Coach with a Brain wrote:
Bucknam is just a figurehead in this situation for you. This day was coming, regardless of who is the Head Coach when #1 - John McDonnell retired and #2 - Dick Booth was not hired to replace him.
You can put it all on Bucknam if you want, but it is the way it is. Once #1 and #2 happened it was only a matter of time - would be immediate or in a year. That is just the way it is. You can blame the AD if you want also. But this is a series of events that was coming from over a year ago.
First of all, at least his move to Florida is now being reimbursed by the Univ of Florida and not on his own dime. It happens all of the time. Secondly, at least for Dick Booth he was not a $35,000 a year Asst. Coach with 3+ kids between 4th and 10th grade.
Coach Booth is going to be fine and you will hate Bucknam regardless. So really you should be happy this happened because now you have been given another reason to hate Bucknam. If Dick would have left on his own and gone to Florida you wouldn't be able to have this to reinforce your negative opinion of Bucknam.
But Dick Booth is not really all that much of a victim in this, and Bucknam is not really the villian. The "villian" was going to be the figurehead who the AD hired to replace McDonnell, when Booth wasn't hired.
I had no feeling toward Bucknam before this happened. I have no allegiance to Arkansas whatsoever. When you are lucky enough to (A) take over a program of the caliber of Arkansas and (B) inherit a coach of the quality of Booth it is (C) your responsibility to make it work; it's called being a leader. Otherwise, stay a second tier coach in a second tier conference OR be willing to take a lot of heat for the decision. I, for one (and again ... I don't matter a hill of beans) am applying some of that heat.