With the success and downfalls of any athletic program, there is always one person held responsible for every action. FIU is no different than any other athletic program in the nation.
In came Pete Garcia in 2006, an athletic director in any other school, the executive director of sports and entertainment for the Panthers. Quite a mouthful.
When it comes to hirings and firings for an athletic program, the blame usually falls on the AD. Success brings bonuses and guarantees; failure brings a kick in the rear through the exit door.
For Garcia, having six programs hit with NCAA sanctions since 2006 is not enough for termination, or even being put on the proverbial hot seat.
Recently, the biggest news throughout campus and the football team was the firing of now offensive line coach at Alabama, Mario Cristobal. Yes, the National Champion Alabama Crimson Tide. Even a three win season was enough for Alabama ball coach Nick Saban to bring him on staff.
The firing has been questioned by many current and former Panthers since news first broke out. Several alumni have even gone out of their way to create firepetegarcia.com: a website showing the downward spiral of Garcia and athletics and their “support” for the AD.
Now, no one can argue that Cristobal truly built the football program from the ground up and brought it to the program’s only bowl win and conference title in history. Cristobal had the skills and know all to recruit where the school needed, in-town athletes.
For those with any knowledge of the basis of college ball, it is known that Florida is in the top three states, if not the top state, with the best recruits coming out of high school. With the success and connections stemming from the University of Miami, Cristobal had the know-how to bring those potential athletes to FIU Stadium.
To add insult to injury, according to the Sun Sentinel, the Panthers have struggled to raise money since the firing of Cristobal. Coincidence? I think not.
We all know the kid with the 4.0 grade point average and four stars by rivals.com and ESPN wont be coming to FIU, though the kid with the average GPA and decent speed would have considered staying home to play Division I football.
Entering the 2012 season, the Panthers had a 15-7 record in 22 games, as well as leading opponents in nearly every statistical category.
With the way the program is going, it looks as if that same kid would rather drop down a division just to see more wins on his record. Why you may ask? Because it looks like it’s OK to fire a guy who isn’t good enough here, but good enough for a championship team.
At FIU, it’s good enough to keep a man who is solely responsible for bringing in Isiah Thomas. Thomas, who is widely regarded of bringing down the New York Knicks as a coach and executive. The same Thomas who was the center of a sexual harassment case in 2007. When the dust settled, Madison Square Garden and Thomas came to an agreement for the case, brought up by a former team executive, for a mere $11.6 million.
Fast forward to Thomas’ time at FIU. Garcia stood by him when Thomas was attempting to take a consulting job with the Knicks. Thomas would later be fired after posting a 26-65 record after three years, yet Garcia is still at the reigns.
Maybe it’s El Presidente Rosenberg who feels the need to keep Garcia. Maybe he’s a glass half full kind of guy. But with everything tagged with athletics, maybe he should be a realistic guy instead.
According to public records for athletic directors just within Conference USA, Garcia racks in $441,832. That’s the highest salary in C-USA. Garcia’s contract is expected to expire in 2016, barring any setbacks or unforeseen extension just because.
I’m curious to see how the rest of the fall will turn out. As sad as it may be for some, the biggest team on campus is the football team and the support or backlash towards Garcia will be based on the outcome of this Panther team.
If alumni felt the need to put together a website to make a point, who knows what they may do next?
I’m no fortune teller, but unless the Panthers turn a complete 180, ticket sales will continue to go down and “fans” will continue to spend their Saturdays watching other football games, while Alfonso Field at FIU Stadium becomes the second home field to opponents.
I support FIU sports as much as possible, although the distance between Miami and my home in the desert Southwest makes attendance – umm – “difficult”. That stated, I’ll be at the Sun Bowl in El Paso for the FIU/UTEP game Nov 16 – my first ever Golden Panthers football game.
Yes, we geographically separated alumni realize that this years football squad is struggling with a 1-win season so far. I don’t think its fair to put everything on one person in the athletic department, particularly when FIU is rated as having one of the toughest academic standards IN THE NATION among public universities. (Look it up)
That’s a strong clue. Its always going to be a lot harder to field top athletes for an institution rated among the highest level of research universities in America. There ARE awesome athletes with 120+ IQ’s, but they are rare in football.
That stated, I’m still tickled to see my Alma Mater on the college gridiron – sometimes on TV!
Its OK if they lose more than they win. The players can take pride from the fact that the academic quality of the school they represent is known throughout the world. Their FIU degree – and boosted life long earning potential – will compensate.