bear2be2 said:
Baylorbears111 said:
Doug cares about anything but the actual problems. He has failed to make the necessary changes for the football program. Doug has not demonstrated himself to be anything other than a puppet for the current admin. He wants to engage the fans but refuses to fix the product.
It is a common obfuscation tactic to ignore greater problems and focus on the small things so you can signal activity and visible change to "something". "Brand consistency" and uniforms, beer at the stadium, tailgates are items that get frequently brought up and they are all a sideshow. The AD still has the same staff in the same roles doing the same things.
I don't care about what flavor of ice cream we sell when the shop is on fire.
Some might find Doug endearing, but it is hard to find any appreciation until he actually does something to get this show back on track.
Blaming McNamee for not reversing a decision that was made above his head before his arrival is silly.
I'm not even a Doug McNamee guy and also want(ed) Aranda fired, but this is not a fair criticism.
McNamee will (and should) be judged by the decisions he makes from next season onward. Anything else falls at the feet of Rhoades and Livingstone.
In the meantime, I'll accept saying the right things and an acknowledgement of obvious shortcomings as a commitment to addressing those things moving forward. Because a) that's all he can realistically do right now. And b) it's far more than we ever got from his aloof and out-of-touch predecessor.
Was Mack going to fire Dave? Was Livingstone?
Reading between the lines of her statement:
Quote:
After careful evaluation and consideration, we have decided to retain Coach Dave Aranda as the leader of our football program. We recognize this decision will generate strong opinions. 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.
This decision reflects several critical factors:
- Stability during transition: Our next Vice President and Director of Intercollegiate Athletics must have the opportunity to assess the football program and chart its long-term direction;Student-athlete experience: Retaining our current roster and protecting a nationally ranked recruiting class are essential to our future success; and
- Financial stewardship: In an era of extreme volatility in college athletics with NIL, the transfer portal, revenue-sharing, and much more, this approach allows us to invest wisely in the program's future rather than incur significant buyout costs during an unprecedented turnover of coaches across the country.
We acknowledge the frustrations many of you feel, and we share in them. Baylor Football has experienced both historic highs and challenging seasons under Coach Aranda. While we celebrate the Big 12 Championship and Sugar Bowl victory in 2021, we know this season has not met our shared expectations.
Please know that our team respects and loves playing for Coach Aranda. I can also attest he aligns with Baylor's Christian mission and is an incredible ambassador for our University.
Our strength as a university has always come from our ability to stand together students, alumni, faculty and staff, and fans united by faith and shared purpose. While opinions may differ, our commitment to supporting our student-athletes and representing Baylor with integrity must remain unwavering. Let us rally behind our team, encourage one another and demonstrate the unity that makes Baylor special.
Your support emotional, spiritual and financial matters tremendously. Our student-athletes deserve a program that makes you proud, and we remain committed to building a team that competes for championships and reflects Baylor's values.
Our search for a new Athletics Director is underway, and I am confident we will welcome a new leader who will usher in a new era of competitive success and embrace our fans in new and exciting ways. Thank you for standing with us through both the challenges and the celebrations.
Reading from Livingstone's statement, point number one in the retention of Dave was so that the new AD would have the opportunity to review the program. This is again reinforced in their retention statement at the bottom as she again signals that they are looking for an AD first.
Well, they rushed the AD hiring process to bring on Doug. I can understand that rushing if the goal was to make a quick decision on Dave. Timing is important. But then Doug did nothing and has still done nothing. So did Livingstone lie when she signaled it was the AD's decision to make or is she being honest (in which case the blame lies on Doug at this juncture.)
Worse, we've thrown money at a 1-year DC and apparently punted the entire 2026 season as being unsalvageable before play even begins and yet we have also sought out Lagway to try to salvage the unsalvageable.
This is a bunch of half-hearted decision making without any clear commitment or direction one way or the other. Being indecisive is worse than making the wrong decision. There is no difference between Doug and Mack on these fronts.
Does Doug not have the authority to make these decisions as AD? If not, then Doug is a stooge and I question what purpose he serves besides being just the most recent face of the decline of Baylor athletics.
Any benefit of the doubt for Doug went out the window the second they decided to continue to ride the Aranda train and hired Klanderman.
