Upheaval at A&T
I said I was wrong in a previous post about N.C. A&T football. Then again, upon further review, maybe I wasn't.
Chancellor Stanley Battle had issued this cryptic statement:
We have experienced a very difficult football season this year. The review of all athletic programs is well under way. There is considerable room for improvement in all athletics at A&T. I fully support our football program.
A&T appreciates your consistent and continued support for our athletic programs and our student athletes.
I took that as a sign that heads would surely roll, probably football Coach Lee Fobbs', given the Aggies' two straight winless seasons.
Didn't happen. Instead, Fobbs got a vote of confidence from Athletics Director Dee Todd. I assumed that came with Battle's blessing -- and that the new chancellor had been true to his word that he cared more about his athletes graduating than wins and losses Maybe not that many losses.
Now comes word that Todd has been reassigned to unspecified duties in the School of Education. She said Thursday: "Am I the scapegoat for football?"
Battle is the new CEO. Changes in key positions are not unusual when a new chancellor comes aboard. But the upheaval will take its toll.
A&T has had so much turnover in athletics since 1999 that it's been hard to keep count: six athletics directors, counting interim ADs; three football coaches.
Certainly Battle has the authority and responsibility to put the right people in the right jobs.A&T also needs a sense of stability.
That's missing right now.
Comments (3)
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You don't think, perchance, that this has anything whatsoever to do with Todd's being a woman, do you? We all know that women and football don't mix, right?
When a coach loses like this for 2 seasons, you need a really good reason not to fire the coach. But reassigning the AD to a nameless position? At this point in the academic year? Sheesh, give her the dignified chance to arrange another position first.
OK, I'm not a sports guru, but I feel a sudden chill in the air and it's not the winds of autumn.
Posted on November 30, 2007 1:05 PM
Well, when you make comments to the media and Iam paraphrasing here,"I think our football program is headed in the right direction". If I thought it I wouldn't have never said it to the media, not after two winless seasons. Headed in the right direction? Sue, it doesn't sound like a woman issue to me.
Posted on December 1, 2007 5:43 PM
Dismissing Todd is the right decision and it's long overdue. I hope that the next AD knows to respect the history of the school and its alumni.
Posted on December 16, 2007 2:34 AM