Odds that Donahue stays?

[KeithK]

Though giving may not increase due to team success, the purchasing of school branded merchandise and applications certainly increase and are direct sources of revenue to the school. I'm not sure how many t-shirts the school would have to sell to offset at $2m raise, but I'm sure someone with time can figure that number out...

If the T-shirts were free to make and sold for $15 then we're talking about 133,333 shirts. That's roughly one shirt for every two living Cornell alums.

[YankeeLobo]

Northern Iowa just locked up their coach for 10 years.

http://sports.espn.go.com/ncb/news/story?id=5025035

Eh, they signed a 10yr contract but there's a buyout clause in his contract that any Big 6 school could pay easily.  He may not leave this year but if his success at UNI continues, there's no way he finishes that contract.

[ugarte]

Northern Iowa just locked up their coach for 10 years.

http://sports.espn.go.com/ncb/news/story?id=5025035

Eh, they signed a 10yr contract but there's a buyout clause in his contract that any Big 6 school could pay easily.  He may not leave this year but if his success at UNI continues, there's no way he finishes that contract.

I'm glad that somebody said this. The 10 year contract makes it expensive for UNI to fire him but not that expensive for Iowa State to steal him.

[phillysportsfan]

Maybe Caril can get this message to Donahue:

But Hall of Fame coach Pete Carril, who stayed at Princeton for 29 years instead of moving on to other opportunities, cautioned Donahue to be careful what he wishes for. "I had a chance to leave Princeton myself several times, and I thought a lot about the word happiness," he said. "You may get more money, you may get more prestige, you might be part of ESPN and all that, but, on the other hand, you've got an outstanding number of pressures that are hard to defend, and a system where the athletes aren't a part of the regular student body. "If he's a happy guy enjoys going to work every day and enjoys the team he coaches, that's a challenge right there," Carril added. "Especially the way the world is turning today, things are moving so fast. . . . How can you take it more than one day at a time?"

[Roy 82]

Northern Iowa just locked up their coach for 10 years.

Hmmm. Incarceration. I didn't think of that. Is it legal? How could we do it for away games?:-D

[Roy 82]

Here is a dumb question:

Why doesn't Cornell just offer Donahue a bigger salary next season?

The indirect financial benefit to Cornell by having a successful BBall program would more than make up for the cost.

I have no doubt that Cornell will try to increase his salary to retain him. But it's not clear to me that there's a huge financial benefit. Are you increasing your annual giving because the team went to the sweet sixteen? If not, who is?

Cornell research has actually shown that increased winning for sports teams doesn't necessarily increase giving:

http://www.johnson.cornell.edu/news/collegesports.html

I hate when people ruin a perfectly good argument with facts. :-D

Actually, you can read the article about the report and its conclusions two ways. The editor chose to emphasize that the effect was small. But the report itself does note that there is a short spike in benefits to the university based on athletic success. Depending on the size and duration of the spike, a few hundred thousand per year in salary could be offset.

[Jacob '06]

Here is a dumb question:

Why doesn't Cornell just offer Donahue a bigger salary next season?

The indirect financial benefit to Cornell by having a successful BBall program would more than make up for the cost.

I have no doubt that Cornell will try to increase his salary to retain him. But it's not clear to me that there's a huge financial benefit. Are you increasing your annual giving because the team went to the sweet sixteen? If not, who is?

Cornell research has actually shown that increased winning for sports teams doesn't necessarily increase giving:

http://www.johnson.cornell.edu/news/collegesports.html

I hate when people ruin a perfectly good argument with facts. :-D

Actually, you can read the article about the report and its conclusions two ways. The editor chose to emphasize that the effect was small. But the report itself does note that there is a short spike in benefits to the university based on athletic success. Depending on the size and duration of the spike, a few hundred thousand per year in salary could be offset.

I did get an email today from Andy asking for a $75 donation in light of all the success last weekend. Maybe the bump is bigger if they harass you and ask for it.

[mnagowski]

Here is a dumb question:

Why doesn't Cornell just offer Donahue a bigger salary next season?

The indirect financial benefit to Cornell by having a successful BBall program would more than make up for the cost.

I have no doubt that Cornell will try to increase his salary to retain him. But it's not clear to me that there's a huge financial benefit. Are you increasing your annual giving because the team went to the sweet sixteen? If not, who is?

Cornell research has actually shown that increased winning for sports teams doesn't necessarily increase giving:

http://www.johnson.cornell.edu/news/collegesports.html

I hate when people ruin a perfectly good argument with facts. :-D

Actually, you can read the article about the report and its conclusions two ways. The editor chose to emphasize that the effect was small. But the report itself does note that there is a short spike in benefits to the university based on athletic success. Depending on the size and duration of the spike, a few hundred thousand per year in salary could be offset.

I did get an email today from Andy asking for a $75 donation in light of all the success last weekend. Maybe the bump is bigger if they harass you and ask for it.

Admittedly, the report was for your average state school, and not a school like Cornell. I could actually see there being a large financial benefit if Cornell was able to communicate the current situation in a clear and effective manner.

The fact is that Cornell appears to be increasingly losing out on a lot of students, not just athletes, because the financial aid isn't there relative to some of the Ivies and other selective schools. Harvard and Princeton's financial aid will soon be good enough so that most of their athletes will be on full rides, just not for athletics. And the University just had its hand slapped by the Ivy office for trying to offer some students (read: athletes) need-based financial-aid on par with the other Ivies.

More here: http://www.metaezra.com/archive/2010/01/report_ivy_league_investigatin.shtml

Somewhere the alumni body needs to hear, "If you want us to continue having athletic (and other) successes, we will need your help in increasing the endowment for financial aid." Either that message is being lost, or it's just not getting out there for anybody but the major donors to hear.

[JasonN95]

Donahue mentioned in this article re St. John's failed attempt to get GA Tech coach.
http://sports.espn.go.com/ncb/news/story?id=5027590

[Greenberg '97]

I did get an email today from Andy asking for a $75 donation in light of all the success last weekend. Maybe the bump is bigger if they harass you and ask for it.

$75? You got off easy.  I was asked for $250.  I wonder if the difference is the graduation year or the MD after my name.

[Lauren '06]

I did get an email today from Andy asking for a $75 donation in light of all the success last weekend. Maybe the bump is bigger if they harass you and ask for it.

$75? You got off easy.  I was asked for $250.  I wonder if the difference is the graduation year or the MD after my name.

Based on my limited experience with Cornell fundraising, the amount is usually based on your previous gifts.

[dbilmes]

The New York Times today says that Donahue is being vetted for the St. John's position.

[scoop85]

The New York Times today says that Donahue is being vetted for the St. John's position.

The St. Johns AD had said they were looking for a guy who coached at a power conference and had success at the highest levels.  While I think Donahue would be a good hire for any program, he certainly doesn't meet those criteria.  But I guess St. Johns is getting a dose of reality that the school is no longer as plum a job as it used to be.

[peterg]

Not only a mention, but the article gives an idea of the salaries being paid to coaches these days.

[Jordan 04]

SJU is one place I wouldn't mind seeing Donahue move on to. If he could rebuild the "home town" program, that might even be more impressive than what he's done at Cornell.