brady hoke has a new job title
He's not the Head Coach any longer. Now he's the "Ira and Nicki Harris Head Football Coach."
http://www.mlive.com/wolverines/index.ssf/2014/02/brady_hokes_new_job_t…
According to the press release, "This endowed position will strengthen the program for years to come and ensure the future generation of student-athletes will continue to benefit from outstanding coaching and leadership."
February 17th, 2014 at 3:17 PM ^
February 17th, 2014 at 2:24 PM ^
I'm not sure I get the negative reaction.
In medicine, it's an honor to be given an endowed title.
Plus, this means that his salary is being paid by the proceed of some rich family's donation to the athletic department rather than student tuition or tax dollars.
That works for me.
February 17th, 2014 at 2:27 PM ^
for a named chair to be prestigious.
But individual faculty members aren't as individuals representatives of the University the way that high-profile administrators are (the president, the provost) or coaches. I think that's the reason for the negative reaction.
But it's becoming increasingly common and unavoidable. Better that our head coach is named after a donor than a corporation.
February 17th, 2014 at 2:33 PM ^
That sounds like a very made-up reason to me. Where is the invisible line in the sand where a job is high-profile enough and shouldn't be endowed? We have noble prize winners in endowed positions. Is that somehow different?
February 17th, 2014 at 3:25 PM ^
So says Mitt Romney and the Supreme Court.
February 17th, 2014 at 2:30 PM ^
I'm sure others have done it also. Regardless, Don Canham was hailed for being innovative at finding new sources of revenue. Personally I think this is going overboard but if someone wasn't to give me $10 million, I'll rename my kids to whatever you want.
February 17th, 2014 at 2:42 PM ^
February 17th, 2014 at 2:25 PM ^
We could start a Kickstarter. I suggest we name the position the 'Mike "Big Brother" Hart' head football coach at Michigan State University.
February 17th, 2014 at 2:33 PM ^
because they are the little brother?
February 17th, 2014 at 2:25 PM ^
It's J. Ira and Nicki Harris Head Football Coach. How dare you leave out the "J".
February 17th, 2014 at 2:31 PM ^
You shouldn't post their pictures! Now you're just encouraging them!
February 17th, 2014 at 2:35 PM ^
I appreciate the contribution, but is that really the most pleasant expression that Ira was willing to give?
February 17th, 2014 at 2:48 PM ^
pleasant don't get you rich
February 17th, 2014 at 3:28 PM ^
How do you know which one is Ira?
/richpeoplenames
February 17th, 2014 at 4:38 PM ^
Darling Nikki's the one in the hotel lobby. With the magazine. Uhm, that's "making her own fun".
(Couldn't find a copy of the original on YouTube, but for any of you that missed 1984, here's the reference.)
February 17th, 2014 at 2:33 PM ^
Those two remind me of the fucking Bluths, man. That picture is an instant classic.
I'd personally like to see J. Ira added to the Lloyd Brady Photoshop Pantheon.
February 17th, 2014 at 8:14 PM ^
He's been known to put his "testicles" all over you.
February 17th, 2014 at 2:40 PM ^
February 17th, 2014 at 2:43 PM ^
Are you (and others) honestly making fun of a guy who freely gave money to the university?
February 17th, 2014 at 2:48 PM ^
Looks like the old lady has had at least $5M in work done. He on the other hand should find a quiet place to relieve his constipation.
February 17th, 2014 at 4:13 PM ^
drawer at the last second when the photographer suggested it needed something. That curl on his lip is from the smell of 7,000 perfume samples collected over the years from Cosmo and other magazines by his better half.
February 17th, 2014 at 2:44 PM ^
This is exactly how I picture Section 1. Open mouth and everything.
February 17th, 2014 at 2:45 PM ^
Holy underbite, batman!
February 17th, 2014 at 2:55 PM ^
palm a softball. My 9 year old has bigger paws than that.
February 17th, 2014 at 9:00 PM ^
February 17th, 2014 at 2:56 PM ^
Gross.
February 17th, 2014 at 3:42 PM ^
She's not in it for the loot.
February 18th, 2014 at 1:36 AM ^
Hail fellows well met, the cream of society, your social betters, swells wearing purple velvet slippers or going full-out in drag:
http://nymag.com/daily/intelligencer/2014/02/i-crashed-a-wall-street-se…
Kappa Beta Phi membership list here: http://nymag.com/daily/intelligencer/2014/02/revealed-members-of-kappa-…
February 17th, 2014 at 2:26 PM ^
February 17th, 2014 at 3:45 PM ^
I liked it. I dont care what anybody says.
February 17th, 2014 at 2:27 PM ^
Endowed positions are a popular way to get rich people who like to own things to pony up more money than otherwise. Orchestras use this to get donors to cover the cost of individual musicians. That way once a person retires from taking credit for other people's work they can still vicariously take credit for the endowed person's work.
February 17th, 2014 at 2:28 PM ^
I laughed when Stanford did the same and thought "lol that's the stupidest thing I've ever heard"
Karma, mane.
February 17th, 2014 at 4:46 PM ^
February 17th, 2014 at 2:28 PM ^
Will the donation help fund a headset?
February 17th, 2014 at 2:36 PM ^
February 17th, 2014 at 2:50 PM ^
February 17th, 2014 at 2:31 PM ^
But this phenomenon has been around for a while in the form of endowed professorships.
EDIT: Shit, late to the party. Spen too much time looking for a list of endowed professorships at UM before hitting the save button.
February 17th, 2014 at 2:31 PM ^
I think this is a good idea. Who cares if the title is different? This is a good way for Michigan to bring in a donation and help be certain they can afford top-level coaches for years to come. I have no problem with this at all.
Think about it this way: would you rather the goofy title, or higher ticket prices?
February 17th, 2014 at 2:35 PM ^
February 17th, 2014 at 2:38 PM ^
On what basis can you say the program doesn't need the cash? Unless you work for the AD, I think this is only your opinion.
February 17th, 2014 at 2:47 PM ^
The football program is doing great; so is men's basketball. But the rest of the athletic department and the university as a whole BADLY need the cash.
Organizations like Michigan should be looking for creative ways to get big gifts. I used to raise money for a non-profit, and a goofy title is well worth $10 million.
February 17th, 2014 at 3:27 PM ^
I don't doubt that other sports could use a little stimulus package, but I don't think the university as a whole needs cash, given our almost 9 billion dollar endowment.
February 17th, 2014 at 4:14 PM ^
At "non-profit" institution if you wait to get the cash for when you need it, it's too late.
I'm not a big fan of the tuition increases, PSL's, higher ticket prices, etc. I also think the college system is broken with 90+% of students receiving financial aid just so they can attend a four year institution.
That said, when it comes to endowments, grants, etc. schools need to bring in the money as soon as possible so you can start putting it to work for you. Schools who can not or do not do this fall behind quickly.
February 17th, 2014 at 8:24 PM ^
so ticket prices won't be going up anymore? . . . THATS FUCKING FANTASTIC!!!
OMG, this solves everthing!
Why the hell did no one think of donating money to the AD years ago?
So really, all we need is for someone ELSE to donate some money and ticket prices will start going back down?
Happy DAY!
February 17th, 2014 at 2:31 PM ^
February 17th, 2014 at 2:33 PM ^
A lot of other universities already do this. Most of the Ivy League schools have endowed positions on coaching staffs. And not just for football. Dartmouth's Head Squash Coach is an endowed position, and Cornell's Lacrosse Coach is as well, to name a couple. Amongst non-Ivie's, one that comes to mind is Stanford. Its Offensive Coordinator is actually titled the 'Andrew Luck Directorship of Offense" after an anonymous donor endowed the position.
February 17th, 2014 at 2:52 PM ^
Michigan is slacking, we need someone to endow Nuss as a Legate or any number of titles inspired by crazed dictators throughout history or something, at least. Anything to get a promotion from coordinator, right?