Drummond not fully onboard

[quietfan 233]

I thought Drummond was one of the deal-makers...!?

http://www.al.com/alabamafootball/birmingh...&thispage=1

$aban pay too steep, says ex-UA trustee

Thursday, January 04, 2007

RUSSELL HUBBARD

Nick $aban's record-setting salary, $4 million a year, is too much and sends the wrong message about the University of Alabama's mission, UA Trustee Emeritus Garry Neil Drummond said Wednesday.

"What are we about as a university?"Drummondsaidin an interview. "Football is a big part of it, but paying the dollars we are talking about here is more than anyone else is getting."

$aban's total package will make him the highest-paid coach in college football. He is set to receive a $32 million package over eight years, plus incentive payouts based on performance that could total approximately $800,000 per year.

"This is CEO pay," said Drummond, an Alabama graduate who was a trustee from 1983 through 2001. "I think it is one of the worst things we have ever done."

The pay package and the debate over it highlight increasing tensions at some U.S. colleges. On one hand, profitable athletic departments such as Alabama's are self-supporting and contribute money to the school's general fund. On the other, lush salaries for coaches raise the ire of some who say athletic spending has gotten out of hand, and that the athletic tail is wagging the academic dog.

"This has nothing to do with if Nick $aban is worthy of this money or not as a football coach," said Peter Roby, director of Northeastern University's Center for the Study of Sport in Society. "It's about the role of athletics on college campuses, and the trend suggests there is no limit to what universities are willing to do."

$aban will collect his record paycheck, win, lose or draw. Performance money could send his total even higher after he takes over as the 27th football coach in the university's history.

As far as Alabama corporate leaders go, $aban's pay will surpass that of many CEOs. $aban's $4 million annual salary is more than the combined yearly salary and bonus of any boss leading a big Alabama company that's traded on the stock market. $aban's nearest rival, Vulcan Materials Co. CEO Don James, earned $3.7 million in salary and bonus in 2005, the last year for which figures are available.

"It's incredible," said Drummond, president of Birmingham-based Drummond Co., his family-owned coal mining and real estate development firm with $2 billion in annual revenues. "It's OK for sports to be important. But this is disproportionate."

Drummond's ties to the University of Alabama span decades. He graduated as an engineer in 1961. In 1977, he endowed a chair at the engineering school. He served a three-year stint as president of the trustees.

Some of the men currently serving where Drummond once did disagree with him about $aban. They say paying top dollar to have the best football team possible is part of the institutional good, one building block that's part of a system-wide plan.

And Alabama has an ambitious plan. University President Robert Witt has said he wants enrollment to increase by 4,000 students, to 28,000, and wants to expand the university's endowment to $500 million from $360 million.

"The president and athletic director have recommended this salary because of the impact athletics has on student recruiting, donor giving and the overall mission of the university," UA Trustee Finis St. John IV said. "This is consistent with the plans and goals for the university."

UA Trustee John McMahon said $aban's salary is the price Alabama has to pay to once again reach the top echelon of college football. McMahon said he respects Drummond, but disagrees with him on $aban's pay.

"Our fan base expects the university to compete at the highest levels," said McMahon. "We have not done that, and if you ever lose your fan base, it is very difficult to get it back."

Those fans, McMahon said, pay for the tickets, account for the television ratings and buy the souvenirs. Their desire to identify with a winner - and pay for the privilege - allowed the athletic department to make enough profit to voluntarily contribute $1 million to academic programs last year.

But the concentration on money comes with other risks, said Roby, head of the sports institute at Northeastern University in Boston.

"It's irrelevant if athletic departments are profitable," said Roby, who served six years as the head basketball coach at Harvard University, after a distinguished playing career at Dartmouth College. "The message to the athletes is that they are willing to do anything in order to win. That is what athletes may infer, and you just hope that doesn't spill over into academic life."

[AUChizad 0]

I thought Drummond was one of the deal-makers...!?

http://www.al.com/alabamafootball/birmingh...&thispage=1

$aban pay too steep, says ex-UA trustee

Thursday, January 04, 2007

RUSSELL HUBBARD

Nick $aban's record-setting salary, $4 million a year, is too much and sends the wrong message about the University of Alabama's mission, UA Trustee Emeritus Garry Neil Drummond said Wednesday.

"What are we about as a university?"Drummondsaidin an interview. "Football is a big part of it, but paying the dollars we are talking about here is more than anyone else is getting."

$aban's total package will make him the highest-paid coach in college football. He is set to receive a $32 million package over eight years, plus incentive payouts based on performance that could total approximately $800,000 per year.

"This is CEO pay," said Drummond, an Alabama graduate who was a trustee from 1983 through 2001. "I think it is one of the worst things we have ever done."

The pay package and the debate over it highlight increasing tensions at some U.S. colleges. On one hand, profitable athletic departments such as Alabama's are self-supporting and contribute money to the school's general fund. On the other, lush salaries for coaches raise the ire of some who say athletic spending has gotten out of hand, and that the athletic tail is wagging the academic dog.

"This has nothing to do with if Nick $aban is worthy of this money or not as a football coach," said Peter Roby, director of Northeastern University's Center for the Study of Sport in Society. "It's about the role of athletics on college campuses, and the trend suggests there is no limit to what universities are willing to do."

$aban will collect his record paycheck, win, lose or draw. Performance money could send his total even higher after he takes over as the 27th football coach in the university's history.

As far as Alabama corporate leaders go, $aban's pay will surpass that of many CEOs. $aban's $4 million annual salary is more than the combined yearly salary and bonus of any boss leading a big Alabama company that's traded on the stock market. $aban's nearest rival, Vulcan Materials Co. CEO Don James, earned $3.7 million in salary and bonus in 2005, the last year for which figures are available.

"It's incredible," said Drummond, president of Birmingham-based Drummond Co., his family-owned coal mining and real estate development firm with $2 billion in annual revenues. "It's OK for sports to be important. But this is disproportionate."

Drummond's ties to the University of Alabama span decades. He graduated as an engineer in 1961. In 1977, he endowed a chair at the engineering school. He served a three-year stint as president of the trustees.

Some of the men currently serving where Drummond once did disagree with him about $aban. They say paying top dollar to have the best football team possible is part of the institutional good, one building block that's part of a system-wide plan.

And Alabama has an ambitious plan. University President Robert Witt has said he wants enrollment to increase by 4,000 students, to 28,000, and wants to expand the university's endowment to $500 million from $360 million.

"The president and athletic director have recommended this salary because of the impact athletics has on student recruiting, donor giving and the overall mission of the university," UA Trustee Finis St. John IV said. "This is consistent with the plans and goals for the university."

UA Trustee John McMahon said $aban's salary is the price Alabama has to pay to once again reach the top echelon of college football. McMahon said he respects Drummond, but disagrees with him on $aban's pay.

"Our fan base expects the university to compete at the highest levels," said McMahon. "We have not done that, and if you ever lose your fan base, it is very difficult to get it back."

Those fans, McMahon said, pay for the tickets, account for the television ratings and buy the souvenirs. Their desire to identify with a winner - and pay for the privilege - allowed the athletic department to make enough profit to voluntarily contribute $1 million to academic programs last year.

But the concentration on money comes with other risks, said Roby, head of the sports institute at Northeastern University in Boston.

"It's irrelevant if athletic departments are profitable," said Roby, who served six years as the head basketball coach at Harvard University, after a distinguished playing career at Dartmouth College. "The message to the athletes is that they are willing to do anything in order to win. That is what athletes may infer, and you just hope that doesn't spill over into academic life."

Sounds like they just woke up in a hotel room in Vegas with a raging hangover and a hooker laying next to them wondering "Wait, where did all my money go? Did I really max the credit card out last night? Uh oh."

[SouthLink02 8]

A successful football team helps a school out in many more ways than I think he is giving credit for....

Ask Boise State how much their football teams success has helped them....its ridiculous how much more money they get now from alumni, boosters, and the media with sales on merchandise

Ask VATech in the last 10 years how it has helped them...got MILLIONS

Ask Iowa State when they had Senacca Wallace...I remember reading an article about how numerous alumni gave hundreds of thousands of dollars when they had that good year

[Tigermike 3,054]

I have a question for you. Do any of you think this article was an off the cuff interview last night after it became apparent $aban was coming? Or is it more plausible the interview took place days or even a couple of weeks ago and was held till now? Personally I think this is just CYA for Bama. Why would the Bammers want this article to come out now? Make no bones about it Mr. Drummond wants a winning football team as much as the guys with painted faces carrying a box of Tide and a roll of toilet paper. This was a PR article planned and timed to put a little different spin on the dog and pony show of the past two days.

[DKW 86 7,441]

Anybody not reading that article as complete is dumber than a box of hammers. Drummond is the money man in all this and this a total CYA article.

http://www.aunation.net/forums/index.php?s...amp;hl=Drummond

[Tiger in Spain 0]

How many coal miners up in Walker and Fayette counties lost their job so in order to get the money to get $aban to Tuscaloser? I wonder how many more lives they ( BOT) are willing to ruin to get that next MNC?

Karma is a biyotch.

[BamaGrad03 0]

How many coal miners up in Walker and Fayette counties lost their job so in order to get the money to get $aban to Tuscaloser? I wonder how many more lives they ( BOT) are willing to ruin to get that next MNC?

Karma is a biyotch.

Thats the dumbest, most ignorant thing youve ever posted.

By the way...these comments coming from Drummond the essence of irony? I mean forgive me if im not buying these comments coming from a hundred millionaire.

[Tiger in Spain 0]

I think the timing of everything that went down speaks volumes about this whole shady deal. More will come out as time passes, I imagine. Smells pretty rotten to eveyone outside of Tuscaloser.

This PR piece is nothing more than a thinly veiled attempt to lay down cover. Drummond is in no way upset about this. Like someone stated earlier in another thread, there are going to be a rash of babies born in late September bearing the name Nick.