I’m not looking to re-hash anything…just looking to chronicle something so that it isn’t forgotten. (So, there is no reason to turn on the comments of this entry).
On Tuesday, News & Observer ran an article that focused primarily on Sidney Lowe.
At the bottom of the article, the N&O quickly touched on a re-cap of State’s “miss” of John Beilein. SFN shared with you the scoop behind the miss last weel while mainstream media outlets have to rely on what people like Lee Fowler say on the record. Related to the Beilein issue, the N&O said the following:
Fowler is making his first major hire since becoming the school’s athletics director in September 2000. He said the process has been more tedious than expected because of the extended negotiations with candidates and their representatives.
“We’ve talked contracts with a couple of guys,” he said without naming names. “But you get to the point where you think you’re about to hire, then they tell you to talk to their agent. Then the agent has a lawyer. Coaches are layered with agents, lawyers and accountants who all want something else in the contract.
“Some [candidates] don’t mention a buyout until you start to get serious. They don’t mention [potential problems] on the front end.”
Asked if a buyout had stalled discussions with a coach during the search, Fowler said, “I think it has been well-chronicled.”
Last week, NCSU appeared close to reaching an agreement with West Virginia coach John Beilein, but Beilein’s buyout provision of nearly $3 million proved to be a stumbling block.
In the entry that I wrote last night, Mike DeCourcy addressed Fowler’s comments pretty directly:
3. Not being aware of Beilein’s buyout. I can’t understand how this could be possible, but that’s what athletic director Lee Fowler told the News & Observer of Raleigh: “Some (candidates) don’t mention a buyout until you start to get serious. They don’t mention (potential problems) on the front end.� Seriously? It seemed everyone in basketball knew of Beilein’s $3 million buyout. Reporters from the Indianapolis Star mentioned it in articles about Indiana’s coaching search, which concluded nearly a month before N.C. State approached Beilein
Lee Fowler has chosen to open his mouth about the topic, so it therefore merits some attention. Fowler will never publicly tell the truth about what he did to Beilein, and LF certainly will never admit to the negative impact that his actions will have on the search.
So, let’s do as DeCourcy did and take Lee Fowler for his word as he shared it in the N&O – that generally speaking Beilein’s buyout became an unsurpassable issue for State (at the last minute). Accepting Fowler for his comments means that he just publicly admitted that he is either grossly incompetent at his job or a complete moron. I am trying to figure out why I am supposed to take comfort in either of these characteristics to which our Athletics Director has just admitted?
