Looks like there could be some major changes at Cinci. When I read Mike DeCourcy of the Sporting News yesterday opining that Bob Huggins might get shoved out the door, I thought he might be a week early on the story. Now it seems he was only a day. Huggins didn’t get his contract extended, instead was offered a buyout.

University of Cincinnati president Nancy Zimpher did not offer basketball coach Bob Huggins a contract extension or rollover when the two met in her office Wednesday afternoon, leaving Huggins, for now, with the option of completing the final two years of his contract or accepting a buyout proposal, sources familiar with the negotiations confirmed Thursday.
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With two years left on his contract, Huggins would receive $1.4 million if he accepts the termination proposal.

Wednesday’s meeting took place in Zimpher’s office on campus and included Zimpher, Huggins, Goin, Board of Trustees chairman Phil Cox and Board vice chairman Jeff Wyler. Huggins had the rollover provision of his contract removed last summer in response to his arrest and conviction on a charge of driving under the influence. Before that, his contract rolled over on July 1 of each year so that he always had four years left.

This is a risky power play by Cinci President Zimpher. Huggins is very, very loved by the alumni of Cinci. Trust me. My wife isn’t a rabid fan, but even she holds “Huggy-bear” in high regard. If she boots Huggins, the guy who takes over better win right away or they will both be gone. It seems Greg Doyel at Sportsline is having the same line of thoughts that I am about this.

At least one Cinci columnist thinks Zimpher should back away from the ledge. That as Cinci is entering the Big East, this is not the time to make such a huge move.

Meanwhile, UConn is embroiled in a pseudo-ethics scandal.

Bill Clinton had Monicagate. Now the UConn athletic department, in particular athletic director Jeff Hathaway, must contend with Monacogate. In a series of articles that began on April 4, the Hartford Courant reported Hathaway and his wife were receiving gratis the use of vehicles from Glastonbury-based Monaco Ford. While that is not unusual — the football coach, basketball coach and athletic director at almost every big-time school you can name are driving around in comped cars — the terms of Hathaway’s arrangement has led to an investigation by the state’s ethics commission.

According to the Courant, Hathaway, along with head coaches Randy Edsall (football), Jim Calhoun (men’s basketball) and Geno Auriemma (women’s basketball), as well as women’s associate head basketball coach Chris Dailey, had deals in place to receive complimentary cars in exchange for tickets. However, according to the Courant, last summer Hathaway asked all athletic department staffers who receive complimentary tickets sign a form stating that they would not sell their tickets to a third party. Hathaway, according to the Courant, “exempted himself and the coaches from the no-selling rule because he viewed selling tickets for cars as different from other forms of selling.”

In other words, Hathaway forbade employees of the school’s athletic department from scalping tickets for cash; meanwhile, he allegedly allowed himself and the three highest-paid employees of the department to continue exchanging seats for wheels.

Second, according to the Courant, under the terms of Hathaway’s agreement with Monaco, he would perform endorsement services in exchange for use of the vehicles. Hathaway has never done an ad or in any way endorsed the dealership. The NCAA allows athletic department officials to supplement their income from “bona fide” outside employment in which the officials are “performing services. ” However, an official cannot accept the car as an outright gift.

Thus, the only manner in which Hathaway might receive use of the cars without violating NCAA rules is to exchange the university’s tickets for them. However, according to the Courant, when Hathaway notified the state ethics commission about his endorsement deal with Monaco, he never apprised them of the fact that what he was actually giving them was not his image — whatever it may be worth — but rather tickets. The Courant reported Hathaway later apologized to the commission and returned the vehicles, but at that time did not disclose that he had given Monaco tickets from his personal stash.

It’s the hypocrisy that has to be most galling. I don’t think or believe there is any real sleaze going on. But to see an AD preach high and mighty cosmetic ethics to the underlings while reserving the same perks for himself and the powerful coaches is disgusting.

Joe Paterno was doing his swing through Pittsburgh yesterday, so it can’t be avoided to mention it. Part of me wants to. It seems a tired topic. It’s easy to bash him, and it’s not that it isn’t fun to do so to him and Penn St., goodness no. It just seems like the same old dance.

Here’s the obligatory column on Penn St. and Pitt should play each other. Mike Prisuta does the honors this year.

On Thursday night, Joe Paterno, often accused of being out of touch in recent seasons, displayed a keen understanding of what a great many Pennsylvanians have always suspected is the main reason, the only reason one of college football’s storied rivalries has been put on hold.

“I’m the bad guy, and I’m the guy in the black hat in this one,” Paterno offered prior to a Nittany Lions’ gala at the Duquesne Club.

“But I’m not.”

Sensing a more detailed explanation was necessary, Paterno expounded.

The game can’t be played, he maintained, for a variety of reasons.
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Pitt wants the series to resume on a home-and-home basis badly enough that Wannstedt made a priority of reaching out to Paterno upon taking over in Oakland.

“Dave talked to me, and I tried to tell Dave, I said ‘Dave’ — look, I tried to get Dave out of high school, and I think Dave’s gonna do a heck of a job for Pitt, and I think that’s great — but Penn State’s gotta take care of Penn State.

“We’re not an Eastern institution as far as football goes. We’re a national institution playing in the Big Ten, OK?”

Actually, it’s not.

Penn State remains first and foremost a Pennsylvania institution, but that seems to have been lost on Paterno, just as 27 Big Ten games have been lost by Paterno since Nov. 6, 1999.

Eventually, JoePa grew tired of even his rhetoric yesterday.

Once that happened, he established that his memory is as sharp as ever.

“Pitt years ago, when I tried to put the Eastern Conference together, Pitt decided to go in the Big East for basketball,” Paterno said. “Fine, they had to make that decision. Now, though, everything’s kind of become convoluted.

“We’d all like to re-evaluate how we got where we are and the whole bit, but you know when Pitt went in the Big East, that cut my legs out from me, what I was trying to do, because I felt we needed an all-sports conference.”

For Paterno, it always comes back to that. Paterno has his version of what happened, even if it doesn’t jibe with reality. Funny how only Pitt, cut him off at the knees back then. Never a word about the Big East, Syracuse, BC or the others. Only Pitt did his dream in.

Instead, there is the news the same day of how the PSU-Temple rivalry is again to be played — at a 2-for-1 deal.

The biggest news, though, is his disappointment with his own coaching. Reflecting uselessly that he may have to go if the team falters again.

This time, if Penn State labors through another disappointing season, Joe Paterno won’t blame his players (because now, he finally likes his team’s talent) and he won’t blame his assistants (because after all, he recently pleaded to keep his staff intact). One more losing season — which would be Penn State’s fifth in six years — will only prompt Paterno to blame himself.
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Speaking first to a small table of media members, Paterno suggested that he would consider retirement if this season — one he believes is filled with promise — instead leads to disappointment.

“If we don’t win some games, I’ve got to get my rear end out of here,” Paterno said. “Simple as that.”

When he actually gets out is still up in the air. As for not blaming anyone else? Right. I notice he left out the referees.

What more is there to say really? A tired topic and a tired old man. Let him hang on as long as he can. That is what Penn St. deserves.

That seems to be how people familiar with Coach Dave Wannstedt perceive him to be now. This column from the Naples News sees a man very much at ease with himself.

The way Dave Wannstedt was received in Collier County on Tuesday, you’d think he was running for mayor.

Lucky for Barnett, the current Naples mayor, Wannstedt was only shaking hands, posing for pictures and signing autographs as part of the recruiting blitz for the University of Pittsburgh.

The new Panthers coach looked at home meeting and greeting potential recruits on the prep stage. Decked out in a Navy Panthers’ Fiesta Bowl polo and matching microfiber, wrinkle-free beige slacks, Wannstedt even dressed the part of collegiate headhunter.

He looked young again. He looked fresh — much fresher than he did last November when he stepped down as the Dolphins head coach after starting the season 1-8.

For Wannstedt, the Dolphins’ demise, Ricky Williams’ inauspicious retirement and his departure from the NFL was now a distant memory. Just like any successful politician, he overcame a potentially damaging moment and landed on his feet. And now he’s back out on the campaign trail.

“The reception has been overwhelming,” Wannstedt said. “I have received nothing but the utmost respect from the coaches, players and administrators at all of the schools that I visited. It’s a great feeling.”

But maybe Barnett should worry.

Wannstedt’s quite familiar with Collier County.

He’s a part-time resident and actually just stepped it up by buying a house in Port Royal. And by the looks of his white-collar, Panthers-visor wearing posse that met up with him at Naples High practice, Wannstedt has plenty of influential friends in high places.
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Two area teams winning state titles in the last five years has changed the opinion of Wannstedt and all of college football — evident by a Florida Gators assistant coach also present Tuesday in Naples.

Wannstedt started his day at Immokalee, a place he’d never been before. He came away with five players from John Weber’s roster that he likes. He was then off to Lely, Barron Collier and then finally to see Bill Kramer and the Golden Eagles.

Today, he’s heading across the coast to Broward County, visiting six different schools. He’ll follow that up by visiting six more in Dade on Wednesday.

After accepting the job at his alma mater, Wannstedt made a recruiting edict. He ordered all of his coaches to scour a 500-mile radius of Pitt and venture no farther with one exception: Florida.

“There are so many great athletes here that you have to make a presence and with my familiarity with the Hurricanes and the Dolphins, I need to take advantage of the situation,” Wannstedt said.

Nice to know how hard he is working the road.