Mr. ‘I Know Basketball’ tried not to comment on the coaching situation of Chuck Amato, but read between the lines. When IKB won’t babble on and on about how he is in your corner. You are in serious trouble.
“”I’m not going to get into any speculation about Chuck,” Fowler said.
Asked if he would end speculation about Amato’s job being in jeopardy by confirming that Amato would return in 2007, Fowler said, “I don’t want to say anything about Coach Amato at this point. We’ll look at the season when it’s over. I’m a big believer in Senior Day and I want the seniors to have the opportunity to go out with a good Senior Day, so I don’t want to get into any speculation.
“I’ve been consistent in saying we will evaluate everything at the end of the season. The season ends Saturday.”
Huh?
“I’ve been consistent in saying we will evaluate everything at the end of the season. The season ends Saturday.”
Is this a joke?
Enter this as exhibit #8,000 as evidence of ‘whatever goes on in the mind of Lee Fowler must be true despite reality and multiple exhibits of fact to the contrary.” I swear to you that Fowler truly believes that if he just says something…then it becomes the truth regardless of reality.
This is an Athletics Director who took the step to CALL ESPN’S Mark May in the middle of the football season to criticize and correct May after May had stated on the air that Chuck Amato was in trouble at NC State. (Link) As embarassing as that behavior is in its own right, I think that it is topped by Fowler’s backtracking now as he tries to posit himself as a calm, patient, introspective AD who waits until the end of the season to evaluate things. Bullshit. Fowler didn’t call Mark May and tell him that Chuck would be evaluated at the end of the season, did he?
Just two weeks ago (November 7th) the N&O ran a story titled, “Amato status ‘not an issue’ / N.C. State athletics director says coach’s job is secure despite some fans’ gripes”. We even made a big deal about Fowler’s media splash during that day in this great entry.
You tell us how consistent Fowler is in saying that State will evaluate everything at the end of the year. From the N&O:
RALEIGH – N.C. State athletics director Lee Fowler, while acknowledging the mounting frustration of a four-game losing streak, said Monday he firmly supports Wolfpack football coach Chuck Amato.
“I’m 100 percent behind Chuck,” Fowler said in an interview. “We’ve had disappointing losses; and when you lose four in a row by a touchdown or less, things come up such as, ‘If we had just done this or done that.’ I know the frustration of our fan base.
“But I’ve watched Chuck closely this year. He’s coaching just like he did when we were 11-3. He’s remaining very positive. Recruiting is going well.”
