Why did Linda release that letter with two weeks to play?

9,440 Views | 112 Replies | Last: 2 mo ago by Robert Wilson
Robert Wilson
User Profile
Private Message
Ignore User Stop Ignoring
How long do you want to ignore this user?
24 hours One week Permanently Cancel
3:08p, 11/22/25
As far as I can tell, there's nothing you actually need to say. Of course you are going to hire an athletic athletic director. I think everybody knows you need one. No need to say that. If you don't fire Dave, fine, don't fire Dave. Go privately tell him you are disappointed and he needs to do better.

Why say anything publicly at all? And if you feel like you have to say something, why make it haughty, preachy, out of touch double speak nonsense?

And beyond that, why release it when there are still two weeks left in the season? If your supposition is the players love Dave, maybe let them think they're playing for his job? And how do you look if you release that letter and then we get trucked the last two weeks?

Baylor is so poorly run, it boggles the mind.
Reply Quote
29
Aberzombie1892
User Profile
Private Message
Ignore User Stop Ignoring
How long do you want to ignore this user?
24 hours One week Permanently Cancel
3:17p, 11/22/25
Because there are other bad things that can happen beyond keeping Aranda as HC and the Baylor admin is looking to avoid them (i.e. roster exodus, collapse of 2026 class, etc.). It would've been gross negligence had they made the decision and not made it known due to how it impacts roster and recruiting management.
Reply Quote
5
SIC EM 94
User Profile
Private Message
Ignore User Stop Ignoring
How long do you want to ignore this user?
24 hours One week Permanently Cancel
3:17p, 11/22/25
She invited Aranda to join her and the First Gent for Thanksgiving and didn't want things to be awkward.
Reply Quote
7
IowaBear
User Profile
Private Message
Ignore User Stop Ignoring
How long do you want to ignore this user?
24 hours One week Permanently Cancel
In reply to Aberzombie1892 • 3:18p, 11/22/25
Are you watching the games? Dave is done… there's zero point in waiting
Reply Quote
15
El Oso
User Profile
Private Message
Ignore User Stop Ignoring
How long do you want to ignore this user?
24 hours One week Permanently Cancel
3:19p, 11/22/25
Let me be clear: Baylor expects excellence, accountability and competitiveness at the highest level. We are not complacent, and we are not settling for mediocrity.
Reply Quote
3
True Grit
User Profile
Private Message
Ignore User Stop Ignoring
How long do you want to ignore this user?
24 hours One week Permanently Cancel
In reply to Aberzombie1892 • 3:21p, 11/22/25
This is a below average roster. Who cares…
Reply Quote
5
PartyBear
User Profile
Private Message
Ignore User Stop Ignoring
How long do you want to ignore this user?
24 hours One week Permanently Cancel
3:21p, 11/22/25
We do not have an AD. Do you want Linda to handpick a new coach we would have for at least 4 years and not an AD? Do you want anyone employed at Baylor right now making that call for that matter?

The one bright spot in all of this is that Linda is not like several of our former Presidents who would think they know best and play AD right now and fxck things up further.
Reply Quote
7
1 edit
Stranger
User Profile
Private Message
Ignore User Stop Ignoring
How long do you want to ignore this user?
24 hours One week Permanently Cancel
In reply to Robert Wilson • 3:22p, 11/22/25
we are not a university of football, that's for sure.
I'm a Bearbacker
Reply Quote
4
Stranger
User Profile
Private Message
Ignore User Stop Ignoring
How long do you want to ignore this user?
24 hours One week Permanently Cancel
In reply to PartyBear • 3:23p, 11/22/25
PartyBear said:
We do not have an AD. Do you want Linda to handpick a new coach we would have for at least 4 years and not an AD? Do you want anyone employed at Baylor right now making that call for that matter?

have you gone over to the dark side?
I'm a Bearbacker
Reply Quote
2
Stranger
User Profile
Private Message
Ignore User Stop Ignoring
How long do you want to ignore this user?
24 hours One week Permanently Cancel
3:24p, 11/22/25
. . . besides, she can always fire him later.
I'm a Bearbacker
Reply Quote
Bobby20
User Profile
Private Message
Ignore User Stop Ignoring
How long do you want to ignore this user?
24 hours One week Permanently Cancel
3:34p, 11/22/25
Christian mission
Christian mission
Reply Quote
3
TenBears
User Profile
Private Message
Ignore User Stop Ignoring
How long do you want to ignore this user?
24 hours One week Permanently Cancel
3:34p, 11/22/25
Linda was in a no win situation. Unfortunately, however, the no win situation was of her own making.
Reply Quote
7
OntheRecord
User Profile
Private Message
Ignore User Stop Ignoring
How long do you want to ignore this user?
24 hours One week Permanently Cancel
In reply to Robert Wilson • 3:38p, 11/22/25
Dave Aranda should send a thank you note to Rhoades' girlfriend.
Reply Quote
22
1 edit
True Grit
User Profile
Private Message
Ignore User Stop Ignoring
How long do you want to ignore this user?
24 hours One week Permanently Cancel
3:43p, 11/22/25
Linda has underestimated the fickleness of our fanbase. She's setting us back for years upon years.
Reply Quote
11
PartyBear
User Profile
Private Message
Ignore User Stop Ignoring
How long do you want to ignore this user?
24 hours One week Permanently Cancel
In reply to TenBears • 3:43p, 11/22/25
TenBears said:
Linda was in a no win situation. Unfortunately, however, the no win situation was of her own making.


How unless you thought she should have fired Rhoades a year or two ago.
Reply Quote
2
Aberzombie1892
User Profile
Private Message
Ignore User Stop Ignoring
How long do you want to ignore this user?
24 hours One week Permanently Cancel
In reply to IowaBear • 3:46p, 11/22/25
IowaBear said:
Are you watching the games? Dave is done… there's zero point in waiting


No one is arguing otherwise. It should be the decision of the AD once the AD has been acclimated.
Reply Quote
2
Aberzombie1892
User Profile
Private Message
Ignore User Stop Ignoring
How long do you want to ignore this user?
24 hours One week Permanently Cancel
In reply to True Grit • 3:48p, 11/22/25
True Grit said:
This is a below average roster. Who cares…


The challenge is that it could be far worse than "below average". Also, the incoming class is currently quite solid by Baylor's standards.
Reply Quote
1
Bobby20
User Profile
Private Message
Ignore User Stop Ignoring
How long do you want to ignore this user?
24 hours One week Permanently Cancel
In reply to OntheRecord • 3:50p, 11/22/25
OntheRecord said:
Dave Aranda should send a thank you note to Rhoades' girlfriend.

He'll give it to her in person tonight at dinner.
Reply Quote
1
Bobby20
User Profile
Private Message
Ignore User Stop Ignoring
How long do you want to ignore this user?
24 hours One week Permanently Cancel
In reply to True Grit • 3:51p, 11/22/25
True Grit said:
This is a below average roster. Who cares…

Just wait for the player exodus this offseason.....
Reply Quote
4
Reverend
User Profile
Private Message
Ignore User Stop Ignoring
How long do you want to ignore this user?
24 hours One week Permanently Cancel
In reply to PartyBear • 3:51p, 11/22/25
Things couldn't be effed up further. She took it from far to further.

But Dave's happy. He gets to keep drawing that $400k a month paycheck until mid-season next year when he'll get a pink slip wrapped around a $15m check.
Reply Quote
2
PartyBear
User Profile
Private Message
Ignore User Stop Ignoring
How long do you want to ignore this user?
24 hours One week Permanently Cancel
3:53p, 11/22/25
So you are on record wanting her, despite how you feel about her, to pick the new HC and not an AD doing it.
Reply Quote
2
blackie
User Profile
Private Message
Ignore User Stop Ignoring
How long do you want to ignore this user?
24 hours One week Permanently Cancel
In reply to PartyBear • 3:55p, 11/22/25
PartyBear said:
So you are on record wanting her, despite how you feel about her, to pick the new HC and not an AD doing it.

That is certainly what it sounds like to me.
Reply Quote
1
Smashmouth
User Profile
Private Message
Ignore User Stop Ignoring
How long do you want to ignore this user?
24 hours One week Permanently Cancel
3:57p, 11/22/25
Lets face it. Mack f'd us. He signed Aranda to the extension and the huge buyout. Thanks Mack for nothing and don't let the door hit you in the ass on the way out!
Reply Quote
3
Robert Wilson
User Profile
Private Message
Ignore User Stop Ignoring
How long do you want to ignore this user?
24 hours One week Permanently Cancel
In reply to Aberzombie1892 • 3:57p, 11/22/25
Aberzombie1892 said:
Because there are other bad things that can happen beyond keeping Aranda as HC and the Baylor admin is looking to avoid them (i.e. roster exodus, collapse of 2026 class, etc.). It would've been gross negligence had they made the decision and not made it known due to how it impacts roster and recruiting management.


Lmao

The letter will do nothing to avoid that
Reply Quote
5
Feedemfishheads
User Profile
Private Message
Ignore User Stop Ignoring
How long do you want to ignore this user?
24 hours One week Permanently Cancel
In reply to IowaBear • 4:22p, 11/22/25
Exactly! He's just going to ruin a bunch of young men's college athletic careers next year!
Reply Quote
2
boykin_spaniel
User Profile
Private Message
Ignore User Stop Ignoring
How long do you want to ignore this user?
24 hours One week Permanently Cancel
4:37p, 11/22/25
Baylor loves to shoot itself in the foot. I think the point of the letter was in a not so subtle way tell AD candidates that they are not tied to Aranda and will be given proper time to make a decision. It puts Dave returning around Linda's neck. A new AD won't be here in time to do a proper search for a new football coach so the letter, while a slap in the face to us fans and alums, was Linda and the board saying "we f'd up but you won't be tied to that at all".
Reply Quote
2
True Grit
User Profile
Private Message
Ignore User Stop Ignoring
How long do you want to ignore this user?
24 hours One week Permanently Cancel
In reply to Aberzombie1892 • 4:37p, 11/22/25
We shall see how many of them actually end up at BU. They all saw Linda's letter. DA is a dead man walking.
Reply Quote
3
True Grit
User Profile
Private Message
Ignore User Stop Ignoring
How long do you want to ignore this user?
24 hours One week Permanently Cancel
In reply to boykin_spaniel • 4:38p, 11/22/25
This! Well said!
Reply Quote
Robert Wilson
User Profile
Private Message
Ignore User Stop Ignoring
How long do you want to ignore this user?
24 hours One week Permanently Cancel
In reply to boykin_spaniel • 4:40p, 11/22/25
boykin_spaniel said:
Baylor loves to shoot itself in the foot. I think the point of the letter was in a not so subtle way tell AD candidates that they are not tied to Aranda and will be given proper time to make a decision. It puts Dave returning around Linda's neck. A new AD won't be here in time to do a proper search for a new football coach so the letter, while a slap in the face to us fans and alums, was Linda and the board saying "we f'd up but you won't be tied to that at all".


We did not need a letter for that. The timing and circumstances make it clear. The letter had way more downside and basically no upside as far as I can yet ascertain.
Reply Quote
3
Reverend
User Profile
Private Message
Ignore User Stop Ignoring
How long do you want to ignore this user?
24 hours One week Permanently Cancel
In reply to PartyBear • 4:43p, 11/22/25
So I guess the idea is to keep Aranda to make our recruits believe…. what??? I'm pretty sure everyone knows, especially a competent AD, that he must go. And that will happen. His evaluation would take about 10 minutes. But let's wait till next year.

She's taking easiest path to duck responsibility. Just kicking the can down the road.

Fire Dave, and get a committee appointed immediately to find a competent AD. It should have been done 10 days ago.
Reply Quote
9
LIB,MR BEARS
User Profile
Private Message
Ignore User Stop Ignoring
How long do you want to ignore this user?
24 hours One week Permanently Cancel
In reply to El Oso • 4:50p, 11/22/25
El Oso said:
Let me be clear: Baylor expects excellence, accountability and competitiveness at the highest level. We are not complacent, and we are not settling for mediocrity.


She forgot the sarcasm tag
Reply Quote
3
boykin_spaniel
User Profile
Private Message
Ignore User Stop Ignoring
How long do you want to ignore this user?
24 hours One week Permanently Cancel
In reply to Robert Wilson • 4:53p, 11/22/25
It takes the pressure off the new AD having to announce Dave will be back. No AD wants to take a job late and his first announcement be that the very unpopular football coach will be returning. Fan base will want a new AD. The new AD also can't publicly say Dave is back but only because I don't have time to run a proper search. That would be a bigger disaster.

I don't think the letter was good, it was classic floundering Baylor speak, but I get what the school was trying to do with it.
Reply Quote
2
PartyBear
User Profile
Private Message
Ignore User Stop Ignoring
How long do you want to ignore this user?
24 hours One week Permanently Cancel
In reply to Reverend • 4:55p, 11/22/25
Reverend said:
So I guess the idea is to keep Aranda to make our recruits believe…. what??? I'm pretty sure everyone knows, especially a competent AD, that he must go. And that will happen. His evaluation would take about 10 minutes. But let's wait till next year.

She's taking easiest path to duck responsibility. Just kicking the can down the road.

Fire Dave, and get a committee appointed immediately to find a competent AD. It should have been done 10 days ago.


Well… the Reverend moniker fits.

But it is amazing to me that people do not get that we need a professional AD to be here to handle this for us.
Reply Quote
1
1 edit
Robert Wilson
User Profile
Private Message
Ignore User Stop Ignoring
How long do you want to ignore this user?
24 hours One week Permanently Cancel
In reply to boykin_spaniel • 4:57p, 11/22/25
boykin_spaniel said:
It takes the pressure off the new AD having to announce Dave will be back. No AD wants to take a job late and his first announcement be that the very unpopular football coach will be returning. Fan base will want a new AD. The new AD also can't publicly say Dave is back but only because I don't have time to run a proper search. That would be a bigger disaster.

I don't think the letter was good, it was classic floundering Baylor speak, but I get what the school was trying to do with it.

When do you think we will have a new AD? Realistically?
Reply Quote
2
PartyBear
User Profile
Private Message
Ignore User Stop Ignoring
How long do you want to ignore this user?
24 hours One week Permanently Cancel
5:02p, 11/22/25
Realistically a real and serious candidate probably no sooner than the start of the next semester at the earliest. Look a real current AD is not going to be able to start soon enough to make a coaching change this cycle, even if he or she can be named by Christmas.
Reply Quote
1
1 edit
Last Page
Page 1 of 4 ▼
 
×
subscribe Verify your student status
See Subscription Benefits
Trial only available to users who have never subscribed or participated in a previous trial.