Post by Bona799 on Jul 30, 2006 10:23:24 GMT -5
It looks like Tom McElroy may be out at URI any day now. Hopefully he will want to come home to Bona to follow Ron Z. See the Providence Journal article below.
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One thing is clear: McElroy and URI have issues
Sources say that athletic director Tom McElroy, who is on paid leave, has clashed with several university officials, including president Robert Carothers.
01:30 AM EDT on Tuesday, July 25, 2006
BY KEVIN McNAMARA and MIKE SZOSTAK
Journal Sports Writers
SOUTH KINGSTOWN -- Tom McElroy, the University of Rhode Island's athletic director for the last two years, has been on paid leave for nearly two months and it is unclear when, or if, he'll return to work.
Sources at URI have said that McElroy has clashed with several university officials, including president Robert Carothers, during his time in Kingston. While no one will speak on the record about these issues, it's clear that they've led to McElroy's extended absence.
"He's on leave," said Thomas Dougan, URI's vice president of student affairs and the senior administrator who oversees athletics. "It's personal, and the university won't respond to any requests about those matters."
Asked if he thinks McElroy will be back on campus soon, Dougan said, "I hope he comes back, but he's currently on leave. It's a personnel issue. I'm sorry, but I can't say any more."
Efforts to reach McElroy yesterday were unsuccessful, and he apparently has had little contact with virtually every coach and athletic department employee since late May. At that time, Dougan e-mailed some employees and wrote that McElroy was on a "sick leave" of three weeks. Gregg Burke, URI's deputy athletic director, said in mid-June that McElroy was on a short-term medical leave and was expected to return about June 20. That did not occur, however, and it's unclear what McElroy's future status is now.
Dougan would not comment on McElroy's employment future, either, but more than one athletic official contacted recently said they've begun to wonder if the school and McElroy aren't in negotiations on a buyout of his contract. McElroy is owed three years on a five-year deal he signed with Rhody after he left the University of Connecticut in July of 2004. Before that, he spent nearly 20 years as an associate commissioner of the Big East Conference.
In McElroy's absence, URI has named Burke as the department's acting head. He says he feels "everyone in the department is working together to keep things running smoothly" until McElroy returns.
"I'm in a wonderfully unique position. The president has asked me to serve as acting athletic director, and I have great loyalty to both Dr. Carothers and Tom McElroy," said Burke. "I'll continue to do what's been asked of me and get the program ready for the fall semester."
Other athletic department employees have seemingly accepted McElroy's absence. John Vanner, a 20-year associate A.D., said he's had no contact with McElroy, and admitted he's "been kept in the dark on this." Vanner said he's focused on getting ready for fall sports, specifically the beginning of football workouts in two weeks. "I'm working just like if he was here," said Vanner. "I run everything past Gregg Burke. He's been great to work with."
Football coach Tim Stowers said yesterday that he saw McElroy "several weeks ago" at a funeral. That's about all he said, declining to discuss the matter further.
"He's my boss," the coach said, "but I'm not the one to talk to about that. I suggest you talk to his boss, Dr. Carothers, or to Tom Dougan."
Stowers wouldn't even talk about the effect McElroy's absence might be having on his program, even as issues of scheduling and conference alignment appear on the horizon. This is the last season for the Atlantic 10 Football Conference. The teams will be absorbed into the Colonial Athletic Association in 2007, but there is speculation that several A-10 members -- most notably URI, Maine and New Hampshire -- might opt to join an existing league such as the Northeast Conference or form a new league with other schools in the Northeast instead of playing football against CAA schools such as Delaware, James Madison and Hofstra.
"Like I said, you need to talk to his boss," Stowers said when asked about those possibilities.
McElroy last spoke to the Journal on May 11 in response to Carothers' decision to continue to sponsor all 22 varsity sports for at least the 2006-07 academic year. McElroy had raised the distinct possibility of eliminating teams in response to anticipated cuts in the budgets of both athletics and the university as a whole. McElroy publicly commended Carothers' decision, but some close to the situation said athletics representatives were hoping the president would have made a more definitive decision on the future of the program's offerings at that time.
URI released a statement that read, in part, that "options will be evaluated over the next few months, and a final determination will be made in the fall regarding a strategy for funding the athletic programs." The university is struggling to comply with Title IX requirements since the school is currently experiencing the largest enrollment gender gap since 1985, with full-time undergraduate enrollment projected to be 60 percent female and 40 percent male next fall.
*************************************************
One thing is clear: McElroy and URI have issues
Sources say that athletic director Tom McElroy, who is on paid leave, has clashed with several university officials, including president Robert Carothers.
01:30 AM EDT on Tuesday, July 25, 2006
BY KEVIN McNAMARA and MIKE SZOSTAK
Journal Sports Writers
SOUTH KINGSTOWN -- Tom McElroy, the University of Rhode Island's athletic director for the last two years, has been on paid leave for nearly two months and it is unclear when, or if, he'll return to work.
Sources at URI have said that McElroy has clashed with several university officials, including president Robert Carothers, during his time in Kingston. While no one will speak on the record about these issues, it's clear that they've led to McElroy's extended absence.
"He's on leave," said Thomas Dougan, URI's vice president of student affairs and the senior administrator who oversees athletics. "It's personal, and the university won't respond to any requests about those matters."
Asked if he thinks McElroy will be back on campus soon, Dougan said, "I hope he comes back, but he's currently on leave. It's a personnel issue. I'm sorry, but I can't say any more."
Efforts to reach McElroy yesterday were unsuccessful, and he apparently has had little contact with virtually every coach and athletic department employee since late May. At that time, Dougan e-mailed some employees and wrote that McElroy was on a "sick leave" of three weeks. Gregg Burke, URI's deputy athletic director, said in mid-June that McElroy was on a short-term medical leave and was expected to return about June 20. That did not occur, however, and it's unclear what McElroy's future status is now.
Dougan would not comment on McElroy's employment future, either, but more than one athletic official contacted recently said they've begun to wonder if the school and McElroy aren't in negotiations on a buyout of his contract. McElroy is owed three years on a five-year deal he signed with Rhody after he left the University of Connecticut in July of 2004. Before that, he spent nearly 20 years as an associate commissioner of the Big East Conference.
In McElroy's absence, URI has named Burke as the department's acting head. He says he feels "everyone in the department is working together to keep things running smoothly" until McElroy returns.
"I'm in a wonderfully unique position. The president has asked me to serve as acting athletic director, and I have great loyalty to both Dr. Carothers and Tom McElroy," said Burke. "I'll continue to do what's been asked of me and get the program ready for the fall semester."
Other athletic department employees have seemingly accepted McElroy's absence. John Vanner, a 20-year associate A.D., said he's had no contact with McElroy, and admitted he's "been kept in the dark on this." Vanner said he's focused on getting ready for fall sports, specifically the beginning of football workouts in two weeks. "I'm working just like if he was here," said Vanner. "I run everything past Gregg Burke. He's been great to work with."
Football coach Tim Stowers said yesterday that he saw McElroy "several weeks ago" at a funeral. That's about all he said, declining to discuss the matter further.
"He's my boss," the coach said, "but I'm not the one to talk to about that. I suggest you talk to his boss, Dr. Carothers, or to Tom Dougan."
Stowers wouldn't even talk about the effect McElroy's absence might be having on his program, even as issues of scheduling and conference alignment appear on the horizon. This is the last season for the Atlantic 10 Football Conference. The teams will be absorbed into the Colonial Athletic Association in 2007, but there is speculation that several A-10 members -- most notably URI, Maine and New Hampshire -- might opt to join an existing league such as the Northeast Conference or form a new league with other schools in the Northeast instead of playing football against CAA schools such as Delaware, James Madison and Hofstra.
"Like I said, you need to talk to his boss," Stowers said when asked about those possibilities.
McElroy last spoke to the Journal on May 11 in response to Carothers' decision to continue to sponsor all 22 varsity sports for at least the 2006-07 academic year. McElroy had raised the distinct possibility of eliminating teams in response to anticipated cuts in the budgets of both athletics and the university as a whole. McElroy publicly commended Carothers' decision, but some close to the situation said athletics representatives were hoping the president would have made a more definitive decision on the future of the program's offerings at that time.
URI released a statement that read, in part, that "options will be evaluated over the next few months, and a final determination will be made in the fall regarding a strategy for funding the athletic programs." The university is struggling to comply with Title IX requirements since the school is currently experiencing the largest enrollment gender gap since 1985, with full-time undergraduate enrollment projected to be 60 percent female and 40 percent male next fall.
