calumnus said:
mbBear said:
71Bear said:
SonomanA1 said:
From Knowlton's email today:
I want to conclude with a note about my future here at Cal. Chancellor Christ and I have finalized an agreement that will allow me to remain as your athletic director through 2029. I am so grateful for the Chancellor's trust and confidence. I love our Cal family and the direction we are heading, and I am excited to hopefully spend the rest of my career here in Berkeley.
Go Bears!
Jim Knowlton
Director of Athletics
Eight more years of substandard results.
The cheering you hear is from the other eleven schools in the P12.
You have been around Cal a long time. Has there been a time that the AD and the University had a better relationship, including the re-working of some of the debt and the adding of a "grad school" program that specifically helps out athletics?
Christ hired and clearly really likes Knowlton (just like Knowlton hired and clearly really likes Fox). "Re-working of the debt" (shifting it over to money that will come from academics) was a huge gift to Knowlton, but the same could have been done for literally anyone else as AD. The university still has the stadium debt even if the AD doesn't. It is not something Knowlton did.
The 8 year extension of Knowlton's contract, to a point where Christ will be 85 and likely long retired, seems like an irresponsible gift. I cannot see how that is justified with so much riding on the next few years. If next year it appears we are clearly headed in the wrong direction with Knowlton we just have to stick it out 7 more years?
I don't care about the "what if," it got done under Knowlton.
A grad program designed to be able to keep athletes who graduate could have been done under any AD, but it was done under Knowlton.
The Cameron Institute could have been created by past AD's, but it was done under Knowlton.
The quick response of the "Golden" program as Cal deals with NIL was done by Knowlton.
The inherited Title IX issues, especially Field Hockey, has been handled by Knowlton.
He liked Fox...we don't know if he still does. Fox may fail, but there isn't an AD worth their salt who hasn't gone through hoop coaches, and survived unless there was a cover up of something awful.
I don't know why the extension was 8 years, vs. 5,6 or 7. Was there a reason to believe another offer on the table? Hey, maybe not. But there are things happening with Knowlton. I actually don't find him to be overly "schmoozy" if that is a word....I think he is trying to play chess in a position that has often had people struggling with checkers.
