UT-RGV Men's soccer position post merger Open Discussion

[Sean.]

I've pasted a link to this site in some places with the hopes of generating an open discussion around this.  There were many hits on the original discussion but I'd really like to hear the opinions of some others.

[Rgv know it all]

Look, you have to stop this discussion and understand it is mute point. Also, ask yourself if you would of done any of this if Tim Hankinson was hired, former MLS head coach who was first offered the job as then there would be no discussion about who the qualified coach would be.

Now look at reality:
Paul Leese has something like 10 years of major NCAA D1 experience and Dan does not. Paul worked with people like Clint Dempsey and Ricardo Clark guys who are well know in the US national team. Dan has not. Paul has been a head coach in the NCAA D2, which is much closer to D1 then NAIA in regards to rules and scholarships. Dan does not have this experience. Paul has higher coaching licenses then Dan, this is also significant. Also, I have a source that says that Dan did not perform well in the interview and that hurt him. He had a chance at the job like everyone else. There is nothing more to discuss Paul Leese will be the coach at UT RGV and that is final. Dan is a good coach and has plenty of time to find a job, in a way he is been given quite a number of months to find a job, a rare luxury in any industry.

[Sean Preston...]

I'll put 13 years of head coach experience up against 5 anytime. In addition I certainly add weight to the eight years of experience within the UT system. But, if it is true tha there is no committee being formed out of the academic affairs group to decide this kind of thing at a future date then that is essentially what I'm trying to get to. Is that true? Is Paul Leese contracted to coach at UT-RGV? Is there someone in authority that can confirm this. if confirmed I would agree with you that the message becomes mute regardless of who the better coach. Can you find me that confirmation? If so, yes I will stop posting as you suggest. Thanks for participating, that's what I'm looking for.

[sean...]

It should be noted that Dan has won conference coach the year five of his seven seasons at UTB, meaning Dan has won more coach of the year awards than Paul has total head coaching years of experience. I don't dispute that Paul has done a fine job at Coker but it's untrue to say that the level of play at Coker is higher than that at UTB. As far as NCAA recruiting rules, UTB is special due to its ties to the UT system. The admission standards are very similar to those at UTPA. It's also true that the NAIA clearing house is more difficult than the NCAA Division 2 clearing house. Not to take away from Paul's experience with some National team players, but I truly don't believe that straight out of college as probably a second assistant as well as his first coaching job that he had much of an impact on their level of play. I'm not familiar with the coaching license that Paul has but I do know that Dan has two licenses from the NSCAA. Yes, if Tim Hankinson had taken the position then the only advantage Dan would have had would be his 8 years of successful service to the UT System. When you put his resume up against Paul's, that alone should make Dan the frontrunner. Has Paul ever started a team from scratch? No. Dan did, in the Valley, and was very successful. That is another major advantage. But again, if you can get that confirmation from somebody in authority that Paul is in fact contracted to be the UT-RGV coach then it does become a mute point and again, I will stop posting.

[Admin]

I'm glad to hear that Coach Dan was at least interviewed. I also thank Sean for opening up this discussion. He has stated more than a few times that all he is searching for is confirmation. Again, I feel good knowing that there was an interview. If Coach Dan has good connections with the local high schools, then I hope UTRGV finds a way to keep him on the staff.

[Bob]

Based on your theory the local high school coach with 15 years of experience has more right to the UT RGV job then both Paul or Dan since he has more coaching experience! You must ask yourself what kind of experience!!

1. If Tim hankinson got this job admit you could not post anything about Dan!

2. 8 years of experience at NAIA level is good, no one doubting that. But job advertisment called for NCAA d1 experience if I am not mistaken, so Paul trumps Dan there.

3. Not sure why UT experience has anything to do with anything. College soccer is college soccer at the D1 level.

4. Did you know Paul lived in Spain and speaks Spanish? He is a better fit for valley on that alone, he speaks the "local" language and can open more doors.

[Sean...]

Some great points.
No reasonable person thinks that 15 years of high school coaching is the same as 15 years of college coaching, and you know that. I do equate the level of UTB with that of Coker.
To your other points:
1. My only two points would be that Dan has worked at one of the two merging schools for eights and built a team from scratch in the valley which makes him uniquely qualified.
2. Dan has been a D1 assistant, yes Paul has spent more time as a D1 assistant. You really believe that qualifies one over the other?
3. You don't see value in the fact that someone has worked at one of the two merging institutions for eight years? Are you kidding? Yes, if the person would be incapable of doing the job, fine, but I haven't heard anyone make that case yet.
4. Dan didn't have any problems in the Valley for eight years, so Spanish fluency certainly hasn't held back his success at UTB.

Here is a second angle to your four points:

1.) Hankinson would have been an interesting choice. Great resume, MLS and south Texas experience.
Don't know if he would have been able to settle into the area and have the energy to start a d1.

2.) I believe it just called for college coaching experience. Neither have d1 head experience. Both played at a good d1.
Both were assistants at d1's. Everyone knows that anyone can get a d1 assistant job, as long as you are friends with the Head Coach.
Don't forget about the success Dan had at Virginia Intermont before UTB.

3.) The eight years of UT experience plays a huge role, virtually the same admissions standards and used to dealing with all the red tape of UT System. Familiarity of the RGV is major plus.

4.) That's great, will help. However valley is not Spain. Local language is tex mex. Dan 50% Spanish and is conversational and fully understands Spanish.
Valley is unique, look at the turnover in coaches at both places. Dan has been in the valley longer than any head coach across sports.
Nothing against Paul, wish him all the best. Argument is the hire makes no sense, and also I question how can you give someone a multi year contract when a university (utrgv) is not even open?

Also:
If Coker was merging with another small d1 that had no soccer program and they hired Dan, would that make sense. Absolutely not.
There is not enough differences in the resumes. Administraton at utpa should have respected previous 7 yrs given him a chance if didn't get program moving in right direction in 3 yrs bring someone else in.

I appreciate you entering the discussion.
We all agree that Paul is the coach at UTPA.
We all agree that Dan is the coach at UTB.
We know that both entities are essentially dissolving and become UT-RGV.
Is UTPA the authority to decide who the UT-RGV coach is?
If not, who does?
Or, has it already been decided.

Once that can be confirmed then everything else becomes irrelevant. Can you get those answers?

Thanks,

[curious]

Just read through this discussion and don't know the answers, but I will post this and watch it happen:

1. Soon the UTB athletic department will no longer exist. That means it will fold after the 2014. That means that all discussion regarding hiring will be made by Chris King who will be named AD at UT - RGV

2. Here is one more rumor for you - The AD at UTB will be named Head Volleyball coach at UT-RGV because, as a comprise, they will not renew the contract of volleyball coach at UTPA. This way the major players are happy and guys like the men's soccer coach at UTB and women's volleyball at UTPA will become the sacrificial pawns.

3. And, I belive someone said this above, but the UTB does have more then a year to get a job. I am sure with his record he could find a better place.

And as a side note, I am not sure how Tim Hankinson cannot "settle in the area"....I just read his bio and he has lived in India and Guatemala, don't think the valley is that bad. Look at the other coaches on staff, especially at UTPA, they seem to settle in ok. All hired by the current AD.

[Sean...]

I'm don't know anything about the Volleyball situation but it seems you are predicting that the UTPA coach will be out and the UTB coach will be kept, but for sure one of the two coaches will be kept.
I think it's great that they will at least keep one of the Volleyball coaches.
I just don't understand why they didn't do the same for Men's soccer as there really was only one coach and again he had been there for almost eight years.
I really don't know anything about Tim Hankinson except that in his bio it seemed that he moved around a lot. The UT-RGV program is going to take some time to build, but you're correct, there is no reason to imply that Tim wouldn't have stuck around to achieve the vision.

I appreciate you adding to the discussion. Do you have any thoughts on the comment I received back from UT-RGV (posted on their public website) pasted below with the link to the Q&A. It seems to imply that the Office of Academic Affairs will be participating in the decision making process regarding the athletics part of the Merger. Presumably this would including coaching decisions. Do you know anything about this?
Link:
www.utsystem.edu/news/topics/project-south-texas/ask-a-question

Posted Q&A:

Question:
Dan Balaguero, who has been the Men's soccer coach at UTB for the past eight years. He started the team at UTB from scratch. It appears UTPA just last week hired a Men's soccer coach. Previously UTPA did not have a team. My understanding is that the coach at UTPA has been promised the job after the two schools merge. This seems to run contrary to some of the information online that has referred to a presumably objective "UT-RGV Athletic Committee" to make decision about athletics, which among other items, would consist of staffing. Is there a committee to decide who the Men's coach will be? Dan has served the UT system for eight years and I find it highly probably that an objective thinking group would feel that his loyalty and success within the UT system would make him the frontrunner for the Men's soccer job at UT-RGV. The coach hired last week has at best a comparable resume with no ties to the Valley or UT system. In addition, Dan would appear uniquely qualified since he built a team from scratch at one of the merging schools. I understand that there will be many conflicts with the merger due to redundant positions etc, but there was no redundancy for Men's soccer until last week. I'm hoping that the situation has simply slipped through the cracks and still needs to be discussed. I implore you to imagine investing eight years of your life into an institution/career, and having it taken away without cause or reason. Dan is just one person, but it's a life altering decision that I truly believe is being taken lightly. I would like the opportunity to reach out to the UT-RGV athletics to bring attention to this.

UT Systems Reply:

The Office of Academic Affairs has charged an independent committee to develop and recommend a plan that brings together The University of Texas at Brownsville (UTB) and The University of Texas at Pan American (UTPA) to create a single NCAA Division I-AAA program at The University of Texas Rio Grande Valley. This committee has no authority over personnel decisions at UTPA. With regard to the selection of the men’s head soccer coach at UTPA, it is the policy of the University to not comment on personnel matters or hiring decisions.

[sean..]

It's worth noting that when other schools change divisions they generally keep a current and successful coach. Here is an example of another team that moved up to Division 1 to join the WAC and kept their successful coach:

www.gculopes.com/coaches.aspx?rc=418&path=msoc

Coaches generally do not get dismissed simply because a team changes a division, unless there is reason to believe the coach is not capable of doing the job.

But again, the main purpose of this discussion is to determine if the outcome of who the Men's coach at UT-RGV will be has or has not been decided.

[sean.....]

another example of a team moving to Division 1 and not dismissing their successful soccer coach.



www.ncaa.com/news/ncaa/article/2011-12-08/northern-kentucky-moves-di



The general precedent indicates that successful coaches do not get dismissed simply because a team is changing affiliation.

[Curious]

I think you are massing the point. You are giving examples of universities who have decided to move their athletic department from a lower division to a higher one. This is not the case here:

UTPA and UTB are merging from an academic and financial standpoint so they can access various funds from the state of Texas.

It clearly states in Project South Texas that there will only be one NCAA D1 team athletics program.

The UTB athletic department will be eliminated.

The UTPA athletic department is already NCAA D1 and they will become the athletic department at UT-RGV. The fate of UTB athletic staff members will be decided by the AD of UTPA who will become the AD of UT RGV.

Paul is the coach at UTPA the only NCAA D1 coach here and since there is no change in division your argument is unfounded. UTB athletics will no longer exist, yes it sucks as I am from Brownsville and support soccer, but from speaking with people around UTPA the answer seems straight forward.

[Sean......]

I guess we see it differently. For me the Project South Texas dissolves both institutions and creates a third new and improved institution: UT-RGV.
Coach Leese will never coach a game prior to the merger, and my understanding is that there will be 0 Men's soccer scholarship athletes on campus in the fall of 2014 at UTPA, the last season of UTB soccer.
Your arguments also seem to be changing because earlier you said that the UTB Volleyball coach would get the job, but now you say the only deciding factor is which coach is the division 1 coach.
Contradicts right?
Also, coach Leese will still have 0 years of experience has a head coach at a division one team when UT-RGV is created. There is no team at UTPA next year.
Again, do you think the Q&A here is irrelevant: www.utsystem.edu/news/topics/project-south-texas/ask-a-question
I really believe any objective person reviewing this situation would believe, at a minimum, Dan is getting a raw deal here.
Do you really believe that Dan should just be let go for the possibility that maybe another coach could compete as well. Do you believe it's fair after eight years of service. What has Paul achieved that Dan has not?
I mean really, when you step back and really think about the situation it's unbelievable, and in my opinion at LEAST unethical.
(understand please, that I'm thrilled that you are part of the discussion)

[Scorpion]

Mar 15, 2014 7:38:21 GMT -6 Bob said:

Based on your theory the local high school coach with 15 years of experience has more right to the UT RGV job then both Paul or Dan since he has more coaching experience! You must ask yourself what kind of experience!!

1. If Tim hankinson got this job admit you could not post anything about Dan!

2. 8 years of experience at NAIA level is good, no one doubting that. But job advertisment called for NCAA d1 experience if I am not mistaken, so Paul trumps Dan there.

3. Not sure why UT experience has anything to do with anything. College soccer is college soccer at the D1 level.

4. Did you know Paul lived in Spain and speaks Spanish? He is a better fit for valley on that alone, he speaks the "local" language and can open more doors.


Did you know that Coach Balaguero speaks very fluent Spanish? I want to say that his father is Spanish, as well. Hasn't been a problem in the years he's been here. I would say that Leese would be a good fit as an assistant coach while he gets the hang of how things work in the Valley, and then, who knows, maybe he can get a shot at head coach. 

[sean_]

Scorpion, thanks for adding that Dan is actually half Spanish (his Dad is from Bendidorm). I believe it's going to be more difficult to push out a coach than Chris King thinks, especially one who has delivered exceptional results and the rule of law tends to protect against this kind of thing, and certainly quasi firing a minority that has been part of the community for eight years is not so simple, especially someone with the amount of success that Dan has had at UTB. It seems some people think that UTB is dissolving and UTPA will carry on when in fact both legal entities, UTB and UTPA are dissolving and a new university is being created. All indications seem to be that the guidelines for the merger suggest that all reasonable attempts to maintain competent employees will be made. This certainly covers Dan. It will be interesting to see when UT-RGV is formalized and staffing is finalized. I have yet to see anyone post something that suggests Dan is less capable of doing the job then Paul Leese.