Since Massaro refuses to fire Stock and/or negotiate a buyout...

[sWiley]

Everyone who cares about the football program must immediately cease all money they are providing to the program. This includes: Season tickets, BRAA donations, flat donations, etc. Take the money you would otherwise give the program and put it in a savings account. Once a new coach is hired, then give all that money back to the program. Additionally, it's time to start staying home for the games and events (spring games, etc.).

But right now, cut every single penny that could even potentially be used for the football program. If BRAA funds & donations cannot be earmarked for basketball, then cancel your BRAA membership. They will allow earmarks for certain sports once enough people cancel and give that reason for their cancellation.

It might seem backwards to pull all funding for something you love and care about, but you guys have got to realize that supporting this continued garbage is actually detrimental to the program.

You're actually doing the program a favor in the long run by pulling your funds because it's going to force Massaro's hand to negotiate a buyout. Once a new coach is hired, then we can pour all the money that was withheld back into the program.

If you continue to support this program by attending games and giving money you are actually contributing to the problem, FYI.

 

[MTOleBlue]

What I posted on the other forum: Please take your anger and tell it to Chris Massaro and President McPhee. Not the BRAA folks (Keith McCluney). Massaro and McPhee. Keith is doing all he can and I know it is just as hard on him as it is for the rest of us fans to see this type of performance knowing what it means for fundraising for all of our programs since the BRAA is a broad entity. Massaro needs to be getting letters in his email, phone calls non-stop, and donors dropping in his office.

After talking to Keith, I'm not sure if they are able to earmark anything for a specific program unless it's a donation for a very certain cause like the new locker rooms for the hoops. I am sure he is frustrated to see this happening and he is trying to keep it together for the sake of our student athletes who are NOT associated with the dumpster fire of our football program. BRAA donations go to each of our sports. So you're not only hurting football. Please get in Massaro's ear in every which way. There is only one way this ends and that is with changes, ASAP. Pressuring the BRAA will only make it harder for them to do anything to fix this. One of the reasons Massaro gave an extension to Stock in the first place was because they couldn't raise enough to switch it up and get a new HC sometime in the last couple of years. And yes, that lack of financial leeway is a major frustration for the BRAA and, I assume, the athletic department too.

Yell at Massaro at the next basketball game. Things need to change and MASSARO has to be the one to get that he's gotta be the actor to make it happen. Cutting off funds to the BRAA will just make everyone even more depressed in the AD and make Massaro even more boxed in a corner by this situation.

EDIT: I just double checked. YOU CAN SPECIFY FUNDS TO A SPORT on top of your annual general donation. So, if you are on the edge of just completely stopping your donation, please don't do that. Consider dropping your annual donation to a lower level and then balancing funds to specific sports instead of completely cutting it.

 

[BRaiderDave]

Why has there not been much anger at Massaro for getting bamboozled into this horrific contract with Stockstill that we are saddled with? I don't blame Stockstill for signing it. I blame Massaro for offering it. Why does anyone think that badgering Massaro into doing something now will do any good? That's tantamount to Massaro admitting he screwed up.

 

[MTOleBlue]

Why has there not been much anger at Massaro for getting bamboozled into this horrific contract with Stockstill that we are saddled with? I don't blame Stockstill for signing it. I blame Massaro for offering it. Why does anyone think that badgering Massaro into doing something now will do any good? That's tantamount to Massaro admitting he screwed up.

The reason I have heard from everyone I've talked to is that we have had nowhere near enough money to be able to either FIRE the HC or allow his contract to expire and hire a new, more competitive coach. Their goal for annual raising is, I think over the next year, $2 million. That is barely enough to cover the coaches' salaries as it is. When you fire a HC you have to do the severance package plus whatever else. And that is probably millions. Then, you have to negotiate a new coach's contract that's probably gonna be higher than what you had before if you want to be competitive. Part of it is certainly that Massaro isn't actively trying to find ways to get rid of Stockstill but realistically the only way it WILL happen is if we make it clear to him that we are willing to do whatever it takes to get rid of him. And that will mean $$. Because they are already about in the red as it is.

 

[sWiley]

The reason I have heard from everyone I've talked to is that we have had nowhere near enough money to be able to either FIRE the HC or allow his contract to expire

What? Since when did it cost money to let a contract expire???? Just stop giving him extensions???

Or is it that bull$hit auto extension for winning half a dozen games against the worst schedule in the country year in year out thing? The contract needs to be amended and it needs to be done so ASAP.

Why has our AD saddled us with such a bad deal???? I guarantee any other school in our conference who wanted to fire their coach would have the ability to do so. What you're telling me is we essentially don't have the ability to do that. So our athletic department AND the football program have both utterly failed the university and it's impossible to fix.

Only my alma mater....only my F'ing alma mater

 

[MTOleBlue]

What? Since when did it cost money to let a contract expire???? Just stop giving him extensions???

Or is it that bull$hit auto extension for winning half a dozen games against the worst schedule in the country year in year out thing? The contract needs to be amended and it needs to be done so ASAP.

Why has our AD saddled us with such a bad deal???? I guarantee any other school in our conference who wanted to fire their coach would have the ability to do so. What you're telling me is we essentially don't have the ability to do that. So our athletic department AND the football program have both utterly failed the university and it's impossible to fix.

Only my alma mater....only my F'ing alma mater

I mean that my understanding is that we don't have enough to hire a new coach if it expires and be competitive. We have less than 2000 donors to the BRAA. We have less than $2 million a year. We DO NOT have the money to do any of these things.

 

[sWiley]

That doesn't make any sense. We pay stock around $800,000 a year, right? If his contract expires, we can find a new head coach and pay them $800,000 a year, right?

We can find a competitive coach for $800,000 a year. I guarantee Tony Franklin would accept $800,000 a year to do the job. GUARANTEE it. There's a ton of great coaches out there, both up and coming and some looking for a second chance, that would accept 800k a year. Skip Holtz is only paid $500,000 a year. Satterfield @ App St. is getting 400k per year. He'd probably come for 600-700k and he would be a HUGE upgrade over Stock. I could find many more examples of great coaches making far less than 800k per year.

"We don't have enough money to hire a competitive coach" sounds like the biggest cop out excuse I've ever heard TBH.

 

[MTOleBlue]

That doesn't make any sense. We pay stock around $800,000 a year, right? If his contract expires, we can find a new head coach and pay them $800,000 a year, right?

We can find a competitive coach for $800,000 a year. I guarantee Tony Franklin would accept $800,000 a year to do the job. GUARANTEE it. There's a ton of great coaches out there, both up and coming and some looking for a second chance, that would accept 800k a year.

I know it doesn't make any sense. But his contract has one year automatic extensions for 6+ conference wins and 50% overall. So each year that happens is added one to the expiration date of 2023 - yes you read that right. Prior to the last contract extension in early 2015, he was signed through at least 2021. So for his contract to expire we will have to now wait 7 years at least. And if he keeps being mediocre, add another year for each of those mediocrities. Let's say he is 8-4 next year and 6-2 in conference. That makes it 2024 at least. The problem is the stupid contract we signed him on in the first place, I don't even remember when he was in demand and if the "one year extensions" clause was added then. But whenever it was added it was a huge STUPID mistake. We have him until either he gets so bad his contract expires from terribleness (at least 2023), he leaves after being booed one too many times by a donor (hopefully sooner rather than later), he retires after Brent is done (possible, likely, hopeful), or we fire him (logistically uncertain). Those are the only options.

 

[JohnDavidBlue]

I think he was "in demand" that year East Carolina came sniffing around...sheesh....should have let him go!

I know it doesn't make any sense. But his contract has one year automatic extensions for 6+ conference wins and 50% overall. So each year that happens is added one to the expiration date of 2023 - yes you read that right. Prior to the last contract extension in early 2015, he was signed through at least 2021. So for his contract to expire we will have to now wait 7 years at least. And if he keeps being mediocre, add another year for each of those mediocrities. Let's say he is 8-4 next year and 6-2 in conference. That makes it 2024 at least. The problem is the stupid contract we signed him on in the first place, I don't even remember when he was in demand and if the "one year extensions" clause was added then. But whenever it was added it was a huge STUPID mistake. We have him until either he gets so bad his contract expires from terribleness (at least 2023), he leaves after being booed one too many times by a donor (hopefully sooner rather than later), he retires after Brent is done (possible, likely, hopeful), or we fire him (logistically uncertain). Those are the only options.

 

[sWiley]

I would love to be able to see the contract. Surely Massaro has some sort of an out in it such as a $500,000k buyout or something. He isn't that stupid, is he?

All I can say is, if there are not serious changes made during this off season, I am 100% done with this football program. I'm already 90% done with it as I don't even bother to pay attention anymore to half the games and could careless about most of the ongoings of the program. But the apathy is about maxed out at this point with the program in a stalemate.

 

[SpaceRaider]

I know it is extremely rare for a head coach of any sport to be in demand by other programs, but I think in the long run if they get an offer to go somewhere, it should be MT policy to wish them luck, not to outbid the other school, or give a raise or contract that doesn't make sense.

Rick Stockstill has done good things, especially restoring the program from the APR fiasco. But we are not getting a return for the money being spent on salaries. He has not felt any pressure as far as I can tell, to make changes on his staff. Defense is a mess and wholesale changes need to be made there. I don't see Massaro making a change in the head coach. He's trapped himself, the university, and the fans in this mess. But I see no reason MT can't and shouldn't clean house on the defensive side of the ball. It should be done quickly as the season is over and get the best coach available for the DC and let him choose his staff.

 

[C-Bow]

I don't think there's a better case of a coach having a program by the balls as much as Rick Stockstill does Middle Tennessee.

His agent needs to be handling President Trumps foreign trade negotiations...


But let's just talk figuratively here:

Stock makes over $800K a year. So let's say MT's "all in" budget on a head coach is around a million.

I'm very curious as to what they buyout of that contract looks like. Is it spread out over 10 years? 20 years? 2 years? A lump sum payout?

If you fire Stock tomorrow, you could easily hire an up-and-coming coach and pay them $500-600K a year whilst throwing the remainder of your budget towards Stock's buyout. I don't know too many people who'd be upset with getting $300-400K a year for doing absolutely nothing.


All that is fine and dandy though. Because firing Stock isn't going to fix the defense..

You don't need to fire Stock. Yet.

I'm also a believer that he would entertain the idea of retiring once Brent graduates and departs the program - especially if Brent were to make it as a pro (debatable, but possible).

 

[RaiderDoug]

If we're stuck with him due to the onerous contract - then maybe one solution is the essentially usurp his role. Hire (or have Massaro) act as a sort of football czar - or at least an AD with some cojones.

Make it clear that 6-6 and bowl eligibility is not our programs benchmark. Mandate changes to the staff - don't let Stock hire his buddies. Essentially take control of football operations.

 

[MTTim]

We have less than a thousand for the last game that should send a loud message. If it doesn't this program is in worse shape than I thought.

 

[sWiley]

Seriously, everyone needs to stay home for the remainder of the games and not attend another game until wholesale changes are made. If we continue to throw our money at the program and show up on gamedays then we are contributing to the problem by supporting this garbage excuse for a team.

 

[MTOleBlue]

The spin from the AD now is that we are awful because we don't have facilities. Here's a bit of reality for the idiots trying to blame our problems on a lack of "top facilities" - Troy just became ranked for the first time in school history. They don't have an IPF. Their football stadium is ancient. They have a first year head coach who is young and was a coordinator with promise. They don't have four and five star recruits (though those recruits and facilities sure seem to be working for teams like Vandy, Duke, and Purdue don't they?). They have a coach who actually knows how to run a team.

 

[dukewayne]

I really hate to see MT return to this place. I'm about at the place to where big changes need to be made. As in past circumstances, I imagine MT will be stuck contractually for a few more years with mediocrity at best. It's to the point now that attendance will be terrible for the last home game, but potential attendance for next season is currently being ruined.

I think Space is right, new HCs with a couple of years of success should be told goodbye when they are looking at other jobs. While that might help in the future, I'm not too optimistic about the next couple of seasons of football.

 

[sWiley]

Attendance should be "ruined" and it should be terrible for the last home game. I'd lock the gates and not let a single soul into the game if I could.

This team and staff doesn't deserve our support until they send a clear message that things are changing, and that starts with firing some coaches.

 

[TheBigBluePeach]

Attendance should be "ruined" and it should be terrible for the last home game. I'd lock the gates and not let a single soul into the game if I could.

This team and staff doesn't deserve our support until they send a clear message that things are changing, and that starts with firing some coaches.

Its not the players fault. Its the administrations fault. I feel bad for the players.

 

[MTFNBY5]

The team (MT student/athletes attending the same school I did) will ALWAYS have my support.

Coaches, Administration, President's wife, etc: Not so much!

 

[MTTrueBlue]

Let's get real. Stock is not going anywhere anytime soon, so I really wish we could talk about real solutions.
Sure the offensive line could use some help, the loss of Brent is a huge setback, but the offense has been ticking pretty good this season (even better than last year).

The defense has been the issue for this team (this season & last season). It has been obvious since the Vanderbilt game that the defensive play would be the reins holding this team back. I hope that Massaro, Stock, and Franklin can get together and come with an improvement plan moving into the off-season for the defense.

The next two (possibly 3) games are still great opportunities for the veterans to step up and go out on top. I hope they will show up and show out! It's also a good opportunity for some of the younger guys who want to bust out as leaders for the future. I also hope we play with some new defense schemes because what we've doing all season isn't working.

I don't know what all the changes should be, but it seems hard to turn the defense around without replacing Nix.

I'll be traveling to TN for the first time this football season for Thanksgiving and intend on making the FAU game. I do expect marketing to drop GA tickets to $5-6 or the attendance numbers may rival 2002 Thanksgiving weekend game vs. Utah State (3,418 announced attendance).

 

[MTFNBY5]

One thing is clear to rational fans. Without a serious infusion of resources there is very little that can be done. We may see minor tweaks and a few changes but nothing major (I won't consider nixing Nix (!), West, and even a couple of other "D" coaches a major change).

But "Catch 22": Without major changes less and less resources will be available.