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HaasBear's avatar

Fire Jim Knowlton immediately.

His failure of leadership has us with a losing coach on a long contract extension, an 0-10 basketball team, and an athletic department floundering in the changing landscape of college athletics. The athletic department is in a much worse spot than when he inherited it and it’s time to let the next guy or gal clean up his mess.

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KJ1980's avatar

Now 0-11. Hapless at best

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Rugbear's avatar

Knowlton doesn't make the HC hiring decision in a vacuum. There are a LOT of people involved that you would need to fire, including folks from the academic side of CAL and some very rich alums from the Grid Club. This is always a group decision at CAL. Everything has to be run by everyone. That's why after he interviewed with Oregon it took forever for his pay increases for assistants, recruiting department, and his salary to be approved.

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PawlOski's avatar

Every program has their own version of the Grid Club that plays an oversized role in these decisions. The difference is that a strong AD is able to inspire those relationships to buy into their vision and agenda. I'm reasonably confident at this point to say Knowlton really just executes the will of others (Christ, Grid Club, etc.) and doesn't have a vision or agenda of his own besides keeping us in the black. He's support staff dressed up as an AD.

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Rugbear's avatar

I don't disagree with you Mike, but I don't recall and AD at CAL that has ever had that enviable level or respect. I know some of the Grid Club guys. They aren't about to turn over more responsibility to the AD. It's their money that pays for salaries so its their hiring decision. And in fairness to those Grid Clubbers, they are very sharp people.

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GoldenSD81's avatar

Hiring Wilcox was a group decision but that extension was all Knowlton on his own.

Wilcox wasn’t a bad hire 6 years ago but that extension was malpractice, not deserved at all and is an anchor around the football program.

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Rugbear's avatar

No it was not. He had to go to all the peeps involved in the process for approval to get the money JW asked for. If any of them would have said no then it wouldn't have happened. Let me also say the biggest influence on hiring and firing, more that the academic side and more than the AD, are the big dawgs with the $$ in the Grid Club. Nothing happens without their approval.

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GoldenSD81's avatar

Who approached all of them for the extension and had the idea of giving Wilcox the extension? I’m sure that was all Knowltons idea and then he went out and got the money.

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mrjpark's avatar

And they all had to agree, so he was obviously not the only decision-maker.

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freespeechlover's avatar

Okay, but who on the "academic side" of Cal has anything to say about athletic hires?

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Rugbear's avatar

Christ, and I'm sure there is a rubber stamp academic oversight committee that gives their blessings.

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GoldenSD81's avatar

Or extensions.

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freespeechlover's avatar

Can't disagree with any of the above.

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Dec 10, 2022
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AndDriveDriveDrive's avatar

I think people more laughed at the Wikipedia links than they did at Troy Taylor himself

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Dec 12, 2022
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AndDriveDriveDrive's avatar

This is by far the strangest argument I have ever been in on the internet

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Dec 10, 2022
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Justbear's avatar

There was nothing wrong with Troy Taylor or Wikipedia. It was all about you trolling us with numerous same posts. Which you still continue to do.

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Dec 11, 2022
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Justbear's avatar

Until you realize you are trolling, nothing will change.

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Dec 11, 2022
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Justbear's avatar

You want to be educated? My advice is you should learn digital literacy.

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Dec 11, 2022
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AndDriveDriveDrive's avatar

I feel like it might not be worth belaboring the point, but merely posting a Wikipedia link doesn’t make a particular argument. It doesn’t tell the readers anything about why you believe he ought to be the coach. It doesn’t provide new information we didn’t already know. It is the equivalent to posting a google search. Which, come to think of it, is actually the answer to your question. A google search of “Troy Taylor” provides more information. It mostly isn’t relevant, but it includes your Wikipedia result.

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Justbear's avatar

That's exactly why you need to learn it. Until you do, you will not understand why everyone reacts that way to you.

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freespeechlover's avatar

I didn't laugh and wouldn't have either. But it doesn't surprise me that Taylor would take the job. This is a big step up for him. Stanford will do what it has to. Shaw eluded to this in his last press conference. I think Taylor will be in a good position to make things happen there. As for Cal, FIRE KNOWLTON.

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