It's OK to continue living the lie based on false hope
Drop to 1AA and petition the SLC for membership
I agree with the firing of Oakes option -
But it's beginning to become PAINFULLY clear that is NOT A THIRD option -
Fact is - if our administration THINKS that we cannot AFFORD to host two BCS SCHOOLS in the same year, we have NO BUSINESS pretending to be D-1A....
''Don't be a bad dagh..."
Maybe we are pointing at the wrong person. Maybe the buck does not stop with the AD....
Amen, bro Johnny. What is the biggest shame, is that we have an amazing Coach in Dooley. If this insane leadership continues, I would be shocked if he stayed until the end of his contract. Why would or should he? This also flies in the face of Dr. Reneaus 2020 plan. Tech has some top quality coaching (Football, Basketball, and Baseball), why then do we continue to shoot ourselves in the foot? Has JO learned anything from his mistakes in the past???
They probably would, but I don't think the Sunbelt would.
Louisiana Tech President Dr. Dan Reneau has publicly stated that his vision for the University includes Tech taking its place among the nationally prominent athletic programs in the United States. However, since 1994, Louisiana Tech Athletics has been headed by an Athletic Director whose accomplishments include the following:
10. An independent consulting firm (see the Carr Report) noted that the only athletic department systems that were operating at a "functional" level were those that were administrated by OTHER departments or units of the University.
9. Tech is perhaps the only Division I-A (FBS) program in the country without an automated ticketing system.[Source: The Carr Report]
8. Tech's income from sponsorships and advertisements fall well below national and even conference standards. [Source: The Carr Report]
7. Tech's facilities are rated in the bottom half of the WAC. As of 2004 there was NO master plan for improvements or even maintenance of Tech's athletic facilities. [Source: The Carr Report]
6. Tech was part of the 2% of all D-IA schools that lost scholarships due to poor scholastic performance. [Source: ESPN]
5. Under Jim Oakes' administration, Tech's budget for athletics has languished at nearly 70% lower than national average for Division I-A (FBS) athletic programs. Tech's budget is more than 35% lower than the average for its conference. [Source: The Carr Report]
4. La Tech sports lack competitiveness in the WAC and NCAA. [Source: WACSports.com]
3. Conference USA has said “NO!” to Tech twice during Oakes tenure as Athletic Director.
2. For years the Oakes administration has told Tech fans that BCS programs will not agree to playing home-and-home series with Louisiana Tech, making 'guarantee games' a necessity. In October 2007 the Kansas athletic director went on record saying that he was 'shocked' that Louisiana Tech turned down the home-and-home contract he offered and insisted instead on a single 'guarantee game.'
1. Tech languishes in the bottom of NCAA Division I A athletics in almost every measure. In 13 years, Jim Oakes has failed to demonstrate that he has the qualifications, skills, or vision to help Tech athletics to grow, improve, or even keep pace with the average NCAA athletic program.
For source documentation for the information provided above, visit www.firejimoakes.com and click on Top 10.
What did I miss? Was this really said in public?
I vote for Derek Dooley as our new athletics director!
The two real poll options should have been FIRE Oakes and attempt to do Div 1 right!!! (gets my vote, no question) or Keep Oakes and prepare to drop athletics. Dropping football to FCS would not only create more problems in football but it would also severely damage Oakes' alleged money source that he claims he needs to keep everything else going.
It shouldn't take a rocket scientist but apparently takes more than a few Tech political types to figure out that Division I FBS Tech athletics can and should very easily work. They just can't work the way they have been run by Oakes the last 13 years.
If we're going to drop back to I-AA let's at least be groundbreaking and petition the SWAC for membership.
Getting rid of oakes is not a cure-all. He definitely should go but reneau is a big part of the problem.
I've said it before and I'll say it again - its not just athletics.
Four straight years of declining enrollment. There is a reason for that beyond the spin you get from the 16th floor.
i am not voting in this pole either. it is ridiculous. despite the problems, if you want to be a 1AA team, go cheer for nsu or grambling. all this type of thread gets you is more flamers piling on.