New ND AD

[olsingledigit]

Though Bobo was never (publicly) considered, there was speculation here. One of the first comments agreed to by most is that football experience would be paramount. Not so. The selection is very qualified from an overall sports background, is an ND grad, and has lots of experience with and ties to the NCAA, but no football experience or even AD experience. However, likely a good choice for ND.

http://www.insideindianabusiness.com/ne ... p?ID=30448

[Mr. Neutral]

http://sports.espn.go.com/ncaa/news/story?id=3491939

He is an ND guy, first and foremost, and you have to wonder if the school wasn't primarily concerned with getting a guy who might be more business-oriented, as opposed to the traditional AD type.

[wkrq59]

When the ND job opened, speculation on this board centered on Mike as a candidate. Like Sean two years ago with Michigan and Minnesota and this year with Indiana and Marquette, it was totally premature and untrue, as the media call to Bobinski saying Sean was in Milwaukee and ready to take the Marquette job, all the while he was in Mike's office.
At various times on this board--and this is not a criticism of any individual, just an expression of dislike for unfounded and often wild speculation--we've seen just about everything, with many of us taking offense and chastising the critic for daring to express a contrary opinion.
Someone postulates that Redford will absolutely, positively have to be red-shirted without ever having seen him play and then gets personal with people who say, "Wait a minute."
The upshot of all this is sometimes we forget the people we're so sure are the "No. 1 candidate who "would be a fool not to take a job like Indiana" have families and friends who read these boards and for some reason consider them to be gospel.
We forget for example that Mike would have to have a very good reason for changing jobs, or that Sean would have to be damned unhappy to bolt the up-and-coming program he has established to do likewise. We also forget that the player and his parents are the sole determinors of whether a red-shirt will be taken. Sean may suggest, but the final decision rests with the player.
There are many reasons why we do this--we don't want to be surprised and hurt as we were when Matta bailed or we'd like to be able to say "See, I'm right. I told you so."
I have often pointed out on both boards, MM and XH, that lazy reporters faced with an editor's demand for a scoop, that is first and juicy get written and so they just put down the first names that come to mind, seldom checking the veracity of their stories. Their chagrin seldom includes an apology to the "Likely candidates" they've named whose jobs may have been put in jeopardy or whose family tranquility may have been shattered, however briefly.
Speculation can be fun, especially in the off-season, but it can also harm.

[muskieman]

lazy reporters faced with an editor's demand for a scoop, that is first and juicy get written and so they just put down the first names that come to mind, seldom checking the veracity of their stories. Their chagrin seldom includes an apology to the "Likely candidates" they've named whose jobs may have been put in jeopardy or whose family tranquility may have been shattered, however briefly.
Speculation can be fun, especially in the off-season, but it can also harm.


Then let me be the first to say...next off season, their will be a coach, that we all know, from a school we all know that will move on to a school we all know to take over a basketball team we all know Then we will all know. Then again it is all speculation.

[Mr. Neutral]

Q, the Chicago Tribune and other media outlets had Bobinski as a POSSIBLE candidate as well, and who are we to say that ND never talked about Mike? Which one of us was in that room with ND higher-ups?

The fact that ND ended up going with a guy that nobody predicted doesn't mean that the speculation was right or wrong.

And if you think having Bobinski's name mentioned for the ND AD job upset either his personal or professional life, get real. That's like saying mentioning someone as a VP candidate is a hurtful thing. It's an honor to be mentioned for certain jobs, and this would be in that group.

[wkrq59]

Before I stopped drinking--seems like forever--I used to spend the month of May at Indy sending back daily reports on the upcoming 500. I was fortunate enough to make the acquaintance of different reporters from the Tribune and the Sun Times, as well as reporters from Miami, Orange County Calif., and other realms.
In the evenings after our rat had been filed, we'd meet at some restaurant or bar close to where we were all staying, dine, drink and share war stories.
Believe me, numerous reporters from both of those hallowed Chicago newspapers told me of the files they kept in their desk drawers of likely candidates and likely finalists for every damned coaching, managing and directors job you could imagine.
Again, just because the Tribune said Mike was a candidate doesn't give the report any more credibility than the South Bend Tribune saying "sources said Mike has a lock on the job."
A really decent guy and damned good reporter from the Miami Herald told me there was a reporter on his paper who held a record for listing "likely candidates" and in the long list he would include Giovanni Gotti, the head coach at Farway Academy Junior College who is looking to step up. With each new coaching vacancy he was assigned to write about, a different fictional coach would be listed. His immediate supervisor as well as the sports editor and even the managing editor of the paper used to send him atta-boys on their special note paper. Somehow, one of the coaches among the eight or ten he listed actually got the job and he had predicted it. He left the Herald for a New York paper. Which one I can't remember.
Several of my friends from the two Chicago papers way back then used to laugh at the Herald guys story and then talk of their own ways of just making sure the lists they wrote from had living coaches who MIGHT actually be candidates in them. But the reporters from the World's Greatest Newspaper and it's cousin were not above totally unfounded speculation.
Don't get me wrong, Gary. I always liked the guys from Chicago and learned a great deal from them. I was also fortunate to join them in hunting as a pack, like a bunch of wolves. We'd share stories sources and it made our lives a lot easier and a lot more fun.
But please don't tell me the rat those guys write is pure and not part of the way it is. I know better.
Most of those guys have either retired or died and I never met a funnier, nicer bunch of guys. The late Paul E. Brown used to call us "Ink stained wretches," and most of us wore the badge proudly. But wild speculation, more common than you might think, was regarded as a matter of expediency. Besides, who could we hurt. And yes, I know people who have been hurt by being listed as a candidate when he was not and it cost him a contract extension and eventually his job.
But what's a little harmless speculation? It's really a form of flattery to be named and besides, it might actually be true. At least that's the justification I hear.

[Mr. Neutral]

<<But what's a little harmless speculation? It's really a form of flattery to be named and besides, it might actually be true. At least that's the justification I hear.>>

Again, Q, none of us is in position (at least as far as I can tell) to confirm or deny that Bobinski's name never came up amongst the ND decision-makers. Just because he didn't get the job doesn't mean he wasn't in the mix to some degree.

Even assuming he was never in the mix, was speculation about the possibility wrong? IMHO, no, not at all. It wasn't negative speculation (i.e., he was going to get fired at X, etc.) but linking him to one of the higher-profile jobs in college sports. How can that possibly hurt him?????

Let's say the UCLA job opened up and Miller's name was mentioned as a possibility, but the UCLA folks weren't actually looking at him as a possible hire. How can being linked to possibly the highest-profile job in the country hurt him, especially when there's no downside? Either he keeps his current great job, or gets another even better job?

We should all be in such "tough" spots.

[muskieman]

I am going to start a rumor that my name is in the hat for the Lakers job...think it will help?

[rickf]

There is NO doubt that Bob was interviewed. He was called and told that he did not get the job. This was on
Monday.