Houston Cougar Athletic Director Chris Pezman FIRED! What Comes Next for the Coogs?
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- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 20 ส.ค. 2024
- Coogs' House! In a SHOCKING turn of events on Thursday, University of Houston President Dr. Khator has fired Cougar Athletic Director Chris Pezman. Pezman, an Alum and former team captain of the football program, leaves after seven transformative years for the department. What led to this? What comes next for the Coogs? What's Pezman's legacy?
Host Parker Ainsworth breaks down the latest news, from vacation, today on Locked On Coogs.
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What was your first reaction to the news on Chris Pezman?
1st reaction was disbelief. The next reaction was it needed to be done. It's tough to have an introvert as an AD when trying to bring excitement to the program.
There has to be something going on behind the scenes. When I saw Kelvin give his interview he seemed to be pushing for football so heavily. Obviously there is a problem getting the big dollars. Thank Chris and good luck.
Too many things going on behind the curtain that the average fan just does not know about. This is big time athletics going on now. Must have the support to be succussful. Unfortunaley Pezman lost confidence. I fully support Dr. Khator and Fertitta for making the tough decision. We want the cougars to succeed.
Unless this is related to Softball this is completely unjustifiable. If this is how we treat an alumnus who was loyal and dedicated to the program why would anyone else want to come be an AD here?
Change is what they need to keep embracing. A move like this was long overdue
I also think that Sampson’s effusive praise of Yurachek in the Calipari videos is part of it - never heard him talk like that about Pezman.
Maybe we should look at the success of SMU's record fundraising by AD Rick Hart or John Whittenburg, SMU's associate AD of development. See what blueprint they used to get local donations. They also have to compete with area professional sports for donations.
Enough schools have done it well in big markets (big places liek miami, USC... smaller like UCF, Cincy) to make me think SMU may not have "all the answers" as much as UH hasn't done it right
His decision to resign Holgorsen to a new 6 years deal when he still had 2 years left on his contract is atrocious! For that decision alone he should have been fired because that decision cost the school over $22 million unnecessarily! He also signed both Coach Whiting and Coach Hughey to new contracts despite their losing ways for years and years also made firing him a must!
Khator had to sign off on that deal, so it's not just Pezman. I am a huge Khator fan btw but that deal was really bad.
Excited to get some new blood that will promote UH and NIL to the fullest. UH was getting left behind in a lot of conversation and too many misfires fall on the athletic director. Its a hard job but I don't think Pez was the best for UH.
Shocked. It seems he was working to get more support for UH Athletics. But we don't know what's going on behind the scenes. Appears being in the Big 12 brings a lot more issues than the average fan anticipated.
WRONG! Rhodes left, NOT for Baylor, for Missouri in 2015. Get ur facts straight!
They were there a year and I think you’re missing the point
Dedication!
It’s a runaway train - biggest brand schools are getting majority of NIL.
Need a new kind of director that can turn the massive tide.
I wonder if there will eventually be a movement to stop or change the current system to help out the lesser known schools.
The abrupt timing of this thing leads me to believe that there was something toxic going on that Khator could not abide, and needed to get ahead of. The larger picture stuff of Pez not maximizing opportunities, not ginning up excitement, not bringing in corporate sponsors, not excelling at NIL development, etc., all were issues that might have been handled in a different, slower, more planned manner with goals and objectives clearly delineated and failure to achieve something that would not catch any of the parties "shocked" or "surprised." The firing of Dana, though he didn't think it could happen, was hardly a shock or surprising; it was absolutely forced upon the Athletic Department. It's a curious coincidence that this comes hot on the heels of shocking revelations out of the softball program, some of the details of which suggest a too comfy if not rotten culture extending straight up to the top of the Athletic Dept. Who knows if the full story will be revealed any time soon. I think we all would have loved to see one of our own, a former football captain, spectacularly succeed, but I have long had the feeling that Pezman was a yes-man to Fertitta, the lucky inheritor of the work of his immediate predecessors, hesitant to make bold moves, not a real visionary or creator, and coasting on whatever momentum the individual sports programs could generate on their own. Sad to see it end this way, but UH deserves better.
I believe the first year in the Big 12 was the ultimate test for Pez but there were missteps along the way.
-NIL (especially compared to schools like UCF, UC, SMU)
-Fundraising
-Extension of Dana
-Extension of Whitting
-Holding on to Hughey and Vesley
- The Big 12 Zoom party while other schools had actual parties.
-The Luv Ya Blue game with the lack of merchandise (big missed opportunity for sales, the whole city was ready to spend money)
-The botched Cougar Paw hat that was supposed to be sold during the Halloween game (ended up selling the low quality non-Nike one at later date)
-The ticket entry fiasco at the first game of 2022
-Poor concessions and no restrooms on 3rd level
Compile all that and more, I see why he was let go.
We are becoming a big program. This is a good sign. We trimming all the fat.
Trim it up big boy
They have to have more doners, large n small,they did it desperately.
Not shocking to this old Life Member COOG '72. Trust in Dr. Renu Khator! She wants excellence in every aspect of the University of Houston. GO COOGS!!!!
Pezman wasn't raising enough money and donors grew tired of his incompetence
He should have never brought your friend Holgorson on board.. had a chance to get Fritz sooner… IMO..I think both Samson and Fritz probably knew what was going down. I didn’t hear Samson say anything about Pezman contributing to getting any funds for the NIL or other fund raising… not a peep about Pezman helping… hum think about it.
If you can see anyone on the edge with these changes in athletics…..there are many programs are questioning how do you keep up with the top 40 or so programs! NIL and Unionization…pay to play…will eat up all the money the school was expecting to recoop from being in the B12. Realization that this is not going to happen…means continued subsidization will be needed …disappointing the powers to be! Results needed before next B12 contract comes into play…risks for all parties. Leadership needed in a ‘new revised and challenging ‘ world of college athletics. Time will tell…but this is not unforeseen …and should have been expected. That the public and the fan and the alumni and the donors and the advertisers are not taking it to the next level….keeping up is disheartening for sure!!
But the big question……is……When will the spiraling cost of doing business …slow down ? Seems to have taken an uncanny jump that will just be impossible to cover…..cost leading the need for revenue…vs revenue outpacing the driving inflated cost !!
Someone rational needs to determine what UH can afford to be and then be satisfied with that….accept reality to a point…strive for better but being within range of its capability ! The Big 12 will have its day of reckoning…and realize the truth and try to be satisfied with what it is as well. Being a Top 3 or 4 program /conference should be fine ….and expectations set within that framework …not trying to compete with the rich / haves…but with the best have nots! A tier 1 and 2 NCAA is upon us! This should bring them back to earth…and reset the expectations and goals!
It’s not my decision to make, but if it were, here are my top five candidates to lead us into the Big 12 years and beyond:
1. Pat Chun - He’s currently the AD at Washington State University and has a wealth of experience in maintaining a competitive sports program, even in challenging financial situations.
2. Mack Rhoades - As the AD at Baylor University, Rhoades has a proven track record in athletic administration and fundraising, making him a strong candidate. He was also previously at Houston, so he knows our program well and is well-liked and respected by Coach Kelvin Sampson, who he brought in.
3. Jeremiah Donati - The AD at TCU, Donati has done an impressive job enhancing their athletic programs and has valuable experience with the Big 12 dynamics.
4. Brian White - Currently the AD at Florida Atlantic University, White has successfully led the university into the AAC and developed a top-tier basketball program.
5. John Cunningham - The AD at Cincinnati, Cunningham has guided the university into the Big 12 and has a strong background in compliance and program development.
These candidates bring a blend of strategic vision, fundraising prowess, and deep understanding of collegiate athletics, which is exactly what we need as we transition into the Big 12.
Go Coogs!
No way on Rhodes, he made Kim Mulkey leave to LSU plus he was here before. Why hire a retread?
Hiring a retread in Mack Rhoades? Did we not learn from Dana?
I was completely shocked. I thought he was doing a good job other than the baseball scandal
Liked…but results count! NIL…and poor results in football. Big12 standards need to be had! Follow Sampson program ….develop players and win!! But fund raising is key to growth!!
Out to the football games ? I guess you were on vacation when we took over peach bowl 2015? And the last 10 years …. Attendance is fine don’t dig up buried issues 🤦♂️
Attendance can both be better than the national media would indicate it is /and/ not where it should have been last season.
You’re bringing up a bowl game, and conveniently leaving out the regular season attendance that year, from before Pezman
They need a Brett Yormark type of AD. Definitely an outside the box thinker. That knows how to bring the money in.
Four months ago, Coach Sampson, in a post game show, responded to a question about his “ Eracism” shirt. He responded that he wants more black AD’s and administrators. Personally, I am color blind and don’t care what color a person is as long as we get the best person for the job at the best price we can afford. I just hope we don’t get an affirmative action hire based primarily on skin color.
In 2024, your comment is the kind of comment people down vote because they don't want to waste their time and energy responding with substance that you won't understand and learn from.
Well said
@@jgneolardo8875 in 2024, people where I live evaluate others by their character and resume, not their skin color. If it is different where you live, maybe you should move???
@@jgneolardo8875 anything else would be racist…
The comment wasn’t about trying to get affirmative action, it was about possibly getting over looked based on inherited bias. Some black athletes may aspire to be AD and administrators only to be seen as nothing more than an athlete or possibly a coach. Kelvin Sampson hopes that down the line, black AD can become as prominent as black coaches, based on merit.
Shocked..dissapointed. I believe that he was strongly liked by Coog fans....that he was fired makes me very worried about what the actual state of UH athletics may be.