Beginning when I was around 16, I wanted to be a college basketball coach. I was a student manager in college, worked as a coach at summer basketball camps throughout college, and my first job after college was as assistant coach at a D-III school in Chicago. Basically, I was trying to set up the career trajectory that Nets Coach Lawrence Frank followed about 10 years later–short Jewish kid from NJ becomes manager at Big Ten school, parlays it into coaching career. It seems to have worked out slightly different for him than it did for me.
This biographical detour is to say that, 15-20 years ago, I was perfectly happy with the notion that D-I basketball coaches made (at a minimum) five times as that of the ordinary humanities professor–in fact, I was hoping to have one of those paying-five-times-as-much jobs. I noted how out-of-whack coaches’ salaries were, but bought the now-largely-challenged economic arguments about the real financial value college sports brings to the university. Of course, I never envisioned an economic downturn this severe that would affect universities (particularly mine) this severely. Nor did I envision my life at a small, underfunded public university in a state with no income tax and no significant commitment to higher education.
All of which is to express genuine bafflement and uncertainty at the news that FIU has hired Isiah Thomas to be its men’s basketball coach, with a press conference to announce the hiring today. In no particular order, a jumble of thoughts:
1) It certainly is putting FIU on the college-sports map, at least for now. We lead PTI last night. The last time FIU was part of a national college-sports story was after the brawl with Miami during a football game.
2) I do not know right now how much Thomas is making, but I imagine there was a premium to get him and his name down here–not U-Conn/Jim Calhoun territory, but certainly more than Thomas’ predecessor and probably more than the average coach at this level. This seems troubling at a university that just eliminated entire departments and has spent the past several years (and likely will spend the next several years) slashing big chunks of its budget, including the budget of the College of Law. True, if we are serious about college sports, we have to spend money–but is this the appropriate time?
3) More important is the question of whether this is worth that money. Thomas has not been a good coach (with the Knicks and Indiana Pacers) and his record as GM/Owner suggests that he is not a particularly good judge of talent, although he did make some good draft moves. He also ran the old CBA out of business, so his management skills are questionable. The school has hired his name. But the 17-year-olds he will be recruiting know him only as the guy who ran the New York Knicks into the ground, not as a Hall-of-Fame, championship-winning college and NBA player. So what are we getting for this money? No one knows for sure.
4) Then there is the fact that in 2007 Thomas and the Knicks were hit with an $ 11 million punitive-damages verdict for Thomas’ sexual harassment of a female Knicks employee (the case settled before compensatory damages were determined). FIU AD Peter Garcia’s response to that (in the ESPN link above) was, basically: I know Thomas and he is a wonderful husband and father, it’s in the past, and everyone makes mistakes (although some mistakes are larger than others). This seems like an awful lot of baggage to carry into the job. And it calls into question how well he can or will control his program and his players, especially on the always-dicey issue of relations between student-athletes and the rest of the student body.
If it sounds as if I am rooting against this, not at all. I hope Thomas turns FIU into a mid-major power–the Gonzaga of the South; it would be psychically, if not financially, good for us. I am not optimistic right now, but I can be convinced. And I certainly will go to some games to check it out. But this is a tremendous financial–and legal–risk for the school to take and a bad time to be financially risky.
Posted by Howard Wasserman on April 15, 2009 at 08:44 AM
Comments
To answer questions 2 and 3, he is donating his next year’s salary back to the school, so you’re (for the time being), paying nothing. And while you may want to argue he’s not worth that, I’m sure he can’t be worse than the last coach (who WAS paid).
Posted by: Robert | Apr 15, 2009 12:37:02 PM
Not Bill Self now–but why not the Bill Self who started at Tulsa (or wherever it was) 10-15 years ago? But my point was not really who we should hire, but what Thomas has done to warrant the job and the money.
Posted by: Howard wassernan | Apr 15, 2009 12:02:41 PM
I’m optimistic about Thomas’ ability to make a program out of FIU. First, because he played for Bobby Knight, I’m sure that he has more than a clue as to how to run a college basketball program. Second, the name of the game in college is recruiting. Because of his notoriety, he should be able to snag a few talented players away from other Sunbelt schools. I disagree that he is unknown to 17-year-old, D1-bound basketball players. Isiah was the top point guard in the league only a generation ago. He played with Magic and Jordan. Everyone who plays basketball at the D1 level knows (and admires) Isiah.
Nonetheless, you make a good point by asking whether this is the right time for FIU to spend this kind of money. I think that it was probably wise for FIU to take the bird in hand. FIU might not have another opportunity to hire someone of Thomas’ stature for the head coaching position. After all, Thomas is probably only considering a school like FIU because of his legal troubles and questionable qualifications (who else wants to deal with him?). As for your concern that Thomas might subject the school to legal liability, is FIU not immune from suit as an arm of the state?
In short, I don’t think that FIU’s decision to hire Thomas would negatively affect FIU. If he performs poorly, then the University will simply replace him. If he performs well (which is certainly possible), then the University will have established an exciting basketball program. In any case, FIU will have gained much-desired attention.
Posted by: anon | Apr 15, 2009 11:23:34 AM
It’s FIU basketball–who do you think you’re going to get, Bill Self?
Posted by: Grant | Apr 15, 2009 10:17:38 AM