Vanderbilt's athletic reforms

[Cheesesteak]

Oct. 9, 2003
SportsLine.com wire reports

NASHVILLE, Tenn. -- Vanderbilt's former athletic director turned down another job at the university and criticized the radical reorganization of the athletic department.

Todd Turner sent former colleagues an e-mail saying he would not stay at Vanderbilt as chancellor Gordon Gee's special assistant for athletic and academic reforms.

"I do not feel the strategy (Gee) has chosen for Vanderbilt will produce the results many of us have worked so hard to achieve," Turner wrote. "No doubt, Vanderbilt will continue to do things the right way, but being isolated administratively from Division I-A peers rather than in concert with them will challenge Vanderbilt's credibility and effectiveness when it comes to leadership in Division I-A athletics."

The Tennessean newspaper first reported about the e-mail Thursday, and Vanderbilt spokesman Michael Schoenfeld confirmed the contents to The Associated Press.

In a separate e-mail to the AP, Turner said he was "surprised and disappointed" to see his comments in the newspaper because they were intended for his former staff. He declined to comment further.

Gee announced the shakeup last month as a plan to curb the ills of big-time college sports. Vanderbilt merged the departments that control varsity and intramural athletics, putting intercollegiate sports under the central university administration.

The move eliminated Turner's position, which he held for seven years.

Schoenfeld said Gee and other Vanderbilt officials appreciated Turner's service.

"We wish Mr. Turner well. Vanderbilt has made a decision that is in the best interest of our university and, ultimately, intercollegiate athletics," Schoenfeld said. "We will continue on in that direction."

Vanderbilt's football team has 20 consecutive losing seasons, but the school has had some success in other sports. The women's basketball team has gone to the NCAA tournament four straight years, while the men's tennis team was second in the nation.

Vanderbilt trimmed its athletic department budget by $1.5 million this year because fund-raising is down, as are tickets sales in football and men's basketball.

[VarsityShop]

Looks like some "Pye-ites" are taking over Vandy!

<img src="http://www.henrypye.com/Picture/Images/xhkpmil.gif" alt=" - " />

[Water Pony]

Vanderbilt's decision deserves some respect. It took courage and confidence to do what is right.

First, this will hurt Vandy and probably assure a losing program to continue to do so indefinitely. Not a change in outcomes, but a more creditable and admirable university. State schools would never do this.

Second, having a university seize control of it's athletic program is not a bad thing, but desireable (unfortunately, no one else will have the courage to do it.) This is like unilateral disarmament. In the mutually assured destructon (MAD) of college sports, smaller private schools, most mid-majors and academic minded institutions would need to sell their souls first to consistently compete.

I can't recommend we copy this move because it would be the equivalent of another DP. I just wish a more rational approach to competiton was possible. Congratulations and good luck to Vanderbilt and Chancelor Gee. They will certainly need it.

Yes, I am an idealist. Save your key strokes.

[NavyCrimson]

i think this move is sooooo goofy! what a waste!

if these yahoos really thought someone was going to follow their example they are more out to lunch than i thought!

why?!

if vandy was having administrative problems & always in trouble - i can see this move! if anything, the rest of the sec should be mandated to do this but that'll be a cold day in %^%#!

if anything at all - this will surely quicken their death along with the help from the titans as their new competitors.

[Stallion]

At least this athletic director had the balls to stand up and call a nut a nut before he got fired(ok reassigned). There have been a lot of people at SMU who have been meekly hanging on to their jobs knowing that they were sailing on the Titanic for years. Then suddenly when people like Cavan, Rossley and Shumate get fired its suddenly the school's fault. Of course, we know that Bennett is philosophically opposed to JUCOs so we'll exclude him from criticism.