Countdown to Hewitt's Next Longevity Bonus

[wijg]

Unless you all are talking about $10,000 donations or more, I doubt very seriously that your threat to stop donating would mean too much.

Two things in response to this:
1. I think your thinking about this the wrong way. Of course one person who spends say $2,000 a year at Mason on basketball (with donation, tickets, etc.) saying this is not going make a difference on their own. But, if a lot of people are saying that, then it should (or Mason no longer deserves our support).

2. I personally know someone who used to put 5 figures + a year towards Mason men's basketball. He has planned to give six figures + to Mason men's basketball in the very near future, but has lost confidence in the school to properly manage the program, especially if they let Hewitt earn the longevity bonus. So he is questioning whether he is done with Mason for good.

 

[gmutom]

Unless you all are talking about $10,000 donations or more, I doubt very seriously that your threat to stop donating would mean too much.

Sadly, I think Walter is correct. I donate a good amount of money to the program, and I've never seen Brad Edwards in the Gold Room this year? As far as I know, he's never walked the room, never shook a hand, never said thanks for donating.

It actually pains me to say that, because I met him this summer at an open practice and he was very gracious and outgoing to me and my son. I just think he should appreciate all donors instead of just the big spenders down on the floor and in the Green Room — especially given the current state of our flagship program.

 

[Pablo]

Sadly, I think Walter is correct. I donate a good amount of money to the program, and I've never seen Brad Edwards in the Gold Room this year? As far as I know, he's never walked the room, never shook a hand, never said thanks for donating.

It actually pains me to say that, because I met him this summer at an open practice and he was very gracious and outgoing to me and my son. I just think he should appreciate all donors instead of just the big spenders down on the floor and in the Green Room — especially given the current state of our flagship program.

Hopefully, he will read this and act accordingly.

 

[wijg]

Sadly, I think Walter is correct. I donate a good amount of money to the program, and I've never seen Brad Edwards in the Gold Room this year? As far as I know, he's never walked the room, never shook a hand, never said thanks for donating.

It actually pains me to say that, because I met him this summer at an open practice and he was very gracious and outgoing to me and my son. I just think he should appreciate all donors instead of just the big spenders down on the floor and in the Green Room — especially given the current state of our flagship program.

If a lot of the gold room crowd is saying this to the AD (that is a big if), then it should matter. I would assume a lot of gold room members are spending around $2k per year on Mason, especially families with 4 seats (counting per seat donations and season ticket cost). There are more of us than there are in the green room. 5 gold room people = 1 10k green room person.
50 gold room season ticket holders at 2k per equals 100k in lost revenue. Factor in bigger and smaller donors, and it all adds up.

Yes you would think he would occasionally make a visit to the Gold Room (I've missed several games now, so I don't know if he has or not), but I would also expect him to spend more time in the Green Room schmoozing current big donors, and maybe even more importantly, potential new big donors. I would assume the big fish that need Brad's level of interaction to land are hanging around out in the green room .

 

[Vurbel]

If a lot of the gold room crowd is saying this to the AD (that is a big if), then it should matter. I would assume a lot of gold room members are spending around $2k per year on Mason, especially families with 4 seats (counting per seat donations and season ticket cost). There are more of us than there are in the green room. 5 gold room people = 1 10k green room person.
50 gold room season ticket holders at 2k per equals 100k in lost revenue. Factor in bigger and smaller donors, and it all adds up.

Yes you would think he would occasionally make a visit to the Gold Room (I've missed several games now, so I don't know if he has or not), but I would also expect him to spend more time in the Green Room schmoozing current big donors, and maybe even more importantly, potential new big donors. I would assume the big fish that need Brad's level of interaction to land are hanging around out in the green room .

I don't think he should be up with us 50% of the time or anything like that, but making an appearance once/season would be nice. Even Coach Kreider can stand up there.

 

[wijg]

So I have been thinking about the longevity bonus and what it means if Mason does not fire him before that. Here is my current thinking:

So, if Mason decides to keep him through the longevity bonus, but then fires him at the end of the season, basically, giving him an additional $85k to coach for a week and a half, and the chance (however infinitesimal) to make the decision hard by doing something in the A10 tourney, that would seem to say one of two things:

1. The AD is so flush with cash it can afford to throw away $85k
2. The AD isn't flush with cash, but, still throws money away

If it is #1, they don't need my donations, and if it is #2, they don't deserve my donations.

 

[GMUgemini]

Or they are doing the honorable thing and firing him at the conclusion of the season.


Look, there is no benefit for firing him now in the real scheme of things. We aren't going to get a better coach because Hewitt is fired now as opposed to after the A10 tournament.

If he is retained, then that is a whole other story, but firing Hewitt just to make the fans feel better isn't the right way to go.

 

[Pablo]

So I have been thinking about the longevity bonus and what it means if Mason does not fire him before that. Here is my current thinking:

So, if Mason decides to keep him through the longevity bonus, but then fires him at the end of the season, basically, giving him an additional $85k to coach for a week and a half, and the chance (however infinitesimal) to make the decision hard by doing something in the A10 tourney, that would seem to say one of two things:

1. The AD is so flush with cash it can afford to throw away $85k
2. The AD isn't flush with cash, but, still throws money away

If it is #1, they don't need my donations, and if it is #2, they don't deserve my donations.

Actually, IMO, it would likely be #3:

The AD isn't flush with cash, but Mason does not want to jeopardize its reputation as one of the top up-and-coming universities in the country.

 

[wijg]

Or they are doing the honorable thing and firing him at the conclusion of the season.


Look, there is no benefit for firing him now in the real scheme of things. We aren't going to get a better coach because Hewitt is fired now as opposed to after the A10 tournament.

If he is retained, then that is a whole other story, but firing Hewitt just to make the fans feel better isn't the right way to go.

This isn't about doing it to make the fans feel better. There is an $85k benefit. If it wasn't for that, I'd agree with you. Again, if they can afford to throw that $85k away, they obviously don't need my money.

 

[wijg]

Actually, IMO, it would likely be #3:

The AD isn't flush with cash, but Mason does not want to jeopardize its reputation as one of the top up-and-coming universities in the country.

How do you get from firing Hewitt to no longer being one of the top up-and-coming universities in the country?

 

[Vurbel]

If the reputation of a university with a $945m budget is dependent on wherever or not a staff person gets an $85,000 bonus then then there is a much bigger issue than just basketball.

http://budget.gmu.edu/wp-content/uploads/15budexecsumm.pdf

 

[psyclone]

I think that the longevity bonus is viewed as an incentive for not jumping ship and leaving us in the lurch during the season. And from the university's perspective, not having some scandal break out during the year where you had to be replaced (e.g. hitting/abusing players during practice as happened at Rutgers and other places a few years back).

Granted, the March 1 date is a bit out of whack with the actual end of the season. But a longevity bonus isn't given to serve as an incentive to return the following year. Clearly Coach L wasn't prevented from leaving Mason after the season was over and after he collected the longevity bonus for that year.

 

[Pablo]

How do you get from firing Hewitt to no being one of the top up-and-coming universities in the country?

IMO, it's about maintaining its reputation as a top up-and-coming university for academics and research, and ensuring there is no perception that the administration is devoting an excessive amount of time and emphasis on athletics. For President Cabrera to fire Hewitt during the season just to save $85,000 would not be worth the risk to the school's reputation IMO.

 

[wijg]

IMO, it's about maintaining its reputation as a top up-and-coming university for academics and research, and ensuring there is no perception that the administration is devoting an excessive amount of time and emphasis on athletics. For President Cabrera to fire Hewitt during the season just to save $85,000 would not be worth the risk to the school's reputation IMO.

I would think the school would be viewed as devoting $85k too much towards athletics if it pays the bonus, only to fire him 11 days later. I don't know how in the world it could be viewed as sound money management.

Cue the "Agree to disagree" post...

 

[Pablo]

I would think the school would be viewed as devoting $85k too much towards athletics if it pays the bonus, only to fire him 11 days later. I don't know how in the world it could be viewed as sound money management.

Cue the "Agree to disagree" post...

Cue to AD Edwards' comment that the coaches' performances are evaluated after the season.

 

[GMUgemini]

I would think the school would be viewed as devoting $85k too much towards athletics if it pays the bonus, only to fire him 11 days later. I don't know how in the world it could be viewed as sound money management.

Cue the "Agree to disagree" post...

There are a small set of circumstances a school will fire a coach before the conclusion of the season, and money isn't usually one of them.

 

[Walter]

Yeah, we can do what is normally done and eat $85k. OR we can do what makes sense.

 

[wijg]

Cue to AD Edwards' comment that the coaches' performances are evaluated after the season.

I am well aware of his statements, which is why I have been contemplating the scenario since there seems to be a decent chance that Hewitt is fired after receiving the bonus. Just means that policy doesn't take into account the financial irresponsibility of a rigid policy like that. Again, that leads me to believe they don't need or deserve my donations.

 

[wijg]

There are a small set of circumstances a school will fire a coach before the conclusion of the season, and money isn't usually one of them.

Very few schools (if any) have a longevity bonus for their coach as stupidly timed as we do. So, this should fit the small set of circumstances.

 

[Pablo]

I am well aware of his statements, which is why I have been contemplating the scenario since there seems to be a decent chance that Hewitt is fired after receiving the bonus. Just means that policy doesn't take into account the financial irresponsibility of a rigid policy like that. Again, that leads me to believe they don't need or deserve my donations.

You're preaching to the choir! I started this thread because I know how galling it is for us that Hewitt will earn his 4th longevity bonus.