Brennan Resigns

[SgtHulka]

Well sir, we were going to this bingo parlor at the YMCA, well one thing led to another, and the instructions got all fouled up...

 

[BirdGrad2011]

ISU Athletics: Reckoning with the past to move forward

Many of those who worked under Kyle Brennan say the rebuilding must acknowledge broader workplace-culture issues inside Illinois State University Athletics – problems that go beyond any single junket on a millionaire’s private jet.

www.wglt.org

Kind of a boring read. This alludes to a lot of the rumors flying just without the details.

 

[Bird Friend]

ISU Athletics: Reckoning with the past to move forward

Many of those who worked under Kyle Brennan say the rebuilding must acknowledge broader workplace-culture issues inside Illinois State University Athletics – problems that go beyond any single junket on a millionaire’s private jet.

www.wglt.org

Kind of a boring read. This alludes to a lot of the rumors flying just without the details.

Pretty much states that there were some bad decisions going on, implying more than just Indy trip. May be a boring read, but Tarhule comes off pretty thoughtful and seems to have a plan.

 

[ScoreboardDotRace]

While we’re coming off an external hire that clearly didn’t work, I hope they still look to fill the role beyond just picking someone easy within the recent ISU universe.

 

[Birdswin]

Not an easy article to write - with former employees. You have to discern what is legitimate versus sour grapes. Good to hear the interim President has a plan and thoughts on Athletics - did not say what that plan entails, but we will see what it is over time - actions count. It is more than what the Pantagraph or WJBC has done from a reporting standpoint - which is next to nothing in my book.

 

[Bdub777]

ISU Athletics: Reckoning with the past to move forward

Many of those who worked under Kyle Brennan say the rebuilding must acknowledge broader workplace-culture issues inside Illinois State University Athletics – problems that go beyond any single junket on a millionaire’s private jet.

www.wglt.org

Kind of a boring read. This alludes to a lot of the rumors flying just without the details.

I can’t agree. I thought the article provided a lot of insight into why it was much more than Indy.

Sounds like people were treated pretty badly if you weren’t in a very small inner circle. When you pay people poorly (expected) you have to offset that by making it a fun place to work and genuinely appreciating people. That clearly didn’t happen.

Key quotes: “There are a lot of people who want to work in Athletics right now but aren’t because of those two human beings.” (Ouch, …at least “humanoids” was not used)….

“Kyle gave me car salesman vibes.” (Yeah, some one else said that here, and that blue plaid jacket was worn way too often).

Yes, these are disgruntled current and former employees, but the quotes and other characterizations seem very plausible. One clear fact is the turnover numbers, which are off the charts.

I am not a temperance fanatic, but I personally thought the visible public alcohol usage seemed like way more than a beer before the game and one at halftime. I heard he was walking around with a beer at the spring football scrimmage last Saturday after this whole thing went down. I’d want a beer too after the week he had, but he’s still in charge, so poor self awareness as they say….Doing shots on the job is stupid, not cool, if that’s true.

In conclusion, sounds like the Indy story breaking expedited the inevitable.

 

[SgtHulka]

I'm not used to reading someone working on a story about the program, good or bad. Refreshing. We used to get that back in the Bloodworth days, but not much since. No idea the legitimacy of the unnamed quotes but he's going Bernstein on the story. Deep Beak knows all

 

[Reggie1857]

If we found a sale rep taking a client to a strip club they would be immediately terminated.

 

[Hamdonger]

ISU Athletics: Reckoning with the past to move forward

Many of those who worked under Kyle Brennan say the rebuilding must acknowledge broader workplace-culture issues inside Illinois State University Athletics – problems that go beyond any single junket on a millionaire’s private jet.

www.wglt.org

Kind of a boring read. This alludes to a lot of the rumors flying just without the details.

I would agree with your last sentence. I realize the task of getting an identified on-the-record quote was unlikely...but...I have a hard time with professional journalists who only quote anonymous 'sources.' I thought the Brennan resigns breaking story was good. This one lacks some journalistic integrity and I detect a bit (or more) of ragtag. Parts of the article felt like posts right here on this forum. Sorry Quinn, I know that's probably not fair to you.

Of course, journalism today completely revolves around anonymous source quoting. So, I suppose it's par for the course.

 

[Hamdonger]

I'm not used to reading someone working on a story about the program, good or bad. Refreshing. We used to get that back in the Bloodworth days, but not much since. No idea the legitimacy of the unnamed quotes but he's going Bernstein on the story. Deep Beak knows all

Despite my previous post (as I'm now just reading yours)...refreshing?? Indeed, Hulk.

Speaking of refreshing, my Manchester Hall next door neighbors would smoke pot in their room...and to disguise the smell...they'd stuff fabric softener sheets under their door. "Refreshing, don't you think," they'd smirk. To the rest of us, it just smelled like Bounce'y pot.

 

[normalbird]

Original article indicated: 1) $18,000+ was spent on 9 tickets to BIGIO football championship game, and 2) almost $5,000 was spent on 8 rooms at a Hampton Inn. There was also reference to feimbursement requests for Uber carges. No reportage on spending university funds at a strip club

More recent article provides statistics that show higher employee turnover during Brennan tenure, but anonymous interviews with current and former don’t specify reasons for turnover. This story also references a culture of excessive public drinking, and an ethics complaint is acknowledged to have been made but no details are provided.

To me, although I’m as curious as the next fan about the details omitted from these 2 stories, the most compelling piece is Charlie Schlenker’s interview with Interim President Tarhule. Tarhule speaks in a measured thoughtful manner and lays out an ambitious hiring timetable (please, please pick a different search firm that will do the critical advance work to build a candidate profile that comprehends ISU’s expectations for leadership, character and integrity). Tarhule seems willing to take counsel from former Hovey Hall types and use it to shape his strategies and decisions. I trust him to assess a wide variety of opinions from the communit, to not just look at the search firms’ stable of candidates, but to dig as deep as necessary to get the right person for ISU’s next Athletic Director.

 

[dpdoughbird06]

Despite my previous post (as I'm now just reading yours)...refreshing?? Indeed, Hulk.

Speaking of refreshing, my Manchester Hall next door neighbors would smoke pot in their room...and to disguise the smell...they'd stuff fabric softener sheets under their door. "Refreshing, don't you think," they'd smirk. To the rest of us, it just smelled like Bounce'y pot.

The fabric softener sheets had made their way into paper towel rolls by the late ‘90s. Extra Bouncy.

 

[Hamdonger]

Tarhule seems willing to take counsel from former Hovey Hall types and use it to shape his strategies and decisions.

For some reason, I got a kick out of this line.✌

 

[Bird Friend]

I would agree with your last sentence. I realize the task of getting an identified on-the-record quote was unlikely...but...I have a hard time with professional journalists who only quote anonymous 'sources.' I thought the Brennan resigns breaking story was good. This one lacks some journalistic integrity and I detect a bit (or more) of ragtag. Parts of the article felt like posts right here on this forum. Sorry Quinn, I know that's probably not fair to you.

Of course, journalism today completely revolves around anonymous source quoting. So, I suppose it's par for the course.

Yeah, this article does come off a bit “pissy” like he wasn’t happy that people were questioning the strip club story. Though I think he could’ve shortened this article significantly, I believe he’s trying to show that there’s more to Kyle’s “resignation” than just the Indy story.

In reading the Tarhule interview, he seems to say Brennan’s resignation was not necessarily voluntary. And honestly, I believe Kinzy-Goss’ resignation is related. The raise she gave Kyle shortly after the ethics complaint certainly doesn’t look good.

 

[Birgs]

Once Upon a time...

...sure Greenspan was kinda greaseball.

Mossman was/is the best in the business in media relations.

Lyons was better @ turning cents into $ and back again without stripper trips.

There was a less "sexy" but incredibly successful era with great minds like Stallings, Berry, and Bowman.

..still wonder why not enough $ could have kept Jank.

 

[Bird Friend]

Once Upon a time...

...sure Greenspan was kinda greaseball.

Mossman was/is the best in the business in media relations.

Lyons was better @ turning cents into $ and back again without stripper trips.

There was a less "sexy" but incredibly successful era with great minds like Stallings, Berry, and Bowman.

..still wonder why not enough $ could have kept Jank.

Interesting that you put Berry and Stallings with Bowman . . . Bowman wasn’t prez when Stallings and Berry were here. Wallace and then Strand were prez when those two were coaching here. Than Boschini before Bowman. We were somewhat successful during Bowman’s tenure, but not tremendously.

 

[ScoreboardDotRace]

..still wonder why not enough $ could have kept Jank.

With the way he scheduled, jumped to be a coach in waiting I don’t think he intended to stick around regardless.

 

[gobirds85]

Interesting that you put Berry and Stallings with Bowman . . . Bowman wasn’t prez when Stallings and Berry were here. Wallace and then Strand were prez when those two were coaching here. Than Boschini before Bowman. We were somewhat successful during Bowman’s tenure, but not tremendously.

Boschini started moving the ball in the right direction. Until then, we had very little leadership with vision. Mainly, just seat warmers and clock watchers waiting to retire and cash in on their pension. A friend of mine who was at ISU his entire lifetime (undergrad, grad, and university official) said that Boschini realized what ISU was (a solid undergrad university that was very affordable), and began to mold the mindset on campus in that direction. Bowman was a fantastic hire. After that, things got a little sideways. Time to right the ship.

 

[Phantom]

I thought the article was fine, and actually rather insightful if you read between the lines. No exact details are given, but it's more than hearsay and backed by some data. Consider:

- More than 70(!) staffers resigned or retired since Brennan's arrival
- An official ethics inquiry
- Drinking on the job (we've all seen coaches & admins have a beer or two at events, so to note Brennan's boozing as particularly noticeable, it must've been pretty considerable)
- Car salesman vibes (this feels accurate given the circumstantial reports & relationship with Rossi)
- Cliques & inner circle bullshit
- Lack of direction and camaraderie

Add all that up and you get a pretty toxic culture. If anyone has been in that situation where you feel cut out/not included at work and you can clearly see favoritism and all that cool kids clique/inner circle shit at the workplace, it's awful - the kind of thing that makes you hate your job and dread going to work. If any of that was truly going on, then that explains the mass exodus of staffers. Nobody wants to deal with that.

All in all, it's not a good situation and the department is better off moving on from it and starting over. Sure it sucks bigtime, but if that article plus the WGLT report are so much as an accurate hint of the atmosphere in the office, then it's time to hit the reset button.

 

[Reggie Redbird]

Once Upon a time...

...sure Greenspan was kinda greaseball.

Mossman was/is the best in the business in media relations.

Lyons was better @ turning cents into $ and back again without stripper trips.

There was a less "sexy" but incredibly successful era with great minds like Stallings, Berry, and Bowman.

..still wonder why not enough $ could have kept Jank.

I believe the Jank family was looking at a different location to reside. After he lost money, along with many other coaches, in an investment scandal, it may have been his pay being tripled and a metro market that attracted him. Having previously been in Texas, they may have been happier there. In hiring Jank, Brown also got a star transfer in Nic Moore.

He parlayed the CIW job into a very secure rest of his life making $750k as an Asst and at least some years of $2 million.For what he produced after Brown’s recruits departed, I would venture disappointment that his results there were on par with here, perhaps slightly yes.