The press conference, whenever it is scheduled and the deal is sealed, will be critical to my view of Tom Burman as the leader of our athletic department. I care less about the actual hire than I do TB's willingness to own and commit to fixing the current state of our basketball program. I hope to hear:
1. A recognition that the program is in the toilet from his lips and an unequivocal statement that he owns it and takes a lot of the blame.
2. A rendition of the current state of the program including a bit of contrition for hiring and extending Schroyer and Edwards.
3. A clear and complete depiction of the hiring process - we need to hear that the search was expansive, extensive and thorough...especially if we hire the dude just down the road.
4. A commitment to be excellent - to match the investments (at least in degree) that have been made in football and Make Wyoming Basketball Great Again.
5. A signal that the entirety of the basketball program has been analyzed and will be subjected to review and potential house cleaning, from the head coach, to assistants, to the strength program, to season ticket sales, to ticket sales generally, to vendors, to the ball boys...etc.
This is a blood letting. TB needs to own this. Knowing him, I think he knows he needs to own this. And then let's move on and kick the ever living snot out of CSU and the rest of the MoWest. Festivus is upon us. The grievances need to be aired and owned - and if they are, I will feel a lot better.
Right now, it feels like I took my favorite suit to the cleaner and they ripped it up and didn't give me a refund. And then, I was stupid enough to take another suit to that same cleaner and they shrunk it and spilled ink on it in the back room and didn't offer an apology or refund. And now, the only cleaner left in town is the one that destroyed one suit and shrunk and stained the other and I want a sign that they won't destroy my last suit that desperately needs cleaned and pressed.
1. A recognition that the program is in the toilet from his lips and an unequivocal statement that he owns it and takes a lot of the blame.
2. A rendition of the current state of the program including a bit of contrition for hiring and extending Schroyer and Edwards.
3. A clear and complete depiction of the hiring process - we need to hear that the search was expansive, extensive and thorough...especially if we hire the dude just down the road.
4. A commitment to be excellent - to match the investments (at least in degree) that have been made in football and Make Wyoming Basketball Great Again.
5. A signal that the entirety of the basketball program has been analyzed and will be subjected to review and potential house cleaning, from the head coach, to assistants, to the strength program, to season ticket sales, to ticket sales generally, to vendors, to the ball boys...etc.
This is a blood letting. TB needs to own this. Knowing him, I think he knows he needs to own this. And then let's move on and kick the ever living snot out of CSU and the rest of the MoWest. Festivus is upon us. The grievances need to be aired and owned - and if they are, I will feel a lot better.
Right now, it feels like I took my favorite suit to the cleaner and they ripped it up and didn't give me a refund. And then, I was stupid enough to take another suit to that same cleaner and they shrunk it and spilled ink on it in the back room and didn't offer an apology or refund. And now, the only cleaner left in town is the one that destroyed one suit and shrunk and stained the other and I want a sign that they won't destroy my last suit that desperately needs cleaned and pressed.
