The rumors became truth as University of Miami ‘Director of Athletics’ (as he liked to be called instead of Athletic Director) Kirby Hocutt is on his way to Lubbock, Texas to take over the Red Raider program and I’m extremely perplexed.
I will say this, from the moment that I first met Kirby and his lovely wife Diane, I knew they weren’t long for Miami. They are a family of Midwestern values. Very religious and right out of ‘Fly Over States’ Central Casting.
In my mind as he and I first shook hands and made small talk years back, I had this vision of transvestites dancing on South Beach and half the UM student body wearing less clothing to class than strippers wear on stage. It just didn’t seem like the perfect fit. Not quite square peg in round hole, but maybe oval peg in round hole.
That’s not to say that from a purely business of athletics perspective that Hocutt wasn’t the right guy, because I believe he was, but there’s more to a job than that. We all know how unique ‘The U’ is – and all of South Florida for that matter. The saying goes that if you want to go to the south, you have to go north from Miami.
‘The U’ is part Northeast, and part Latin America. There might be some California, a little Mid-Atlantic, and lots of other nationalities. The one thing it’s not is Midwest. As a very close friend and former big time donor to the program told me as he pulled back his donation, “we go to Hurricane Club events and expect part Carnegie Deli and part Capital Grille, instead we get Popeye’s.”
I have no doubt that this move is all about family and familiarity for Kirby. His parents are in Texas. He was born in Texas. He played in the Big XII and was an associate athletic director in the Big XII. Texas is in his and his family’s comfort zone and Miami was not. I’m guessing Donna Shalala knew this when she hired him, but maybe she thought his desire to turn ‘The U’ around would overcome his comfort with his surroundings. In the end, it did not.
While Kirby was just here three years, he did accomplish a lot. He got a much needed basketball practice facility built. He secured funding for the Schwartz Center for Athletic Excellence, although in reality Randy Shannon was responsible for a big chunk of the donation on that as it was Mr. 28-22 who played a big part in reeling in the Schwartz family. Kirby over saw the sky-rocketing academic performance of our student athletes. Of course there was that little matter of a coaching change in football.
There are all sorts of issues I have with this aspect of Kirby leaving. I wasn’t born yesterday and there’s no way I’m going to believe that in the past week or even the past few weeks the idea just popped into his mind to head to Lubbock. Texas Tech’s long-time athletic director announced he was leaving last August and I’m assuming like any other major organization the search for a successor started the day he announced his intentions to leave.
It would only be logical to assume that from the get go Kirby Hocutt’s name was at or near the top of the wish list for Texas Tech. The question that we never get the answer to is when did Kirby start to think about the opportunity.
Was it when he refused to interview former Tech head coach Mike Leach, knowing that his future employers wouldn’t look too kindly on it?
Was it when he was supposedly talking to current Tech coach Tommy Tuberville? Tubbs said he gave Kirby advice. Was the advice about the Miami job or the Tech job?
Did Kirby know he was leaving when he decided to fire Randy Shannon? Did he know he was leaving when he hired Al Golden? These are all questions Canes nation will be asking, and we may never get an answer to.
How do you feel if you are Coach Golden tonight. The word on the street is that Kirby made some pretty big promises to Al in regards to financial support that the football program would get. Will the next AD keep up Kirby’s end of the bargain?
No matter how well you do, you never want to be in a situation where the guy that hired you is not your boss anymore. Remember, every AD wants to put their impact on the program. Where will the next AD make their impact? Coach Golden, Frank Haith, Jim Morris and every other coach on the UM program are thinking about that tonight, that’s for sure. We wish Kirby luck in his new gig, but he leaves with a lot of questions unanswered.
With out really putting a lot of time and effort into it, here’s my unofficial, in no particular order short list of potential AD candidates:
OUTSIDE CANDIDATES
– Craig Angelos (Florida Atlantic AD) – Was at UM for years in the Associate AD role. Awesome guy. Smart, down to earth, and understands the challenges of the job.
– Keith Tribble (Central Florida AD) – Keith is a Miami native. He did an outstanding job with the Orange Bowl committee, and is really making a big impact at UCF. He wouldn’t be the first Gator to be an AD at UM (see Paul Dee).
– Ross Bjork (Western Kentucky AD) – He had a similar position here at Miami. He’s another very smart, innovative guy, that has turned a lot of heads in the NCAA community. He’s been here, knows the deal. He has experience at another major university in a large international city.
– Barry Alvarez – You bring his name up for every job open on the UM Campus, so I thought I’d beat you to the punch
INTERNAL CANDIDATES
– Tony Hernandez – The UM Deputy Athletics Director, meaning he was Kirby’s number two. He’s a UM guy through and through having gone to school at Miami, as well. He’s a brilliant guy, who more than knows the ropes.
– Blake James – The current Senior Associate Athletic Director. He was at UM back in the 90’s before heading to the University of Maine, where he was the Athletic Director for five years. He’s been an AD, and knows Miami.
– Connie Nickel – As the faces have changed over the years in the Hecht Center, the one constant has been Connie. She’s done it all in the department, but holds the title of Associate Athletic Director for Internal Operations and Senior Woman’s Administrator. While Connie did used to yell at me for playing the drums during play of woman’s basketball games back in the mid 90’s, there’s no one that carries the spirit of ‘The U’ in them more than her.
**Notice Pete Garcia is not on the list. See Mike Leach.
One last thing – again, props to head coach Katie Meier, her staff and players as they beat them Noles at The BUC the other night, making for an undefeated record at home this season.
In the meantime, if you missed the great conversation I had with Coach Meier this week on allCanes Radio. It was a great show this week and we got a very special from Mr. ProCanes himself, so check it out. Go Canes!!!
Thanks AD or DA as you like it Kirby!
Hey Beast:
I'm not sure I know what he was thinking either, but the line in your story about "not being born yesterday…" and that "the idea [didn't] just popped into his mind to head to Lubbock." Tells the tale.
That said, the Mike Leach snub and then the Tubberville "interview" SHOUTS about the time line.
But, and this is a big one, Kirby Hocutt did bring in the most dynamic and driven Coach and his "impressive staff" that the CANES have seen in over a decade.
Somehow, I don't think this change will alter the Golden plan nor will it ruffle his feathers much, as in [see 15 days of recruiting] the monumental effort and great changes already exhibited and Spring practice doesn't start for a week!
Thank you Kirby Hocutt for Al Golden~! That says it all.
Good article, makes sense and all but if I may…were not the Midwest we are the south, or southwest. You have to go way north of Texas to be in the Midwest.
Texas is not the Midwest, it's the South or Southwest.
Losing Hocutt is tough, for sure, and I think you're on the right track about why – I think environment played a huge part. Of course, any intelligent man whose chosen career is in sports administration is going to take advantage of upwardly mobile opportunities and a school like Tech can easily pay far more that UM can; college football may be CEO in Miami, but it's King Ordained by Providence throughout the entire State of Texas. As a result, larger Texas state universities and their athletic departments are lavished with enviable resources (and that even includes a few that don't have a ridiculous cow for a mascot). Tech probably made him an offer he couldn't refuse, financially and career wise.
But any school could have done that. Why Tech? Again, environment. Miami means the world to the folks who grew up there, but it as far from the Texas Panhandle as the Pleiades and Orion are. You'd have to understand how growing up and being a part of that western dust bowl effects folk. It posseses a quiet, old West cowboy work ethic, a neighborly respect, tradition, humility and a distinct “Sunday afternoon dinner at grandma's after church” feeling that is brewed into the very DNA of the place. Flat, treeless, harsh, windy, unforgiving and relentlessly unpretentious; this is the Texas Panhandle. It breeds folks who are exactly as you described Mr. Hocutt.
My guess is after a few years in the modern day Casablanca that is Miami, the man got homesick for his roots and needed to be true to who he was. I have no problem with that anymore than if UM hired away a great AD that had been born in 305 but spent the last 10 years at Kansas State. Sometimes you just want to come home.
I understand his move because I was born and grew up in Amarillo, Texas. That’s about an hour north of Lubbock and, in Panhandle terms, that's next door. But for the last 16 years I’ve been living in Austin, which is the Lone Star State’s version of a city-sized Weimar Republic cabaret. If there is one place on Earth that can rocket past Miami in weirdness, lewdness, bawdiness and outrageous behavior, it is Austin. Summarily, I know that leaving a wild, no holes-barred urban circus for the quiet, peaceful smaller rural city you called once home is no big trigonometry problem.
If a man can return to his roots, his faith, his way of life and do so in a career that he loves, he can excel tremendously at, is a hot commodity in it and can make very good money doing so…why in the world shouldn’t he go? I have no doubt Mr. Hocutt cherishes his time at UM, and he certainly has the class to recognize, acknowledge and be grateful to UM for making him the hot commodity that he is. He’ll always be a ‘Cane, but he had to move on.
UM is better for having had him and Tech will be better for having him. They certainly need a capable, classy Captain to right the shipwreck that is Tech's current athletic department. Let's have the same class in bidding him farewell that he had had while serving the University of Miami. I say "Goodbye, Godspeed and thank you for doing a great job at the U."
Why did you say Pete Garcia: not on the list. See Mike Leach. Care to elaborate? If not maybe another poster will. Is Garcia not on the list b/c he is being held responsible for the "rumble?"
What about Dan Radokovich from Georgia Tech? He spent some time down in Miami and has done a great job up at GT. He is also a very down to earth guy who is very approachable.
Kirby fired shannon.. he's can do no wrong in my eyes.
It is what it is, The reality is Hocutts number one commitment is to whats good for him, not The U. Its important to hire someone who truly believe in Miami. The good news is the AD doesnt play or coach. Like everything else we will get over this. Its interesting to me that players who dont get paid other than the value of their scholarship are held to a much higher standard than grown men. In the business of college football only the college athletes are held accountable to their commitments. This should be rethought, if a coach or AD leaves prior to completing their contract they should have to sit out a year just like a player. Good news is Texas tech wont win a Natl title maybe forever, Miami has a better chance, Go Canes!
Let's hope it is NOT Connie. I as a student have to deal with her on a regular basis and she is one of the most anti-student people in the Athletic Department. I cannot speak to Blake or Tony but she makes students jump through so many hoops it is painful.
WAS KIRBY AFRAID TO BE AROUND IF AL GOLDEN FAILS????? LOL…YET STILL CANT GRASP THE IDEA OF THE RAIDERS OVER THE CANES..HOW ABOUT RANDY SHANNON FOR AD.. SHANNON REALLY DID A GREAT JOB OF GETTING THE PLAYERS IN ORDER, GRADUATING AND DISCIPLINED…GOOD LEADER AND BEEN AROUND ATHELETS A LONG TIME…JUST A THROUGHT.
CANESINCEDAY1, PLEASE, for the love of God, don't ever bring up that guy's name again. He was a mediocre coach who has been fired less than three months ago, and now you want him as a mediocre AD? He would likely schedule more creampuff non-conference opponents (like those USF clowns, possibly renewing the series), alienate former players and some other trustee, and cut off access to the media. There would be no more "Social Media" Days and this program will go backwards, not forward. If I were the powers that be at UMiami, I would cross out him, plus Garcia and above all… Tribbles (Florida grad, who looks like a typical, old, Paul Dee type.) I don't want another clown Gator grad who has baggage running this athletic program, in spite of the fact he's a Miamian. Thus I do not want a mediocre coach running this program either.