LITTLE ROCK — When the SEC spring meetings begin today in Destin, Fla., it might be the first time since early April that Jeff Long has been able to focus entirely on the future of Arkansas Razorbacks athletics.
Arkansas’ athletic director and vice chancellor found himself in an all-out sprint to stay ahead of the possible damage that could have been caused by Bobby Petrino, who had to be terminated.
No sense in going back over all of that. Long defused the time bomb with aplomb and started the tedious chore of handling potential collateral damage.
Getting John L. Smith as an interim head coach took care of the team, and most of the fans have embraced a wait and-see attitude. Then there were the assistant coaches, who were working without contracts.
All it would have taken was one to get nervous and bolt and everything could have started going south in a hurry.
Three of the assistants, Taver Johnson, Paul Haynes and Paul Petrino, were working off an oral agreement with someone who was no longer employed by the UA.
Long knew to give this team its best chance for success he needed to keep the staff intact.
One by one he sat down with them and offered them contracts with incentives.
If they finish the season, they get a bonus, and that doesn’t count any bowl bonuses, which are generally one month’s salary.
If they aren’t retained by a new head coach, they will get three months’ pay while they look for a new job.
If after three months they have exhausted all attempts at future employment and still don’t have a job, Arkansas will pay them for another three months.
All coaches signed the win win proposal on the dotted line and immediately went back to work.
Now, almost two months after Bobby Petrino’s motorcycle accident, which could have derailed a thriving and striving football program, Long can devote his full attention to the future of the Razorbacks and the SEC.
Before arriving in Destin, he was off to New York City, where he was one of the five finalists for the Sports Business Journal Athletic Director of the Year award. That honor went to Michigan State’s Mark Hollis, but the decision was made before Long’s delicate and expert handling of all that was April in Fayetteville.
There was a quick trip to Las Vegas to visit with the Reynolds Foundation folks and then back home to repack for three long days of meetings with the other SEC athletic directors.
One of the main topics no doubt will be the possibility of an SEC network, something SEC Commissioner Mike Slive let out of the bag last week.
Negotiating schools out of some existing secondary television contracts as well as other agreements will fall on Slive and his staff.
No one knows exactly what is on the official agenda until the meetings start, which is the way Slive likes to keep most business off the Internet.
Starting this afternoon, all the football coaches will meet in one room while all of the basketball coaches are in another room meeting.
They will come up with suggestions for changes, additions and subtractions. Some will be wild ideas.
Whatever they come up with is passed on to the ADs, along with things Slive wants addressed.
The ADs will pass on their recommendations to their presidents and chancellors, who really run the SEC, and they start meeting Thursday morning.
Sometime Friday morning their findings will be handed off to Slive.
In the early afternoon, Slive will announce any changes and the annual report of record earnings for each team in the SEC.
Everyone will be happy, especially Jeff Long, who is once again full speed ahead on the future.
Sports, Pages 17 on 05/29/2012