November 22, 2008
COMMENTARY
Appropriately, a cheat sheet for FSU's AD
Perhaps it is only coincidence that new Florida State Athletic Director Randy Spetman is a retired Air Force colonel who was once in charge of the European nuclear weapons arsenal.
Is this why FSU President T.K. Wetherell hired him -- so Spetman could come into the athletic department, nuke the place and start over?
While I don't believe the situation calls for anything quite that drastic, Spetman certainly will have some massive decisions to make when he walks into his new office in just a few days. That's why I'm here to help. In order to make Spetman's transition easier, here is a cheat sheet (hey, it is FSU) of recommendations Spetman can use to rescue the Seminoles' floundering athletic program:
* BCS or Bust for Bobby: Yes, Bobby Bowden deserves to go out on his own terms, but that doesn't mean he should eternally get to earn $2 million a year for coaching the Seminoles to the Music City Bowl. Bobby needs to be given an ultimatum: Show significant improvement this year (a BCS bowl or at least something close) or it's time to retire.
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* Big Dance or Bust for Coach Leonard Hamilton: This is how Hamilton's bio begins in FSU's basketball media guide: "It is often said that a man is measured by how he lives his life and how many people he touches." That, friends, is the bio of a man who hasn't done much as the Seminoles' head coach.
Hamilton is in his sixth year and still has not been to an NCAA Tournament. Unacceptable. If Hamilton doesn't make the tournament this year -- and it appears he won't -- then it's time for him to be fired. If you've got a new AD, let him go out and hire his own coaches in basketball and football if the old ones aren't getting the job done.
* Restore honesty and integrity in the wake of the academic scandal: Wetherell can start by accepting some of the blame instead of heaping it all on former AD Dave Hart and his staff. Excuse me for scoffing at Wetherell's explanation that the athletic department began to "circle the wagons" when the cheating scandal first broke and tried to keep the president's office from finding out.
Well, T.K., what did you expect? You're the guy who left the same people in charge after the Adrian McPherson gambling "investigation" of a few years ago. Remember that farce? Remember how the athletic department circled the wagons then, circumvented state laws, botched the investigation and tried to keep McPherson's gambling a big secret?
Albert Einstein once said, "The definition of insanity is doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results."
* Keep pace with Urban Meyer: To that end, Spetman's first order of business is to start a gymnastics team so the Seminoles can give scholarships to the girlfriends of star football recruits.
* Toughen academic standards for student-athletes: Wetherell told the Sentinel's Andrew Carter recently that the current academic scandal reached its nadir when an athletic tutor "started hollering" answers during examinations. In the future, tutors should be instructed to only whisper the answers.
* Establish better rapport with the public: Fair or not, there was perception that Hart's regime had a standoffish relationship with fans and media. Although Hart loosened up some in his later years, he never was able to overcome that icy perception. Let's face it, Hart was a wallflower when compared to charismatic and ultra-successful Florida AD Jeremy Foley.
* Last and most importantly: Absolutely NO BOWDENS except Bobby on the payroll: Spetman should always remember BCS is supposed to stand for Bowl Championship Series, not Bowden Charity System.
Mike Bianchi can be reached at mbianchi@orlandosentinel.com.
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