Any word from Matt Davison?

[jpmandm]

I don’t see it as identifying ‘boogeymen.’ This should be about restoring the value - and VALUES - of The University of Nebraska football team. If it means taking a hard look at long-time business practices that aren’t working, then improve or discontinue them. A good start would be hiring truly qualified individuals over connected ones…

Yes. Is it that hard to understand? The job of the football program is not just to win, it is to foster the proper attitude and character among the young men that play so as to make winning the natural result. But winning is the goal as well.

SF’s off the field personality, problems, and antics appear to have tanked the program from a winning perspective. But just as importantly, you better believe the players knew first or second hand about SF and what he was doing and his character and/or problems off the field too. He was a terrible example to them in almost every way, it appears.

When the COO of a business fails this spectacularly, it would be a terrible CEO who says, well, I fired him, let’s move on.

If the organization is to succeed in the future, a CEO (Trev) has to identify and take stock of everything that happened that led to that failure to make sure it doesn’t happen again. To just “move on” is absolute malpractice. In this case, that includes SF’s behavior, problems, the examples he set, and the larger problem of a highly dysfunctional athletic/booster system that covered up and supported it all. It is SF’s fault that these things are all at issue now, not Trev’s and not ours, and Trev, the media, and the fans doesn’t owe it to SF or anyone else to ignore these issues and not talk about them out of “respect” or the fact that they are “in the past.”

 

[The Big Red Lebowski]

While we are on the topic, I have a crazy idea. Maybe we should staff the Athletic Department with folks that have, you know, experience with athletics administration.

 

[ReasonablyRed]

Did he not do his job? Or is this guilty until one proves beyond a shadow of doubt one’s not guilty? Last I knew he was a good liaison to boosters to help bring in money for the program. But, since he was a friend of Frost …

I supported Matt Davison when hired Frost.
I wanted Matt Davison to hire Frost.
If I was AD Reasonably Red, I would have hired Scott Frost.
I would of been as wrong about the hire.
But if I was responsible for him being here, I would have taken the responsibility for why things failed.
Including telling my coach, hell no when asked if I could give him a ride back to Lincoln after our poor showing against Northwestern.
Did his job end after Frost was fired.
Do real friends enable bad behavior from their coach.
More importantly, how does this look to the young men he is attempting to turn into trusted football players.
It is a systemic problem, no?

 

[jpmandm]

I am old enough to remember how hot and bothered everyone was over Frost. Not only did we have to do all we could to get him home but we had to lock him down so he wouldn't be poached by another program in the future. He was the guy. He was our guy. He was the golden child coming home to bring the glory back to the kingdom and vanquish all of our foes.

Hey, I was on that bandwagon, just like most everyone else here on HM. I do remember that. I also remember Frost at UCF and how he operated in Orlando and Lincoln seem to be very different. We might want to take a think about how we have turned Lincoln into a place where coaches come to kill their HC careers.

True. We all played a role. But a vanishingly small number of us had any reason to think SF was anything other than a great coach in the making. If Moos had hired anyone else and SF had gone to Tennessee or Florida or stayed at UCF, he would have been tarred and feathered.

However, when things started to go south with SF (right away it appears) we were all kept in the dark by the media, boosters, the AD, the administrators, etc. So, yes, we saw the wins and losses, but we didn’t know the full extent of damage that was being done otherwise.

We can’t be blamed for wanting Frost. And ultimately it doesn’t matter when any of us “flipped” because we aren‘t in charge. Moos was, then Trev. And if the boosters and administrators were preventing that from happening or actively covering for him, that is an organizational problem that needs to be brought to light and fixed. That won’t happen by forgetting about it.

If the next coach comes and the same boosters and athletic department employees are all behaving the same way, then what hope does the next coach have?

 

[NorthwoodHusker]

The car deflected off Wiggins' foot.

 

[wcbsas]

Ah yes, here we go.. I was wondering when the stones would start flying for Matt. Some of you have serious hate issues.

Did he not do his job? Or is this guilty until one proves beyond a shadow of doubt one’s not guilty? Last I knew he was a good liaison to boosters to help bring in money for the program. But, since he was a friend of Frost …

His original title Associate Athletic Director of Football ... he was essentially SF's executive assistant ... he was responsible for among other things SF's schedule. His job was to make SF successful.

IF ... some of the issues raised post-firing are accurate ... missing meetings, being unorganized and mismanaging people within the organization ... then should not at least some of that be on the guy who's job it was to organize SF's schedule?

Also interesting that MD was moved from his current job right about the time TA arrived as athletic director. Now maybe it is just coincidence, maybe it is a better role/job for MD or maybe he was part of the problem (or not part of the solution).

 

[NorthwoodHusker]

True. We all played a role. But a vanishingly small number of us had any reason to think SF was anything other than a great coach in the making. If Moos had hired anyone else and SF had gone to Tennessee or Florida or stayed at UCF, he would have been tarred and feathered.

However, when things started to go south with SF (right away it appears) we were all kept in the dark by the media, boosters, the AD, the administrators, etc. So, yes, we saw the wins and losses, but we didn’t know the full extent of damage that was being done otherwise.

We can’t be blamed for wanting Frost. And ultimately it doesn’t matter when any of us “flipped” because we aren‘t in charge. Moos was, then Trev. And if the boosters and administrators were preventing that from happening or actively covering for him, that is an organizational problem that needs to be brought to light and fixed. That won’t happen by forgetting about it.

If the next coach comes and the same boosters and athletic department employees are all behaving the same way, then what hope does the next coach have?

PSU and its admin and its fanbase were divided at first too.
Cooler heads will prevail

 

[Huskerfan69]

His original title Associate Athletic Director of Football ... he was essentially SF's executive assistant ... he was responsible for among other things SF's schedule. His job was to make SF successful.

IF ... some of the issues raised post-firing are accurate ... missing meetings, being unorganized and mismanaging people within the organization ... then should not at least some of that be on the guy who's job it was to organize SF's schedule?

Also interesting that MD was moved from his current job right about the time TA arrived as athletic director. Now maybe it is just coincidence, maybe it is a better role/job for MD or maybe he was part of the problem (or not part of the solution).

No, it was Frost's job to make Frost successful, and I have not heard one thing about Frost not getting what he needed, matter of fact, I have heard the Athletic Department did everything they could.

 

[jpmandm]

While we are on the topic, I have a crazy idea. Maybe we should staff the Athletic Department with folks that have, you know, experience with athletics administration.

I think Trev needs to ask a lot of people in the department, “What, would you say, ya do here?”

 

[Sandhills Husker]

True. We all played a role. But a vanishingly small number of us had any reason to think SF was anything other than a great coach in the making. If Moos had hired anyone else and SF had gone to Tennessee or Florida or stayed at UCF, he would have been tarred and feathered.

However, when things started to go south with SF (right away it appears) we were all kept in the dark by the media, boosters, the AD, the administrators, etc. So, yes, we saw the wins and losses, but we didn’t know the full extent of damage that was being done otherwise.

We can’t be blamed for wanting Frost. And ultimately it doesn’t matter when any of us “flipped” because we aren‘t in charge. Moos was, then Trev. And if the boosters and administrators were preventing that from happening or actively covering for him, that is an organizational problem that needs to be brought to light and fixed. That won’t happen by forgetting about it.

If the next coach comes and the same boosters and athletic department employees are all behaving the same way, then what hope does the next coach have?

Strange that you include "boosters" with media and administrators. Boosters have no obligation to inform the fan base of jack. Nor do you want them doing that. Some egocentric booster wants to out a coach to the public? Yeah, no way that could lead to any problems--like untruths, half-truths, personal agendas, lack of any kind of due process.

 

[wcbsas]

No, it was Frost's job to make Frost successful, and I have not heard one thing about Frost not getting what he needed, matter of fact, I have heard the Athletic Department did everything they could.

Seriously?
I have had jobs with the primary responsibility to do whatever I can to make my boss successful. There are lines to never cross but if I had to pick up the pieces I did, if I had to communicate on his behalf I did, if I had to make decisions on his behalf I would, if I had to follow up afterwards I did.

Matt Davidson's job was to support SF. MD's job was to set and manage SF's schedule. The job title, duties and responsibilities specifically tied him to SF. If SF was missing meetings then MD shares in some of that responsibility.

If he (MD) did everything humanly and legally possible to support SF then fine but SF's failure has to be in part due to MD not doing his job correctly. Maybe he's one of the guys running to the AD saying not sure what else I can do ... but that is hard to believe as well.

 

[ReasonablyRed]

His original title Associate Athletic Director of Football ... he was essentially SF's executive assistant ... he was responsible for among other things SF's schedule. His job was to make SF successful.

IF ... some of the issues raised post-firing are accurate ... missing meetings, being unorganized and mismanaging people within the organization ... then should not at least some of that be on the guy who's job it was to organize SF's schedule?

Also interesting that MD was moved from his current job right about the time TA arrived as athletic director. Now maybe it is just coincidence, maybe it is a better role/job for MD or maybe he was part of the problem (or not part of the solution).

Exactly.
Matt was hired to pay attention to Scott Frost.
It's like telling your wife you take the dog out for a walk.
Instead, you open the back door so he can run around the fenced in yard.
Next thing you know, animal contacts you and states, "we have your dog".
Oh, and he bit several people and hooked up with every female dog in town ".
My wife would not be amused and I'd be on the couch.

 

[Nehunter88]

I'm waiting for the creation of Friends of SF defense fund

With a go fund me page?

 

[Huskerfan69]

Seriously?
I have had jobs with the primary responsibility to do whatever I can to make my boss successful. There are lines to never cross but if I had to pick up the pieces I did, if I had to communicate on his behalf I did, if I had to make decisions on his behalf I would, if I had to follow up afterwards I did.

Matt Davidson's job was to support SF. MD's job was to set and manage SF's schedule. The job title, duties and responsibilities specifically tied him to SF. If SF was missing meetings then MD shares in some of that responsibility.

If he (MD) did everything humanly and legally possible to support SF then fine but SF's failure has to be in part due to MD not doing his job correctly. Maybe he's one of the guys running to the AD saying not sure what else I can do ... but that is hard to believe as well.

Ok, I didn't really say it correct in my first line..
The Athletic Department is required to make sure the coach has what he needs, and from everything I have heard they did that in spades! Once that is done, it is on Frost to succeed. We do not want the AD department interfering into what Frost does... we saw that in the past, and coaches were fired, which helped put us in this position.

but hey, if you feel like you need to throw stones at Davidson because Frost failed, you go for it, if that makes you feel better.

 

[wcbsas]

Ok, I didn't really say it correct in my first line..
The Athletic Department is required to make sure the coach has what he needs, and from everything I have heard they did that in spades! Once that is done, it is on Frost to succeed. We do not want the AD department interfering into what Frost does... we saw that in the past, and coaches were fired, which helped put us in this position.

but hey, if you feel like you need to throw stones at Davidson because Frost failed, you go for it, if that makes you feel better.

So if MD talked himself into a job he wasn't qualified for, or if MD did not make sure SF was on time for his meetings, or if MD ... if your boss fails are you not at least tacitly complicit in his/her failure as well?

There are reasons assistant coaches get fired when the HC is fired ... MD is for all intents and purposes his assistant coach in charge of administrative logistics.