Will Wade gets raise and extension

Just because we are a football school, and VCU is a basketball school, doesn't mean that VCU is a better job. The fact that we spend more money on football than we do basketball is irrelevant to this conversation.

We are spending $65 million to give Littlejohn a huge makeover. It will include a new arena, new practice facility, and much better player amenities. It remains to be seen how these improvements compare to the top ACC facilities, but I am confident they compare very favorably to what VCU has.

VCU's arena, the Siegel Center, seats 7600. It was built in 1999 and cost $30 million. They spent $3 million in 2011 to make some cosmetic improvements. Their fans provide great support, but I think our fans provide similar support when our team is competitive in the ACC. If we had been to a bunch of NCAAs in a row, we would routinely sell out our arena. So I don't think fan support at basketball games is much different.

Where I think we really distinguish ourselves is in the fact that we play in the ACC. It is arguably the top basketball conference, and much better than the Atlantic 10. The advantage VCU has is that their path to the conference championship and NCAA Tournament is easier than Clemson's is in the ACC. So the job there is easier, but I don't think that makes it better. For a coach who wants to coach in the top basketball conference, and play in many marquee games, Clemson is a much better job.

Historically, even though we don't pay our coaches a high salary among ACC coaches, we still pay significantly more than VCU. Wade's contract was about $1 million, and we aren't sure what the new one is since it hasn't been released. Brownell makes about $1.6 million, and if he were making NCAAs every year I predict he would be making at least $2 million a year at Clemson.

So I suppose it depends on what signifies a "better" job. If easier wins, and an easier path to the conference title and NCAA Tournament are the barometer, then VCU wins easily. But if it's based on level of competition and salary potential, then Clemson wins easily.

If a coach insists on being top dog among the athletic department staff, then Clemson obviously can't compete with a basketball school like VCU. But if he is okay being Robin instead of Batman, while still having tons of opportunities he can't get at a school like VCU, then he will be fine.

This all assumes that we will continue to provide adequate support for the basketball program, as we seem to be doing more of these days...

rubtherock6317

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Thanks for responding!

Mar 30, 2016, 2:03 PM

As my response right above this says, my brother played at Clemson and now coaches at VCU. So I follow both programs very closely (since I graduated from Clemson as well).

I love that we're building a new arena and starting to put some more money into the basketball program. I was using the football analogy to show that's where most of our money goes. VCU's "football" is their basketball program, and every bit of money goes to it. Their facilities are unbelievable (their weight room and practice facilities are immaculate).

Having been to the Siegel Center and experiencing a game there as compared to Clemson, it's not close my friend. Our team was competitive in the ACC this past year (10-8) and while it was not at our home arena, the support (or how loud/raucous the crowd is) was nothing compared to VCU. The student section at VCU destroys Clemson's (think Clemson student section during football games and you have VCU during basketball games).

I went to their game against St. Louis this year (around Valentine's Day) and it was something like their 81st straight sellout. We don't get near that amount of support. And they stay engaged throughout the whole game.

In terms of your salary argument, Wade (a coach with 2 years of head coaching experience prior to VCU) earned $1 million per year. Brownell has been in the business a lot longer and has been our coach for 6 years now and only with a raise did he make $1.6 million. Wade earned that salary without ever having led a team to the NCAA Tournament. He did it one time and earned a raise (although we don't know how much). Your assumption about how much BB would make if we made the Dance every year is most likely correct, and I believe VCU paid Shaka roughly $2.6 million per year, so I don't think the money differs all that much from these schools.

I will attempt to give an analogy for your "better job" argument. You said if easier wins and an easier path to the conference title and NCAA Tournament are the barometer, then VCU is a better job. But if it's based on level of competition and salary potential, then Clemson wins easily (although I don't think salary potential is much different).

Try putting that in football terms: The easier wins and easier path to conference championships and NCAA Tournament appearances = Clemson football job. Level of competition and salary potential (although not much different) = South Carolina job. It sounds very much like the SEC is the toughest football conference argument when you make this point. Would I rather have our path and make the College Football Playoff? Or the SEC's path? It's very similar here: I'd rather take VCU's path (which gets them to the dance, and then they advanced to the Final Four, which opened up everything for them) rather than ours.

Since 2003-04, which was the first year for Oliver Purnell at Clemson, the Tigers have made the Dance 4 times and have a 1-4 record (with that win coming in the First Four). Since that same season, VCU has made it 9 times with a 9-9 record (and one trip to the Final Four).

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Re: Will Wade gets raise and extension

He did a great job and the extension is well deserved.

Re: He did a great job and the extension is well deserved.

You're implying that coaches are scared of tough conferences

Re: You're implying that coaches are scared of tough conferences

How is that relevant?!?

VCU is a much better job than Clemson and it isn't even

Re: VCU is a much better job than Clemson and it isn't even

Well, I'm not sure I was that drastic, but my brother

right now, i agree & competition is a relative issue...

100% on all points DSP.

Why I don't think VCU is a better job than Clemson.

Thanks for responding!

Thank you for your response! Great info!

What amuses me about this is using the strength of the

And DRad still hasnt made the move

Re: And DRad still hasnt made the move

Re: And DRad still hasnt made the move

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