Here’s What I Would Do If I Were Stricklin

Making assumptions again. None of us know. So you are not quoting me accurately. Agreed? Good!

 

The more I think about it, the more crazy this sounds. As a CFO, I have hired many high level employees on the private side and the government side. I agree that it takes longer on the government side, but come on man, 18 months to hire a dean? That is ridiculous! I hope you or anyone on that committee aren’t anywhere near the search committee for anything at UF ever again! Jeez!

 

Not a bad take at all. Something has to be done. You can’t make a coach sign a contract and things haven’t worked out. Did Bama fire their AD before getting Saban or did that guy fail at several hires too. Hiring the next hof coach is not a science. There’s some luck involved too. Maybe 20+ teams are all trying to win at the highest level and they can’t all get that next great coach.hopefully we get something better next time and Stricklin gets to have a better run.

 

Hire a good coach if he is willing to sign but the coaches have a mind of their own.

 

I’ve been on two Dean search committees and I have to admit neither took that long. Maybe two semesters between the initial committee charge and the Provost announcing the hire. And yes outside search firms were significantly involved.

 

I too am a private industry guy, but, unlike you, I have been on search committees at UF. First you have to hire the search firm. Then you assemble a committee representing university constituencies (various colleges, alums, boards/trustees/UF foundation, admin, faculty). You put the job out for resumes for months. No committee member contacts any applicant or communicates b/c sunshine laws mean any communication is public record - meaning applicants who apply would be outed to their current employers. Subselection occurs and then 8 ish candidates might be interviewed by the committee. Downselectiin then occurs and a second round of interviews may follow. Imagine very busy people (both candidates and committee members) trying to put together these schedules. All thru a third party to insulate communications from the public. Then the preferred candidate must be approved up the political chain. They can withdraw or get shot down which costs months. Any communication amongst committee members also implicates public disclosure laws, which can cause candidates to withdraw, so communications are circuitous.

Yes, I served my university on multiple successful dean searches. The time is painful but that is the nature of public entities. And you insult all those who have worked on such searches at UF…

Since you are a hot shot CFO, you should get in there and fix all this. Or perhaps things are more complex than you think? Zero experience, knows everything and hurls insults…

But whatever you think, Fuchs said in late August 2024 that he was hoping to be out in a year at fastest. That would be best case and then you have a new president who must fire the AD, go thru hiring a new AD, who must do the same for a coach. All of whom will be judged on their hires and so will want to find their candidate. Yes, two years with Napier is what you are saying.

 

Any idea where they are in the process with the current search or have they even begun?

 

It has begun.

 

As an aside, UF currently has interim deans and the College of liberal arts and science, engineering, medicine, and law. Jobs overseeing literally hundreds of millions and research grants/funding. It is deeply concerning, and the new president will have a lot to do in addition to athletics, all while being under the scrutiny of Tallahassee in a way that has never occurred before.

 

The search has begun. No one can submit a resume until the legislature fixes things in May. That does not mean that we cannot go through back channels to ascertain interest. I fully believe that we can hire a Pres. faster than 18 months, but it will be a long process due to the timelines.

 

He's just stating facts. Committees and bureaucracies are slow to act and UF is not immune. Most academic type hires arrive in the Summer. If you start looking in the Fall, that's 9 months just for an everyday Assistant Professor, not a Dean, or a President. Just check how long it took to hire Sasse, and that was done at lightning speed compared to some.