Kind of odd that the two writers are the ones who write the hit pieces on Rutgers Athletics spending.
North Jersey.com (App.com) Article on Stringer (Behind Paywall)
- Thread starter Knight Shift
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Can not believe this has been tolerated for a whole year. I have been at places where people were threatened with firing because they went a few days over pregnancy or bereavement leave. Either announce she is being replaced or she is coming back today, no more of this nonsense.
can't say it's a fair piece of journalism or not since pay to read and I didn't pay.
Won't ask what it said because this site could get in trouble if someone did that.
So what the players said and coverage of program in limbo is meaningless and
only subject to the same personal speculation most of us have been sharing on this board.
I guess posting this was useful to those that are subscribers or paid to see it after seeing this thread.
But for me, nothing of value because couldn't see what article said and I wasn't going to pay to read it.
Won't ask what it said because this site could get in trouble if someone did that.
So what the players said and coverage of program in limbo is meaningless and
only subject to the same personal speculation most of us have been sharing on this board.
I guess posting this was useful to those that are subscribers or paid to see it after seeing this thread.
But for me, nothing of value because couldn't see what article said and I wasn't going to pay to read it.
I feel very badly for all the players, recruits and their families. They were told they would be playing for CViv and now they have either transferred out or are just left in limbo to guess where this program is going.
I read the lengthy article which focused on parent/players concerns regarding the uncertainty on Stringer return to coaching.The lack of communication from Rutgers as to Stringer status has compounded the problem. .There also was mention of some problems with the acting head coach Eatman and his communication with players.Lots of concerns expressed but it appears no rush to come to a conclusion regarding this matter.
Thank you for giving your condensed version ( the only thing you could do without bringing trouble to TKR over putting paid content for free in this site)
From what you said, it seems like RU is messing up and the way Stringer LOA , her possible return to coaching or not returning needs to be handled much better by those in leadership roles or the RU WBB program will suffer more than it already has because of the refusal to let everyone know what the hell is going on.
As for Eatman, that seems like it was a good reason for his failure running the team and the no rush to get problems solved is an indictment of how the confusion will be going on.
Thanks
The statements (or lack thereof) from Rutgers in the article seemed to indicate it’s a health matter that they can’t legally discuss IMO.
Also of note, they can terminate the contract after 90 days of medical leave but it would be fully guaranteed, so they would owe her the full $5.6M. She went on leave 9 days after signing. Read into that how you will.
As everyone is stating, the lack of communication is delivering a major blow to the program. It's such a crucial time in regard to lifting the program. I haven't read the article, but if they have not communicated clearly with the players about a timetable, you cannot expect them to hang around if other programs start to look like possibilities. I'm sure players have their way of feeling it out even if they are not in the portal.
This does come down to the AD at this point, IMO. If he cannot get anywhere with finding out CVS' timetable for return and whether or not she is fit for the job at this time, he sure can do something about the Acting HC spot. Didn't he officially appoint Tim to the acting HC position? If that is done on a yearly basis, or up for review yearly, then he needs to make it known that someone else is going to be in that role next year.( LOL Unless it's in the contract that CVS has final say. LOL) And he needs to make sure it is someone who he feels can settle things from what we endured this past season (likely, Nadine Domond). Tim had his opportunity and clearly failed. His seniority over Nadine should not be a deciding factor at this point.
The AD is the one ultimately responsible for the operation of the sports programs. If CVS is not doing what's in the best interest of the University, then the AD needs to act accordingly and fix it the best way that he can. To sit and do nothing, is to watch the house implode to the ground. He doesn't have to let it get to that point.
This does come down to the AD at this point, IMO. If he cannot get anywhere with finding out CVS' timetable for return and whether or not she is fit for the job at this time, he sure can do something about the Acting HC spot. Didn't he officially appoint Tim to the acting HC position? If that is done on a yearly basis, or up for review yearly, then he needs to make it known that someone else is going to be in that role next year.( LOL Unless it's in the contract that CVS has final say. LOL) And he needs to make sure it is someone who he feels can settle things from what we endured this past season (likely, Nadine Domond). Tim had his opportunity and clearly failed. His seniority over Nadine should not be a deciding factor at this point.
The AD is the one ultimately responsible for the operation of the sports programs. If CVS is not doing what's in the best interest of the University, then the AD needs to act accordingly and fix it the best way that he can. To sit and do nothing, is to watch the house implode to the ground. He doesn't have to let it get to that point.
Actually I think more of the blame is on CVS. Obviously she has given Hobbs no indication of her intent for the 2022 -23 season or there would have been some type of communication. He can’t hire anyone as CVS may decide to return. Perhaps he could name a different interim head coach from the existing staff but I don’t think that is going to help too much with the current players or recruits.
actually, not arguing that he shouldn't get this mess settled, I read in an interview ( somewhere on this board) where Hobbs has said it's in the hands of RU's HR department and I took that for meaning the Athletic Department can't do a thing until the HR department tells him it's OK to make a move.
Could make matters worse if Hobbs makes the move to let CVS go before the HR dept gives the go ahead and might lead to even more problems than there are now.
Firing Vivian might bring in the type of repercussions Rutgers doesn't want to face without it's HR department's OK after it looked into all involved in this confusing mess.
As far as I'm concerned, it's time for Stringer to say if she's coming back or not able to at the moment and for the good of the program will retire.
She might not want her health information out there, but she doesn't have to do that, only say retiring because she isn't ready to come back and the program needs someone right away
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Yea, that's what I was referring to, naming a new acting coach from the current staff. I mentioned Nadine D. as the one I would think makes the most sense...at this point.
You have to do something. If it is expected that Tim is still in charge, going forward into next season, then I fear we will soon see the mass exodus. I don't know how the players and recruits feel about him, but I know my own feelings from what we saw this season and heard from his press conferences. Hopefully, they feel better about him than I do and are comfortable with staying.
There comes a time when you have to save a fighter from harming themselves and someone in their corner has to throw in the towel. Hobbs and the remaining staff have to be the one to work around this with the assumption that she likely cannot come back. That means doing something about what you can control, in the meantime.
It's so hard to speak on who's at fault, or to blame CVS when we don't know what the issue is with her health. I can say this though......If Hobbs can do something to help the situation, as the leader, he needs to do it.(and I'm not suggesting termination of CVS that could opens up problems with HR)
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I believe one interim HC for a year is enough.
If Vivian can't come back now she needs to retire and not wait till she's able to..
Without a clue of what's going on and the problity of being kept in the dark about it,time to bite the bullet and look for ways to have CVS **** or get off the pot.
we can read into that and not feel good about it now.
A full season was used and it should be time for it to be resolved one way or another.
The health issue you feel article indicated and medical leave clause letting her be terminated sounds reasonable, but I can't help think the RU HR department has found a reason not to terminate Vivian's contract and pay her in full because of some law that protects CVS from having that done to her against her will.
Hobbs has said ( in an interview posted somewhere on this board) the mess is out of his hands and now the HR department needs to tell him what he can do
He stated on the podcast that he is waiting for her to make the decision which is AD speak for my hands are tied and I can't do a damn thing this has lingered for years now as I have said previously he would have liked to have relieved her of her duties a few years ago but the optics and everything else would have put a black eye on the athletic department and the university; she knows this and is and has been taking advantage of the university; if he had any leverage trust me should would be gone by now
The reason HR and Hobbs would hesitate to terminate CVS at this time is because of the money she's owed, right? If I'm in charge as AD, I exhaust all avenues currently at my disposal for the money that I've already spent before taking on more salary expense for a new coach while paying CVS.
Yes CVS needs to retire. We say that out of love for her. But something has to be done in the meantime. Give Nadine, or Michelle the chance to lead and see if it goes better. Seems like it's about all you can do right now.
- Haven't read the article, but only going on what you posted.
---If it is a health matter, Rutgers would be subject to HIPAA violations if they violated HIPAA. See link below. More than the penalties, Rutgers does not want or need any more bad publicity around athletics.
--Seems like Rutgers signed a bad contract that has them over a barrel. In view of the fact that Coach Stringer was 72 or 73 years old when she signed the contract, on the surface Rutgers signing for a guaranteed $5.6 million does not seem like a smart move to sign someone through the 2025-26 season for a coach who will be 78 years old at the end of the contract. But, the details of the negotiations are not known.
I think that’s the main issue; did Rutgers sign a bad contract, or did Stringer withhold pertinent information prior to signing?
I’m still not 100% sure if it’s medical but the lack of transparency from the school, Hobbs’ comments on the podcast, and the following line make me believe it is: “‘Out of respect for her privacy and pursuant to law, we cannot provide any greater specificity into her circumstances,’ a Rutgers athletics spokesman told NorthJersey.com in an email.”
That is a fair inference (medical).
Speculating a bit further, this could have happened a few ways. One way was neither Coach Stringer nor Rutgers knew there was a health issue when the contract was signed. Perhaps she felt ill after signing the contract, went for some tests, and then learned she had a health issue. Again, this is speculation. If it is the latter case, there was no bad faith by Coach Stringer. If she knew before she signed that she had a health issue and then revealed it after the contract was signed, that is a different story, but that is a fact we do not know, and we may never know.
It does put RU in a tough situation. Hopefully, they learn from it, and when negotiating and extension with an older coach, there should be opt outs in case the coach cannot perform the terms of the contract. However, maybe these things were considered and negotiated. We don't know.
I’m admittedly making a lot of inferences; all of this unfolding 9 days after it was signed makes me more skeptical than I would be. Just an odd situation. Maybe they’ll start writing physicals into these contracts or adding more opt outs like you said.
If it’s a health issue wouldn’t you think they would know after a year whether she could come back or not? And if you don’t know by now I would think a return would be very unlikely and CVS should do the honorable thing and move to the admin position.
Could just be at a stalemate. Not a profitable sport and already in financial trouble so terminating the contract and paying the full amount plus paying for a comparable new HC might be a problem.
Doesn’t her current contract stipulate she can move upstairs for the same salary? If so they must have been prepared to keep paying CVS and pay a new coach - no?
I'm speculating too,...My take is that CVS may have planned to coach for 2 or 3 years and then give one of her staff members the last year or two of the contract time to get an audition to be the successor as she moved upstairs. That way, they are not paying an extra salary. I think Hobbs may have been okay with that idea as a smooth transition.
That would be the dumbest contract clause I have ever heard of and if that’s the case Hobbs should be fired. Auditions? What is this a CYO league?
LOL!!
I didn't say that it was expressed in the contract. The clause for her to go upstairs and still get her salary sets up the scenario that I speculated on. Actually, I don't think it's dumb at all.
Often, a longtime coach, HOF coach is going to get the respect of one of their longtime staff members getting first crack at the successor spot. Like Holly Warlick did in Tenn. This is a way to give a shot without signing them to a contract. If they don't pan out, you can go in a whole new direction and no one can say that you were unfair to the outgoing coach and staff.
Yup, she's got Hobbs by the balls. And would rather burn the Program down to the ground than forfeit one penny.
Selfish *****
Selfish *****
That's it in a nutshell she needs the money and new she has and has had Hobbs by the balls for a while; as I have repeatedly said he has wanted to make a change for a while even before this agregious contract was signed
The longer this goes on the more I lose any respect for CVS and it just clouds all the great things she did in the past
Few things:
1. She has made over $10 million in her time at RU. So she has been compensated pretty well
2. Contract must have had or should have had disability language
3. If there is no out on paying her the $5 million , then assume it is a sunk cost and move on.
4. She does owe RU an answer
5. Based on the circumstances, I don’t see how the University gets a black eye by moving on. Pay her what she is owed and move on to fix the program. The players and recruits also deserve their fair due.
1. She has made over $10 million in her time at RU. So she has been compensated pretty well
2. Contract must have had or should have had disability language
3. If there is no out on paying her the $5 million , then assume it is a sunk cost and move on.
4. She does owe RU an answer
5. Based on the circumstances, I don’t see how the University gets a black eye by moving on. Pay her what she is owed and move on to fix the program. The players and recruits also deserve their fair due.
Just thank her, throw a big celebration she won't attend, and pay her off already. The athletic department and the program NEED to move forward already.
A
anon_ivydyf0amkzay
Guest
This is biden-level clown show! (…and that’s as bad an insult as I can come up with!)
what a
show!
what a
show!
lol, can't think of anything better.This is biden-level clown show! (…and that’s as bad an insult as I can come up with!)
what a
When in doubt , go political and hijack a thread that you have nothing of value to add.
Best way to end the conversation is bringing politics in it .
Think it was the first real confirmation this is health related. That’s unfortunate. Tough situation for the students and they have a right to be pissed. Eatman bit was disappointing to hear, if true.
What is Rutgers doing wrong? The employee can be as forthcoming or withholding as they like around a leave. The employer has significant restraints.
Of course CVS is not a run-of-the-mill university staff member.
If CVS wanted to share her plans you think anyone in Athletics could hold her back?