Exit Brad Labadie Comment Count

Brian

Brad Labadie, football director of operations and person frequently talked to, but not heard from, in the sanctions document dump, has resigned:

"I wish Brad well," Michigan athletic director Dave Brandon said. "He has worked hard and worked incredible hours.

"He's been in a punishing job in terms of hours, and to get into a traditional position with more normal hours and a young family is what works for him now. He's moving out of athletics at this stage."

Brandon added: "I absolutely don't think people should" think his departure has anything to do with the NCAA investigation.

Everyone who's emailed me about Brad Labadie in the aftermath of the document release has started their message off with something about how he's a super nice guy, so let's take it easy on the grave dancing.

That said, Labadie's departure doesn't have anything to do with the NCAA investigation in the same way Jim Boccher's departure doesn't have anything to do with the spread punt fiasco of '03. Many many details can be found in the Heads Should Roll post from earlier this summer. If he wasn't outright axed he was encouraged to find a job elsewhere. You may resume your unbreakable faith in David Brandon's pimp hand.

Comments

Augger

July 14th, 2010 at 10:11 AM ^

Just one more example of how Brandon is handling things.  This was done in a respectful and classy manner, and in such a way that all sides appear to be happy with the conclusion.  I for one could not be happier with the work Brandon has done as the AD so far.

Aug

MGoAlumnus

July 14th, 2010 at 10:12 AM ^

You may resume your unbreakable faith in David Brandon's pimp hand.

Brian, you're killing me. I really want to change this to my signature, but I just changed it less than a week ago.

Someone else better claim this gem.

03 Blue 07

July 14th, 2010 at 11:11 AM ^

Thank goodness. I don't know Mr. Labadie, and the "he's a nice guy" stuff might sway my opinion if I did, but I have the luxury of not knowing the man personally. After reading all of the emails produced in the document dump a couple months ago, I felt this was the only honorable thing to do: offer his resignation. I thank him for doing so. However, the incompetence he displayed and damage done by said incompetence is professionally unforgivable.  

imafreak1

July 14th, 2010 at 4:11 PM ^

Well, since your understanding of the issues could be classified as completely superficial, I would describe this response as uncharitable. It's not like the guy killed someone. I realize this is the internet and the deal is you're supposed to be as rude and mean as possible but the dude lost his job and has been used a poster child for problems that are well above his paygrade. But yeah, screw him.

Huntington Wolverine

July 14th, 2010 at 2:59 PM ^

I don't want anything to happen to him while my mother's alive.

Sincerely,

Michael Corleone

 

Edit: To clarify, not a threat after his departure but more what took place with Brandon not acting quickly after Michigan's response to the NCAA allegations and instead moving on it now.

imafreak1

July 14th, 2010 at 4:05 PM ^

Just the other day I was thinking about that Iowa game in 2003. I don't blame them for trying something new. The thing I have never understood was why they didn't 86 it after the first time it was nearly a disaster. Because, they got a second chance. The first punt was nearly blocked and looked terrible. But no, they had to wait until it WAS an actual disaster before they decided it sucked.

jrbulls

July 14th, 2010 at 8:52 PM ^

As professional as they come. I don't wish any ill will upon Mr. Labadie. It pretty much had to end this way due to circumstances that WERE in his control. Despite his obvious blunders, I wish him well moving forward. As well, we should do the same...

Move forward... Go Blue!

Fact Checker

July 27th, 2010 at 4:08 PM ^

In regard to your "Heads Should Roll" diatribe:

Ok, so I see you have a huge focus on the compliance forms...has it crossed your mind that it may be difficult to impossible to fill out compliance forms and get them signed (in good conscience) by numerous people when there was not actual compliance? Hmmm... That's not on Brad or Draper...your skewed "reporting," shows your bias, as does your blog title, "In Rod we trust."  Try to look at the big picture before you attempt to assassinate someone's credibility.  Also, if you ever make a mistake (slander, perhaps?), I hope no one suggests that your "head should roll" and your grave should be danced upon.  This is Ann Arbor, not Stalinst Russia.  I advise attending Journalism and Ethics classes at U of M.

Seth

July 27th, 2010 at 5:39 PM ^

U of M doesn't have Journalism classes, or didn't when I was there, and it seems they're still not offered in Communication Studies (pdf).

If you want to go into journalism from your Michigan degree, you work at the Michigan Daily or at the radio or TV stations. It's a lot more of a sink-or-swim, hands-on education in the business than the "here's how to be a stenographer" approach of other schools, but it also means you pretty much have to learn AP style on the fly.

Anyway, if Cook did go back to school to spend a few years as a Daily staffer, or got a degree in journalism at a comparable school, the best I think we could hope would be that he would come out being able to write exactly the type of article he wrote, wherein the author took a massive document too long for readers to pore through individually, and found actionable information of interest to fans of the team.

It wasn't a hack piece at all.

I'm very intrigued by this suggestion that Labadie's struggle to get the CARA reports in after all of that time was that players didn't want to knowingly subject the university to violations. This, despite the bile attached to it afterwards, sounds plausible. It doesn't, however, explain why the head coach wasn't notified of the problem, or, if this is what happened, whose decision it was to ultimately ignore the problem and hope it would go away.