greene discusses changes

[aubiefifty 16,709]

 

Auburn athletic director Allen Greene discusses administrative shakeup, coach contracts

Updated Jun 8, 3:40 PM; Posted Jun 8, 1:45 PM

By James Crepea

jcrepea@al.com

On his 124th day on the job, Auburn athletic director Allen Greene put four months of assessment and evaluation into action.

Greene fired six Auburn athletics administrators on Monday, signaling a change in era and way of doing business for a department that had become bloated with C-suite positions and six-figure salaries with ambiguous job titles and responsibilities.

The moves came just three weeks after Greene, who was hired on Jan. 19 and began his tenure on Feb. 1, he did not have "a great enough understanding yet" to make such personnel decisions.

In his most definitive public statements to date, Greene shared with AL.com what went into thought process in shaking up Auburn's athletic department.

"I really wanted to take my time these first few months to really evaluate where I thought our strengths were and where I thought we needed to be going," Greene said. "It was determined that we needed to streamline our operation. So, consolidating responsibilities - we're seeing that at Texas, we're seeing that at other places - making sure that we're being prudent with our resources and being effective with serving our student-athletes."

More changes are expected, though Greene would not expound on how many.

"I don't know that (there's) 'more to come' per se, but I think that there should be an expectation that we always need to look at our organization and be willing to adapt to the environment," he said.

Greene is still formulating exactly what the new structure of Auburn's administrative staff will be but suffice to say, the premise is based on less is more.

New faces will be brought in, but not on a one-for-one basis with those who have and will go out.

"Streamlining is a term; I think organizational efficiency is probably a more accurate term," Greene said. "It's really trying to think about which positions people can be the most effective in. I think that's the essence of what we're trying to get to. ... We are going to look at skill sets and look at needs and do the best we can to matchup. This is part of an evolution of a department."

During his first four months as athletic director, Greene repeatedly referenced how he and his "team" were evaluating every aspect of the department's operations. That team is now changing and it's only natural for such churn to cause some delays in implementing a new plan and vision for the department, whether that's for new and upgraded facilities, fundraising or coach contracts.

"We want to win national championships; I think we can do it in almost every sport that we have," Greene said. "But we have to make sure from an organizational perspective that we're structured in a way to support that endeavor."

In his first year as Auburn's president, Steven Leath has emphasized instilling a sense of urgency at all levels of the university. Greene wants the same in the athletic department and not just from Auburn's coaches and the need to win.

"I want there to be turnover in our department," he said. "I think that it's healthy to have natural turnover. We want to have people who are ambitious, who want to come into Auburn, give us all they've got a for whatever number of years and then be ready to go to take a job someplace else that is in their best professional interest."

That's not to say that strong performance and experience aren't valued, as evident in Greene's decision to extend the contracts for men's basketball coach Bruce Pearl and women's basketball coach Terri Williams-Flournoy and desire to do the same with baseball coach Butch Thompson.

The process of extending Pearl's contract three more years through 2022-23 was a bit tedious and particularly clunky for members of his staff but the dust has ultimately settled and they're all being retained.

Williams-Flournoy is coming off a 14-14 season in which Auburn went 5-11 in SEC play and is 102-90 overall and 35-61 in the SEC in six years on the Plains, with two NCAA Tournament appearances.

Greene explained why he chose to add four years to Williams-Flournoy's contract, which also now runs through 2022-23.

"I think most fans tend to look at the end result, they look at the outcomes," he said. "My responsibility is to look at all the inputs. Coach Flo and I have had conversations, no different than coach Pearl and I have had conversations, about what are the ingredients that are going to be necessary to help our program be successful. After having multiple conversations with her, we felt like that we as a department and her and her staff can collectively work together to have inputs, meaning recruiting, the financial support is there, the emotional support, being visible at games, helping with the recruiting process. All those things I think are all ingredients to making something really special.

"We feel like that we can put all those ingredients in a bucket and make her program successful. Not the end result, those speak for themselves, but we have to make sure that we're putting our coaches and our student-athletes in a position so that we can actually achieve the end results that we want."

James Crepea is an Auburn beat reporter for Alabama Media Group. Follow him on Twitter @JamesCrepea.

 

not sure where this one goes mods.................

[corchjay 5,311]

I’m not sure how to take the comment of come here and work a number of years and then find another job...  what if multiple people are doing their jobs at a high level we are encouraging them to leave just for the sake of leaving and fresh ideas??

I’m kind of old school I guess where you do your job to best of your abilities and you get rewarded by keeping your job

Greene may be a superstar AD one day but I don’t see it yet.  Seems like a Leath yes man which may or may not be ideal

[aubiefifty 16,709]

if it does happen i would hope they at least make sure to keep things in line where staffs get bloated and have to take epoples jobs away again.  but at the same time maybe greene is getting rid of deadbeats without slamming them in public and letting them go.............

[Mike4AU 1,739]

corchjay, what would you expect to see from an AD who has been on the job for four months?  What specifically has he done that makes you unimpressed?

Serious questions. 

Thanks

[AU64 10,122]

17 minutes ago, Mike4AU said:

corchjay, what would you expect to see from an AD who has been on the job for four months?  What specifically has he done that makes you unimpressed?

Serious questions. 

Thanks

agree...AG gains nothing by running roughshod over the people he inherited.  And do I need to mention age or gender discrimination?     Doing things in a measured way helps keep the overall "company" confident that they will be treated fairly....and helps avoid lawsuits.    

I've witnessed what happens when a new boss comes in to clean house.....got rid of what some called  "deadwood" but also made everyone else nervous and next thing you know some valuable people were looking for new jobs, having decided it was time to go.  The company lost some people it did not want to lose in the process. .    

But, I get Leath's idea that turnover is good.....an indicator that you have some good people on your team if other schools are interested in them.   New blood helps introduce some new ideas...though you need a balance too.  

[WarTiger 3,896]

50 minutes ago, corchjay said:

I’m not sure how to take the comment of come here and work a number of years and then find another job...  what if multiple people are doing their jobs at a high level we are encouraging them to leave just for the sake of leaving and fresh ideas??

I’m kind of old school I guess where you do your job to best of your abilities and you get rewarded by keeping your job.  But part of that is also being recognized by other entities on a professional level to where that person excels so well that others want them for a HIGHER POSITION.      His comments make absolute perfect sense to me.  I love the idea of a little turnover in the department.  It brings renewed focus, new ideas as well as eliminates the "let's do what we've always done" mantra.

Greene may be a superstar AD one day but I don’t see it yet.  Seems like a Leath yes man which may or may not be ideal

That seems a bit of an extreme take this early in his tenure to have already labeled him.  It's also extremely unfair to Allen Greene and the job he has stepped into.   Sounds like your mind is made up which really discounts any further opinions you have on the topic.  The changes he made were necessary changes and I hope we see a lot more of these types of changes.   Allen Greene is doing a terrific job as AD and is nothing even remotely close to a Leath yes man. 

[Mikey 16,550]

Greene may or may not be the right man for the job. I have no problem with him firing people he thinks are not making a positive contribution. However, giving a very disappointing women's BB coach a five-year extension confounds me. Had he given her another year to right the ship I wouldn't have liked it but I could go along with the decision. Flo getting the same time-frame extension that Pearl got is borderline madness.

[McLoofus 35,182]

1 hour ago, corchjay said:

I’m not sure how to take the comment of come here and work a number of years and then find another job...  what if multiple people are doing their jobs at a high level we are encouraging them to leave just for the sake of leaving and fresh ideas??

I’m kind of old school I guess where you do your job to best of your abilities and you get rewarded by keeping your job

Greene may be a superstar AD one day but I don’t see it yet.  Seems like a Leath yes man which may or may not be ideal

I filtered his comment a different way. He's not saying that he wants people to leave or that he doesn't want to promote from within. What he's saying is that he wants talented, driven people who do such a good job that another organization is going to offer them advancement and compensation we can't match. Look at it like assistant coaches. Do you want some guy to come in as a 30 yr old OC and just stay there forever? Also, do you think a staff that doesn't have turnover is going to produce new ideas and evolve with the business? I don't. 

If a shark stops swimming, it sinks.

[corchjay 5,311]

This will address all the the questions towards me.  

My comments on Greene were from what I have witnessed so far.  If you’re cool with the way he’s done things that ok to.  

Took 4 months to analyze the workings of the AD.  Cut back staff but is going to replace them...  maybe they were dead weight maybe they weren’t.  

Went passed the deadline on Pearls contract by a few days and essentially gave him the same contract just an extension.

Gave coach Flo the same contract extension as coach Pearl and that’s just ignorant. 

We have heard nothing of future projects yet.  

We have heard nothing of fundraising.  

 

And for those that say turnover is good. Have you ever been let go when doing your job and meeting any and every quota that has been placed on you?  If so you’ll agree turnover ain’t so good

[corchjay 5,311]

I wasn’t a JJ fan either and if he made these same decisions this board would be going nuts.  

[DAG 33,955]

3 hours ago, corchjay said:

And for those that say turnover is good. Have you ever been let go when doing your job and meeting any and every quota that has been placed on you?  If so you’ll agree turnover ain’t so good

It happens all the time in the workforce and yes I have had that happen to me. It’s business, rarely personal. Most entities want to 

A). Bring their own people on

B). Bring in fresh new ideas 

C). Bring in people who believes in a new philosophy 

D). All the above

I’ve ran into many of good managers and nurses who have met the standards of nursing care , yet are not appropriate to keep around on a specific floor or unit. 

[AU64 10,122]

4 hours ago, corchjay said:

I wasn’t a JJ fan either and if he made these same decisions this board would be going nuts.  

Agree....but the board went crazy with about anything JJ did so nothing new there.     AG deserves a bit of a honeymoon period to learn the lay of the land.  The timing of the change put AG in a tough spot for making a move in any of the major coaching positions . And with men's basketball situation still unclear he probably did not want to get involved in a major hire with very little time to make a decision for the women's program.   Five years was a stretch.....

[corchjay 5,311]

32 minutes ago, DAG said:

It happens all the time in the workforce and yes I have had that happen to me. It’s business, rarely personal. Most entities want to 

A). Bring their own people on

B). Bring in fresh new ideas 

C). Bring in people who believes in a new philosophy 

D). All the above

I’ve ran into many of good managers and nurses who have met the standards of nursing care , yet are not appropriate to keep around on a specific floor or unit. 

Apples to oranges.  There are a lot more nursing positions then AD positions.  You’re talking the uprooting of families and such.  I understand the wanting everyone on board with a new philosophy and if some of the old guard refused to comply then he has every reason to let them go.  But he didn’t make it sound that way.  

But his first majors decision that was really a decision to make.  You can’t count pearl because he would have been a fool to let him walk, but Coach Flo and a long contract extension was idiotic.  Maybe she proves me wrong.  hope so.

[DAG 33,955]

1 hour ago, corchjay said:

Apples to oranges.  There are a lot more nursing positions then AD positions.  You’re talking the uprooting of families and such.  I understand the wanting everyone on board with a new philosophy and if some of the old guard refused to comply then he has every reason to let them go.  But he didn’t make it sound that way.  

But his first majors decision that was really a decision to make.  You can’t count pearl because he would have been a fool to let him walk, but Coach Flo and a long contract extension was idiotic.  Maybe she proves me wrong.  hope so.

How is it apples to oranges? You asked has anybody ever been in a position where they have been let go even after they have met standards. If it makes you feel better I have employed administrators , machinist, welders in positions in my corporation , who have also been let go when either their company has been bought out or a new supervision has been hired. These are people who have limited job opportunities but unfortunately loss their occupation. That is a reality in this world. Whatever degree you get or position you choose to be hired in, you know the risk of being in those positions including the risk of loss of employment . My GF is an audiologist. There aren’t an abundant amount of audiologist opportunities as there is a overflow of them with limited job opportunity. She works for a for profit company and was brought in by one of her old professors. She understands the risk she is taking, if the company goes under and another CFO is bought in. It happens . And she doesn’t have the luxury of making six figures.You are making business and professional decisions personal. 

And these guys are “administrators” man. There are thousands of different venues to become an administrator if you have the skill set and the credentials support it. There are people who have been administrators in health care and the food industry. Furthermore, I can almost guarantee these people have some sort of severance package  built in to set them afloat when they negotiatoted for their job. These aren’t front line staff members.

[augolf1716 21,096]

"I want there to be turnover in our department," he said. "I think that it's healthy to have natural turnover. We want to have people who are ambitious, who want to come into Auburn, give us all they've got a for whatever number of years and then be ready to go to take a job someplace else that is in their best professional interest."

 

The way I take this statement is how I ran my Distribution Centers all over the country I always told supervisors or managers I hired I wanted the best who I expect them to want my job. Which means they must have ambitious and be highly motivated with goals for their future. Maybe I wrong and he did not mean it that way but that's how I took it. 

Time will tell how Greene does but I can tell you for a fact Auburn AD department was out of control staffing wise which tells me there is a lot of CYA going on. imo

[augolf1716 21,096]

16 minutes ago, augolf1716 said:

"I want there to be turnover in our department," he said. "I think that it's healthy to have natural turnover. We want to have people who are ambitious, who want to come into Auburn, give us all they've got a for whatever number of years and then be ready to go to take a job someplace else that is in their best professional interest."

 

The way I take this statement is how I ran my Distribution Centers all over the country I always told supervisors or managers I hired I wanted the best who I expect them to want my job. Which means they must have ambitious and be highly motivated with goals for their future. Maybe I wrong and he did not mean it that way but that's how I took it. 

Time will tell how Greene does but I can tell you for a fact Auburn AD department was out of control staffing wise which tells me there is a lot of CYA going on. imo

I should also add if I thought they were getting close to taking my job somehow I figure a way to get them transferred.........................j/k j/k

[Tigger1985 805]

Can see doing the other moves but being impressed by the women's bb record is beyond bizarre.

[The Plainsman 948]

I take it as he wants fresh and hungry faces at Auburn that come in with a Growth Mindset.  

I am only guessing,  that those who were termed,  were more of a fixed mindset and had or would have a hard time growing further in their position,  which ultimately stymies an organization if several positions are filled with that fixed mindset.

These recently vacated positions are admin type position and not necessarily HC positions that are meeting or exceeding expectations.   If Pearl keeps rocking,. He would stay,.  If a newly hired associate AD comes in and rocks it.. (Like he did at ND, Ole Miss, and Buffalo) then that is what he is referring too.   Hungry go getters that come in,. Improve AU and go on and build their careers...  (Just like Malzahn when he tries to build his tree).  Many of these top tier professionals may return to AU.   

[corchjay 5,311]

Let’s see how it turns out.  His first really big decision.  Coach Flo in my opinion is a total stinker.  If he had let coach Pearl walk he would have been run out of Auburn quickly so that was a no brainer.

[DAG 33,955]

7 hours ago, corchjay said:

Let’s see how it turns out.  His first really big decision.  Coach Flo in my opinion is a total stinker.  If he had let coach Pearl walk he would have been run out of Auburn quickly so that was a no brainer.

I agree with you about the coach flo deal, although I can’t say the Bruce pearl one was a no brainer. To our fans absolutely , but something tells me the uppers probably wanted to distance themselves from Pearl.

 

[AU-24 3,063]

On 6/9/2018 at 1:30 PM, corchjay said:

I wasn’t a JJ fan either and if he made these same decisions this board would be going nuts.  

^THIS^ You beat me to it. If JJ did this people on here, very Justifiably, would be losing their minds!

First really bad decision and I hope the last... Coach Flow getting a four year extension? I don’t know what’s worse, the extension itself, or his “explanation in the article” for doing it.

[DAG 33,955]

7 hours ago, AU-24 said:

^THIS^ You beat me to it. If JJ did this people on here, very Justifiably, would be losing their minds!

First really bad decision and I hope the last... Coach Flow getting a four year extension? I don’t know what’s worse, the extension itself, or his “explanation in the article” for doing it.

JJ left Greene in good position TBH. I can’t speak about his personal dealings but all 3 of our men sports have been pretty dang good.

[Auburn2Eugene 2,317]

On 6/9/2018 at 8:06 AM, corchjay said:

I’m not sure how to take the comment of come here and work a number of years and then find another job...  what if multiple people are doing their jobs at a high level we are encouraging them to leave just for the sake of leaving and fresh ideas??

I’m kind of old school I guess where you do your job to best of your abilities and you get rewarded by keeping your job

Greene may be a superstar AD one day but I don’t see it yet.  Seems like a Leath yes man which may or may not be ideal

The way I understood it, if Greene was a Leath "yes man" we would be looking for a new basketball coach. Wasn't Leath dead set on firing him, only to have Greene say no way? That doesn't sound like a yes man to me... 

On 6/9/2018 at 8:50 AM, AU64 said:

agree...AG gains nothing by running roughshod over the people he inherited.  And do I need to mention age or gender discrimination?     Doing things in a measured way helps keep the overall "company" confident that they will be treated fairly....and helps avoid lawsuits.    

I've witnessed what happens when a new boss comes in to clean house.....got rid of what some called  "deadwood" but also made everyone else nervous and next thing you know some valuable people were looking for new jobs, having decided it was time to go.  The company lost some people it did not want to lose in the process. .    

But, I get Leath's idea that turnover is good.....an indicator that you have some good people on your team if other schools are interested in them.   New blood helps introduce some new ideas...though you need a balance too.  

As far as the discrimination goes, that would be difficult to prove one would think. Especially since Alabama is an "at will" state. And being at-will Employment in Alabama, this means the employer/employee relationship is based on the free will of both parties, and it can also therefore be severed by either party at any time and for virtually any reason. 

[AU64 10,122]

Don't think "at will" trumps federal laws on age or gender discrimination if someone feels they were unfairly terminated.  No point in pushing that issue ....just take the time to  document the reasons and do it properly.   Usually it's easy to do and not get into trouble.

 

and don't forget about contracts that might exist and policies about severance. ..

[ToomersStreet 795]

On 6/9/2018 at 12:30 PM, corchjay said:

I wasn’t a JJ fan either and if he made these same decisions this board would be going nuts.  

I was thrilled when Jacobs got the boot and I'll say  that if Jacobs had booted some of these people I would have been impressed and thought Jacobs might be turning over a new leaf.  as far as the coach Flo  extension?   IDK, what was he supposed to do.   Hasn't  been on  the Job six months.  Like with Malzahns contract, did Gus earn it? NO!  timing is everything.