Copey - someone take him pls..

[Pony_Fan]

SMU AD Copeland passes on William & Mary

08:21 PM CST on Saturday, January 21, 2006
By CALVIN WATKINS / The Dallas Morning News

UNIVERSITY PARK – SMU athletic director Jim Copeland was contacted about becoming the vice president in charge of development at William and Mary but says he's staying put.

Copeland broke off discussions about the job with William and Mary officials last week. "I was contacted, but I'm no longer involved," said Copeland, who was an AD at William and Mary from 1981-85. "It was a position that intrigued me because of how close it was to home."

Copeland owns a condo in Charlottesville, Va., about two hours from William and Mary's campus in Williamsburg, Va. Copeland said he will move to Charlottesville when he retires.

Recently, Copeland said he was thinking of retirement. "I'm still weighing the issue," he said. "But I've got a contract to [May] 2007, and until [SMU president] Gerald Turner decides otherwise, this is where I'll be."

[OC Mustang]

Gee, he withdrew himself for consideration. Hmm. Interesting. I wonder if the reason he is being kept is the same as the reason he was being considered for VP Development at W&M; might be that he is a prodigious fund-raiser. Having some experience with SMU's management vis-a-vis the Board, I can safely say that he can suck at everything, really, as the AD at SMU except for two things. 1) he has to be able to administrate to the balance sheet and income statement, and 2) he has to be able to raise coin. Yeah, he needs wins and to handle certain things as a matter of institutional diplomacy with alumni, but if he can bank several million a year without stepping on Development's toes at SMU, it sure gives him a nice fallback position in his annual review.

[RE Tycoon]

Where is this money you speak of? Our B-ball arena could sure use it, our soccer stadium could use it, the natatorium could use it, the commitment could use it. I keep hearing he's this great fundraiser but I don't see the evidence. How come he claimed he would increase giving what, a million a year? We've heard nothing about that and the commitment has been all but swept under the rug. I didn't see a mention about the commitment in this years MC Club brochure asking me for more money, nor did I see it in the state of the athletics or whatever it's called that they sent out. I don't care if the guy can reconcile our balance sheet, that's what an accountant is for. I realize he gets credit for Ford and kudos if he really did anything, but that was in the middle of the largest capital campaign in the history of the school, I think he walked into that large chunk of money and frankly he should have gotten more during that time. He has failed at many things while at SMU including fundraising.

[OC Mustang]

I'm not saying for certain that he has been good at fundraising. But look at the football stadium...it was on his watch, and certainly he would have been in on it, no? Look, I don't particularly think much of him as an AD. To quote a friend of mine, "he is so very much average." However, unless he has pictures of Dr. Turner or several board members in compromising positions, say, on all fours with their tongues out, I would surmise he must be good at something.

Considering that the only real success story we can muster consistently over his tenure the last ten years, is graduation rates and non-revenue sports top-20 rankings. And we can't even keep our field and track going (okay, that isn't entirely his fault, but still....). So the only idea I can come up with that explains what seems to me to be institutional irrationality in keeping him is that he is a good fund-raiser. The football stadium says that, yes, he is. Now, do I wish that Jimmy would get on the stick (or pole...or whatever he dances to that gathers the dollar bills) and get Moody upgraded, rebuilt, replaced, whatever? Sure. But I highly doubt, given his propensity to avoid the spotlight, that he is advertising every money-raising endeavor he has. Therefore, assuming the W&M interest isn't him blowing smoke (or someone else), and the interest is for a development position, then somewhere, somebody, somehow, thinks he is good at that. Can't see that coming out of a university exec's hind end, can you? I know I am leaping large chasms to get to my conclusion, but can you come up with a better reason for their interest in him (other than pictures and/or being somebody's gimp)?

[RGV Pony]

Anyone wonder if perhaps the scoop given to DMN about W&M talking to Copeland perhaps came from Copeland? "Calvin there? This is Jim. No not Tubbs. Copeland. Hey, guess what? Another school's after me. No, not in the Big XII. No, not the ACC. What's that? Well, no, not as an AD. Well it's William & Mary. But it's cool. I've got that contract here till May 2007, unless they f...oops I mean anyway I'm still kicking around the idea of retirement. But hey, UVA comes knocking, I'll tell the no too. Thought you might like to know. Later."

[EastStang]

William and Mary has about the same number of alums as SMU. It is a small state college, and it was virtually shut down during reconstruction and rechartered in 1919. I'm a bit surprised he didn't take that gig. There are much better golf courses in Williamsburg, than in Charlottesville and housing prices are slightly cheaper, and they throw really great parties at William and Mary for alums.