link COLLEGE STATION, Texas -- Texas A&M coach Dennis Franchione said he has stopped selling inside information on the Aggies in a newsletter to boosters who paid $1,200 per year in subscription fees that helped finance the coach's personal Web site. Franchione About a dozen elite boosters subscribed for the past three years to the e-mail newsletter, called "VIP Connection." It offered Franchione's candid assessments of players and specific injury information, details Franchione routinely declined to discuss publicly because, he would say, it is not "our policy" to disclose injuries. Franchione, who coached at New Mexico from 1992-97, made subscribers sign a confidentiality agreement and said he doesn't believe any of the inside information was used for gambling, the San Antonio Express-News reported in Friday editions after obtaining a copy of the newsletter through a "third-party source." "We asked them to sign something," Franchione said. "And for them not to do that. Most of these people are tremendously loyal Aggies." Athletic director Bill Byrne could not immediately be reached for comment by The Associated Press on Friday. The newsletter was written by Mike McKenzie, Franchione's personal assistant. The two denied benefiting financially from the newsletter, although Franchione said proceeds were used to underwrite his personal Web site, coachfran.com. In one newsletter, McKenzie wrote about six players being unavailable to play against Montana State and listed their specific injuries. A seventh player was "iffy" because he had not fully recovered from a mild concussion, according to the newsletter. McKenzie also wrote about Franchione's assessment of the Aggies' wide receivers. "Privately, Coach told me last night that Earvin (Taylor) and Pierre [Brown] are very steady but with average speed," McKenzie wrote. "Kerry [Franks] has great speed, but [is] inconsistent in receiving." "The whole point of it was for them to be informed about the program, straight from the head coach," McKenzie said. McKenzie referred to "VIP Connection" as "private correspondence between a head coach and the individuals involved." Franchione, who makes about $2 million per year in a contract that runs through 2011, has offered refunds to the subscribers, McKenzie said. Copyright 2007 by The Associated Press
i think ag fans are delusional on coaching prospects. for example, john lopez keeps mentioning rich rodriguez. why would he leave west virginia, his freaking alma mater, where he's had a lot more success than a&m has enjoyed recently, to go to college station? dude didn't take the alabama job
keep in mind john lopez thinks a&m is one of the top 10 jobs in college football. he has about as much credibility on that topic as he does the Astros.
If they (we, sigh) don't fire this mofo... JESUS. Seriously. Pgrabriel... First off, there aren't very many exciting coaching prospects out there right now IMO which sucks. Secondly you would be foolish to deny TAMU's clout in the world of college football. No its not Alabama. But it is still one of the top jobs. The fanbase, the state, the stadium, the money, Big 12, etc... Just because it hasn't had recent success doesn't mean its not a highly coveted job. What coach wouldn't want 10,000+ at midnight yell every night? Millions of dollars thrown at the program every year. A school that consistently lands top 25 recruiting classes just because of its location and name. Think Gillespie who left the more successful Aggie basketball team for a struggling Kentucky team that lost its best player to the NBA. I realize thats not the best comparison but it relates and you get the picture...
I think one realistic (and scary) prospect is getting Chris Peterson - the Boise State head coach / offensive genius. He's earned a move to a legit BCS school if he wants it.
As someone who has no interest in the Texas Longhorns, it has always amazed me, hell floored me that there are people out there that think the Texas A&M job is one of the top jobs in the country. Other than being an alumni of A&M or a current student there, can anyone who has no connection to the school really confirm this? That A&M is one of the top coaching jobs in the country?
I would have gladly accepted Chizik (sp?) the former Auburn defensive coordinator who moved to Texas and now coaches Iowa State. He had done pretty bad so far, surely taking him out of the running. But that 2yr undefeated streak was nasty and TAMU needs its defensive swagger back. I don't want any offensive gurus. We were top 5 in rushing last year and top 10 in passing with Reggie McNeil. Its defense the propels you to the top of the Big 12. Look at Tech.
Like I said above. Look where it ranks in fanbase, money earned, alumni money thrown at it, stadium size, money invested into facilities, prestige of conference, ease of recruiting in the state, attendance at games, importance of football at TAMU in relation to its other sports, etc... You seriously can't see that?
So you just further proved the point that TAMU isn't a top tier school when it comes to athletics. And the excuse "Hey we're Texas A & M, we play in the Big 12!!!11"...hate to break it to you, but so does Baylor. The TAMU coaching position isn't a top job anymore, so established elite coaches aren't heading over there any time soon. TAMU wouldn't be capable of getting a Jim Leavitt.
Money earned from selling secrets? ======= You guys have an all-male Yell Crew and no female cheerleaders. Case closed.
seriously, riet wrote some good posts in a thread about a&m about the difficulty recruiting and basically making the point that the only coach who had any sustained success there post integration is jackie sherrell. and he cheated.
Charlie Palilo said Franchione may have broken the law here by disclosing medical information regarding college kids.
You really are clouded. What? So Baylor in the Big 12 means the Big 12 is trash? I guess since Waco is in Texas then Texas must be a crappy football state too. Oh and Vanderbilt in the SEC. Ya. SEC must be a piece too then. Fran gets paid more than Urban Meyer people. Recent success doesn't always correlate with job prestige. When Notre Dame or Alabama sucked did that lessen how coveted the job was? Of course not. How many schools are out there that support their football team the way TAMU does, even in the hard times. Thats why this job is special. Good or bad that stadium is packed...
Fran is one of the top 15 highest paid coaches. You don't think they are willing to offer more for a coach who could improve the program? $$$$$
Ok I'll agree that we are not a Top 10 destination right now, but it is definitely a Top destination for one thing, and that is money. A&M will pay their coach in the top 10-15 of all coaches across the country. As with everything else in this world, money talks. We have a lot going for us except recent wins which is the most important part (especially when looking at it from your perspective as a college football fan). The intangibles makes A&M a top destination (Fan support, Recruiting Base, etc). Top 10? No, but Top 25? Without a doubt IMO. I think this was somewhat proved 5 years ago when Coach Fran left Alabama (which is a top destination) for A&M. That is really where the Ags messed up though and should have gone for Kubiak like many of us were screaming for. I think that boat has long sailed though.
