|
Florida State boss rattles cages in athletic department
From staff and wire reports
[ Originally posted 06.14.03. ]
TALLAHASSEE, Fla. Heads didn't roll in Florida State's
athletic department Friday, but the message was unmistakable. The drastic
changes announced were a possible preview of further shakeups to come.
Florida State President T.K. Wetherell reorganized the
school's athletic department, moving many responsibilities to other areas of
the university to eliminate what the school's inspector general described as
a culture of isolation.
Wetherell did not fire anyone, but made it clear he's
awaiting evaluations on several department employees by athletic director
David Hart Jr., who was singed in the IG's 10-page evaluation of the
department and will get his own evaluation later.
The department's reporting system "exposes the university to significant
risk and shows lack of forethought and good judgment," inspector general
David Coury wrote.
Several areas of the athletic department -- including student services,
compliance and sports information -- will soon report to other areas of the
university and not to the athletic director's office.
"Somehow or another, over the past few years ... the athletic department and
university have separated," Wetherell said. "That is not something that we
want. We want the athletic department to be an active part of this
university."
The athletic department, criticized for its handling of gambling allegations
involving former Seminoles quarterback Adrian McPherson, will immediately
refer all legal situations to university police as well as the school's
legal counsel.
Whetherell also said he was looking at ways to financially punish coaches
who allow excessive disciplinary issues to develop.
McPherson had a misdemeanor gambling trial end last week with a hung jury.
His attorneys were back at the Leon County Courthouse on Friday for a
pretrial hearing that was then moved to July 9. McPherson's attorney, Grady
Irvin Jr. of St. Petersburg, said he's hopeful of working out a plea
agreement with the state on the gambling misdemeanor as well as two felony
cases on stealing a check and writing back checks.
That IG's report released Friday said Hart failed to encourage communication
outside the athletic department.
Wetherell will do Hart's evaluation later this summer.
"There's a new sheriff in town," Wetherell said. "There's a new way to do it
now."
He also told the school's trustees Friday that he's reorganizing the
school's athletic board.
It is presently comprised of students, alumni, faculty and boosters and
chaired by longtime NCAA faculty representative Chuck Ehrhardt, and that
will not change as the Atlantic Coast Conference works through an ongoing
expansion effort.
But when that is done, no faculty member or administrator could serve more
than six years on the new committee.
Among other things, the athletic department and boosters will now have to
get approval from Vice President of University Relations Lee Hinkle before
it can make decisions on spending money -- similar to the way other parts of
the school now operate.
Nearly 60 recommendations for operational changes were included in two
reports presented to the trustees. The outside review was done by MGT of
America, a Tallahassee-based higher education consultant.
Bob Minnix, the associate athletic director for compliance, will report to
the school's legal counsel on matters other than the NCAA or ACC while the
associate athletic director for student services, Pam Overton, would report
to the vice president of student affairs.
The sports information office would report to the university relations
office, which oversees all other media services at Florida State.
The IG's investigation also revealed other communications problems.
Former President Sandy D'Alermberte did not recall being briefed by Hart on
a credit card theft charge that athletic department members knew about.
Hart said he included such incidents in regular briefings with the
president.
The trustees, who hire the president and sign off on virtually all policy at
the university, responded to Wetherell's reorganization of the school's most
visible department by extending his contract two years. He is now on a
five-year deal that extends to 2008.
Copyright 2003
The Associated Press. Bonesville.net contributed to this report. All rights reserved.
This material may not be
published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
02/23/2007 10:36:38 AM
|
