We keep Skippy but LSU reaches separation agreement with Orgeron

[PawDawg]

Yes. I never spent any time there until my brother moved there. If your goal is to fill a stadium, you’d rather it be in Hattiesburg than Ruston.

And if we’re talking surrounding areas, Gulfport, Biloxi, Jackson, and New Orleans, are all less than two hours from Hattiesburg.

I know where our alumni are and were they have historically come from to attend games. They are primarily in North Louisiana w/in 2 hours. While we've never drawn the kind of crowds USM has drawn consistently, we've never really tried. Combine that lack of effort with the Holtz product of the last 9 years, our determination to cater primarily to the money folks, and it is an obvious recipe for disaster. My evidence in our declining attendance over the past 9 years.

[Dawgonit]

I think you two are possibly arguing about two different types of fans and not realize it. I think you're talking about dedicated alumni fans PD and JL is talking about casual walk-up football fans. I agree with PD that we do need to do better drawing our alumni to games. These should be the majority of tailgaters driving in early on gameday from around the region. They should be considered our core dedicated base that will always show up to games.

However not all fans are going to put that much effort into attending a football game. Many people are casual fans, they go for the game and fun experience, probably not showing up more than an hour or two before the game. They will easily stay home if the team or weather is bad since it's not a fun experience. I believe JL is saying that it's much better to be in Hattiesburg since due to the bigger population in the town and surrounding area, it's easier to draw in casual fans. They don't have to make the decision to drive an hour away like our fans in Monroe or Shreveport. These fans are already in town. Hattiesburg will probably get 2 to 4 thousand more fans possibly just based on casual fans in town.

[dawg80]

Correct. A very large portion of Tech's fanbase live an hour+ away. Others live 30 minutes+ away, or an hour+ roundtrip. Not that it is unique to have fans that have to drive in, all schools do, but I suspect the sparse population of Lincoln Parish, and those immediately around it, does play a role in those iffy situations of forecasted bad weather and forecasted "Skippy Alerts...seek shelter immediately."

There are other factors affecting attendance everywhere, such as every game being telecast on some kind of media, and the general trend of sports losing its appeal as an entertainment option. Males drive sports' fanship and too many of the most recent generations have been feminized by the lib culture and sports don't hold the same appeal as they used to. Throw in all the PC and Woke nonsense, all the new rules designed to make it safer...and the essence of that "male appeal" has been eroded.

There are instances of exceptions, but those are driven by special circumstances, something new, something historic...such as Tech Baseball last year hosting both the conference tourney and then a regional. If that happened every year, attendance would sink to some lower level of true baseball fans, probably barely 50% of the attendance from this past season.

[dawg80]

Terms released for Coach O...

He gets $5 million lump sum this December and then $1.5 million annually through 2024. In addition some entity called Tiger Boyz, LLC is also paid out about $1.5 million annually through 2024. That must be Coach O's company handling his endorsements. Interestingly, the agreement also requires Coach O to make some public appearances on behalf of LSU Athletics for the duration of the agreement. That would be curious should he be a coach at another school but still doing LSU-related PR gigs.

Coach O should just go back to his alma mater (provided he actually graduated) the NSU Demons. I feel for Coach Brad Laird, the current HC here. He's a fine fellow and a good friend, but he's not getting it done on the field. Even NSU expects their coaches to win some games. Would be the perfect gig for Coach O. It would be an FCS program therefore he can openly root for his "Go Tigers!"

[SicemDawgz]

Holtz contract pays him $4.025 million overall. He earns $700,000 in 2020, $775,000 in 2021 then $850,000 from 2022-25.

There is a clause in the contract that automatically adds a one-year extension for an eight-win season. We are in for some very dark years of Tech football.

[dawg80]

Holtz contract pays him $4.025 million overall. He earns $700,000 in 2020, $775,000 in 2021 then $850,000 from 2022-25.

There is a clause in the contract that automatically adds a one-year extension for an eight-win season. We are in for some very dark years of Tech football.

What brain-dead moron negotiated that stupid clause? I can guess...

Yep, dark days ahead. Our only hope is a string of non-8-win seasons nullifying that stupid clause. That's a helluva thing to root for, hoping we don't win 8 games!

[techman05]

I get the discussion about our market and the struggles we have. Take Shreveport-Bossier completely out of the mix. Lincoln Parish along with the parishes that touch us along with Webster is over 300,000 total. It is pitiful that we can’t put a product on the field that attracts 5% of our immediate community. That plus our students, out of towners(over an hour), and 1000 seats for an opponent should be enough to fill the Joe every weekend. It seemed we were on our way to doing that with the exciting product Dykes put on the field. That momentum has been totally wiped out.

As far as the contract goes, it doesn’t surprise me one bit that the one in charge let us get hemmed in by his complete lack of negotiating skills.

[Tech52]

........ Or have an administration that gives a crap!

We need something to change.

But I don’t want us to ever be LSU, like LSU, or compared to LSU. They have money that they just throw around. They dont spend anything on their campus. Probably covering something up anyway. Full buyout? Woof.

But honestly, idk who they’d even hire right this moment.

[johnnylightnin]

I think you two are possibly arguing about two different types of fans and not realize it. I think you're talking about dedicated alumni fans PD and JL is talking about casual walk-up football fans. I agree with PD that we do need to do better drawing our alumni to games. These should be the majority of tailgaters driving in early on gameday from around the region. They should be considered our core dedicated base that will always show up to games.

However not all fans are going to put that much effort into attending a football game. Many people are casual fans, they go for the game and fun experience, probably not showing up more than an hour or two before the game. They will easily stay home if the team or weather is bad since it's not a fun experience. I believe JL is saying that it's much better to be in Hattiesburg since due to the bigger population in the town and surrounding area, it's easier to draw in casual fans. They don't have to make the decision to drive an hour away like our fans in Monroe or Shreveport. These fans are already in town. Hattiesburg will probably get 2 to 4 thousand more fans possibly just based on casual fans in town.

That's certainly part of it. But I think when those walk-ups have a good time, they stick around through ups and downs. It becomes an event to get together with friends. I absolutely agree with PD that we need to do a better job reaching out to the plentiful alumni in Shreveport/Bossier and Monroe. Making the games fun and easy to attend is a huge part of that...that stuff is still fun and easy even when the football is bad.

If we fix the football and the gameday atmosphere, we should be able to average 25K...that many folks in the Joe would be electric.

[Champ967]

Coach O was not being sufficiently discreet with his bedroom shenanigans. This will also get a coach dismissed at Tech.

Keep your privates private and get to .500 at least every third year, and any coach in any sport can stay in Ruston forever.

[Dwayne From Minden]

$16.8 million worth.

He only gets that if he is cleared in all of the on-going NCAA violations - if any stick the buy-out goes to ZILCH....

Woodward is very shrewd....

[Bone_afide_Dawg]

Holtz contract pays him $4.025 million overall. He earns $700,000 in 2020, $775,000 in 2021 then $850,000 from 2022-25.

There is a clause in the contract that automatically adds a one-year extension for an eight-win season. We are in for some very dark years of Tech football.

Wow... this just goes to show the extent of all out stupid leadership at Tech including Guice to give a repeat underachieving coach this kind of money and job security. Either Holtz is a brilliant con man (far better than he is a coach) or he has the goods on someone’s bad boy behaviors.

[Champ967]

Wow... this just goes to show the extent of all out stupid leadership at Tech including Guice to give a repeat underachieving coach this kind of money and job security. Either Holtz is a brilliant con man (far better than he is a coach) or he has the goods on someone’s bad boy behaviors.

You're overthinking. You dont need charm or dirt on Holtz's part to explain this. It doesnt even take stupidity on Guice's part.

Apathy accounts for it all just fine. Holtz doesnt care. Guice doesnt care. Our money guys dont care. A losing football program is a minor distraction. A mosquito bite. A stuffy nose, at worst.

[Cal&Ken]

Holtz contract pays him $4.025 million overall. He earns $700,000 in 2020, $775,000 in 2021 then $850,000 from 2022-25.

There is a clause in the contract that automatically adds a one-year extension for an eight-win season. We are in for some very dark years of Tech football.

With the showing on Sat., there is no reason to believe we will win 8 games. We are our worst enemy. There is no reason for a big contract- please someone take him. He is not going anywhere though. Why tie our hands and he could go anywhere, any time.

[techman05]

You're overthinking. You dont need charm or dirt on Holtz's part to explain this. It doesnt even take stupidity on Guice's part.

Apathy accounts for it all just fine. Holtz doesnt care. Guice doesnt care. Our money guys dont care. A losing football program is a minor distraction. A mosquito bite. A stuffy nose, at worst.

Just think what would happen if Davison was losing contracts and accounts the same way we are hemorrhaging fan support. He would fire EVERYONE! Too bad they see huge tax right off only, as far as anyone can tell. That is most likely the major reason anyone gives these huge amounts. With concern for the program being #30 on the list of concerns.