Details on Friday meeting between Blake James and large donors

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Per a source with knowledge of the meeting, a group of high-level donors met with Blake James on Friday. The purpose of the meeting was to offer significant money if Manny was willing to make necessary changes.

Most notably, the group wanted Alonzo Highsmith to take on a general manager role that would usurp some of Blake and Manny’s power over the football program. One booster even offered to pay Highsmith’s salary for two years. Blake refused and instead offered a more traditional “chief of staff” role that was mostly administrative in nature.

Highsmith is not expected to accept the offer and instead is in discussions with Mario Cristobal at Oregon.
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Okay, let's be real here. These "stories" are never 100% accurate. Never. Did a meeting between Blake and high level donors occur? Yes, many reports claim this. Will UM allow a former national champion, an original member of SWAG, a former NFL player, respected assistant GM go to Oregon and work with a former Cane legacy? I highly doubt that. The program will fire Blake James before that happens. I'm not saying D-Money is a liar, I'm saying, reports are never 100% accurate.
 
I don’t see how the BOT doesn’t say ok well Blake you’re fired, and we’re doing it anyways.

They're probably asking Frenk to do that as we speak. That's the real chain of command if they can't directly influence said administrator. Go to their supervisor and have them removed... This may not be over...
 
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this message board has an insane obsession alonzo highsmith. the guy has never worked in college and just got fired by the cleveland browns. he's not a magician or a wizard. there are other people in america who can help fix the program... many of them are more qualified to do so than alonzo highsmith. blake james should not be murdered for declining to create an entirely new athletic department based around him.

This board also has an insane obsession with Cristobal. Likely because both are competent at their jobs and are “Miami guys”. So instead of the incompetence and nepotism this team is used to fans want competent staff with ties to the university. It’s not the best solution but it’s a step towards making the program better.
 
Why do people keep referencing the Board of Trustees?

@DMoney article says high-level donors. Sure, it's possible one or more could be Trustees, but that is a big assumption.

The best outcome would be that donors with enough money to offer to pay people's salaries next audience is with trustees who in turn apply pressure to James.

I personally think he's a dead man walking.
 
Blake James is supposed to be in the prime of his career, he isn't some 80-year-old former coach that everyone likes having around. Blake will either be the AD or not employed by UM. You don't take a demotion at his age.


Which is better, a demotion or being fired?

He has seven consecutive years of failure on his resume, the next job will not come as easily.
 
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The strangest thing to me is that, from the outside looking in, a co-AD role with Blake James and Alonzo Highsmith splitting power and responsibilities seems like a dream match up.

Gimme the guy who knows sports and the guy who knows fund raising and tell them to do what they know how to do.

Fcuking UM Management is beyond incompetent.
That makes perfect sense but the only ones who can make it happen are Julio Frenk and the BOTs. Not enough people on the BOTs care about football, and Frenk doesnt give af. So as it stands right now, Blake James is the unquestioned supreme entity when it comes to Miami athletics. Let that sink in. Smfh
 
They're probably asking Frenk to do that as we speak. That's the real chain of command if they can't directly influence said administrator. Go to their supervisor and have them removed... This may not be over...
Yep. Going over someone's head is always an option. Right now all these people are looking like Michael Jordan dunking on a midget. No way this just ends quietly.
 
Blake James just told the BOT to kiss his ***.

The BOT complied.

I thought y'all said Blake was a beta? He's moving like the only ALPHA in the building SMH
Well...... I can’t argue that.

it would be wise for the BOT to look for a AD and Highsmith. Allow Highsmith to do what he does without having to deal with the responsibilities of an AD. Sort of like Parcells old role with the Dolphins.
 
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Sounds to me that Blake might have the backing of Epstein and Kadre, since they're the ones that influenced Blake James to make a quick hiring of Manny before the other BOT pushed Mario. This is higher than Blake , this falls on Epstein but Blake is taking the heat. Epstein made a political and self-interest decision based upon his relationship with Manny Sr. IMHO as it appears to me. Hence, the BOT civil war and Blake stiff arm to AH. He's got Epstein and Kadre in his corner. Frenk is just in the middle of a BOT struggle IMHO

Don't forget DiMari. The FOUR STOOGES on the BOT are mainly responsible for the mess Hurricane football is in at the moment.
 
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The role that stu spoke on and said was agreed to was same power as blake but in relation to football. Not sure if anything has changed as I didnt speak to either today. But I'm curious if that's what the lashlee announcement timing was about. I'm sure plenty will have issues with me. No problem. I understand. You fellas have a great weekend.

Agreed to by whom? If Blake wasn't on board there is the issue. If agreed to by Blake then what is the problem?
 
The forcing of Manny by Sr. is typical CIS nonsense. Nobody forced Blake to do anything. And Frenk “signed off” simply by listening to Blake. It was his show. He wasn’t forced, he was just incredibly short-sighted and felt that, barely a year after being #2 in the country, hiring Manny would keep the nucleus of the program together. So he hired him after 15 minutes. Frenk was just an innocent bystander, as he is in all of this. Blake James runs the athletic department. Period.
Yeah, but I still don't like Frenk
 
The way I read it is they are willing to offer Zo a position. It's his to turn down. But he rather go to a program he has no connections with (other than he and Mario played at UM) and takes essentially a comparable position? You think Oregon AD is going to give up power and create this football czar position just for Zo?

What Oregon needs and what Miami needs are different things. Oregon's coach and AD aren't lame ducks. The position he would be willing to accept at each school could be different.
 
Which is better, a demotion or being fired?

He has seven consecutive years of failure on his resume, the next job will not come as easily.

If you James you get fired and take an associate AD job at another school. James isn't good at hiring coaches but by all accounts, he is good at fundraising.
 
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