So, what has Tanner ever really done for USC sports
- Thread starter rockingamecock
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As an A.D., nothing really. I know Paris had a fantastic season in year two, but nowadays it's on a year-to-year basis because he'll pretty much have a completely different team each year. I do hope he can make it work, because it was nice to be excited about our basketball team for the first time since the Final Four year. Beamer? Meh. It's hard to be optimistic going into this season because of the coaching hires he's made and changes he hasn't made. At this point, I don't see Beamer being able to attract any high quality assistants because they're not going to want to come work for a guy who's still essentially learning how to be a head coach and will more than likely be on the hot seat after this year. Kingston; he needs to be shown the door by tomorrow at the latest. We've seen all we need to see.
In the corporate world good decisions are made at the top and then on down the corporate ladder. Ray Tanner as an A.D. has been a total failure. He accepts mediocrity as being the standard that the USC fans do not accept. Look at his track record he let a track and field coach stay on way too long. He never won a SEC championship, but to his credit he won the first national championship in womens track and field. That I will give him. Other than that he did nothing. Then look at our softball program he let Joyce Compton stay on way too long and she became a joke in womens softball. Then our once and proud mens soccer program he let Mark Berson stay on way too long, He did have a few successful seasons but at the end he quit recruiting and the program took a downslide from which they have never recovered. Lastly Tanner brought forth this grand idea of developing 800 acres of land near the stadium and behind the CLA which was projected to cost over $1Billion. Well from what I understand this so called grand idea of developing land in a flood zone and the tremendous liability that it would bring the university is not going to happen. If it was going to happen it would have happened by now. Anyone with any common sense would have made it happen to keep our most successful coach in Dawn Staley. That was a no brainer anyone with any common sense could have made that happen. Tanner is making $1m a year for being incompetent and accepting mediocrity. Until we find a way to get rid of Tanner and bring in a true AD this is what we are stuck with.
As a coach, Back-to-back CWS Championships, which makes it so very difficult to understand why he has allowed the baseball program to fall into shambles under his watch.
As an AD, keeping Dawn Staley as WBB Coach which he had to do or be run out of town and maybe the hiring of Lamont Paris.
As an AD, keeping Dawn Staley as WBB Coach which he had to do or be run out of town and maybe the hiring of Lamont Paris.
Based on the USC athletic departments overall success in the schools history, you could make the argument no AD has been successful here. I want success in athletics, but the AD job description is deeper than that IMO.
I still say Mike McGee and/or Eric Hyman would've fired Kingston two years ago if not sooner, I don't think they would've hired him in the first place.
Plenty actually. It's common knowledge that from an economic stand point he did some great things to make USC Athletics operate in the black most years, which only about a dozen schools around the country do. During COVID, when many schools were cutting sports, he didn't and found a way to keep programs afloat. That's no small accomplishment.
As for coaching hires... Lamont Paris was a good hire. Beamer was a good "outside the box" hire that may or may not work out, but a good idea for a program that has very little success in most of its 100+ years. Muschamp, not a good hire, but everyone knows the story about how Kirby Smart was supposed to be the guy, only to have his agent tell UGA what were doing and the rest is history. His big mistake there was taking a man at his word.
As for baseball, Holbrook was the right hire AT THE TIME he was hired. It didn't work out, but it was the right call. Some good hires don't work (Tom Herman at Texas, Billy Napier at Florida, etc.). When Holbrook failed (because he stopped recruiting), it's well known that O'Sullivan was going to be our next coach.... then his team got hot, won the CWS and Florida's AD promised to build him a new stadium so he back out at the last minute and USC was left with a choice further down the list as other coaches signed elsewhere.
Perhaps one of the most important things Tanner did was keep Dawn from leaving for Ohio State about 8 or so years ago.
Those are the facts.
Outstanding synopsis!
Good thoughts. The only pattern in this that concerns me, and that absolutely can’t happen again, is that Ray seems to get his guy, feel like it’s a done deal, only to lose them at the last minute. Happened with Kirby Smart, Kevin O’Sullivan, and Sean Miller as well. Ray is a coach’s AD, so I’m sure he’s pretty relaxed and trusting in these searches. Probably creates a lot of interest, but it’s also probably easier for these guys to drag us along. Hopefully Tanner has learned from this and gets a little more aggressive in locking our guy down this hire.
Mike McGee hired Brad Scott. He made some good hires (Holtz, Spurrier, & Tanner) but he made some questionable ones as well. He also allowed us to fall WAY behind in the facilities race.
Eric Hyman is probably the best AD we’ve had from a financial / facilities standpoint. He was unpopular with fans because he raised prices on everything to keep up with the SEC.
Not sure these guys would’ve hired Kingston…but not sure they would’ve done much better finding anyone.
Every AD should have a Top 5 coaches to hire in his back pocket (updated annually) in case there's a need. That way, you don't end up "settling" for someone. Kingston's history as a Head Coach, prior to coming here, was "mediocre". We all know Muschamp's history as a Head Coach prior to coming here.
Most ignorant post ever.
Hyman actually did not increase revenue. So many people quit is was revenue neutral.
Hyman blew up the 14 million dollar 14,000 seat baseball stadium 4 years later he coompleted a 7,000 seat 40 million dollar stadium that had to have showers cut, a micro size berm and a random set of bleachers.
Hyman fought against the video board at Williams Brice.
McGee actually completed far more "improvements" than Hyman.
Hyman constantly interfered with Spurrier's program.
We fell 50 places in the overall athletic program standings under his watch.
He gave contract extensions to Odom and walvius.
He hired Darrin Horn.
Texas A&M fired him after 18 months because of his bs.
So you’re saying you didn’t like my post?
Serious question for the board…what is up with people not being able to disagree, or even point out something incorrect, without making a put down? No wonder this board is dead…it’s like y’all a small number of folks on here don’t welcome discussion on a discussion board.
Hell, some of y’all might convince some folks to change their opinions / thoughts if you didn’t come at it the way you do. Good grief.
Makes me appreciate the good ones.
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How so? See facts I originally posted and provide your own.Oh brother.
Tanner is one of the worst we've ever had.
How is it a put down. It was Ignorant. Ignorance can fixed fixed. Stupidity can't. There are plenty of things of which I'm completely ignorant. I try not to speak about those topics. But when proven wrong, I try to learn from it.
Hyman did not raise a lot of extra money per his own statements and the financial records. He did not complete nearly as many improvements as McGee or Tanner. In fact Gamecock club membership fell by nearly 50% and ticket sales fell from 60k to 35k under Spurrier!
Our overall program was terrible under him. It was covered up by winning in Football and Baseball and sucking at everything else.
Nearly every hire accept Dawn Staley was a disaster.
Tanner on the other hand has raised a lot of money and we have done very well in everything but Football and Baseball. I admit those are massive failings but there are 20 sports.
Tanner's legacy here will be decided by the outcome of the Beamer and Paris hires. That's all that matters.
Anyone who makes hires doesn't make correct decision everytime. I was in management for over 60 years and missed on some. It's easy to be right after the happening.
No. An AD is in charge of all sports, not just the ones you and I follow. The primary priorities are ensuring financial responsibility, minimizing NCAA rules violations, and promoting academic excellence among the student athletes. Now add the NIL mess.
Then comes competitiveness in the various sports.
No they wouldn't have....the BoT wouldn't have allowed it because of the Caslen/Martin fiasco.
FIFY.....Hyman didn't have the personality nor the relationships to be able to go to the large donors and more importantly the SC Legislature to get the private and bond funding necessary to get them off the drawing board.
What facility improvements did McGee make? The only one I recall was the arena....which was more town and gown relationship with the city, county and university involved. We McGee left our athletic facilities otherwise were the worst in the conference.
Exactly....and we were in trouble with the APR (with the possiblity of losing scholarships in some sports) when Tanner took over. We now have a league leading 35+ straight semesters of all our athletic programs having over a 3.0 grade point average.
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Pretty well known that Tanner was responsible for getting the plans completed for Carolina Stadium, finding the site and raising the funds to get it built. That was his baby.
Name one project he designed and created.
Name one program on the rise under his *leadership *.
Name one time he told the BOT to pound sand where he was correct about something.
Name one championship calibre coach he hired.
Argue with me that, as a whole, the men's programs haven't trended down under his *leadership *.
He hired Will after failing at UF. Who hires someone who can't win at Florida? He's about to strike out for the 3rd time in beisbol.
He is unsophisticated. He appears and sounds even worse. NC State didn't want him, and I can't think of another SEC or ACC school that would hire him as their AD.
Name one success. If it's solely that he's kept Dawn on board, that's not an accomplishment worthy of trashing everything else. Name one AD who wouldn't do what it takes to keep her.
No. He hitched his wagon to Muschamp. He should never have been hired, but he should have been kicked out together with Will.
Tennis indoor facility came under his watch.
Men's basketball is on the rise. Made NCAA Tournament last year in case you missed it. Track and Field is on the rise with new coach - sent 3X as many athletes to nationals in year one.
Don't have access to broad meeting and neither do you. He wouldn't make those comments public.
He kept Dawn Staley from leaving. Doesn't count as a hire, but it counts for something. Track and Field may become that program if year one under Tim Hall is any indication.
As for men's programs: football has sucked for 120+ years with the exception of a few years here and there. That's not a problem unique to Tanner's reign. As noted, men's basketball went to a Final Four while he was A.D. Now the coach he hired is back in the tournament. Not bad for a program that has sucked since the early 1970s. Baseball had nowhere to go but down after 3 straight CWS appearances. Holbrook was right hire, but it didn't work out. That happens. Teams don't stay great forever... Ole Miss won CWS a few years back... they stink now. Miss State won it recently. Their coach may be leaving too.
Go read the facts as to why Muschamp was hired. Tanner's flaw there was taking Kirby Smart at his word. Tanner was guilty of getting played by Kirby's agent.
Named successes in original post. Keep fishing my friend.
I think Tanner is on his last contract. If I recall correctly, the contract extension he got was not that long. So, there will be an opening sooner rather than later, imho.
I'm not certain, but I think the Beamer hire was more than on Tanner. I think people above got very much involved. That's my speculation.
My hope is that when Tanner does retire, we replace him with a "football guy".
I'm not certain, but I think the Beamer hire was more than on Tanner. I think people above got very much involved. That's my speculation.
My hope is that when Tanner does retire, we replace him with a "football guy".
He needs to be replaced by someone who will look at the athletics program as a whole and enable each sponsored sport to compete as best they can.
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