all of the real AD candidates probably laughed in our face when we told them Zo/Gino were going to overlook the football program. what legit AD is going to place his fate in the hands of someone who is forced on him?
edit: can't forget the part of us forcing a coach on him too.
if a decade from today the next AD had us in the SEC and ranked #2 in the country, while having every other sport (revenue and non-revenue) relevant, you wouldn't be happy? because if that happened I'd say we had one of the best AD's in the country.
which is why they trusted him to make the right hire. when you have an incompetent AD you don't trust him to make the right hire or fire a guy when it's time.
this is completely false. he took Louisville football from C-USA to the Big East and had them ranked #2 in the country within a decade. that's the equivalent to Appalachian State being in the ACC right now and a Top 5 ranked team. what he did was almost impossible.