Has USF Significantly Improved?

[Buller64]

Using Info from Real Time RPI.  Has USF Men's BB improved under RMC?

[table][tr][td]Year[/td][td]W-L[/td][td]RPI[/td][td]SOS BY[br] RPI[/td][td]Opp RPI[br] - Wins[/td][td]OPP PRI[br] - Loss[/td][td]W-L RPI[br] Above USF[/td][td]W- L PRI [br]Below USF[/td][/tr]

[tr][td]2004[/td][td]7-20[/td][td]221[/td][td]182[/td][td]193.71[/td][td]82.05[/td][td]5-20[/td][td]2-0[/td][/tr]

[tr][td]2005[/td][td]13-16[/td][td]201[/td][td]145[/td][td]211.69[/td][td]108.81[/td][td]3-14[/td][td]10-2[/td][/tr]

[tr][td]2006[/td][td]7-22[/td][td]236[/td][td]74[/td][td]207.71[/td][td]91.27[/td][td]4-19[/td][td]3-2[/td][/tr]

[tr][td]2007[/td][td]12-18[/td][td]187[/td][td]92[/td][td]236.5[/td][td]75.89[/td][td]3-17[/td][td]9-1[/td][/tr][/table]

                       

The evidence suggests that there has been no impovement over the past four years.  However, the evidence also suggests that there is no room in the budget for the replacement.  Using 2005-06 numbers filed with the Department of Education for gender equity requirements, USF's Men's basketball budget was  $1,983,566 or 8% of the total athletic budget.  The buyout for RMCs contract would be about 20% of the entire mens basketball budget.

[Buller64]

Here is some more budget numbers for you:

Revenues

Football:  $8,828,336

MBB: $2,845,336

WBB:  $343,243

Total (all sources) : $25,843,846

Expenses:

Football: $6,668,203

MBB: $1,983,566

WBB: $1,303,645

Total (all expenditures): $24,340,601

Since it cost USF $1,000,000 to leave CUSA and $2,500,000 for USF to join the BE the $1.5 million in profit is probably being used to pay off those costs.  When you consider the small amount of total budget that is used for men's basketbal it makes financial sense for USF to keep RMC until after April 15, 2008.  At that time the buyout for RMC will only be $100,000 which would represent a savings to the University of $300,000 in hte buyout.  In addition the payments to the Big East and CUSA will also come to an end at that time, providing the resources neede to upgrade the MBB program.

[usfgrad84]

Does a buyout have to be paid all at time of dismissal or can it be paid out over the remaining length of the contract?  That may be something negotiated as well.

When you bring in a new coach for more money (hopefully a big name) I would think there has to be some expectation that he will be able to not only bring a winning record, but that he can also bring in donor money and increase attendance.  There is one interesting post on the Michigan board criticizing Amaker for not only his record, but the poster was also criticizing him for a dropoff of donor money to the BB program.  The poster states (correctly in my opinion) that the head coach is the chief fund raiser in their particular sport.  Comes back to the point that in a league like the BE the head coach needs to be more than just a floor coach.  So.... although a salary for a big name coach would be a pretty high percentage of the existing budget for the BB program, that person hired should also bring with him the ability (and expectation) to grow the revenue for the program by inreased attendance, TV revenue, shoe contract, donor money ,etc, thereby offseting his salary and grow the budget.  In essence, he needs to be the "CEO" of the BB program.  Not just a floor coach.

To answer your question, no I don't think the BB program has shown improvement.  It is not any worse than it was, but it's not any better.  Nicer maybe, but not better.  

[usfgrad84]

Here is some more budget numbers for you:

Revenues

Football:  $8,828,336

MBB: $2,845,336

WBB:  $343,243

Total (all sources) : $25,843,846

Expenses:

Football: $6,668,203

MBB: $1,983,566

WBB: $1,303,645

Total (all expenditures): $24,340,601

Since it cost USF $1,000,000 to leave CUSA and $2,500,000 for USF to join the BE the $1.5 million in profit is probably being used to pay off those costs.  When you consider the small amount of total budget that is used for men's basketbal it makes financial sense for USF to keep RMC until after April 15, 2008.  At that time the buyout for RMC will only be $100,000 which would represent a savings to the University of $300,000 in hte buyout.  In addition the payments to the Big East and CUSA will also come to an end at that time, providing the resources neede to upgrade the MBB program.

Interesting numbers.  Do you have the composition of the revenue for the BB program?  I'd like to see what an increase in attendance, TV revenue, post season play, etc would do to the profitbalilty of the program.  If the expectation is that we bring in a new coach and it is a move that is revenue neutral then it is a waste of money to buy Mac out.  However, if we can double or even triple revenue, a move would make sense.

[outrunner]

To continue on that though, whoever is brought in needs to be able to spark an interest in the community to get people to come. If this is done right, the new era should start with a large crowd coming to the first game. Early wins are needed to keep that atmosphere going. This is going to be about plublicity as much as it is about winning.

[Buller64]

RMC contract is a guaranteed contract and the total amount must be paid by April 15, 2009.  Even when we spread out the payout over the next two years we will have an additional $200,000 cost to pay a coach who is no longer here and $400,000 to $500,000 to pay for a new head coach for a total increase in the budget of $700 - 800 thousand .  Even with a new coach bringing in additional revenues through donations, ticket slaes and TV revenues that is more than can be reasonable expected.  This also assumes that we do not icrease our recruiting budget or make any capital improvements to the basketball facilities.  I just can't see how we can make the numbers work.  The safest financial course to take is to keep RMC, although that will mean another year in the dregs.  We also have to consider that RMC has three very talented recruits coming in, firing him will probably cost us those recruits setting the building (not rebuilding since we never built in the first place) of the program back by at least one year.

[outrunner]

This also assumes that we do not icrease our recruiting budget or make any capital improvements to the basketball facilities.

I do believe the SunDome is getting a make over in the next couple of years.

[Triple B]

Here is some more budget numbers for you:

Revenues

Football:  $8,828,336

MBB: $2,845,336

WBB:  $343,243

Total (all sources) : $25,843,846

Expenses:

Football: $6,668,203

MBB: $1,983,566

WBB: $1,303,645

Total (all expenditures): $24,340,601

Since it cost USF $1,000,000 to leave CUSA and $2,500,000 for USF to join the BE the $1.5 million in profit is probably being used to pay off those costs.  [highlight]When you consider the small amount of total budget that is used for men's basketbal it makes financial sense for USF to keep RMC until after April 15, 2008.  At that time the buyout for RMC will only be $100,000 which would represent a savings to the University of $300,000 in hte buyout. [/highlight] In addition the payments to the Big East and CUSA will also come to an end at that time, providing the resources neede to upgrade the MBB program.

Do you have a link for all these figures? The highlighted info is wrong, unless Brett has it wrong. Per Brett's Trib article yesterday, that $100K is an additional payout to the $200K after April 18.

[Buller64]

The USF Revenue sources are not listed with detail on which sports generate which amount by type of revenue.  We do know that event revenues, which exclude football, was $1,345,610 in the 05-06 season.  Which was an increase of $240,410 over the 04-05 seasons.  This event revenue includes all sports other than football which is separated out under equity compliance rules.  

However, Rutgers University, which is comparable to USF in size and athletic facilities and team proformance does hae 3 times as much basketball revenue and 30% hgiher football revenue.  So the revenue potential is there.

[Buller64]

I was using Brett's information on the salary figures perhaps I misread it. :-?