2010: Ricky Bustle's Final Extension

[cajun4life]

_ How could he have a $500k buy out when he only had 1 year left on his contract? _

Because his contract had stipulated that if he were terminated all of his assistant coaches had to be bought out as well, if I remember correctly.

[Turbine]

_ Because his contract had stipulated that if he were terminated all of his assistant coaches had to be bought out as well, if I remember correctly. _

Bustle is shrewd so I wouldn't put it past him but that is an odd agreement for UL to sign on to.

Normally the assistants are year to year so I find any situation unusual where they would benefit (past June) from the firing of the HC.

[zephyr]

_ cajun4life, how do you see the A.D. search effecting the coaching search? Is Walker going to make this hire before he leaves? Surely we are not going to wait till the beginning of the spring semester (January-when Savoie said the A.D. search would begin) to make a decision on football. _

As Cajun4Life mentioned, the decision will be made by Farmer and Walker prior to the new year. We have to have a new coach that has been approved by the BOR no later than Jan 1 in order to recruit for the signing deadline. You can bet that a list of candidates have already been formed and many have been contacted already to gauge interest. The process will move swiftly come next Monday and we will hopefully have a lot to discuss over the next few weeks. I'm not saying that Farmer is absolutely 100% going to get the job but he is the heir apparent and they would have to interview a knock em dead candidate to alter that plan.

[cajun tom]

_ David Walker what players are the gems Bustle signed with your run the program into the ground extension. David Walker you single handed put this football program back to Nelson Stokley end of career days. _

Believe me, Coach Bustle is leaving this program in a lot better shape then the one he tookover 8 years ago.

[Turbine]

_ Bustle is shrewd so I wouldn't put it past him but that is an odd agreement for UL to sign on to.

Normally the assistants are year to year so I find any situation unusual where they would benefit (past June) from the firing of the HC. _

Addendum: Assistant coaches already get 6 months pay after being fired at end of season so if Bustle pulled off 18 months pay for his fired (with him) assistants, he is a genius seeing how it would have helped him keep his job.

[IberiaCajun]

_ Yo do know that had we fired Rickey Bustle last season we would not have had the money to hire Coach Marlin?

You do know that David Walker restructured Rickey Bustles contract last season to give him a one year extension that reduced the buyout by 80-90%. He knew that Bustles tenure here at UL needed to end, so he took the steps necessary to accomplish that in the most financially sound way that it could be done.

So you may continue to bash David Walker, but you need to understand why thing were done the way they were. If you still want to bash DW after that then fine.

I will go on record right now stating that with the talent returning on this team and next years schedule we will be bowling. _

What is next year's schedule?
Don't we play Nichols in the "Swamp"?
Conference games at home: North Texas, Troy, Florida Atlantic, ULM.

[cajun4life]

_ What is next year's schedule?
Don't we play Nichols in the "Swamp"?
Conference games at home: North Texas, Troy, Florida Atlantic, ULM. _

OOC Games
@ Arizona
@ OK State
@ Kent St.
Nichols

Belt Games
Troy
ULM
UNT
FAU
@ WKU
@ FIU
@ MTSU
@ ASU

I believe we are more talented right now than Kent St., Nichols, UNT, FAU, WKU, and FIU.

We have talent equal to ULM, Troy, MTSU and ASU.

Only games talent wise that we should not compete in is Arizona and OK State.

[IberiaCajun]

_ OOC Games
@ Arizona
@ OK State
@ Kent St.
Nichols

Belt Games
Troy
ULM
UNT
FAU
@ WKU
@ FIU
@ MTSU
@ ASU

I believe we are more talented right now than Kent St., Nichols, UNT, FAU, WKU, and FIU.

We have talent equal to ULM, Troy, MTSU and ASU.

Only games talent wise that we should not compete in is Arizona and OK State. _

Thanks for posting next year's opponents. We should be competitive in 10 of the 12 games.

[HebertTommy]

Another 5 home game season? eeeesh.

[California Cajun]

_ David Walker what players are the gems Bustle signed with your run the program into the ground extension. David Walker you single handed put this football program back to Nelson Stokley end of career days. _

More than likely Walker was a good administrator, but wouldn't accept the PR aspects of the job. If you need public support I think your AD needs to make friends. Instead, he seemed to be a behind the scenes guy, like Dr. Authement. These kind of people are needed and can contribute a great deal to success, but IMO not in the Athletic Director position.

Hopefully the next AD, who I think will be Scott Farmer, will better embrace the role of a public figure so we can move on these projects and generate some momentum.

[TurfToe]

Scott Farmer used to get on Jay's show every week when he was first hired. I haven't heard him in a year.

[California Cajun]

In all the years I've followed Cajun athletics, the #1 complaint I have heard was the lack of faith in the decision makers.

What I have thought is that athletics has been part of an overall plan to grow the university. I have also thought that the previous administration was so afraid of another death penalty like the one that basketball received that they were too distruPleasel of the public to allow athletics to grow. Finally I thought there were plans that weren't revealed because the administration knew we wouldn't like them because it involved waiting as long as we have to address athletics.

Because of my feelings about public opinion I figured a media blitz with super salesmanship would be necessary to change it.

But it's really up to the next AD to figure out how to get the job done.