Boise State Fires Athletic Director (With UCLA Connections) Over NCAA Violations
by Nestor on Aug 11, 2011 7:00 AM PDT
Email
PrintReally interesting development out of Boise State:
Boise State Athletic Director Gene Bleymaier, the man behind the iconic blue turf at the school's football stadium and credited with a large role in the team's rise to national prominence, has been let go as the school faces sanctions because of violations in the football program and other sports.
University President Bob Kustra announced Wednesday that Bleymaier's career of 30 years at the school will end Sept. 8.
"I did not come to this decision lightly," Kustra said in a statement. "After a careful management review and discussions about the future of the program, I determined that new leadership will be needed as we commit ourselves to the highest level of attention and enforcement of NCAA standards, and also continue to move Boise State athletics to the next level of success."
The football violations under review were committed between 2005 and 2008. The program already is dealing with several self-imposed penalties, including fewer scholarships for the next two years and reduced practice time.
The 57-year-old Bleymaier told The Associated Press he met with Kustra last Thursday for 30 minutes and lobbied to keep his job, but wasn't successful.
"I did let him know that I wanted to stay, and I think he knows that I'm very disappointed," said Bleymaier, noting he had anticipated finishing out his professional career at Boise State. "We're very proud of what we've been able to do here in my time."
Good for Boise State. They become the latest school to display what an institution can do undertake serious measures of accountability instead of stonewalling and obstructing investigations. This story has obvious implications for UCLA for at least couple of reasons.
First, many here have been longingly looking at Boise State for a while as a good example of how to build a program that is not dependent on blue chip recruits. Well, clearly something hasn't been right with the way that program has built in recent years. Moreover, I think it is noteworthy how every high profile Boise State football coach has failed in their BCS opportunities after leaving that program (See Dirk Koetter at ASU and Dan Hawkins at CU).
Second, Bleymaier was a candidate for the UCLA AD job when Peter Dalis retired. He was actually one of the finalists.
Something to keep in mind for sure.
GO BRUINS.
This is a FanPost and does not necessarily reflect the views of BruinsNation's (BN) editors. It does reflect the views of this particular fan though, which is as important as the views of BN's editors.
16 comments
|
0 recs |
Do you like this story?
Comments
What about staring at the blue grass on the other side?
:)
by UCLA Band ' on Aug 11, 2011 8:45 AM PDT reply actions 1 recs
Its only cheating if you get caught?
With the endless barrage of allegations/violations against schools like Auburn, Nike U, THE Ohio State University, $UC, is it really any surprise that other “traditional” football powers like the Golden Domers, Michigan, Texas and UCLA have really struggled while trying to play within the NCAA’s parameters? You cannot help but raise an eyebrow when schools show any prolonged success anymore . . . that’s really sad.
Boise State's Violations
were mostly in women’s tennis, not football – violations in football included things like incoming football players who had not received housing sleeping on upperclassmen’s couches and carpooling with them – things that you wouldn’t normally consider NCAA violations as they are all things that college kids do for their friends. While they are against NCAA rules I wouldn’t throw them into the same hat as buying a player’s parents a house or giving them free cars. If I was a student-athlete in college I would’ve been guilty of “arranging impermissible transportation” many times by giving people free rides in my car.
I’m pretty surprised to hear the BSU AD getting canned but I guess that the school is doing everything they can to show the NCAA that they are taking these violations very seriously. But I don’t think this has anything to do with how the BSU program is built – if anything, it’s about how the women’s tennis program was built (read about their violations compared to football – they fielded a kid who wasn’t even enrolled, gave players cash, etc – who knew that WAC women’s tennis as such serious business?) What football did pales in comparison to what has been happening around the country this off-season at other places.
Another part of this investigation
those incoming players being “housed” by current student-athletes were they to attend voluntary summer workouts. I read this happened for a couple of years, then when BSU realized what was going on was against the rules, coaches started contacting incoming players to arrange housing for them which the players would pay market value for. BSU then self-reported the violations to the NCAA and told them how they had remedied the problem. The NCAA then said “wait, your coaches have been contacting players during this time (I guess outside of allowed contact periods)?? DOUBLE VIOLATION”.
Right
It’s all relative. The football violations are not much but they are actually pretty similar to what happened under CRN at UDub and CU. CRN got attacked with with “Slick Rick” while BSU kept getting glorified in the media as some ideal program.
Sign him up!
Imagine Bleymaier as the UCLA AD :)……..I can dream……
"A legend is an old man with a cane known for what he used to do. I'm still doing it." Miles Davis
Meh
these issues seem ticky tacky at worst and almost seem like non-issue territory. I’d like to get a football oriented AD.
Here's a thought........
I can remember when it was customary to elevate a football coach to AD instead of canning him if he was a legend. If and when the time comes, why not make CRN the AD. We’d have a football man in the job for a change. If SUC can do it why not us?
I really hope that gets explained some day
I am seriously interested in CRN’s thought process throughout that whole ordeal.
Agree
It was such a bad decision that we have to believe that there is a rational “back story” — or we are left believing CRN had a moment of total madness.
sjh
Me too.
It is inconceivable that someone with Coach Neuheisel’s pedigree would consider adding womeone with Seto’s pedigree to the coaching staff. There must have been something else going on. It was an incredibly stupid notion, so that makes me think it was Guerrero’s decision.
BIG REWARD???????
Hell of a reward for 30 dedicated years of service?? When all the smoke clears will we learn that Gene robbed a Boise bank??? After this, no matter what, he has NO chance for a position at UCLA.
Comments For This Post Are Closed
Secondary Sidebar
User Tools
Related FanPosts on Bruins Nation
FanPosts
Community blog posts and discussion.
