Paul Daugherty: It didnt take long

Sunday, December 17, 2006

It didnt take long

Ohio State crushes UC and it's Nancy's fault. Nancy ruined the program, Nancy should never have let Huggins go. We're not going to a game until Nancy leaves town. And so on. Here's a question:

When Mick Cronin brings the program back, will Nancy get any credit?

I didnt hear anyone on Thursday praising Zim for the Xavier win. I haven't heard anyone who said months ago she wouldnt allow Cronin to recruit JuCos say they were wrong. Cronin is doing the best he can in a bad situation, one created partly by Huggins himself. If you don't believe that, get copies of all the communication between the lawyers.

Meantime, give Cronin a chance. He's a great recruiter, he wants to be here for a long time. Two decent classes and UC should be top 5 or 6 in the Big East, which is almost always a ticket to March. Most programs like UC's are going to have their ups and downs. Good fans will hang with them. The rest will fire on Nancy. Which is productive and which isn't? Which are you?

26 Comments:

at 7:53 AM

Anonymous said...

Time to move forward. The Huggins mess wasn't handled well from either side, but like in any sport, forget yesterday's loss because you have another game tomorrow.

Many top schools have fallen into the valley of rebuilding following the loss of a highly successful coach:

UNC Smith/Guthridge
INDIANA Kinght/Davis
OHIO STATE O'Brien/Matta
UCLA Wooden/Cunningham

Just to name a few.

When Mick brings the program back, and it should only take a year or two, no one will even be thinking of Nancy.

In the meantime, you've got to like what's going on over in the football department. Kerry Coombs' addition to the staff, plus the suggestion that Kelly will open up the offense has fans talking about UC Football in DECEMBER.

When has that ever happened?

at 8:46 AM

Anonymous said...

The one-word answer to your question will NZ get any of the credit when Mick is successful in rebuilding the program is no. She will be remembered for running Huggins out of town at the worst possible time in the most destructive way. Have a feeling that Mick will be the head coach long after Zimpher has left for higher ground. The latter cant happen soon enough for me.

at 10:23 AM

Anonymous said...

I think its funny that no one asked the students what they think of Nancy or everyone already knows. I personally don't have a shirt or bumper sticker that say F Nancy, but i d hate her. As a student just look around Basbeall field, new student rec center, and all the other new stuff we have gotten in the past two years, you can thank Bob Huggins. Im still going to support the team and Mick, but i will never forgive Nancy for getting rid of Bob, who gave this univeristy so many things, and funding (cash).

at 11:09 AM

Anonymous said...

I'm excited about UC sports.

Mick has a good class lined up for next year, and stands a good chance at getting Yancy who is a All-American caliber player. It doesn't take long to turn around a BB program.

And football is making all the right moves. Kelly is gonna do great things, I tell you. Hiring Coombs was a great move.

When Tressel started at OSU, he made it a goal to keep Ohio's top players. Finally we've got a coach that is making keeping Cincinnati's talent (some of the best in the country) at home. Smart smart smart.

Prediction: UC goes to a BCS bowl before Michigan State. Dantonio who?

at 11:28 AM

Anonymous said...

Nancy Zimpher gets the rawest deal in town. I notice on the radio it's like a bunch of 7th graders calling in - even if they hated Huggs they still have to say, "But I don't like Zimpher, either." What a bunch of me-too-ists.

I've met her. She's charismatic but kind, a benevolent leader, and I like her. I never sense that her ego is not in check. I'm glad she bit the bullet and did the right thing, even though she gets ran roughshod over at every opportunity.

I'm going to say what no one else has: Sincerely, thank you, Nancy Zimpher. Things needed to change. Thank you for having the courage to do what what difficult. Thank you for hiring MT, who in turn hired Cronin and Kelly.

No good deed will go unpunished. Hasn't Nancy taken enough?

at 12:46 PM

Anonymous said...

Nancy Zimpher gets it: a university is for learning in order to get people jobs in the professional world. Where in UC's Mission Statement does it mention a winning basketball team is a must? Actually, don't bother. IT DOESN'T! Is it fun when there's a winning team? Yes. Has the university reaped benefits from Huggins' winning teams and, consequently, mucho money for the school? Certainly. Is that what UC is there for? Nope. Please. Put your letterman's sweater away, your varsity jacket away, and your wistful yearning of "the days when I was pretty good athlete myself" and learn there's more. There's more. THERE'S MORE! Sports are transitory. They're fun. Nancy Zimpher has attempted to put athletics back in its PROPER perspective at UC. Huggins, truth be known, would recruit Ted Bundy if he had a sweet perimeter shot and could drive to the basket.

at 2:55 PM

Anonymous said...

All emotions aside...how can you believe that Nancy did NOT ruin the program? It's inarguable.

What is arguable is how long it will remain "ruined." I think nott too long. Mick is the man to bring it back.

To say that the B-Cats would not have lost to OSU if Zimpher hadn't gotten rid of Huggs is certainly arguable.

To say they wouldn't have been the embarrassment they were if Hggs was still in charge is a pretty safe statement.

SO, it is Zimpher's fault that they were an emabarassment against OSU.

at 3:48 PM

Anonymous said...

I don't understand what basis Zimph would get credit. She did major damage (and seems to be using the same philosophy with the colleges, axe the deans of successful programs). If Mick brings them back, HE should get the credit. I can support the Cats and Mick and still not like Zimph, Wyler and Cox can't I?

at 7:59 PM

Nathan said...

You can argue all you want about UC being primarily an academic institution. You would be right.

However, if Nancy manages the academic side of the university the way she managed the Huggins ordeal-I've got to believe she isn't doing a good job.

It isn't a matter of whether he should have been fired. That is certainly debatable. It is not debatable that the timing, manner, and overally handling was awful.

I am a huge Mick Cronin fan, but the handling of Andy Kennedy was awful too. Hiring a "consultant" to figure out the former Associate HC should be hired was stupid as well (though not Nancy's fault).

at 9:39 PM

Anonymous said...

I do follow UC sports, and support the team and Mick. I also had very little respect for Huggins personally. However, who can deny that he resurrected this program. Until Nancy straps on a uniform, she gets no credit. The Mick hiring was obvious and easy, and a waste of $35,000.00 on a hiring firm. It's fine to bash the fans for voicing their opinions, some of which are stupid. But, since we buy the tickets that's our right. The manner in which Andy was handled upsets me more than Huggins situation. Let us not forget the unprofessional way the Board of Trustees, Mike Thomas and Nancy handled things. They must be held accountable for their actions. As fans, we must support our teams, the coaches and players, through thick and thin. UC fans will come back...they want to...they just need to blow off some steam and in time they'll be right back in the fold - despite poor management at the top.

at 9:55 PM

Anonymous said...

igsygrbLook, I work at UC, and I'm not too crazy about her management style, but if I have to hear or read one more sarcastic "thanks Nancy" comment everytime the Bearcats have a set back, I'm gonna scream. Please give it a rest.

at 10:15 PM

Anonymous said...

"Ruined?" Ruined implies permanent damage, which this is obviously not. Huggins ruined his UC career, not Nancy, thus he is responsible for the transitory slump in UC basketball success, not her. She only did what needed to be done and actually should have been done a few years earlier. It's funny that it took a woman to have the kahunas to get the right thing done.

at 12:27 AM

Anonymous said...

Dr. Z made the correct decision and the right decision for the UNIVERSITY. Funny how all Huggs fans only think bball, not about student athletics which is exactly how Huggs thought and still thinks. Walker to Kstate in the middle of the school year when he should be a senior somewhere. Fans of the university should be happy, no longer are they the laughing stock of college bball for academic success, now Kstate is.

at 8:03 AM

Anonymous said...

(Sigh)...Again, Nancy Zimpher's primary job is NOT to make sure the school of which she's been given charge fields a great basketball team. Give me all the semantical arguments you want about "reality" and "how the university benefits from the sports programs"...all that comes to mind is...

Yeah? So what?

Nancy's job remains to make sure the intent of the university--the REASON the university exists--stays intact. (In case you've forgotten, it's to provide an academic education!)

at 9:27 AM

Anonymous said...

doc is a nancy blowhard. I guess he still teaches a class at UC and has to keep his boss happy.

at 12:05 PM

Anonymous said...

Way to go, anonymous 9:27 a.m. Awefully noble of you. Post a jab ("doc's a blowhard") while maintaining your anonymity. Always cool to throw darts without worrying about anyone knowing who you are. Doc pisses me off a lot, but I got a lot of faults myself--my wife can vouch. But one IS NOT veiling my identity while slinging jabs at others. Coward. My name is Michael Grivers, by the way. I live in Oakley.

at 10:50 AM

Anonymous said...

Let's get a few things straight. Nancy Z is the president of UC. She is in charge of the sports program too - not just academics - otherwise she shouldn't be messing around hiring and firing coaches. That said, she should be responsible for a winning sports program - what-ever definition you want to use for a winning program. My personal opinion was she did a terrible job firing Huggins pr-wise - and an ugly job pr-wise with Andy Kennedy.
Maybe it was time for Hug's to move on - and he didn't leave quietly. Nancy appeared to have the upper hand - but she certainly harmed the program as far as handling the A Kenndy fiasco. Looking from the outside in - it appeared to me she did it deliberately and willfully - and that is why she should be held accoutable - she should not be allowed to hide behind the academic banner - she is in charge of the Univerisity and all that it encompasses.

at 12:54 PM

Anonymous said...

I think from the outside looking in it would appear we UC fans want to harrass our administration...to death.

"You should have fired Huggs right after the DUI."
"The timing of this was atrocious." (Don't let the facts about Huggs' and his lawyer's timing get in the way of a good fallacy.)
"Huggs built this university and then they kicked him to the curb." (Yeah, with 3 mil in his pocket and after offering two more years to work. That's some kind of notice.)
"Andy Kennedy should be the coach."
"Andy Kennedy won't get a fair shot."
"Andy Kennedy needs our support at every game. Hire Andy! Hire Andy!"
"They'll never hire anyone with ties to Huggs."
"They'll never bring in JUCOs again."
"The academic standards are too high for good athletics." (What???)
"They've ruined UC athletics, demolished it, trashed it, it'll never be the same again."

You put any one of us under that kind of microscope at work, then make it public and have people who don't work in or know the nuances of our field post on message boards and write articles about every little detail of how we do our job in the local paper, and see how well any of us would react. Granted, they should expect some of it, and anything they do should hold up to some level of public scrutiny, but what has happened to them has been emotion-driven and grossly unfair.

These people in UC administration are not elected politicians, and they have taken a hell of a lot of abuse for just doing what they believe to be the right thing for UC. I'm at the point where I feel for them and hope some of us don't get what we wish for. I think the next couple of years are going to be extremely rewarding in both basketball and football. To Nancy (and Thomas's) credit.

at 3:19 PM

Anonymous said...

The only reason you see JUCO's on this squad is because Nancy relented, just once. Cronin told her that he had nothing unless he could bring some in. This is a one shot deal, you won't see any more in the future.

at 6:20 PM

Anonymous said...

You won't see many more jucos but it won't be because of Nancy. Mick has been very open about preferring four year players.

at 12:24 AM

Anonymous said...

What kind of fan am I? I am a fan of the basketball program at UC. Not a Huggins fan, nor a Zimpher fan. I look at and study the facts to form my opinions.

Fact -- Nancy has a bigger ego than Huggins ever had. During a pre firing meeting in her office she asked Huggins the question, "So I guess you think you run this university?" Huggins replied, "If I did we would be meeting in my office." Huggins knew he was on the way out and he took pleasure in taking at shot at her. She obviously got the last laugh in the personal battle between the two, but not before she went berserk in her office after said meeting.

Fact -- Nancy floated the idea of playing XU "every other year", an idea curiously similar to her good friend Karen Holbrook at OSU. Seems the good President in Columbus asked the same question about the Michigan game.

Fact -- Zimpher and Thomas screwed up by not being proactive with Dantonio. They then announced, during a vital recruiting period, that "recruiting was not a priority"!!

Fact -- Huggins is gone and they have the right guy in place.

I wonder how long it will be before the ego that survived gets in the way again.

at 11:53 AM

Anonymous said...

OK Paul--we'll go over this one more time:

Point 1. Nancy is the appointed president of the University--as such she has the authority to do anything she wants--provided that the board approves it.

Point 2. Nancy has the responsibility to be answerable to the University community--that is who she is supposed to serve.

The Huggins fiasco showed that while she clearly operates under point 1, she pays very little attention to point 2. To wit--she not only clumsily handled the tenures of both AK and Bob Huggins, but during the course of this debacle she took multiple shots at THE ALUMNI. Deriding the school and its graduates on national TV is unacceptable behavior for a University president. This was uncalled for and clearly indicates the state of mind she has when performing her duties. While she should be SERVING the University community, she is in fact RULING the University community. She has yet to apologize for any of these poorly considered comments.

She has also dispatched a multitude of qualified staff (including 8 highly qualified deans!) in favor of appointments made in large part to personal friends vs. qualified candidates. Finally, we should also take a moment to acknowledge the "elephant in the room"--that being UC's 27 million dollar budget deficit. Part of this debt can be directly attributed to her alienation of the alumni and other donors, as well as the UC fan base. In addition, she has installed exclusionary criteria for admission while hiking tuition--all of which will decrease enrollment and further exacerbate the growing debt.

This is just what you would expect when someone with a narrow focus takes a powerful job via appointment. The positions of University President and BOT should be elected positions voted on by the University community--in that way, all of these individuals would be answerable for their actions.

Other schools do it this way--why can't UC?

at 12:00 PM

Anonymous said...

A little note for the pro-Nancy people: My major complaint is not the Huggins issue, or even the "raising the standards" issue. It is a university president that stood up in front of the national media and said that every UC degree granted prior to her arrival was not worth the paper it was printed on.

In addition, she slammed UC by implication-saying it was a substandard university before her arrival. She also wants to close UC's doors to the majority of students in the community who could most benefit from a more inclusive state institution.

A university should care about the end product - the graduates, and not who applies. Those who can make the grades will earn the right to stay enrolled. Those who can't will not graduate. A merit-based system is the only way.

You accomplish little when you simply filter out all but the cream of the crop and then crow about your graduation rate-all you've done is narrow your focus to those who had many options to begin with.

A university should provide an environment for those that need it to grow and mature. Her policies are at odds with that.

Her national image has also suffered to the point that it will be difficult for her to raise money for the university. This will damage the entire university community.

All of these issues have only a peripheral relationship to the basketball situation. That was simply an incident that exposed her capricious, poorly planned, needlessly emotional, and petty leadership.

Am I a Huggins apologist? No.

Do I feel Zimpher is damaging the university by her continued presence? YES.

My issue is with her and how she has represented my beloved school.

It is her leadership that makes me ashamed to be a UC graduate - a remarkable thing considering I have spent over half my life affiliated with UC! I used to bleed Red & Black - now I am ashamed of it.

That is quite an accomplishment. Love for the institution you govern should be the overriding factor in your decisions as a university president, not aggrandizement of a single ego.

I fear we have someone who is more interested in self-promotion than the good of the university at this point. This has always been my major objection.

The basketball situation simply enhanced it.

She's run off at least eight deans since she's been here for heaven's sake!

That's a record pace for a UC president in my lifetime.

I would also like to add that the positions of UC Board of Trustees and UC president should be elected and not appointed positions. This mechanism would help ensure that the administration would be responsive to the population they serve-the university community, and not their own interests. I hope you take these suggestions into consideration in your future columns. Alumni do not appreciate being kicked to the curb, as this administration is wont to do.

- A 27 year alumnus of the

University of Cincinnati

at 5:03 PM

Anonymous said...

Maybe those deans needed firing. You ever think of that?

at 10:48 AM

Anonymous said...

Um...I did think of that, but dismissed that idea when she fired the dean of the college of medicine TWICE...

at 5:06 PM

Anonymous said...

Well all I know is I am friends with a guy who's pretty high up at the U - he reports to her and thinks she's a pretty outstanding boss. Just fyi.

Previous Posts

Sunday, December 17, 2006

It didnt take long

26 Comments: