DuckSouth.com

Can someone "in the know" tell me what the hell this all about? Didn't Sherill's contract have to be paid by MSU money anway? What difference does it make where it comes from? This Scott Ross has made problems for MSU in the past. Does he have an axe to grind with Croom, Templeton, or Foglesong; or is he just meddling for the hell of it?

Bulldog Foundation agreement tabled again

By Kyle Veazey
kyle.veazey@clarionledger.com


STARKVILLE — A vote on the proposed agreement between the Bulldog Foundation, a fund-raising arm of Mississippi State’s athletic department, and the state College Board has been postponed at least another month, according to the agenda for next week’s board meeting.

Board member Scott Ross initially brought concerns about the agreement when he request that it be tabled in November. He is the mayor of West Point, and that town was hit hard on Jan. 29 with the news that its largest employer, Bryan Foods, was closing its factory and displacing some 1,200 employees.

At the board’s last meeting in January, the agreement touched off a debate centered mainly between Ross and MSU president Robert “Doc” Fogelsong. Ross voiced concern over the way board members were selected and brought to light a $1.2 million transfer from the MSU Foundation, a general university fund-raising arm, to the Bulldog Foundation to help pay coaches’ contracts after former MSU coach Jackie Sherrill retired.

The state College Board unanimously voted to have the board’s legal committee review Ross’ concerns over conflicts of interest and present its findings to the full board.

Money raised for academics being used to pay off old football coach.

Po Monkey Lounger wrote:Money raised for academics being used to pay off old football coach.

'Biddness as usual!

Ok, this explains things a little better. Still seems like there is more to it than what is being written here.

Search for AD possible at MSU

Proposal would extend Templeton's contract only for one year

By Kyle Veazey
kyle.veazey@clarionledger.com

Mississippi State University would extend athletic director Larry Templeton's contract for one year and begin searching for his replacement under a proposal that will be presented to the state College Board next week.

According to the board agenda, the proposal would extend Templeton's contract through June 30, 2008, but "the search for the new athletic director will begin July 1, 2007."

Templeton would not comment Friday night, referring questions to MSU President Robert "Doc" Fogelsong, who is responsible for making such recommendations to the board.

Fogelsong was unavailable for comment.

Templeton's contract runs through June 30.

According to the College Board agenda, the proposed one-year extension would keep the state-funded portion of his contract at $183,937. Templeton receives an additional $127,500 a year from the Bulldog Foundation.

Templeton, 60, is in his 20th year as Mississippi State's athletic director. An MSU alum, he started working for the university in 1969 as an assistant in the sports information department.

State's athletic department has seen unprecedented growth and a historic hire during his tenure, but it also has weathered two NCAA investigations that resulted in sanctions and probation for the Bulldog football program.

The man who hired Sylvester Croom as the first black head football coach in Southeastern Conference history is praised by some alums for his financial acumen while guiding a program operating with the league's smallest budget and chastised by others for what they term a lack of people skills and fund-raising plans.

"We need someone that is more savvy, more marketable and more people-friendly," said Kirk Reid of Madison, a 1985 MSU alum. "I have spoken to him at times and he is not responsive except for those he finds can help him the most."

Stuart Vance of Starkville, an MSU fan since 1948 and a former Bulldog cheerleader, said Templeton has not had an easy job, guiding the department through facility expansions, coaching changes, NCAA investigations and, most recently, a six-year stretch of losing seasons for the football team.

"He's loved Mississippi State about as much as one person can love college athletics," Vance said. "He's accomplished a lot for us."

Aside from three years in private business, Templeton has spent his entire professional life in the MSU athletic department, having also served as its business manager, golf coach and as an assistant athletic director.

During Templeton's tenure, all of State's big three programs have experienced success. The baseball team has played in three College World Series, the men's basketball team played in the 1996 NCAA Final Four and had a run of four straight NCAA Tournament berths from 2002 through 2005.

In football, State won the 1998 SEC Western Division title before losing to Tennessee in the league championship game in Atlanta. The Bulldogs posted seven winning seasons during the 13-year tenure of former coach Jackie Sherrill, a Templeton hire. But State also twice received NCAA sanctions for rules violations committed under Sherrill's watch.

Templeton oversaw major expansions of the school's football and baseball stadiums and the construction of athletic department offices, an indoor practice facility and a new field house and weigh room. Templeton recently floated a preliminary proposal to expand State's basketball arena, Humphrey Coliseum, by some 5,000 seats.

He also has received praise for running the MSU athletic department in the black.

"Larry's done a very good job for us financially, up against some very hard things to compete against," said Craig Denson, a 1986 MSU graduate from Madison. "He needs to get some credit for that."

But the department drew scrutiny from College Board member Scott Ross in January when it came to light that the Bulldog Foundation, an athletic department fund-raising arm, had received a $1.2 million transfer from the MSU Foundation, a general university fund-raising arm, to help cover costs associated with paying off Sherrill and hiring Croom in 2003.

That transfer was made by then-president Charles Lee.

Ross was one of four College Board members who voted in 2004 not to extend Templeton's contract, citing the NCAA investigations and a lack of fund-raising. After several months of debate, Templeton received a three-year extension that year, and a review of athletic department practices received a thumbs up from the College Board.