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MSU to extend Templeton’s contract 1 year, search for replacement

By Kyle Veazey
kyle.veazey@clarionledger.com



File photo/The Clarion-Ledger

Mississippi State University Director of Athletics Larry Templeton answers questions from a swarm of reporters concerning the search for the next head football coach after Jackie Sherrill announced his retirement in this 2003 file photo.

Mississippi State athletic director Larry Templeton would receive a one-year contract extension under a proposal that will be presented to the state College Board at its meeting 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 tonight, referring questions to MSU president Robert “Doc” Fogelsong, who is responsible for making such recommendations to the board.

Fogelsong was at an event and unavailable for comment.

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

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

Templeton receives $183,937 annually in state funds and $127,500 from the Bulldog Foundation, a private fund-raising arm for MSU athletics.

Templeton’s current contract expires on June 30.

Don't think it would even come close to happening, but a while back there were rumors that JWS would be the next AD.

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.

This must be the BIG MSU NEWS that I got wind of a couple of weeks ago ---the thing that would be announced in Feb. and perhaps change the course of MSU athletics for years. A tad dramatic, if this is the big news.

He can leave as of June 30th for all I care.

Greenhead22 wrote:He can leave as of June 30th for all I care.

I second that jeff and right now I think we should all demand it

duckkiller wrote:

Greenhead22 wrote:He can leave as of June 30th for all I care.

I second that jeff and right now I think we should all demand it

Motion to kick his booty to the curb right now!!!!

MSU will lose serious clout if it jettisons Templeton

Larry Templeton's future as athletic director at Mississippi State will be decided at a state College Board meeting Wednesday, and there's some irony there.

Because while the College Board meets in Jackson, Templeton will be at NCAA headquarters in Indianapolis directing a committee meeting that will help determine the future of college baseball.

Not just Mississippi State baseball. Not just Southeastern Conference baseball.

College baseball.

Templeton chairs the NCAA's baseball committee. He's also the chairman of Southeastern Conference athletic directors and has been since 1990. Templeton is also the only athletic director on the SEC's seven-person executive committee, which decides all important conference legislation.

In college athletics, Templeton has pull. He has clout. He helps make important decisions that affect bowl games, TV packages, eligbility rules and much, much more.

But don't just take it from me. Listen to Mike Slive, the SEC commissioner. Slive was asked Monday about Templeton's effectiveness as an administrator and athletic director.

"Larry's been the chair of SEC athletic directors since I came here in 2002," Slive said. "He and I have worked closely on both conference and national issues. Larry has made important contributions, both to the league and nationally. He's a pro, and in addition to that he's a pleasure to work with."

RECORD SPEAKS FOR ITSELF

Slive is one of many administrators around the country who are surprised when they learn that Templeton's nearly life-long career at Mississippi State could end in the next year. State would extend Templeton's contract for one year and begin searching for his replacement under a proposal that will be presented to the state College Board Wednesday. 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 won't comment - in effect, letting his record speak for itself.

It speaks loudly and clearly.

But again, don't take it from me. Listen to former Mississippi State president Donald Zacharias.

"When I came to State in 1985, the athletic program was struggling," Zacharias once told me. "Only baseball was successful, but the stadium was an embarrassment. No other team was doing well and the budget lacked adequate funding. I hired a fine man from North Carolina to be athletic director. He tried hard but couldn't make the changes we needed.

"I turned to Larry Templeton to rescue me. Did he ever. Every program in athletics enjoyed a new outlook and level of success."

My first job at this newspaper was to cover Mississippi State sports in 1979 and 1980. The facilities were just awful, a joke by SEC standards. That's no longer the case, thanks to Templeton.

$70M WORTH OF IMPROVEMENTS

Those in the know have to be amused when they hear Templeton criticized for not being a good fund-raiser.

Listen: During his 20 years at State's athletic director, State has made approximately $70 million in capital improvements to its athletic facilities. Not one red penny was from your tax money.

This isn't to say Templeton has been faultless. Nobody's going to bat anywhere near a thousand when they hire and fire so many and make as many decisions as an SEC athletic director has to make.

He and I have disagreed on several occasions, and I've criticized Templeton's decisions more than once. But, on balance, he has done yeoman's work for Mississippi State and in the SEC. That's why he's so highly respected by his peers. He loves the place and has since he was old enough to think for himself.

And that's why the idea of pushing him out the door makes no sense. No sense at all.


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Reach Rick Cleveland at rcleveland@clarionledger.com

With that many irons in the fire no wonder he struggles to keep all MSU sports competitive. Spending too much time doing other things. And a good fundraiser doesn't mean he's a good AD. I mean 20 years worth of work and we've never sniffed a top tier bowl game in football. I mean if BYU can win a NC certainly we could with the right mindset heading up our athletic department. Po Monk always talks about how both schools should change the mindset to expecting to win. Seems Templeton's mindset is mediocrity and nothing more so he needs to go. Guess complacency gets the best of even the best people.

larry lacks people skills..

good, bad , right or wrong.... if he was a little more friendly to the fan base, there wouldn't be nearly the biatching...

Larry's biggest thing is being Chairman of the NCAA Baseball Committee, and he can't even help MSU when it comes to selecting and such because he cannot be in the room with MSU is brought up in discussion.

Yes, he's kept us in the "Black" for 20 yrs, but we have hardly anything to show for it. He's the reason that Bass left. Bass came up with some great ideas for fundraising, and Temp shot it down. I remember a few yrs ago when Stans went to Temp to try and get some new editing and video equipment for the basketball program. At that time, basketball was putting alot of money in the athletic dept. The equipment would've cost $10K. Temp told him that we couldn't afford it, that he would have to go out and raise the money.

I mean 20 years worth of work and we've never sniffed a top tier bowl game in football. I mean if BYU can win a NC certainly we could with the right mindset heading up our athletic department.

Templeton is just human he can't work miracles!

kill m dux wrote:Templeton is just human he can't work miracles!

Templeton leaving will be a step in the right direction.

The sooner he gets out of here, the better. I have never in my life seen a University and its followers happy about mediocracy. We beat Alabama this year in football and here is Croom and Templeton on natioanl TV hugging and crying like we won the freakin super bowl, give me a break. Our baseball team has by far the best venue and fan base of any team in the country, yet we struggle every year to make it into the SEC tournament and NCAA regionals. Templeton is happy with our programs being half ass. I, for one, am not. Is there any way I can speed up the process, haha