- I say no. Is there a way to start a poll?
Go Bears!
Econ141 said:
He will not be fired. No one is going to come up with the money because they don't want to give it to the AD who will once again make a disastrous hire.
So we are stuck with him until either the AD is fired (also very little chance) or (the most likely) until his contract expires.
Tune in to Cal basketball about 5 years from now and maybe things will be a little bit better.
Yes, but Knowlton wasn't the AD for the vast majority of those 40+ years. And Fox won't be fired because nobody with enough wealth cares enough about Cal basketball anymore to pony up the money.Big C said:
I can't recall, in my 40+ years of Cal Football and Basketball, a coach ever surviving these kind of results. It would be like if Wilcox went 2-12 next season (not gonna happen!): Gotta get done.
Golden One said:Yes, but Knowlton wasn't the AD for the vast majority of those 40+ years. And Fox won't be fired because nobody with enough wealth cares enough about Cal basketball anymore to pony up the money.Big C said:
I can't recall, in my 40+ years of Cal Football and Basketball, a coach ever surviving these kind of results. It would be like if Wilcox went 2-12 next season (not gonna happen!): Gotta get done.
Golden One said:Yes, but Knowlton wasn't the AD for the vast majority of those 40+ years. And Fox won't be fired because nobody with enough wealth cares enough about Cal basketball anymore to pony up the money.Big C said:
I can't recall, in my 40+ years of Cal Football and Basketball, a coach ever surviving these kind of results. It would be like if Wilcox went 2-12 next season (not gonna happen!): Gotta get done.
I truly hope you're right and that I'm wrong. I have, frankly, just lost confidence in the management of our athletic department. Our basketball program needs a major shakeup, and our football program isn't far behind. Our two main revenue sports are really in the ditch.Big C said:Golden One said:Yes, but Knowlton wasn't the AD for the vast majority of those 40+ years. And Fox won't be fired because nobody with enough wealth cares enough about Cal basketball anymore to pony up the money.Big C said:
I can't recall, in my 40+ years of Cal Football and Basketball, a coach ever surviving these kind of results. It would be like if Wilcox went 2-12 next season (not gonna happen!): Gotta get done.
I usually root for you to be right, my friend, but I hope you're wrong on this one. Knowlton isn't the first lame AD we've had... or the second, or the third... A change will need to be made and it will (um... fingers crossed).
I've had season tickets for 27 years, and my current seats are in the 9th row of the chairbacks in Section 2. They are primo seats. My wife, however, is encouraging me not to renew next year, as she is fed up with Cal basketball. I hate to say it, but I'm giving her request serious consideration. This debacle is just too much.eastcoastcal said:
Easy for me to use other people's money, but if our donors cannot afford a 1.8 or 3.6 M buyout (not sure if the COVID extension adds to the buyout) after this year, we have really big issues. Isn't Knowlton trying to build an 80 or 120M practice facility? If we can't afford to buyout a severely underperforming coach for 1% of the practice facility price, I don't think his fundraising efforts will go very well.
If Fox is back next year, I just can't support the program. Not being dramatic or looking for attention, I just will not have any reason to follow the games or show up to Haas. And I'm pretty sure even the few diehard fans still here will also bow out as well
Golden One said:I've had season tickets for 27 years, and my current seats are in the 9th row of the chairbacks in Section 2. They are primo seats. My wife, however, is encouraging me not to renew next year, as she is fed up with Cal basketball. I hate to say it, but I'm giving her request serious consideration. This debacle is just too much.eastcoastcal said:
Easy for me to use other people's money, but if our donors cannot afford a 1.8 or 3.6 M buyout (not sure if the COVID extension adds to the buyout) after this year, we have really big issues. Isn't Knowlton trying to build an 80 or 120M practice facility? If we can't afford to buyout a severely underperforming coach for 1% of the practice facility price, I don't think his fundraising efforts will go very well.
If Fox is back next year, I just can't support the program. Not being dramatic or looking for attention, I just will not have any reason to follow the games or show up to Haas. And I'm pretty sure even the few diehard fans still here will also bow out as well
The Fox hire was clearly Knowlton's mistake. Why shouldn't the buyout come from Knowlton's inflated salary?eastcoastcal said:
Easy for me to use other people's money, but if our donors cannot afford a 1.8 or 3.6 M buyout (not sure if the COVID extension adds to the buyout) after this year, we have really big issues. Isn't Knowlton trying to build an 80 or 120M practice facility? If we can't afford to buyout a severely underperforming coach for 1% of the practice facility price, I don't think his fundraising efforts will go very well.
I wish it wouldstu said:The Fox hire was clearly Knowlton's mistake. Why shouldn't the buyout come from Knowlton's inflated salary?eastcoastcal said:
Easy for me to use other people's money, but if our donors cannot afford a 1.8 or 3.6 M buyout (not sure if the COVID extension adds to the buyout) after this year, we have really big issues. Isn't Knowlton trying to build an 80 or 120M practice facility? If we can't afford to buyout a severely underperforming coach for 1% of the practice facility price, I don't think his fundraising efforts will go very well.
I have has season tickets since 1986. There was a big line outside Harmon to buy season tickets when Cal was announced in The NIT THAT year. They would not sell you Nit tickets unless you were a season ticket holder.Nit was sold out!Golden One said:I've had season tickets for 27 years, and my current seats are in the 9th row of the chairbacks in Section 2. They are primo seats. My wife, however, is encouraging me not to renew next year, as she is fed up with Cal basketball. I hate to say it, but I'm giving her request serious consideration. This debacle is just too much.eastcoastcal said:
Easy for me to use other people's money, but if our donors cannot afford a 1.8 or 3.6 M buyout (not sure if the COVID extension adds to the buyout) after this year, we have really big issues. Isn't Knowlton trying to build an 80 or 120M practice facility? If we can't afford to buyout a severely underperforming coach for 1% of the practice facility price, I don't think his fundraising efforts will go very well.
If Fox is back next year, I just can't support the program. Not being dramatic or looking for attention, I just will not have any reason to follow the games or show up to Haas. And I'm pretty sure even the few diehard fans still here will also bow out as well
The new tv pay out wont be as lucrative.Jeff82 said:
I think whether Fox is fired depends on whether Knowlton even cares about maintaining the fan base. Most of the revenue at this point comes from TV, which we get whether we win or not. Given the TV schedule, and the plethora of weeknight games that most people can't get to, we'd have to reach Arizona levels of success to get crowd levels up significantly. Therefore, the ROI on improving basketball is quite low, IMHO. What he's risking is how many of the remaining season ticket holders will drop out with another year of Fox. I'm not sure how many of you are even left. Not many, based on the atttendance at the games I"ve attended.
have you spoke to your cal rep about this?oskidunker said:I have has season tickets since 1986. There was a big line outside Harmon to buy season tickets when Cal was announced in The NIT THAT year. They would not sell you Nit tickets unless you were a season ticket holder.Nit was sold out!Golden One said:I've had season tickets for 27 years, and my current seats are in the 9th row of the chairbacks in Section 2. They are primo seats. My wife, however, is encouraging me not to renew next year, as she is fed up with Cal basketball. I hate to say it, but I'm giving her request serious consideration. This debacle is just too much.eastcoastcal said:
Easy for me to use other people's money, but if our donors cannot afford a 1.8 or 3.6 M buyout (not sure if the COVID extension adds to the buyout) after this year, we have really big issues. Isn't Knowlton trying to build an 80 or 120M practice facility? If we can't afford to buyout a severely underperforming coach for 1% of the practice facility price, I don't think his fundraising efforts will go very well.
If Fox is back next year, I just can't support the program. Not being dramatic or looking for attention, I just will not have any reason to follow the games or show up to Haas. And I'm pretty sure even the few diehard fans still here will also bow out as well
Anyway for most of the time I had season tickets down low in section 14. Last years there we got a senior rate. Great deal.Two years ago we decided to buy Chairbacks. Ticket office claimed there was nothing below mid way up.n then they found some seats in section 17 Row C. I needed three seats. They ran me around and would not sell three seats leaving one on the isle. So I had to take two together and 1 three seats down . No one has ever sat in the two seats in-between in two years except poachers. The row behind me always has opposing fans and they are not being sold on stub hub.The Ato held those seats which makes it miserable for those of us below when the opposing fans get nasty. There has never been anyone in Row A, the lodge seats except student poachers who get kicked out.
The cost is ridiculous, $2000 per seat which included the mandatory donation. It seems I am then-only one paying it anywhere near where we sit. Someone mentioned that it would be stupid to pay this unless you consider it a donation. True..
Will not renew if Fox is the coach. The enjoyment I once got is gone. No Cal fans to talk to there. Maybe the cheap seats would be more fun and I would not have to Put up with opposing fans.
Enough is Enough. Plus they ran out of ice cream yesterday. Not enough profit
Yes, it would be contingent on removing decision power from Knowlton.parentswerebears said:
I feel like this is the situation: Firing Fox is the best course of action, but there is so little faith in the AD that donors don't want to waste money. If I had the money to donate, I certainly wouldn't give it Knowlton to waste on another Fox type coach.
We should have a team meeting with Fox and let him know he will be fired the moment his buyout goes down to 600k and the players will get to split the difference between that and if we fired him today, payable as soon as he's gone. Then he can can either resign in shame now, or get fired in shame in March.jsherr said:
Pretty sure i saw that his buyout in March goes down to $600k or something- pretty low compared to right now. Someone posted a link to his contract in another thread but I can' remember exactly where.
parentswerebears said:
I feel like this is the situation: Firing Fox is the best course of action, but there is so little faith in the AD that donors don't want to waste money. If I had the money to donate, I certainly wouldn't give it Knowlton to waste on another Fox type coach.
bearsandgiants said:We should have a team meeting with Fox and let him know he will be fired the moment his buyout goes down to 600k and the players will get to split the difference between that and if we fired him today, payable as soon as he's gone. Then he can can either resign in shame now, or get fired in shame in March.jsherr said:
Pretty sure i saw that his buyout in March goes down to $600k or something- pretty low compared to right now. Someone posted a link to his contract in another thread but I can' remember exactly where.
Big C said:parentswerebears said:
I feel like this is the situation: Firing Fox is the best course of action, but there is so little faith in the AD that donors don't want to waste money. If I had the money to donate, I certainly wouldn't give it Knowlton to waste on another Fox type coach.
You might be right and, wow, what does that say, when the AD cannot be trusted to perform arguably his most important job -- hiring coaches for the revenue sports.
Seems pretty clear to me what changes have to be made.
Does Chancellor Christ understand how rotten the AD is or is she just overlooking it all?calumnus said:Big C said:parentswerebears said:
I feel like this is the situation: Firing Fox is the best course of action, but there is so little faith in the AD that donors don't want to waste money. If I had the money to donate, I certainly wouldn't give it Knowlton to waste on another Fox type coach.
You might be right and, wow, what does that say, when the AD cannot be trusted to perform arguably his most important job -- hiring coaches for the revenue sports.
Seems pretty clear to me what changes have to be made.
Or not giving swim coaches huge contracts when there have been complaints of abuse that you have failed to investigate?
calumnus said:Big C said:parentswerebears said:
I feel like this is the situation: Firing Fox is the best course of action, but there is so little faith in the AD that donors don't want to waste money. If I had the money to donate, I certainly wouldn't give it Knowlton to waste on another Fox type coach.
You might be right and, wow, what does that say, when the AD cannot be trusted to perform arguably his most important job -- hiring coaches for the revenue sports.
Seems pretty clear to me what changes have to be made.
Or not giving swim coaches huge contracts when there have been complaints of abuse that you have failed to investigate?
KoreAmBear said:Does Chancellor Christ understand how rotten the AD is or is she just overlooking it all?calumnus said:Big C said:parentswerebears said:
I feel like this is the situation: Firing Fox is the best course of action, but there is so little faith in the AD that donors don't want to waste money. If I had the money to donate, I certainly wouldn't give it Knowlton to waste on another Fox type coach.
You might be right and, wow, what does that say, when the AD cannot be trusted to perform arguably his most important job -- hiring coaches for the revenue sports.
Seems pretty clear to me what changes have to be made.
Or not giving swim coaches huge contracts when there have been complaints of abuse that you have failed to investigate?
The issue is likely the $3.15M+ buyout total needed, assuming a April 1 termination. Are there enough passionate alums who will front the necessary monies? Remember there are competing areas of greatly needed NIL funds, Caliber funding, Excellence Club funding, Grid Club funding and supporting Olympic sports w/in the Cal Athletic programs. And those areas of donations/giving do not factor in the large funds needed for the Practice Facility. The sad state is that apathy is settling in and until a few wealthy passionate alums, who truly care about a winning program agree to step up - its far easier and to slog thru another dismal season. Not agreeing with the kick the can down the road, but the AD can likely say that another year means a lower buyout and does not detract funding from other needed areas. Its not a slam dunk that a termination occurs after the season.Big C said:
Regarding any possible firing of Fox in-season, I thought there might be a 10% chance that he would be let go after the non-conference games. Then Sunday's Beaver game was so bad, I thought there might be a 5% chance that he would be gone yesterday or today (wait, have they maybe announced a press conference?). At this point, I guess they wait until the week of the Pac 12 Tournament or the next workday after we are eliminated.
The important thing to note, though, is that a competent AD is free to be laying the groundwork for this over the next six weeks, even as the season plays out...
- gather the necessary funding
- contact trusted advisors to consult with as to who to hire
- hate to say the words "search firm", but sometimes they can identify candidates that Cal people aren't aware of
- start to develop a short list
If you keyed in on my words "a competent AD" above, hey, what can I say, but it looks like our current guy will get a second chance to show what he can do on this.
Understood, however my message to JK would be that the $1.5M delta between firing after this season vs keeping for another season can probably be semi-recouped (perhaps not fully) by the difference in attendance. I am willing to bet that many of the remaining people who show up to games this season will not return to Haas for another season of Fox (I think I am one of them, and I'm a student!) versus the uptick in attendance that a new coach with a higher ceiling might provide.4thGenCal said:The issue is likely the $3.15M+ buyout total needed, assuming a April 1 termination. Are there enough passionate alums who will front the necessary monies? Remember there are competing areas of greatly needed NIL funds, Caliber funding, Excellence Club funding, Grid Club funding and supporting Olympic sports w/in the Cal Athletic programs. And those areas of donations/giving do not factor in the large funds needed for the Practice Facility. The sad state is that apathy is settling in and until a few wealthy passionate alums, who truly care about a winning program agree to step up - its far easier and to slog thru another dismal season. Not agreeing with the kick the can down the road, but the AD can likely say that another year means a lower buyout and does not detract funding from other needed areas. Its not a slam dunk that a termination occurs after the season.Big C said:
Regarding any possible firing of Fox in-season, I thought there might be a 10% chance that he would be let go after the non-conference games. Then Sunday's Beaver game was so bad, I thought there might be a 5% chance that he would be gone yesterday or today (wait, have they maybe announced a press conference?). At this point, I guess they wait until the week of the Pac 12 Tournament or the next workday after we are eliminated.
The important thing to note, though, is that a competent AD is free to be laying the groundwork for this over the next six weeks, even as the season plays out...
- gather the necessary funding
- contact trusted advisors to consult with as to who to hire
- hate to say the words "search firm", but sometimes they can identify candidates that Cal people aren't aware of
- start to develop a short list
If you keyed in on my words "a competent AD" above, hey, what can I say, but it looks like our current guy will get a second chance to show what he can do on this.