If you were President Natalicio....

[MinerInWisconsin]

What would you do about the state of the UTEP athletic department?

Some univ presidents look at athletics as a necessary evil and pay lip service to the department. I sincerely hope she is not of that ilk.

If I were in her shoes right now (I would likely be uncomfortable since I'm a man) I would bring Stull into the office and tell him he has to retire at the end of this school year but he has to announce it now. Then I would tell him that before he leaves he has to remove Floyd from his job at the end of the season and allow the new AD that she will hire prior to April, to hire the next MBB coach. Then I would let it be known that there has to be an accountability among head coaches of the sports that are supposed to be making money for the school. There should be the expectation that post season play should be the norm and mediocrity will not be allowed to continue year after year as it now apparently is. That means that the head FB coach would be put on notice that this coming season must result in a bowl appearance or he is gone.

 

[Roy_Bigwood_05]

What would you do about the state of the UTEP athletic department?

Some univ presidents look at athletics as a necessary evil and pay lip service to the department. I sincerely hope she is not of that ilk.

If I were in her shoes right now (I would likely be uncomfortable since I'm a man) I would bring Stull into the office and tell him he has to retire at the end of this school year but he has to announce it now. Then I would tell him that before he leaves he has to remove Floyd from his job at the end of the season and allow the new AD that she will hire prior to April, to hire the next MBB coach. Then I would let it be known that there has to be an accountability among head coaches of the sports that are supposed to be making money for the school. There should be the expectation that post season play should be the norm and mediocrity will not be allowed to continue year after year as it now apparently is. That means that the head FB coach would be put on notice that this coming season must result in a bowl appearance or he is gone.

You hit it right on the head bud.

The heat is on from emails from fans, and then reading Steve Fischer's article which was directed towards the doctor imo.

Really want to see what her response was....

 

[miner1liner]

I have written three emails to Dr Natalicio expressing my grievances which I think are 100% in accord with everyone else's. She answered the first one, but nothing on the last two yet. (She may be vacationing) I pointed out to her in my last email that we are now 348th out of 351. I agree with you Wisconsin.

 

[DAYDEV]

I would fire both coaches. Kuglar is putting us in a huge hole and another year is going to make it worse.

 

[UTEPMiners8106]

Any change in AD would put all coaches on notice. They would obviously want to bring their guys in, especially when it comes to the major sports.

 

[LaserCoog]

What would you do about the state of the UTEP athletic department?

Some univ presidents look at athletics as a necessary evil and pay lip service to the department. I sincerely hope she is not of that ilk.

Any leader of a major public institution that does not understand the linkage between athletics, endowments, and public giving, both to academics and athletics, is guilty of professional malpractice, IMO. The reality is that competitive athletic programs are good business for the university. So confusing - and frustrating - is that Dr. Natalicio has essentially remained silent about her personal expectations - and vision - for UTEP athletics. And it's MOST important for a leader to be heard - and understood - when the waters are choppy, as they obviously now are with UTEP athletics. Yeah, she makes the pep rallies and bangs on NMSU in good nature, but she has yet to clearly articulate her personal position and expectations about the mission statement for UTEP athletics, past, present, and future. Even more telling than public statements are her actions, or in the case of Bob Stull, her inaction, which tacitly supports and condones everything that has occurred on his watch. In straight talk, Dr. Natalicio owns Bob Stull and the meltdown that is the current state of UTEP athletics.

Case in point which I am personally familiar. The President of the University of Houston, another female, recently stated that going forward, a record of 8-4 would get a head football coach fired at UH. Now, perhaps there was some hyperbole involved in that comment, but do you think she sent a clear signal regarding expectations to the public, to UH fans, to the athletic administration, and especially the new head FB coach at Houston? I'm going with yes on that one.

This is a UTEP board, I fully get that. But whether it's a public university or a private company, expectations and visions are defined at the absolute top of the house. And such words will quickly be seen as lip service and a sham if the "lyrics" and the "sheet music" are not in harmony.

I'm an outsider, but my sense is that this is not just a "down" period for UTEP athletics; rather, it is increasingly a pivotal period that, if not quickly and decisively reversed, may result in a situation that may take years to rectify...

 

[Haskins Fan]

First I would schedule a meeting with the entire athletic department which would include
Bob Stull. I would tell them that I would make everyone responsible for negative
results. I like to give people a chance so I would tell them that starting next season
if I didn't see any improvement I would take the proper action needed to get us
out the mess we are in. There won't be special treatment and everyone is going to
be accountable. Now is the time to speak (including assistant coaches) so we can
solve the problems we are currently encountering. If someone doesn't feel comfortable
speaking at this moment I would talk to you one on one to resolve any problems.
I would remind everyone that we have donors and season ticket holders who are
very upset with the results.

Go Miners...

 

[LaserCoog]

@Haskins Fan, you have a culture of losing, of mediocrity, of zero accountability that has festered for years with UTEP athletics. A meeting will not change an existing culture. You wanna make a statement?

1) Fire somebody's ass, THEN call your meeting and ask for volunteers for the next go-round from anybody who still doesn't get the message.

2) Then call a press conference telling every UTEP student, alum, fan, employee, corporate executive, and citizen of the City of El Paso what you've done and why, including "new rules" going forward for UTEP athletics.

3) THEN offer a three year guaranteed contract to an AD who specializes in turn-around operations and doesn't give a shit about anybody's feelings, regardless of who they are, what they are, where they're from, or how long they've been at UTEP.

Now, when I snap my fingers, you will awaken...

 

[LTMiner61]

This is all well and good but I feel as though the top is just hoping to make it through a year or two more and then retire, themselves. Both the President and Bob Stull are at the tail ends of their careers and I am sure neither would like that kind of transition in senior level coaching staff within a year or two of their own transition. That's why I think CTF will have another year and so will Kugler. At that point it will be somebody else's problem.