Schmidt contract extension | The UIC Flames message board

axaguy
Little Sparky

Posts: 672

Schmidt contract extension Jun 13, 2013 8:48:42 GMT -6

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Post by axaguy on Jun 13, 2013 8:48:42 GMT -6

As reported in the Chicago Tribune this morning, Jim Schmidt was granted a 5 yr contract extension......................

Doesn't this seem a bit odd to extend a guy who actively and publicly pursued another job in the same conference which would easily be considered a very lateral move to a "competitor?" Regardless of the circumstances he was opting out and we willingly "extend him?" Did he find religion along the way? Do we think he is irreplaceable? Has his performance and results made him too valuable to lose, unless of course, another "similar" opportunity comes along???

Anyone else think this is odd, unwarranted and/or improper? Thoughts??

Last Edit: Jun 13, 2013 9:35:23 GMT -6 by axaguy

circle70
Die-Hard

Posts: 1,379

Schmidt contract extension Jun 13, 2013 11:26:29 GMT -6

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Post by circle70 on Jun 13, 2013 11:26:29 GMT -6

This is beyond disbelief. Further proof that Schmidt's superiors either know nothing, or worse, don't care about UIC Athletics. Instead of being immediately fired for "sleeping with the enemy" (Milwaukee), the man gets a 5-year extension. Un-friggin-believable!!!

While the story in UICFlames.com is factual, it is basically all just "happy talk", as are all stories on the site. Fact of the matter is, for the last 5 years or so, other than Men's Basketball, many of the higher profile sports have been on the decline. Baseball, Soccer, Softball, and Women's Basketball have all deteriorated in that time.

On the other hand, this move shouldn't really surprise anyone. After all, Allen-Meares didn't even know that Schmidt was pursuing the Milwaukee job.

UICJohn
Torch-Bearer

Posts: 4,288

Schmidt contract extension Jun 13, 2013 15:34:13 GMT -6

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Post by UICJohn on Jun 13, 2013 15:34:13 GMT -6

This is an absolute joke. Beyond pathetic! Yes! Woo hoo! Let's be so happy with mediocrity! Amazing. I was really hoping that he would get the UWM job and fix this problem for us but no. They probably just brought him in for the heck of it with no intention of hiring him. He is our problem. And now he is our problem for an extra 5 years.

I am beyond the whole UWM thing. I am looking at our athletic accomplishments, or should I say lack thereof.

Baseball - we have the biggest budget in the conference and the best facilities which should translate into owning the league. Well, that isn't the case.

Softball - Again, we used to have All American on this team. We've improved but still nowhere where the team should be.

Basketball - One season on the rebound. I will give them that (but he is also part of the reason that we sunk as low as we did!)

Soccer - that joke has been talked about on here many times and will only make me mad going over it again.

Come on, Mr. Schmidt. Maybe he should come on here and give us any reason why he should be ALLOWED to be our A.D.?

illini83
New Recruit

Posts: 70

Schmidt contract extension Jun 13, 2013 23:23:45 GMT -6

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Post by illini83 on Jun 13, 2013 23:23:45 GMT -6

While the UWM thing was a bit embarrassing, professionals talk to competitors and then get raises all the time. Schmidt shows up at a lot of events, the department seems to run reasonably well, and landing big money from Granderson is the kind of thing administrators love from their ADs.

But it's not unfair to say that the UIC administration doesn't care as much about sports as they do at, say, Tennessee or Florida. Less than other Horizon League schools (like UWM, whose hire didn't exactly scream "COMPETE!", I don't know...

axaguy
Little Sparky

Posts: 672

Schmidt contract extension Jun 14, 2013 0:09:57 GMT -6

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Post by axaguy on Jun 14, 2013 0:09:57 GMT -6

First, the report I read said he got a contract extension. Nothing about a raise but that can be researched easily enough.

Second, this isn't professional sports with owners bidding against each other for a "franchise" player. In private industry, and where I spent over 27 years with a worldwide company, you'd be fired let alone allowed or encouraged to talk to a competitor about employment. Acknowledgement of an interview alone would be your ticket out......

Third, I wouldn't begrudge anyone of advancement, though, but the Milwaukee spot was a very lateral move, at best.

Fourth, supposedly Schmidt has maxed out his retirement benefit with UIC and was a reason for his seeking to leave. Why then did he ACCEPT an extension in the first place??

Last note here, the dept. does seem to run reasonably well but I equate that with the reference UICJohn said about us accepting "mediocrity!!!" When did we last win a McCaffery (?) award from the Horizon League which rewards/acknowledges overall athletic department performance? Do we have a boatload of them?

?? Don't think so.......

Big D
Torch-Bearer

Posts: 5,399

Schmidt contract extension Jun 14, 2013 9:39:06 GMT -6

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Post by Big D on Jun 14, 2013 9:39:06 GMT -6

Like all of you pointed out, at the end of the day, this comes down to our athletic success...we just haven't had much of it.

Soccer has been a huge letdown for going on 5 years now. We couldn't capitalize on the momentum from multiple postseason appearances in which we advanced each time (once to an elite 8). Instead, we lose the coach and watch the program turn into a steaming pile.

Baseball has been a big disappointment over the last few seasons as well. The other teams have caught up with, and surpassed, us, while Milwaukee wins playing on a sandlot in an even worse climate.

Women's basketball has never been that great, let alone competed with Green Bay.

Softball was once dominant until UIUC hired our coach away. We're improving as of late, but we just got swept out of postseason play AT HOME.

And, most importantly, our flagship sport, men's basketball, has tied for one HL reg season championship in Schmidt's 16+ years as AD. ONE! Valpo has more than that and they've only been around for a few years.

We won 1 McCafferty trophy in 2000 and tied for 1 with Butler in 2007. So 1.5 in 16+ years. That screams all-around success!!!

Yes, we're good in women's tennis, but it does not help raise the stature of the university. Nobody even knows we won some 100+ straight matches, or whatever the number was. Nobody even knows we have a ridiculous number of consecutive conference championships. Basketball, baseball, soccer....that's all that counts to me.

Maybe Schmidt is good at raising money. This was a point of emphasis for him during his talk at his open forum at Milwaukee. He's updated the Pavilion (slightly), he's building Curtis Granderson stadium, and there are rumors of a brand new soccer field. Great! We spend more than any other non-football team in the HL. We seem to have the money, but we can't buy wins. What other school isn't taking advantage of probably the best set of facilities in their league?

Maybe Schmidt has really improved athlete academics here. Does anyone know the academic admittance standards of athletes at the HL universities? I'd love to see a comparison...sounds like a project for PantherU. I want to know if all teams can admit the same student-athletes, or if some schools are more limited in who they can bring in.

At the end of the day, I don't really know what to think about this. Was not happy to see our AD publicly talk up Milwaukee at our expense, but then, what else can you do when you're interviewing for that job? Maybe he really did want to work closer to his hometown, or maybe he just wanted to try something else. I don't blame him for that...I just wish he didn't go there and praise their potential so much. There's potential here and look what he's done with it.

What I do know is that UIC is perfectly ok with maintaining the status quo. Jimmy Collins loses for 10 straight years? No problem...give him an extension. Schmidt can't win in basketball in the best city with the most money in two decades? No problem...extension after extension. UIC is still in the shadow of UIUC? Cool, let's stay there, or let's actually worsen the situation by renaming all of our facilities to "University of Illinois". We get booted from the CIC because we're not University of Illinois, but UIUC uses us for our medical facilities so that they can say they're a part of the Big Ten Cancer Research Consortium (oh the irony - news.uic.edu/ui-cancer-center-big-ten-partner-to-fight-cancer). But I digress.

I really want to see Schmidt and UIC athletics succeed. But, based on the history, I have no confidence.

circle70
Die-Hard

Posts: 1,379

Schmidt contract extension Jun 14, 2013 12:37:16 GMT -6

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Post by circle70 on Jun 14, 2013 12:37:16 GMT -6

Jun 13, 2013 23:23:45 GMT -6 illini83 said:

..... (like UWM, whose hire didn't exactly scream "COMPETE!", I don't know...

If you're not impressed by Milwaukee's hire of an AD, what does that say about Schmidt? He finished 3rd in a 3-horse race and was the only candidate with D1 AD experience, and 16 years at that.