USF's Fernandez gets new contract

[USFishin]

USF's Fernandez gets new contract

By SCOTT CARTER

The Tampa Tribune

Coming off one of the most challenging seasons of his coaching career, USF women's basketball coach Jose Fernandez will have an opportunity to get the Bulls back on track.

Fernandez has signed a new three-year contract that runs through the 2012-13 season and pays him more than $200,000 per season.

"We are very pleased to have been able to extend Coach Fernandez's contract," USF athletic director Doug Woolard said in a statement. "Jose has done a fine job with our women's basketball program and has us well-positioned for continued success."

Fernandez's new deal has a base salary of $150,000, a $25,000-per-season increase over the five-year contract that expired last season, and a supplemental package that pays him at least an additional $55,000 per season.

In 10 seasons, Fernandez has a career record of 158-148, making him the winningest coach in USF basketball history.

The Bulls, after winning the 2009 WNIT, finished 15-16 last season. The season was marred by injuries, suspensions and defections that forced Fernandez to finish the final month of the season with only eight players.

Link

[SRQ]

good move.  he does a good job for the money he gets paid.

[Guest Sunburned]

That article failed to point out that  Fernandez's compensation is still well below the average for head coaches in major conferences like the Big East!

[Rizman]

Congratulations coach.

[Guest Sunburned]

Jose has been busy recruiting .

May 14, 2010

"USF women's basketball goes international

USF's men's basketball team goes to Brazil in August and has signed a player named (Jawanza) Poland, but women's coach Jose Fernandez has taken in the lead in having the most international basketball squad on campus.

The Bulls have signed two talented forwards from Europe, with 6-foot Josette Campbell -- born in London -- and 6-foot-2 Salla Ekstrom of Finland joining the team this fall. Campbell has been in the United States for the past four years, including the last two at Northwest Florida State College in Niceville.

"I really enjoyed my visit -- the players I met were really nice, and the coaches seemed down to earth. I've always wanted to play in the Big East," said Campbell, who chose the Bulls over Clemson and San Diego State and was also recruited by Auburn, Cincinnati, Rutgers and Arizona.

Campbell, 21, averaged 12.3 points and 5.9 rebounds per game last season, and Dan Olson of Girlsbasketballreport.com has her rated as the No. 7 junior college prospect in this year's class. (Another USF signee, guard Andrea Smith, is No. 1 on his list, and her twin sister Andrell, also USF-bound, is No. 11.) Olson rates USF's class as a whole as the No. 19 class in the country.

"Josette is a very versatile player who can play multiple positions," said Bart Walker, who coached her the last two years at Northwest Florida State. "She has a very strong basketball IQ and is a very mature young lady."

Walker said he sees Campbell as a small forward at USF -- she hit 36 percent of her 3-pointers last season -- though she could line up as a power forward and hold her own on both ends.

Campbell had a connection with USF in former Bulls assistant Mike Teasley, who coached her at Notre Dame Academy in Virginia and spent a year on Fernandez's staff before returning to school to finish his degree.

It's harder to find rankings and evaluations on Ekstrom, but she has extensive international experience, having played for Finland's entry in the Under-18 European Championships, coached by her father Lars. Looks like word of her committing to USF has been old news in Finland -- as this story explains,

Ekströmin tuleva opinahjo South Florida pelaa kovatasoisessa Big East -konferenssissa.

Her height is listed as 187-sentinnen, which translates to centimeters, which translates to 6-foot-2, though it's hard to tell what USF will list her at.

So Fernandez has five newcomers -- the Smith twins, Campbell and Ekstrom, and Georgia's Akila McDonald, plus he has a pair of transfers who could wind up starting in Alabama's Daleisha Carn and Indiana's Sasha Bernard (eligible in December). Add in senior Porche Grant, who is expected to return after taking a redshirt last season, and the six returning players, and Fernandez should have ample talent to improve on this season's 15-16 record."

St Pete Times..

http://blogs.tampabay.com/usf/2010/05/usf-womens-basketball-goes-international.html#more

Way to go, Jose!!!

[USF_Grouper]

How much money does USF womens basketball bring to athletics?  Coaches salaries are always controversial.  I realize this isn't a popular opinion on a sports discussion board, but at an institution that may very well house the doctor or scientist who uncovers the next major technological breakthrough or cure, the compensation we give to our athletic coaches can cause our priorities to appear a bit out of line.

IN the case of Football, it is hard to argue.  The sport is a revenue generating sport.  I am not sure the same can be said about Womens' Basketball. 

Other than that, I don't really have an issue with retaining Jose.  Was glad to see him hold to his guns as far as team discipline last season, even when many rumored his job was on the line.

[AGB]

the compensation we give to our athletic coaches can cause our priorities to appear a bit out of line.

It would only appear this way to people who have no idea what they are talking about. Athletics doesn't take money away from academics.

[USF_Grouper]

the compensation we give to our athletic coaches can cause our priorities to appear a bit out of line.

It would only appear this way to people who have no idea what they are talking about. Athletics doesn't take money away from academics.

There is no doubt it does.  Just one example, the monies charged students in "athletic fees" could be assessed as diferential tuition or library services or academic support.  The cost of an education at USF would be the same. 

Again, I certainly realize this isn't popular opinion on a "sports" message board, but it is important to remember, USF is first and foremost, and academic institution.  Sports are a net positive for University in that they promote USF, encourage alumin pride and participaton, and provide a valuable recruiting tool.  However, athletics are just that, a tool -- they are not an end in themselves.  When you see salaries like that going to the Womens' basketball coach -- a sport that I would presume is not revenue positive or neutral, it makes you wonder.

[Donno]

the compensation we give to our athletic coaches can cause our priorities to appear a bit out of line.

It would only appear this way to people who have no idea what they are talking about. Athletics doesn't take money away from academics.

There is no doubt it does.  Just one example, the monies charged students in "athletic fees" could be assessed as diferential tuition or library services or academic support.  The cost of an education at USF would be the same. 

Again, I certainly realize this isn't popular opinion on a "sports" message board, but it is important to remember, USF is first and foremost, and academic institution.  Sports are a net positive for University in that they promote USF, encourage alumin pride and participaton, and provide a valuable recruiting tool.  However, athletics are just that, a tool -- they are not an end in themselves.  When you see salaries like that going to the Womens' basketball coach -- a sport that I would presume is not revenue positive or neutral, it makes you wonder.

So the catch is Title IX

You take away women's basketball, you take away football.

So sure, women's basketball is revenue negative, but without it and other women's sports... bye bye football

So if you have to have women's basketball, it makes sense to spend 75K more than bare minimum (assuming 75K is what you would have to pay bare minimum for Div I coach), to have a good team and the better marketing!

[AGB]

the compensation we give to our athletic coaches can cause our priorities to appear a bit out of line.

It would only appear this way to people who have no idea what they are talking about. Athletics doesn't take money away from academics.

There is no doubt it does.  Just one example, the monies charged students in "athletic fees" could be assessed as diferential tuition or library services or academic support.  The cost of an education at USF would be the same.

The cost of tuition goes up every single year. I'm not sure what you think this pays for, but it's exactly what you're describing. There is no reason to believe the university is charging students less than it needs to for administrative or academic costs because of the athletics fees.

Again, I certainly realize this isn't popular opinion on a "sports" message board, but it is important to remember, USF is first and foremost, and academic institution.  Sports are a net positive for University in that they promote USF, encourage alumin pride and participaton, and provide a valuable recruiting tool.  However, athletics are just that, a tool -- they are not an end in themselves.  When you see salaries like that going to the Womens' basketball coach -- a sport that I would presume is not revenue positive or neutral, it makes you wonder.

It's not just an unpopular opinion, it is an unfounded one. Again, it only makes "you" wonder if "you" don't know what you're talking about.

Athletics does not take money away from academics.