See section 9.2

I read this to say that if we fire him without cause before December 31, 2022, then we owe him pay through 2022. After that, there are no liquidated damages.

Yes, but better than having to pay him 4 years.

This contract language makes it clear that Albin didn't want an "interim" title and negotiated away most of his security.

Cromer shows that she didn't plan on going all in on Albin. She gave him this season as a freebie because of the short notice and one more to show what "his" team could do.

This contract isn't so bad for the school after all is said and done.

2.3

Not under the contract. It specifies only such things as morals, ethics, NCAA compliance, etc. But under Section 9.1.1.2, failure to comply with Section 5.1 ("To perform faithfully and conscientiously the duties as assigned by the Director") would be cause. That's why so many coaches aren't "fired" but instead are "reassigned." And if they're reassigned to some really crappy job, their agents usually negotiate a lesser buyout.

Yeah FOIA!

Gotcha. I don't think it has been realistic in 5-6 years unfortunately. I do think it could be, given the right coaching staff that can actually recruit athletes with NFL potential. Ohio has had a few, but they need several at a time. And they need to be able to consistently recruit the QB position, something that hasn't happened here outside of Tettleton and Rourke 1.0.
On top of that, they'll have to do something about the stadium to be able to recruit better, or at least that's my assumption. All those reasons are why I posed the question initially, because all that takes money that Ohio Athletics reportedly doesn't have.

Personally, I think it's time for the MAC as a whole to strongly consider whether they can realistically keep up financially in the football arms race.

Great choice. Great coach. Great salesman of the program. But do not see anyway he would leave Charlotte for Athens. He's building something here and has growing resources. Challenge is... who's the next Will Healy?

Besides exasperating and depressing, the whole thing is sad. Coach Solich probably saw in Coach Albin a man much like himself, not flashy, a sort of Joe Friday, "Just the facts" kinda of guy. When his health emergency hit, it was the perfect timing to recommend his colleague whose connection goes all the way back to Nebraska. Coach Solich could sell the new AD that besides being a trusted lieutenant, Coach Albin was championship coach in the NAIA ranks. Besides Coach Albin was a familair face in the athletic office, a man who was here as long as Coach Solich.

However, I have to believe that somewhere along the lines, someone had doubts. I mean I have coached with a lot of people whom I liked and respected very much, but just can't see being a head coach. The same goes for teaching, I can think of some great teachers I have worked with through the years who would not be a great principal.

The fact of the matter is we are staring down a situation that is worse than anything from the Coach Knorr or Coach Bryant era. None of those coaches had this kind of talent and staff stability. The Bobcats were never ranked this high in a preseason poll in their tenure. This will not only have detrimental consequences on the football team, but quite possibly on the legacy of Coach Solich and the entire Athletic Department staff from the top down. The only thing we have to compare this to is basketball. The Coach Billy Hahn debacle ensued in the 1986-87 season when he took over from Coach Danny Nee. With two future NBA playerson the team, Coach Hahn's squad finished in the MAC basement, something I hope we don't replicate this year in football.

The new university President Hugh Sherman certainly doesn't need these kind of distractions as he attempts to right the ship from the disastrous Nellis tenure. This is a mess of our own making, the ramifications of which could be with us for some time to come.

Thank you Ted for posting this. All Bobcat football fans should read this to get a better understanding of the program's coaching situation.

I agree with some other views expressed in this thread. I now understand that the AD did NOT just commit blindly to four years under Coach Albin. Really, she only committed to a year and a half, which is very good from the university's perspective.

Clause 2.3 requires a re-evaluation of the program before the end of 2022. No money is guaranteed to Coach Albin after the 2022 calendar year per clause 9.2. With this knowledge, I think it is much harder to make the argument that the athletic department has done poorly in this situation.

Given the extreme short notice Coach Solich gave in relation to the start of summer training camp, it is my opinion that Albin was the only viable choice at the time. I think the AD has done a good job of structuring a contract which gives Albin a window of time to prove himself, but only a year and a half of financial commitment to him.

Today's recruits may rightly wonder of Albin will be there after 2022, especially if the team performs as it has so far in 2021, but I can live with that as an alternative to an unfavorable coaching contract.

A frequent contributor to this board several years ago asked for and was granted the opportunity to sit in on a full week of game prep -- all of the meetings/practices, etc. -- with Frank & Co. He told me that he came away impressed with the professionalism and attention to detail of every member of the staff...with one exception. Guess who?

That is what is so odd about all of this. I was Athens on gameday and the town was as vibrant as ever. Yet it hasn't moved the needle significantly in recruiting.

Frank and the athletic department are lying to us about what this program can achieve. Couldn't get naming rights for the field at Peden when tried. Ohio could compete in theory for a playoff spot as it does for a NYD bowl today which is worth something.