At the end of the day, I can't say I'm all that surprised. I had been keeping tabs on the Tennessee search by checking their Rivals board every day, but hadn't seen much name dropping of Danny White except from a few fans, most of which I could tell were Orlando based. However, he seemed to have all the attributes they were looking for and I thought it was the kind of opportunity he would be intrigued by.
However, nobody at UCF seemed to see it coming. I got wind of it around 12 noon and it seems Wolken/Thamel were confirming it maybe 45 minutes later. That's honestly how most people within UCFAA found out. I think there were some hastily called meetings after that, including one with the head coaches.
If people on staff were blindsided, obviously donors were as well. It's kind of how these things happen, I mean, we all saw how it worked with Frost, but I think some people thought there would be more of a heads-up, perhaps an opportunity to counter although it's not like UCF could get in a bidding war with Tennessee. I wouldn't call going from $1.1M to $1.8M "offer he couldn't refuse" type money which is how Pete Thamel characterized it, especially when UCF could have potentially bumped it up a little bit. Apparently, DW wasn't interested in that. He was gone, he made his decision. What's done is done.
Look, we all knew this wasn't going to be DW's final stop. UCF did everything to keep him for the long haul, including top 25-caliber compensation. He gave no indication he had a foot out the door (unlike Frost, who told several people before his first season he was looking at a three-year plan to elevate to a "bigger" job). DW was even in the midst of building a multi-millon dollar house in Winter Park, so you do wonder what the real motivations were.
Was Tennessee the perfect opportunity that was too good to pass up? I always figured one day he'd land in the ACC/SEC/ND and now he has a chance to pretty much make his mark when the bar is already quite low. He can start things off much like he did at UCF, with a football hire. Sure, he'll have a different level of boosters to deal with but that's to be expected, I don't think he is afraid of that.
Was DW souring on UCF's situation? It hasn't been a great year for anybody due to COVID and financial cutbacks.
When you look around, you wonder if he thought budgets could be sustained? Everything looked great when you go back to late 2019 and the RoofClaim deal looked like it was about to be finalized, then Randy Fine and his insurance cronies blew it up. Granted, I'm not sure how long the RoofClaim money would have lasted but I do know DW was livid over the situation. And then COVID hit.
UCF doesn't have the big TV money. The new AAC TV deal, if we're being honest, is only marginally better than the previous deal at least in the early years. I'm concerned about season ticket sales going forward. We've been accustomed to a sold-out stadium, but I wonder how many of those fans are truly in it for the long haul and were only on the bandwagon during the KZ glory years and 25-game winning streak? A shockingly low number of fans wanted to attend games this season as most opted-out. I think it was a pipe dream all along, but remember when there was hope the capacity limits could be increased by later in the season? That's why UCF did the zone seating format, but they couldn't even sell out the 25 percent. I know a lot of that had to do with no tailgating, but it was a worrisome sign and you now wonder if people who thought they'd return post-COVID are now fine with watching games on TV since they've been through a season of it.
To that end, did DW feel he had peaked at UCF? The "National Championship" was attributed to him, plus the men's and women's basketball success was quite remarkable with where those programs were coming from. The fundraising has been extraordinary. His bold and brash stance about the inequity of the Playoff made him a household name among diehard college football fans. I'm serious - if you polled college football fans to start naming ADs off the top of their head, I bet Danny would be near the top.
With the uncertainty regarding financials in a post-COVID world and with questions surrounding football trajectory and scheduling for the future (which seemed to be at a total standstill), maybe he felt this was the right time when his star was still the brightest?
There's been little information coming out of UCF today. Even top donors are a little unclear as to the next steps.
Is Scott Carr the interim AD? That would be my guess, but I haven't heard anything definitive.
What will UCF's new president, Dr. Alexander Cartwright, want to do? I know there was the statement about a "national search" but that's what everybody says. He's been on the job less than a year. Due to COVID and limited personal interactions, people I talk to who ordinarily would be clued in really don't know what his mindset might be. I remember back when Stansbury left, it was relayed to me that Dr. Hitt said something along the lines of "Let's go get Danny White," who he was familiar with due to his relationship with Kevin White. I'm sure that will be something we'll try to explore in the days to come, how Cartwright plans to execute the search and who he may include on a committee.
As for internal candidates, I imagine Scott Carr and Mark Wright would be on the list. Dr. Eric Wood, who just left for the AD job at Louisiana Tech, could be considered as well.
Externally?
Danny's little brother at FAU, Brian White. I did spot Brian White and his family at the Houston MBB game on Dec. 26. Someone said they were in town for the Christmas holiday, staying with Danny and family.
Pete Thamel tweeted a list of current AD and Assoc. AD names he thought could be considered (probably an industry list of up-and-comers):
Bryan Maggard (Louisiana Lafayette)
Wren Baker (North Texas)
Brian White (FAU)
Mike Hill (Charlotte)
Eddie Nunez (New Mexico)
Mark Alnutt (Buffalo)
Doug Gillin (Appalachian State)
No. 2's:
Graham Neff (Clemson)
Stephanie Rempe (LSU)
Bryan Blair (Washington State)
Zac Selmon (Oklahoma)
Zack Lassiter (Oregon State)
Jeff Purinton (Alabama)
Diana Sabau (Ohio State)
As for DW's big upcoming decision at Tennessee and their football coaching situation, I don't know how legitimate but all the chatter today on their boards seems to center around Lane Kiffin (seriously) and Billy Napier. I don't think anybody truly has any clue because nobody really had DW on their radar, and we all know DW will work in stealth mode when it comes to a FB hire. I don't see Heupel as a candidate.
We'll see what eventually happens with UCFAA staff. When DW came from Buffalo, UB hired from within (Allen Greene, who is now the AD at Auburn) and many of their executive staff remained at UB. DW's key hires at UCF came from other places. Too early to say what will happen there, especially since we're in the middle of an athletics season. If people leave, it could be later on once everything gets settled at Tennessee and UCF.
To end this long post, I hope everybody will always appreciate what Danny White accomplished in his five years at UCF. For those of us who have been around a long time, he helped UCF reach the potential many of us always saw. Now UCF needs somebody to continue that momentum, especially since we are entering a critical time period: Navigating post-COVID, dealing with NIL, positioning the program for P5/P6 inclusion (some believe there will be realignment in the next few years), etc.
However, nobody at UCF seemed to see it coming. I got wind of it around 12 noon and it seems Wolken/Thamel were confirming it maybe 45 minutes later. That's honestly how most people within UCFAA found out. I think there were some hastily called meetings after that, including one with the head coaches.
If people on staff were blindsided, obviously donors were as well. It's kind of how these things happen, I mean, we all saw how it worked with Frost, but I think some people thought there would be more of a heads-up, perhaps an opportunity to counter although it's not like UCF could get in a bidding war with Tennessee. I wouldn't call going from $1.1M to $1.8M "offer he couldn't refuse" type money which is how Pete Thamel characterized it, especially when UCF could have potentially bumped it up a little bit. Apparently, DW wasn't interested in that. He was gone, he made his decision. What's done is done.
Look, we all knew this wasn't going to be DW's final stop. UCF did everything to keep him for the long haul, including top 25-caliber compensation. He gave no indication he had a foot out the door (unlike Frost, who told several people before his first season he was looking at a three-year plan to elevate to a "bigger" job). DW was even in the midst of building a multi-millon dollar house in Winter Park, so you do wonder what the real motivations were.
Was Tennessee the perfect opportunity that was too good to pass up? I always figured one day he'd land in the ACC/SEC/ND and now he has a chance to pretty much make his mark when the bar is already quite low. He can start things off much like he did at UCF, with a football hire. Sure, he'll have a different level of boosters to deal with but that's to be expected, I don't think he is afraid of that.
Was DW souring on UCF's situation? It hasn't been a great year for anybody due to COVID and financial cutbacks.
When you look around, you wonder if he thought budgets could be sustained? Everything looked great when you go back to late 2019 and the RoofClaim deal looked like it was about to be finalized, then Randy Fine and his insurance cronies blew it up. Granted, I'm not sure how long the RoofClaim money would have lasted but I do know DW was livid over the situation. And then COVID hit.
UCF doesn't have the big TV money. The new AAC TV deal, if we're being honest, is only marginally better than the previous deal at least in the early years. I'm concerned about season ticket sales going forward. We've been accustomed to a sold-out stadium, but I wonder how many of those fans are truly in it for the long haul and were only on the bandwagon during the KZ glory years and 25-game winning streak? A shockingly low number of fans wanted to attend games this season as most opted-out. I think it was a pipe dream all along, but remember when there was hope the capacity limits could be increased by later in the season? That's why UCF did the zone seating format, but they couldn't even sell out the 25 percent. I know a lot of that had to do with no tailgating, but it was a worrisome sign and you now wonder if people who thought they'd return post-COVID are now fine with watching games on TV since they've been through a season of it.
To that end, did DW feel he had peaked at UCF? The "National Championship" was attributed to him, plus the men's and women's basketball success was quite remarkable with where those programs were coming from. The fundraising has been extraordinary. His bold and brash stance about the inequity of the Playoff made him a household name among diehard college football fans. I'm serious - if you polled college football fans to start naming ADs off the top of their head, I bet Danny would be near the top.
With the uncertainty regarding financials in a post-COVID world and with questions surrounding football trajectory and scheduling for the future (which seemed to be at a total standstill), maybe he felt this was the right time when his star was still the brightest?
There's been little information coming out of UCF today. Even top donors are a little unclear as to the next steps.
Is Scott Carr the interim AD? That would be my guess, but I haven't heard anything definitive.
What will UCF's new president, Dr. Alexander Cartwright, want to do? I know there was the statement about a "national search" but that's what everybody says. He's been on the job less than a year. Due to COVID and limited personal interactions, people I talk to who ordinarily would be clued in really don't know what his mindset might be. I remember back when Stansbury left, it was relayed to me that Dr. Hitt said something along the lines of "Let's go get Danny White," who he was familiar with due to his relationship with Kevin White. I'm sure that will be something we'll try to explore in the days to come, how Cartwright plans to execute the search and who he may include on a committee.
As for internal candidates, I imagine Scott Carr and Mark Wright would be on the list. Dr. Eric Wood, who just left for the AD job at Louisiana Tech, could be considered as well.
Externally?
Danny's little brother at FAU, Brian White. I did spot Brian White and his family at the Houston MBB game on Dec. 26. Someone said they were in town for the Christmas holiday, staying with Danny and family.
Pete Thamel tweeted a list of current AD and Assoc. AD names he thought could be considered (probably an industry list of up-and-comers):
Bryan Maggard (Louisiana Lafayette)
Wren Baker (North Texas)
Brian White (FAU)
Mike Hill (Charlotte)
Eddie Nunez (New Mexico)
Mark Alnutt (Buffalo)
Doug Gillin (Appalachian State)
No. 2's:
Graham Neff (Clemson)
Stephanie Rempe (LSU)
Bryan Blair (Washington State)
Zac Selmon (Oklahoma)
Zack Lassiter (Oregon State)
Jeff Purinton (Alabama)
Diana Sabau (Ohio State)
As for DW's big upcoming decision at Tennessee and their football coaching situation, I don't know how legitimate but all the chatter today on their boards seems to center around Lane Kiffin (seriously) and Billy Napier. I don't think anybody truly has any clue because nobody really had DW on their radar, and we all know DW will work in stealth mode when it comes to a FB hire. I don't see Heupel as a candidate.
We'll see what eventually happens with UCFAA staff. When DW came from Buffalo, UB hired from within (Allen Greene, who is now the AD at Auburn) and many of their executive staff remained at UB. DW's key hires at UCF came from other places. Too early to say what will happen there, especially since we're in the middle of an athletics season. If people leave, it could be later on once everything gets settled at Tennessee and UCF.
To end this long post, I hope everybody will always appreciate what Danny White accomplished in his five years at UCF. For those of us who have been around a long time, he helped UCF reach the potential many of us always saw. Now UCF needs somebody to continue that momentum, especially since we are entering a critical time period: Navigating post-COVID, dealing with NIL, positioning the program for P5/P6 inclusion (some believe there will be realignment in the next few years), etc.
