching search focus on goals

by beepbeep, MEAC/SWAC Sports Main Street

The Florida A&M University coaching search hit a snag a few days ago but there was no real damage other than to the egos of a few Rattlers that were in a premature braggadocios mood with colleagues. A few had to eat crow as Grambling State University head coach Rod Broadway decided to accept a matching offer from the Tigers administration and remain in his present position at the institution.

Notwithstanding this unforeseen detour, the FAMU administration is moving forward in a stealth hiring mode as it is in the best interests of all the parties involved.

This sends the message to the most serious prospects that their identity will be protected by Florida A&M University from the national press and their current employers. This is very important for some prospects who may not want to be rejected for the position and have their names broadcast world-wide by the press and bloggers.

What can we can learn from the recent Rod Broadway and Pete Adrian hiring serenades?

First, overzealous Rattler fans and message board bloggers do not select head football coaches at major institutions like Florida A&M University and/or Norfolk State University.

As the president and his dedicated staff are engaged in contract negotiations with prospective new employees of the university, there is no need for public involvement on these matters. Sensitive personnel matters should be handled under a cloak of confidentiality until the deal is completed and the contract approved by the Board of Trustees. Then, it becomes public information and available for scrutiny.

Secondly, university experts must stay cognizant of the current market conditions for competent and productive football coaches that can fulfill the requirements of the FAMU head coaching position. The income levels within the marketplace for good football coaches has increased more than 32 percent for the MEAC conference in the past six months. Successful experienced coaches are becoming more difficult to procure and competent athletic directors and major supporters are willing to play the "match game" with any suitor that is in pursuit of their winning head football coach.

That was the strategy successfully implemented by Grambling State and Norfolk State athletic directors when FAMU and University of Rhode Island, respectively set forth to hire away their head football coach. Even when your hiring process starts with multiple candidates, you eventually get down to serious negotiations with only one or two candidates like Broadway, and at that point the key advantage lies within the hands of the prospect. He has exactly what you want and is smart to work both ends of the deal with the current and future employer.

The prospect has two methods to maximize his market value and lower performance expectations and standards--negotiate better terms with his current employer using FAMU's best and final contract offer as the mechanism or introducing a third suitor to the process, i.e., the Duke University interview. FAMU had no option but to move on as the candidate was only attempting to better his current situation without the lateral transfer of employment.

FAMU has not screw up the hiring process as some grossly misinformed individuals have alleged. In the very best of situations, every negotiation will not yield a successful contract unless there are parties on each side committed to make the deal happen.

Broadway certainly played his hand well dealing from a slight position of strength due to his prior knowledge and relationship with Ammons. The timing of the perfunctory courtesy interview extended by Duke University played a small part in undermining FAMU’s actions with Broadway as it gave him more leverage to seek additional powers beyond the ordinary scope given to head football coaches, like control over scheduling and staffing.

The final turn in the negotiations came when Grambling State athletics director Troy Mathieu decided to match the monetary aspects of FAMU’s best and final offer to keep Broadway at GSU. This sizable increase in base salary and job security made the decision for Broadway and his designated agent, a no-brainer.

Even the slowest thinking mugs in the Blog sphere and message boards understand that when all is equal, there is no reason to jump ship when there is a possibility you might fall in the water and drown.

"Nobody listened," Broadway said. "Everybody had me doing this and doing that. They all had their own opinion. I've said all along that I think this is a good situation. You can win here." Yessiree! Broadway is entirely correct. You can win at Grambling State and he will win and keep his fans happy with a traditional diet of classic victories, West Division titles and an occasional SWAC championship title.

Likewise, Pete Adrian contract is being financially upgraded by his athletic director after he initiated an interview for the head coaching vacancy at the University of Rhode Island.

Norfolk State athletic director Marty Miller said he is in the process of finalizing a new contract for Adrian, which would increase his salary to at least the middle of the MEAC scale, which reaches $175,000. Miller said he anticipates having the contract complete by the holidays. "We need to at least bring him up to where the average is," Miller said. Adrian base salary was at $102,300 and he signed a two year contract extension in September 2007.

Former FAMU coach Rubin Carter base salary was $135,000, which is far below today's MEAC average. Carter and his assistant coaches dismissal were justified by substandard football performance which included cruel and unusual punishment for passionate Rattler fans for a period of three long years.

The business and educational performance standards for the FAMU head football coach and staff positions are far above what has been acceptable in the past. President Ammons rightfully so, has a lucrative financial package designed to procure the type of head football coach that will achieve his academic standards, performance goals and economic objectives.

Let us take a brief moment and bring Rattler fans forward on the present state of the coaching economy, as it impacts FAMU.

There is no debate that Florida A&M University is the premier brand in HBCU sports and academics--not Grambling State.

The average base salary paid to MEAC coaches is now at $175,000 annually, which is greater than the SWAC, Colonial, Gateway, Big South, Southern, Southland, NEC, Pioneer and the lower tier of Division I-A, which include ten universities that are members of the Mid-American and Sunbelt conferences. We are sure that some MEAC'ers still believe the other conferences ice is colder, but the salary and the annual attendance data does not support those allegations.

In the Southwestern Athletic Conference, Southern University's Pete Richardson and Rod Broadway (revised deal) are now earning $200,000 to $210,000 annually with incentives. The SWAC teams do not compete nor participate in the NCAA Football Championship Subdivision playoffs for the national championship. Their West and East Division title holders play the latest conference championship game of the season on ESPN Classic to showcase their conference two best teams.

Florida A&M has demonstrated with the recent Broadway negotiations that our new coach will probably be at the upper level of the salary scale for the top 10 percent of FCS football coaches. The days of the $135,000 head football coach in the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference is now history at FAMU, NCA&T, SCSU, DSU, NSU, MSU, HU and Hampton.

The action by Ammons opens a lot more doors to high profile, high quality coaches with both Division I and NFL coordinator experience, non-BCS coordinators and assistant head coaches, FCS head coaches and talented coordinators, D-1A mid-major head coaches and Division II championship playoff seasoned head coaches. And let us not forget the 25 approved minority coaches/coordinators on the Black Coaches Association list. This pool of potential head coaches is vast.

For example, here is where the new salary range can reach and the quality of the people it can touch. Our purpose is not to suggest names or individuals for the coaching search process but to demonstrate where the dividing line has been moved by the FAMU president. This may give some a clearer understanding of the expected outcome of the FAMU hiring process.

a. Mark Farley, seven year head coach at University of Northern Iowa. This team was ranked #1 for six weeks in 2007 and was the #1 seed going into the FCS playoffs. UNI was 11-0 for the regular season. Farley base salary is $159,000, plus additional income from radio and TV, winning season ($14,500) for a total package of $173,500.

Athletic director Rick Hartzell is currently attempting to raise salary to $200,000 to avoid a raid by another FCS or FBC university for Farley services.

b. Turner Gill, University of Buffalo ($191,000) Division I-A Mid-American Conference. Interviewed for University of Nebraska head coaching position.

c. Shane Montgomery, Miami of Ohio ($144,000) Div. I-A, MAC.

d. Doug Martin, Kent State ($170,000) Div. I-A, MAC.

e. Brady Hoke, Ball State ($170,000) Div. I-A, MAC.

f. Steve Roberts, Arkansas State ($171,000) Div. I-A Sun Belt

g. David Elson, Western Kentucky ($180,000) Division I-A Independent

h. Gregg Brandon, Bowling Green ($181,000) MAC

i. Jeff Genyk, Eastern Michigan ($196,000) MAC

j. Ricky Bustle, La. Lafayette ($196,000) Sun Belt

k. Charlie Weatherbie, La. Monroe ($205,000) Sun Belt

You may review most of the above coaches contracts at this link,as the information is public record: (see: http://coacheshotseat.com/SalariesContracts.htm ).

Rattlers fans could better serve our cause if we do not fall into the trap encouraged by local newspapers on playing the game called "Guess who the next coach will be." This is a senseless game that may increase hits on a website, but is becoming an annoyance to the individuals named; their respective alums and fans at their present institutions; and projects Florida A&M University in a negative light.

As Mr. Broadway stated in his remarks to the press in the aftermath, "Nobody listened and everybody had me doing this and doing that. They all had their own opinion."

And we are all guilty of this type of conjecture.

Public silence is very beneficial to the selection and negotiation process and MEAC/SWAC Sports Main Street will await the official announcement from the FAMU president when the process is completed. There are no deadlines, so do what you gotta do, Mr. President. We support your efforts and understand the challenges involved.

Wishing each of you and your families a Merry Christmas and a happy and successful new year. Let us all pray that our Military Troops return home safely!