Wayne State AD on Administrative Leave

[mtsax305]

This will likely devolve into another Paul Winters thread, but here's the breaking news of the day.

No reasons have been given, but Rob Fournier has been placed on administrative leave. https://twitter.com/MCmuckraker/stat...32563349995520

[NewEraWarrior]

This will likely devolve into another Paul Winters thread, but here's the breaking news of the day.

No reasons have been given, but Rob Fournier has been placed on administrative leave. https://twitter.com/MCmuckraker/stat...32563349995520

Has anyone gotten to the bottom of this? The nature of the abrupt announcement with no explanation makes me feel like he was caught doing something he should not have been doing.

[WayneStatesman]

Hopefully Winters will be next.

[mtsax305]

Has anyone gotten to the bottom of this? The nature of the abrupt announcement with no explanation makes me feel like he was caught doing something he should not have been doing.

Not yet. The South End and DetNews have reported on it, but everyone's in the dark. According to the South End, Bobby's not supposed to talk to anyone in Athletics and no one from Athletics is supposed to talk to him. It really does sound like he was doing something shady.

[champgymusa]

I am sure its just a big misunderstanding...something like a bunch of unpaid parking tickets or something like that ya know?

[mtsax305]

Channel 4 and the Free Press has said the University is investigating some "information" it has received. Nothing further.

No matter what the outcome of the investigation, it's time for a shake up. That man has been in charge 21% of the time athletics has existed at WSU.

[MrsThortonMelon]

So you are saying the guy has a lot of experience then. And he locked Paul Winters in for another four years making Winters the highest paid coach in the GLIAC. I wonder if a few of the boosters have had enough and found some dirt on the guy?

[mtsax305]

Could be...I've never met a booster here that would carry that much clout though. Maybe since the President is leaving soon, he figures he has nothing to lose and can go after Rob at this point. It's a shame it has to go down this way, really. Given how bad the department generally has been throughout its history, especially in the 80's and 90's, it's a miracle how much the program has changed for the better. So much so, that I could look past the horrible football and basketball coaching decisions (and the massive amounts of turnover with staff) in terms of him deserving recognition after he rides into the sunset. But if something comes out, that all goes by the wayside.

[bigmrg74]

Could be...I've never met a booster here that would carry that much clout though. Maybe since the President is leaving soon, he figures he has nothing to lose and can go after Rob at this point. It's a shame it has to go down this way, really. Given how bad the department generally has been throughout its history, especially in the 80's and 90's, it's a miracle how much the program has changed for the better. So much so, that I could look past the horrible football and basketball coaching decisions (and the massive amounts of turnover with staff) in terms of him deserving recognition after he rides into the sunset. But if something comes out, that all goes by the wayside.

Yeah, but he also has the failure of not securing an on campus or near campus hockey arena and not getting the Warriors into the CCHA that lead to them having to pull the plug on the hockey program there. Getting one or the other there probably would have helped some with the other one. But that's just me spitballing about the lack of more solid hockey programs around.

[mtsax305]

If dropping hockey meant we could have had an elite level football team, I'd take it, but even that hasn't come to pass. I'm starting to think this guy just hated hockey. Wouldn't it be smart for him to lobby for the Wings to make their practice arena seat 2,500 like Ferris's? Wouldn't it have been smart to design a basketball arena that could convert to hockey?

It would likely be costly, but if WSU hockey ever came back, you might as well play at LCA and curtain off the second deck. Otherwise, you'd be looking to either build another arena attached to the basketball fieldhouse, telling tennis to take a hike and convert that facility for hockey, or see if you could add capacity to Jack Adams on Lyndon and Meyers. Otherwise you're heading out to the 'burbs. All of this would be much easier if they would stop dumping money into Matthaei so they could build a much more flexible facility in its place.

[WayneStatesman]

So you are saying the guy has a lot of experience then. And he locked Paul Winters in for another four years making Winters the highest paid coach in the GLIAC. I wonder if a few of the boosters have had enough and found some dirt on the guy?

I think it was Winters that had the dirt on the guy. That explains why Winters was able to keep his job for as long as he has.

[bigmrg74]

If dropping hockey meant we could have had an elite level football team, I'd take it, but even that hasn't come to pass. I'm starting to think this guy just hated hockey. Wouldn't it be smart for him to lobby for the Wings to make their practice arena seat 2,500 like Ferris's? Wouldn't it have been smart to design a basketball arena that could convert to hockey?

It would likely be costly, but if WSU hockey ever came back, you might as well play at LCA and curtain off the second deck. Otherwise, you'd be looking to either build another arena attached to the basketball fieldhouse, telling tennis to take a hike and convert that facility for hockey, or see if you could add capacity to Jack Adams on Lyndon and Meyers. Otherwise you're heading out to the 'burbs. All of this would be much easier if they would stop dumping money into Matthaei so they could build a much more flexible facility in its place.

I believe that there was at one point in time the idea that the Wings would put in a practice arena on Wayne's campus that they could use for their games and the Wings could skate whenever Joe Louis had something going on that day and they couldn't use the ice. With as busy as what the Little Ceaser's Arena is with both the Wings, Pistons, and whatever else going on, having another decent sheet of ice would be nice for the Wings to have.

But honestly though, not really sure what Winters was doing Saturday. That last drive that Wayne had right before the half, had a 4th and 1 there and they elect to punt. I would have gone for it. at best GVSU gets the ball back at midfield, but with the way that wind was blowing at the time they wasn't passing into it. Wayne could have picked that first down up, and kept that drive alive.

[WayneStatesman]

But honestly though, not really sure what Winters was doing Saturday. That last drive that Wayne had right before the half, had a 4th and 1 there and they elect to punt. I would have gone for it. at best GVSU gets the ball back at midfield, but with the way that wind was blowing at the time they wasn't passing into it. Wayne could have picked that first down up, and kept that drive alive.

I'm not surprised. Winters is a lousy coach. We Wayne Staters can only hope and pray that he's gone after the season ends. However, I'm not sure if the interim AD has the authority to axe Winters.

[mtsax305]

No news either way recently. It'll be interesting to watch the stream of the Volleyball tournament game at the Matthaei tonight. Rob usually sits on the left side in the chairbacks, so he should show up on camera if he's there.

Otherwise, I'll keep my eyes and ears open at the football game Saturday.

[bigmrg74]

https://wsuathletics.com/news/2022/1...VZOKdhZKW_MooI

Not sure just how much power she really has with the interim tag on her job title, but supposedly she's at the big desk here now.