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Clemson Icon [26732]
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An outsider's take on Neff's letter re Brownell.
Mar 18, 2022, 3:43 PM
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I read the letter, twice. I flunked my mind-reading course in college three times, so take my interpretation as anything but accurate. But, here it is.
After reading it the first time, my thought was: Brownell is gone. The announcement just hasn't been made yet. The reason I thought that was because nowhere in the letter does it state he will definitely return. Some people can infer he says that. Others can infer that since he didn't say that, it means Brownell is gone. They may be working out the details. They may be giving him a chance to step aside graciously without the embarrassment of being fired. They may be looking for his replacement and will announce it shortly after they have found their guy, but before they formally announce it. But, he's gone.
After reading it the second time my thought was: He's Dean Man Walking. He's been told that unless there is MAJOR (unachievable, miraculous, earth-shattering) improvement he is gone after next year. He's been told that if he decides to leave now that would be just fine, too. But, at any rate, he's gone in a year.
If I have ever read a weaker letter of "vote of confidence" from an AD about a coach, I don't remember it.
Message was edited by: bretfsu®
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All-TigerNet [5673]
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Re: An outsider's take on Neff's letter re Brownell.
Mar 18, 2022, 3:46 PM
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Sounds like you and I have the same interpretation. Maybe my age has something to do with it.
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Clemson Icon [26732]
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Re: An outsider's take on Neff's letter re Brownell.
Mar 18, 2022, 4:14 PM
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Age might be something in the interpretation. I'm 70+. You're probably younger than that.
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All-TigerNet [5673]
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Re: An outsider's take on Neff's letter re Brownell.
Mar 18, 2022, 4:20 PM
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Nope.
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Orange Blooded [2591]
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Hope you’re right, Bret. But doesn’t seem to me that he’s getting this off-season
Mar 18, 2022, 3:52 PM
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And if Brad had any sense at all, he would save face and step down now and save the embarrassment. He cannot possibly believe year 13 will be any different than the previous 12. I thought we had a pretty talented team this year. But once again, disappointment. What/who are we gaining for next year? Any game changers? None that I’ve heard of. Just delaying the inevitable. And Neff is coming off as weak just like his predecessor.
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Valley Legend [12687]
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Re: Hope you’re right, Bret. But doesn’t seem to me that he’s getting this off-season
Mar 18, 2022, 4:18 PM
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And if Brad had any sense at all, he would save face and step down now and save the embarrassment. He cannot possibly believe year 13 will be any different than the previous 12. I thought we had a pretty talented team this year. But once again, disappointment. What/who are we gaining for next year? Any game changers? None that I’ve heard of. Just delaying the inevitable. And Neff is coming off as weak just like his predecessor.
trust me PJ Hall was the game changer already here and if he wan't coming back Brad would most likely be gone.
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Valley Legend [12687]
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Re: An outsider's take on Neff's letter re Brownell.
Mar 18, 2022, 3:57 PM
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Yeah, interesting points.
My idea was more they might want him to take another job to leave suttlely. I have seen some of the candidates at Xavier and wonder if Brad might be interested, because some of those candidates aren't as good as Brad regarding reputation and what they have accomplished. He was born in Cincinnati and knows that area very well from his time at Wright State. Remember he is a huge Bengals and Reds fan. Also, it's a basketball first school where I think Brad would do a lot better.
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All-Time Great [88991]
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At this point and after 12 years, I won’t believe it until
Mar 18, 2022, 4:06 PM
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it happens.
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Clemson Sports Icon [57464]
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Re: An outsider's take on Neff's letter re Brownell.
Mar 18, 2022, 4:17 PM
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Who knows--you could be correct. I suppose it all depends on what Neff's superiors expect of him now, and if this was discussed before/when he was hired. I do believe he sincerely wants the basketball team to succeed under his athletic directorship.
I've given up trying to predict anything.
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Letterman [293]
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Re: An outsider's take on Neff's letter re Brownell.
Mar 18, 2022, 4:18 PM
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This.
Although Graham Neff is getting a lot of grief on places like TigerNet, he's handling this the way he has to. DRad continually kicked the can down the road with respect to Brad, and this is really Graham's first opportunity AS THE AD to publicly raise the bar. Between what was stated in this letter and what was likely communicated privately during their conversations since the season ended, Brad knows that the expectations going forward are MUCH higher than what's been achieved thus far.
I believe that the talk of increasing the investments in basketball is sincere, but with the increased investments and emphasis will come increased expectations. I wouldn't be surprised if this moves Brad to begin looking for another opportunity now - it's just a matter of whether the right one comes along or not. If not, then all the chips are pushed to the table for next season. And barring significant (perhaps unprecedented?) success next season, Graham will be well-positioned to make a move and attract an upgrade.
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Top TigerNet [28255]
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Re: An outsider's take on Neff's letter re Brownell.
Mar 18, 2022, 4:23 PM
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I think thought #2 may be accurate but who am I to decipher. Just a guess.
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Top TigerNet [31101]
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Again the big fear is with a decent returning cast BB
Mar 18, 2022, 4:25 PM
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Pulls out a decent year next year top half of the ACC, makes the NCAA, maybe even wins a game or two… So he gets a big fat extension more money bigger buyout… And then we returned to the seller for 3 to 4 more years. He should’ve been gone years ago
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Clemson Conqueror [11596]
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Re: An outsider's take on Neff's letter re Brownell.
Mar 18, 2022, 4:35 PM
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First Bret .... you are no longer and outsider ..... well maybe technically ..... but you think like many of us and are interested in our programs. I think Graham, who I have met on a number of occasions, is still getting his feet wet and is not inclined to come in and start firing coaches ..... even if he wanted to. The other coaches are watching how he handles this and these are the people that he has to work with.
As a Marine Corps officer, whenever I took over a new unit, I certainly would not want to start shaking things up until I knew what all was going on. Graham knows what is going on, but he now has to look at it from a different perspective. I also never wrote any of my men a less than excellent fitness report without meeting with them a minimum of three times to let them know what my expectations were and their shortcomings. If things were not corrected after those meetings, then they should have not been surprised when their fitness report was not up to snuff. Same with Graham and Brad ...... they have met and Brad knows what the expectations are. If he fails, then he should not be surprised with the outcome!
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Clemson Sports Icon [54565]
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Re: An outsider's take on Neff's letter re Brownell.
Mar 18, 2022, 5:07 PM
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Well said and God Bless you for your service.
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Clemson Icon [26732]
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Re: An outsider's take on Neff's letter re Brownell.
Mar 18, 2022, 5:55 PM
[ in reply to Re: An outsider's take on Neff's letter re Brownell. ] |
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Thanks for your service. I was in the Navy for 8+ years. When I was in a position to have to write fitness reports, the CO gave me this advice:
"When you write a bad fitness report, I expect the person to be mad. I expect them to be upset. I expect them to come into my office and complain. But, I don't expect them to be surprised. If you haven't told them what the problem was, what they must do to correct it and told them they didn't correct it, you better not write a bad report."
Very good advice. Without a doubt, it was the toughest part of my job. Nobody likes to be told they are doing a bad job. And very few people, including me, enjoy telling people they are doing a bad job.
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Clemson Conqueror [11596]
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Re: An outsider's take on Neff's letter re Brownell.
Mar 18, 2022, 11:55 PM
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Bret ..... that was exactly what I was talking about. As a 1st Lt., right after I got back from my tour in Viet Nam as a Combat Engineer platoon commander, I was made head of the supply department at an air squadron in Beaufort. I had no idea how to run a supply unit, so I depended on my staff NCO's. My Gunnery Sergeant was gone about half the time for a sick dog, a sick daughter, a doctor's appointment, etc., etc., but every time I left the base I saw his car at Ramblin Rose's Cantina not far from the front gate. I talked to him a number of times with no results, so I wrote him a bad fitness report. My Squadron Commander called me in his office and asked me to write him a better fitness report. I told him I would not do it and suggested that he might want to write his report instead of me, which he did.
IN addition to my Gunny, I was getting a "letter of indebtedness" a week from DaddyO's Men's Shop or Boomtown Furniture in Jacksonville, NC (home of Camp LeJeune) for my Staff Sergeant. I ignored them and threw them in the trash because of the way those stores would lure young naive Marines in and sell them things they did not need. I was not their collection agency. Still, I did not like getting the letters. Martines are great in war, and I loved having them by my side, but in garrison they loved to be a little rambunctious.
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Clemson Icon [26732]
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Re: An outsider's take on Neff's letter re Brownell.
Mar 18, 2022, 6:06 PM
[ in reply to Re: An outsider's take on Neff's letter re Brownell. ] |
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Thanks for those kind words. But, I do recognize I am a guest on this board. I know new people come in and join all the time. I don't anyone to get the idea I think I am entitled to express my opinions on here.
This board is a much larger board than the Nole board I post on. I actually post here more than I post on it, because there is a lot more discussion and a lot more topics overall. But, I do not forget than I am blessed to be welcome and accepted as a "regular member" of this board. I never want to take that for granted.
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Orange Blooded [3427]
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The letter was a saving grace rather than a vote of confidence
Mar 18, 2022, 5:10 PM
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Neff is saying ok we'll bring you back, but you're on the hot seat and have got to have better results or else we'll move in a different direction.
He didn't have to bring him back. He also didn't have to say anything at all. But he did, which shows his cards. Turn things around or I'm forced to get rid of you. Way more than DRad ever did.
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Orange Beast [6569]
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Basically delaying the rebuild a year.
Mar 18, 2022, 5:58 PM
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Not smart
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Gridiron Giant [15431]
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Re: An outsider's take on Neff's letter re Brownell.
Mar 19, 2022, 12:44 AM
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I've wondered if Hall and/or a couple players said they were heading to the portal if Brownell was let go? There is some history with players liking him.
Secondly, I think the letter was written in such a way that it would not "completely" destroy recruiting, even though recruiting is not high level, as it is. Three 3 star commits now. Julian Phillips "may" be recruited again after getting out of his LSU Letter of Intent because the coach that recruited and signed him was fired.
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