UNC-W Hires Louisville's Kevin "Cheap Seats" Keats
Posted: Fri Mar 28, 2014 12:46 pm
UNC-W's hiring of Louisville assistant Kevin Keats leaves a lot of questions in my mind. Two days after telling Eddie Biedenbach he'd be considered with all other candidates for the vacant Seahawk position, Wilmington AD Jimmy Bass went for broke and for a big name and hired a Rick Pitino assistant coach. Wonder if he's checked Keats' transcripts carefully to see if he really does hold a legitimate college diploma. Anyone remember Manhattan's Steve Masiello and his "creative vita" caper at USF?
Then there the question of $$$$$$$$$$. UNC-W's athletic department is already strapped for cash. They bought out Benny Moss' contract with three years remaining and had to borrow a large lump sum to buy those remaining three years. Then they hired Buzz and gave him a four year contract--and shortly thereafter gave him a two year extension. Then after his fourth year, they fired him with two years of salary still due. The athletic department is borrowing the money to pay Peterson monthly from the UNC-W Foundation at an interest rate of 0.49 percent. After 24 months, they will have paid Peterson an additional $880,000 to do nothing. That's just after paying Moss to do nothing for three years.
It remains to be seen how much Keats will be paid to coach the hapless Seahawks and how much of it will have to be borrowed from reserve funds set aside for the renovation of Trask Coliseum. I'm serious. That's how Keats will be paid initially, at least.
That's a helluva lot of bad management at UNC-W in the last 10 years. Jimmy Bass has just managed to dig the Seahawk hole deeper. It's just that very few know just how deep and whether he has a ladder to climb out.
Kinda makes ASU's current monetary situation seem inconsequential. It may look very different in two years if the Seahawks soar under Keats and the Mountaineers continue to be bottom feeders. Only time will tell. Just another case of big name hires v. safe hires. Kinda seems like we've already been here.
Didn't UNC-W hire a big name last time (Peterson)? Didn't ASU go for the cheap, safe hire (Capel)? Both failed miserably. Has anyone learned anything at all?
Then there the question of $$$$$$$$$$. UNC-W's athletic department is already strapped for cash. They bought out Benny Moss' contract with three years remaining and had to borrow a large lump sum to buy those remaining three years. Then they hired Buzz and gave him a four year contract--and shortly thereafter gave him a two year extension. Then after his fourth year, they fired him with two years of salary still due. The athletic department is borrowing the money to pay Peterson monthly from the UNC-W Foundation at an interest rate of 0.49 percent. After 24 months, they will have paid Peterson an additional $880,000 to do nothing. That's just after paying Moss to do nothing for three years.
It remains to be seen how much Keats will be paid to coach the hapless Seahawks and how much of it will have to be borrowed from reserve funds set aside for the renovation of Trask Coliseum. I'm serious. That's how Keats will be paid initially, at least.
That's a helluva lot of bad management at UNC-W in the last 10 years. Jimmy Bass has just managed to dig the Seahawk hole deeper. It's just that very few know just how deep and whether he has a ladder to climb out.
Kinda makes ASU's current monetary situation seem inconsequential. It may look very different in two years if the Seahawks soar under Keats and the Mountaineers continue to be bottom feeders. Only time will tell. Just another case of big name hires v. safe hires. Kinda seems like we've already been here.
Didn't UNC-W hire a big name last time (Peterson)? Didn't ASU go for the cheap, safe hire (Capel)? Both failed miserably. Has anyone learned anything at all?