BIG Rumor Coming Out of Gainesville

#26
#26
Foley has been the best AD in the conference throughout most of his tenure. Tough day for UF sports, but they'll land on their feet.
 
#27
#27
GreveHaller said:
He sure overcame a tough beginning. I remember how bad the fans wanted him gone after the Zook fiasco. He righted the ship and made some good hires.
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He had been AD for quite some time before he hired Zook.

Lawrence Wright said:
It was hinted around the time Mike Slive stepped down as SEC Commissioner. Foley's name was being floated as a potential successor.

Foley turned our athletic department into a powerhouse.

He will be missed, maybe not by you guys. :)
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He definitely was a great AD in all senses. a lot of fans on here think the AD is just a guy that oversees football, but fortunately Foley was way smarter than that, yet he kept UF football a mainstay in the top 25 for the overwhelmingly majority of his tenure.

I still remember reading somewhere that he was ready to retire but wanted to ensure the football program was on firm ground before he left.
 
#28
#28
Lawrence Wright said:
It was hinted around the time Mike Slive stepped down as SEC Commissioner. Foley's name was being floated as a potential successor.

Foley turned our athletic department into a powerhouse.

He will be missed, maybe not by you guys. :)
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Can't say I'll miss him just for that reason.
 
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#29
#29
GreveHaller said:
He sure overcame a tough beginning. I remember how bad the fans wanted him gone after the Zook fiasco. He righted the ship and made some good hires.
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Foley was around long before Zook was hired.

Foley's greatest achievements, in my opinion at least, was hiring Billy Donovan and elevating just about every sport in the athletic department (except WBB...still no SEC title)

Bill Arnsparger hired Spurrier, and Bernie Machen delivered Urban Meyer to Foley, whose only job was not to screw it up.

All that said, Foley will be difficult to replace. Out of his 25 years at UF, we won the SEC All-Sports Trophy 24 times.
 
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#30
#30
Lawrence Wright said:
Foley was around long before Zook was hired.

Foley's greatest achievements, in my opinion at least, was hiring Billy Donovan and elevating just about every sport in the athletic department (except WBB...still no SEC title)

Bill Arnsparger hired Spurrier, and Bernie Machen delivered Urban Meyer to Foley, whose only job was not to screw it up.

All that said, Foley will be difficult to replace. Out of his 25 years at UF, we won the SEC All-Sports Trophy 24 times.
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I just remember on the fireronzook.com board that he was the focus of ire. As a Vol fan that sure was fun to troll. There was some serious hate for him after the 6-5 season.
 
#32
#32
Lawrence Wright said:
Hint of sarcasm imo.

McGarrity was Foley's understudy for years.

We sent him to UGA to destroy that athletic department from within, similar to how Agent Muschamp almost burned down our football program...under direct orders from Vince Dooley.
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Dooley's a wily old bird. Sent his boy to bury the program in Knoxville as well.
 
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#33
#33
GreveHaller said:
I just remember on the fireronzook.com board that he was the focus of ire. As a Vol fan that sure was fun to troll. There was some serious hate for him after the 6-5 season.
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I remember it as well, but Foley had been our AD for over a decade at that point.

The coaching search following Spurrier was a public media circus, and by the time Zook was hired we'd already whiffed on Bob Stoops and Mike Shanahan. By the time we settled on Zook he may as well been fired the day he was hired.

Spurrier was critical of Foley in 2001 following the FSU game, where Darnell Dockett appeared to intentionally injure Earnest Graham's knee, then bragged about it after the game. Spurrier thought Foley didn't have his back...and some say this was one of several factors leading to Spurrier going to the Redskins.

Foley was also notoriously cheap, and had to go kicking and screaming into the 21st century with the IPF for football. McElwain and Foley butted heads initially on upgrades to our football facilities, and it looks like McElwain won that beef.
 
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#37
#37
I know i am in the smallest of minorities here, but as great as he has been, i think it's time for new blood.

There is a reason florida is behind in terms of facilities
 
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#38
#38
Hearing 5 pm est press conference in Gainesville to announce Ron Zook as new athletic director. Over weekend, Jeremy Fooley reportedly caught burning rope w/Tabor.
 
#39
#39
Lots of respect for Foley..he pretty much started from the bottom and worked his way up..he is only 63..hope it isn't health related, maybe he wants to go out and enjoy life for awhile?
 
#40
#40
99gator said:
I know i am in the smallest of minorities here, but as great as he has been, i think it's time for new blood.

There is a reason florida is behind in terms of facilities
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I asked a UAA guy I know if Foley stepped down because he got tired of McElwain asking him to spend money on stuff.
 
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#41
#41
Lawrence Wright said:
I asked a UAA guy I know if Foley stepped down because he got tired of McElwain asking him to spent money on stuff.
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And i understand why the pushback.

Why do we need this upgrade or that improvement or this shiny new toy when you are winning championships in damn near every sport.

However, it eventually catches up to you and is a problem.
 
#42
#42
99gator said:
And i understand why the pushback.

Why do we need this upgrade or that improvement or this shiny new toy when you are winning championships in damn near every sport.

However, it eventually catches up to you and is a problem.
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By the time McElwain pushed the issue, we were 7 years removed from a championship, and only 2 years removed from Georgia Southern.

Plus with all the SEC Network cash pouring in, there's no excuse to be as tight as Foley's been over the years.

I bet Jeremy had to spray WD40 on his wallet and pry it open with a crowbar to pay for the new IPF.
 
#44
#44
Lawrence Wright said:
By the time McElwain pushed the issue, we were 7 years removed from a championship, and only 2 years removed from Georgia Southern.

Plus with all the SEC Network cash pouring in, there's no excuse to be as tight as Foley's been over the years.

I bet Jeremy had to spray WD40 on his wallet and pry it open with a crowbar to pay for the new IPF.
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You know the story sbout the IPF originally being 60 yards long, right?
 
#45
#45
has there been any (or ever been) talk about redoing the stadium? Seems other schools are doing it but I've never heard of UF doing anything
 
#47
#47
GreveHaller said:
has there been any (or ever been) talk about redoing the stadium? Seems other schools are doing it but I've never heard of UF doing anything
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There's no room left to expand, and we just renovated the concourse areas last season.

90K capacity in the HDTV era is plenty.
 
#48
#48
Lawrence Wright said:
There's no room left to expand, and we just renovated the concourse areas last season.

90K capacity in the HDTV era is plenty.
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No additonal seating is needed, but there are other improvements that i believe are needed or would be a good idea
 
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