So Legendary Coach Pat Summit was forced out...

#26
#26
As strong of a person as Pat Summit is, I belive she would have said something long before Jennings. She would not have kept quite if she was "forced" out

Don't believe
 
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#27
#27
Cue the self-righteous UT fan base!

I don't think for a moment that Hart did not value or respect the incredible things Pat accomplished. At the same time, I don't think many of us had the same access to Pat and was in a position to make a professional assessment of her mental capacity. Fewer things are sadder to watch than degenerative diseases but propping someone up in a position they are no longer able to fulfill is far more cruel than making an honest assessment of their mental capacity. Having watched that process with relatives, it is horrible and pretending everything is OK is little more than self-delusion.

Calling for Hart's head is absolutely ridiculous but par for the course with our incredibly sanctimonious fan base. We seem to think that because someone loves this university that they suddenly become larger than the institution itself. I wish Pat the absolute best and think she is a truly incredible person but neither she nor Phil is bigger than the school itself. Believe it or not, some people care enough about places and things to not put their self-interests in conflict with them. I think CPF might be a bit too petty for that but, with her faculties in tact, I suspect Pat would never place herself in front of the University and program she loved.
 
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#28
#28
madbamahater said:
You sir or lady are wrong! there is no way forcing her out would be the decision to make! If this comes out to be true you will find yourself in a very small minority and there will be major repercussions from donors and other alum if true. Just wait!
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Yes, lets leave someone with dementia at the helm of a program. It sucks, but you've got to move on. It's best for all parties involved.
 
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#31
#31
I had assumed that Summitt had the wisdom to retire, knowing that she couldn't coach anymore. She didn't coach last year--she stood around. Who wants a Hall of Fame coach to end her career watching others coach for her, because she can't do it? It's humiliating for her--and bad for the program. Were I AD, I would have waited for PS to retire, perhaps dropped some polite hints about the wisdom of retiring if she hadn't indicated an intention to retire. And if that didn't do it, I would have politely told her to retire in the best interest of her career, her family, the program and the university. Nobody is bigger than the university or a program--not joe paterno, not pat summitt. She couldn't coach anymore. Whoever made the decision, it was the right one.
 
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#32
#32
armchair said:
I had assumed that Summitt had the wisdom to retire, knowing that she couldn't coach anymore. She didn't coach last year--she stood around. Who wants a Hall of Fame coach to end her career watching others coach for her, because she can't do it? It's humiliating for her--and bad for the program. Were I AD, I would have waited for PS to retire, perhaps dropped some polite hints about the wisdom of retiring if she hadn't indicated an intention to retire. And if that didn't do it, I would have politely told her to retire in the best interest of her career, her family, the program and the university. Nobody is bigger than the university or a program--not joe paterno, not pat summitt. She couldn't coach anymore. Whoever made the decision, it was the right one.
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I agree.
 
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#33
#33
It was the the right decision and I hated it . However Pat has stated it was her decision to retire. So one of the two is lying , either Pat or Deby
 
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#36
#36
madbamahater said:
You sir or lady are wrong! there is no way forcing her out would be the decision to make! If this comes out to be true you will find yourself in a very small minority and there will be major repercussions from donors and other alum if true. Just wait!
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Obviously, no competent management was going to allow a program to be lead by someone who was not in full possession of her faculties and fully capable of performing her duties. Pat had already very publicly offloaded many, if not most of her responsibilities onto her assistants. It was tragic but there was no need to compound the tragedy by subjecting Pat and the program to another year of uncertainty and second guessing.

If Hart made this decision then good for him. It was best for Pat, the university, the other coaches, the fans and the players. There was no other decision that could have been made.

It was hard for me to watch the diminished Pat and I don't think the people who are most outraged really are thinking this through or have her best interests at heart. It was very clear to me that Pat was not up to the task anymore and to let her struggle would have just been cruel and unfair to everyone else involved in the program. I would not have wished that fate on my worst enemy let alone someone I so admire.

Pat would always tell the players that it was not about them and this is not about Pat. It is about what is best for the program moving forward. I would be very sad if we find that Pat did not realize this herself and step down willingly but her disease is an extenuating circumstance so we can overlook it if she exercised poor judgment at the end.

Just as an example, would you think a professor should be allowed to stay on if they couldn't remember when their class is to meet and had to give up lecturing and researching? Of course not. Just because they could offload some of that to TA's would not lessen the fact they were not doing the full job they were hired to do.

I see very little reason in some of these posts and a whole lot of emotionalism. Pat deserves better than that.
 
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#37
#37
EVERYONE please raise their hand that believes an AD could FORCE CPS to retire!!
What utter stupidity!!
Debbie had it made for years, ran her mouth and got ran.
She needs to move on!!
 
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#38
#38
I can't believe such a true friend as Jennings reports to be to Pat would drag her through this. Friends like Jennings, who needs enemies.
 
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#40
#40
armchair said:
I had assumed that Summitt had the wisdom to retire, knowing that she couldn't coach anymore. She didn't coach last year--she stood around. Who wants a Hall of Fame coach to end her career watching others coach for her, because she can't do it? It's humiliating for her--and bad for the program. Were I AD, I would have waited for PS to retire, perhaps dropped some polite hints about the wisdom of retiring if she hadn't indicated an intention to retire. And if that didn't do it, I would have politely told her to retire in the best interest of her career, her family, the program and the university. Nobody is bigger than the university or a program--not joe paterno, not pat summitt. She couldn't coach anymore. Whoever made the decision, it was the right one.
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In the same sentence?
 
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#42
#42
Good Lord did any of y'all that thinks Pat coached last year watch any of the games ? Holly was the only one coaching . Heck Pat sometimes barely got off the bench during time outs . She was the best , but her time had come and she knew it and she retired
 
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#45
#45
volfanecs said:
Unbelievably wrong
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Did you watch the end of last year? She basically wasn't there. The program was going to be paralyzed. It couldn't go on for another year.

There's certainly no reason yet to assume anything other that Summitt herself was telling the truth when she said that she knew it was time to go.
 
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#46
#46
Heartless is an Alabama boy. You don't change that crimson blood just because you get hired at TN. I don't like him, never have. He and his good ole boys completely wiped out the majorty of women and kept one that is required by law. Ask yourself when the merger took place how many men lost their positions vs the number of women who lost theirs. You may not like Ms. Jennings but she knew the women's programs backwards and forwards. She did a great job over the years for the Lady Vols. They forced her out and hired a younger man that DJ trained. They took the one program, the women's program, that has never had a mark against it and put the men in charge of the athletics dept. The men haven't been able to stay out of trouble with the NCAA. Athletes arrested, men. Athletes not graduating from the men's side of the program. The Lady Vols Basketball is well known for graduating 100%. I don't trust Hartless and this hire will come back to haunt UT in the years to come. JMO
 
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#47
#47
ladyvols1 said:
Heartless is an Alabama boy. You don't change that crimson blood just because you get hired at TN. I don't like him, never have. He and his good ole boys completely wiped out the majorty of women and kept one that is required by law. Ask yourself when the merger took place how many men lost their positions vs the number of women who lost theirs. You may not like Ms. Jennings but she knew the women's programs backwards and forwards. She did a great job over the years for the Lady Vols. They forced her out and hired a younger man that DJ trained. They took the one program, the women's program, that has never had a mark against it and put the men in charge of the athletics dept. The men haven't been able to stay out of trouble with the NCAA. Athletes arrested, men. Athletes not graduating from the men's side of the program. The Lady Vols Basketball is well known for graduating 100%. I don't trust Hartless and this hire will come back to haunt UT in the years to come. JMO
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I don't disagree with any of this. Unfortunately the answer to all your questions is money. The women's AD doesn't generate enough revenue to remain independent. The two departments have to be merged, which means that the men who run the two revenue-generating sports get to be in charge.

It isn't pretty but that's college athletics. Money money money.
 
#48
#48
Vercingetorix said:
I don't disagree with any of this. Unfortunately the answer to all your questions is money. The women's AD doesn't generate enough revenue to remain independent. The two departments have to be merged, which means that the men who run the two revenue-generating sports get to be in charge.

It isn't pretty but that's college athletics. Money money money.
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Good argument except it is wrong, the Lady Vols were totally self sufficent largely due to the Lady Vol brand and basketball. Nice try, but factually wrong.
 
#49
#49
What reason is there to believe this? Jennings just seems bitter.

Hart does seem to have a spine. That could be very useful when we're hiring a new coach in the near future.
 
#50
#50
ladyvols1 said:
Heartless is an Alabama boy. You don't change that crimson blood just because you get hired at TN. I don't like him, never have. He and his good ole boys completely wiped out the majorty of women and kept one that is required by law. Ask yourself when the merger took place how many men lost their positions vs the number of women who lost theirs. You may not like Ms. Jennings but she knew the women's programs backwards and forwards. She did a great job over the years for the Lady Vols. They forced her out and hired a younger man that DJ trained. They took the one program, the women's program, that has never had a mark against it and put the men in charge of the athletics dept. The men haven't been able to stay out of trouble with the NCAA. Athletes arrested, men. Athletes not graduating from the men's side of the program. The Lady Vols Basketball is well known for graduating 100%. I don't trust Hartless and this hire will come back to haunt UT in the years to come. JMO
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It's so much more complicated. For instance, there were men who worked on the women's side who were let go. Desiree Reed Francois worked on the men's side, basketball compliance. Apparently Jennings didn't think too highly of DRF and it sounds like Hart agreed because she is now gone. Should they have kept her because she was a woman and worked for the men's AD? What about Bud Ford, Jenning's counterpart on the men's side? He was certainly treated in the same Hartless manner as Jennings, he'd been there a long time and I'm sure he got some awards for his job over the years.

Hart walked into a crap situation...Cronan was leaving, Coach Summitt's health, football in the dumpster and who really knows what kind of financial mess Hamilton left him with.

If he did something wrong I'm sure we'll find out because both Ford and Jennings have filed suits and it doesn't appear UT wants to settle. Maybe he hasn't left people feeling warm and fuzzy, seems normal for a merger. JMO
 
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