O-Live story on Softball's Offseason

Moderators: greenyellow, UOducksTK1

Greenblood
Senior
Posts: 3126
Joined: Sat Jan 10, 2009 11:16 pm

O-Live story on Softball's Offseason

Post by Greenblood »

https://www.oregonlive.com/ducks/2019/0 ... -2019.html

I thought it was a pretty good read. It certainly sounds to me like Lombardi's different "style" was certainly one factor in the number of transfers.
User avatar
UofDuck
Senior
Posts: 3776
Joined: Sat Jan 10, 2009 11:51 pm

Re: O-Live story on Softball's Offseason

Post by UofDuck »

The link is broken
User avatar
greenyellow
Moderator
Moderator
Posts: 35675
Joined: Sun Jan 11, 2009 6:54 pm
Location: Eugene, OR

Re: O-Live story on Softball's Offseason

Post by greenyellow »

It's fixed.

As for the article, I think this part shows that players were more upset at White not being retained (even though Oregon did offer him a new substantial deal but wasn't quite as large as Texas' offer) and were looking for any reason to transfer out. Based on the wording and how certain players spoke in interviews/wrote on Twitter, it sounds like something Rhodes or Burke would say.
“I feel as a program and individuals, we were/are being greatly disrespected by our athletic directors,” said the player, who requested anonymity. “We were failed by them from the start when they made no effort to retain Coach White, then again by them being unreceptive and unresponsive to countless meetings about the current staff and the way we were/are being treated as well as the direction that the program was/is going. Unfortunately, no meeting ever resulted in intervention or resolution of these issues, rather they resulted in my teammates and I feeling totally unsupported by Oregon athletics.”
Image
Merganzer
Senior
Posts: 3469
Joined: Sat Apr 15, 2017 10:42 am

Re: O-Live story on Softball's Offseason

Post by Merganzer »

I can't say how a player should feel about the situation, but from the article, saying that no effort to keep White was made is off base. As to the "treatment", White was a player's coach to end all player's coaches. It seems Lombardi putting any kind of rules in place would be a major shift. I have known several teachers who were very displeased when students showed up to class in pajama's, work out gear. They preferred the students to come to class in pants, skirts. This seems to be along the lines of the "dress code" Lombardi instituted.
User avatar
nogerO
Senior
Posts: 4041
Joined: Sun Jan 11, 2009 1:48 pm
Location: Duck in the heart of the SEC

Re: O-Live story on Softball's Offseason

Post by nogerO »

Merganzer wrote:I can't say how a player should feel about the situation, but from the article, saying that no effort to keep White was made is off base. As to the "treatment", White was a player's coach to end all player's coaches. It seems Lombardi putting any kind of rules in place would be a major shift. I have known several teachers who were very displeased when students showed up to class in pajama's, work out gear. They preferred the students to come to class in pants, skirts. This seems to be along the lines of the "dress code" Lombardi instituted.
"A player's coach to end all player's coaches" was probably why they fell on their faces at the WCWS. Can't be besties with the players.
User avatar
greenyellow
Moderator
Moderator
Posts: 35675
Joined: Sun Jan 11, 2009 6:54 pm
Location: Eugene, OR

Re: O-Live story on Softball's Offseason

Post by greenyellow »

Here's the Register-Guard's story on the transition, with quotes from White that paint another version of what transpired with his contract:
https://www.ducksports.com/sports/20190 ... -of-change
Image
User avatar
Tray Dub
All Pac-12
Posts: 5004
Joined: Sat Jan 10, 2009 10:31 pm

Re: O-Live story on Softball's Offseason

Post by Tray Dub »

From the RG article:
White has a different recollection. He said he reached out to Mullens after being contacted by Texas but before receiving an offer from the Longhorns. Instead of meeting with Mullens, White said he was told to discuss the matter with Lisa Peterson, Oregon’s deputy athletic director and senior women’s administrator.

White said he told Peterson he wanted to revisit his contract and believed his market value to be around $400,000.

“When I told Lisa Peterson, she laughed at me,” White said. “She actually laughed at me and said, ‘If Texas is going to pay you that, then go ahead.’ To me, that was just a slap in the face.

“She said she would take my offer to Rob. Later that day she called me back and said they believed I was being paid fairly.”
What a terrible and unprofessional way to handle the situation by Peterson. Sounds like she dug us into a hole right off the bat.
User avatar
greenyellow
Moderator
Moderator
Posts: 35675
Joined: Sun Jan 11, 2009 6:54 pm
Location: Eugene, OR

Re: O-Live story on Softball's Offseason

Post by greenyellow »

From both stories, I just think that this relationship with White and the AD had become too strained and it was time for it to break up. He kept looking around and asking for new things (better stadium, better contract) which Mullens gave. After the latest offer and after all they've given his program, Mullens was likely just done with White's demands.
Image
User avatar
Tray Dub
All Pac-12
Posts: 5004
Joined: Sat Jan 10, 2009 10:31 pm

Re: O-Live story on Softball's Offseason

Post by Tray Dub »

greenyellow wrote:From both stories, I just think that this relationship with White and the AD had become too strained and it was time for it to break up. He kept looking around and asking for new things (better stadium, better contract) which Mullens gave. After the latest offer and after all they've given his program, Mullens was likely just done with White's demands.
Those were both completely reasonable asks though. The old stadium was bad and he was getting paid literally half of what his market value has been shown to be. If I'm making 20% less than what I should be paid I'm looking for a new job; he was making 50% less. Then when he asks for a raise he gets laughed at? Come on.
maxduck
Senior
Posts: 3769
Joined: Sun Jan 11, 2009 4:37 pm

Re: O-Live story on Softball's Offseason

Post by maxduck »

Mike White in 2019

“I felt like Texas really cared about all their sports,” White said. “I always felt like that was something that was missing at Oregon. I always felt like they were trying to keep softball down.”

Mike White in 2015 after interviewing with Arkansas and renegotiating his Oregon contract

"I'm impressed with other schools, but when you put the whole package together at Oregon with the academic center and student meals and the student recreation center and more, there are so many things to like about Oregon that's not just their athletic department."

Between those two statements Oregon built a $17 million dedicated softball stadium. I wonder what he thinks was missing?
User avatar
Tray Dub
All Pac-12
Posts: 5004
Joined: Sat Jan 10, 2009 10:31 pm

Re: O-Live story on Softball's Offseason

Post by Tray Dub »

maxduck wrote:I wonder what he thinks was missing?
idk maybe the 100% raise he got
maxduck
Senior
Posts: 3769
Joined: Sun Jan 11, 2009 4:37 pm

Re: O-Live story on Softball's Offseason

Post by maxduck »

Tray Dub wrote:
maxduck wrote:I wonder what he thinks was missing?
idk maybe the 100% raise he got
Exactly. Spare us the "trying to keep softball down" BS and admit it is simply because he can get more money.
User avatar
greenyellow
Moderator
Moderator
Posts: 35675
Joined: Sun Jan 11, 2009 6:54 pm
Location: Eugene, OR

Re: O-Live story on Softball's Offseason

Post by greenyellow »

Tray Dub wrote:
maxduck wrote:I wonder what he thinks was missing?
idk maybe the 100% raise he got
White made over $90K in incentives this past season, which pushed him over $300K for the year. Personally, I don't think he's worth the nearly $500K base salary per year that he got from Texas, especially considering there are Pac-12 coaches with actual national titles who make less than him. UW's Heather Tarr makes around $250K base salary ($340K with incentives/benefits) and she won a national title in 2009. Arizona's Mike Cardrea makes $345K base salary ($500K with incentives/benefits) after winning 8 national titles and leading Team USA to Olympic gold in 2004. UCLA's Kelly Inouye-Perez made only $130K base salary ($211K with incentives/benefits) in 2017 even after winning a national title in 2010. His salary at Texas ranks him among the top 5-10 highest-paid coaches in D1 softball and all of those around him actually have national titles.
Image
Merganzer
Senior
Posts: 3469
Joined: Sat Apr 15, 2017 10:42 am

Re: O-Live story on Softball's Offseason

Post by Merganzer »

maxduck wrote:
Tray Dub wrote:
maxduck wrote:I wonder what he thinks was missing?
idk maybe the 100% raise he got
Exactly. Spare us the "trying to keep softball down" BS and admit it is simply because he can get more money.
I agree. "The Jane" is considered to be the finest softball field in the country; that is not "trying to keep softball down". Having regular season runs like Oregon had under White, then consistently fizzling out in the WCWS kept softball down.
User avatar
pudgejeff
Senior
Posts: 4897
Joined: Sun Jan 11, 2009 6:21 am
GM: Sacramento Kings GM

Re: O-Live story on Softball's Offseason

Post by pudgejeff »

Merganzer wrote:
maxduck wrote:
Tray Dub wrote:
maxduck wrote:I wonder what he thinks was missing?
idk maybe the 100% raise he got
Exactly. Spare us the "trying to keep softball down" BS and admit it is simply because he can get more money.
I agree. "The Jane" is considered to be the finest softball field in the country; that is not "trying to keep softball down". Having regular season runs like Oregon had under White, then consistently fizzling out in the WCWS kept softball down.
Wasn't "The Jane" 100% funded by the Jane Sanders foundation though? I would exactly call that the AD investing. If I remember correctly they put down a big donation originally hoping to get support from the AD and other donors and got none so had to foot the rest of the bill too.

Side note, didn't Uncle Phil donate money directly to OSU for them to keep the Baseball coach? Seems like the Ad could have made a few calls to some donor's (doesn't have to be Phil), to say hey we need some more money to keep Coach White.
Post Reply