I'm sure Biggs will agree with this thought

[CougPatrol]

If the speculation is true, and WSU receives a large chunk of money from the remaining P12 revenues in the $100-$200M range, WSU needs to think long and hard about where and how they're going to allocate it.

To me, no matter where the dust settles with regards to the new conference. A rebuilt P12, a MWC merger, whatever, WSU leadership has to invest a large chunk of that cash into the football program. We need to do what Bill Moos did at the end of the dreary Paul Wulff era and float some serious cash at a coach who is up to the challenge of rebuilding our football program.

I don't have anything against coach Dickert. He took over a successful P12 program in the middle of a storm of change. Leach leaving, COVID, Rolo, NIL, conference realignment. It's a lot for any coach to deal with let alone a young, first time head coach. With all of that said, I think the job may be too big for him to turn around. The MWC programs we're going to be joining up with along with Oregon State aren't pushovers, and we're likely going into the new league with a glorified expansion roster of mostly all new kids.

Take a big chunk of that settlement money and go out and pay for a proven head coach. The highest paid G5 coach makes $2.8M/year (Tulane) with the top-5 coaches making $2.1 - $2.8M/year. WSU needs to go big and INVEST in the football program right out of the gate. We can't cheap out. I don't care if it costs $4-5M/year, you find the best coach in the new conference who can get into every West coast living room.

 

[dgibbons]

If the speculation is true, and WSU receives a large chunk of money from the remaining P12 revenues in the $100-$200M range, WSU needs to think long and hard about where and how they're going to allocate it.

To me, no matter where the dust settles with regards to the new conference. A rebuilt P12, a MWC merger, whatever, WSU leadership has to invest a large chunk of that cash into the football program. We need to do what Bill Moos did at the end of the dreary Paul Wulff era and float some serious cash at a coach who is up to the challenge of rebuilding our football program.

I don't have anything against coach Dickert. He took over a successful P12 program in the middle of a storm of change. Leach leaving, COVID, Rolo, NIL, conference realignment. It's a lot for any coach to deal with let alone a young, first time head coach. With all of that said, I think the job may be too big for him to turn around. The MWC programs we're going to be joining up with along with Oregon State aren't pushovers, and we're likely going into the new league with a glorified expansion roster of mostly all new kids.

Take a big chunk of that settlement money and go out and pay for a proven head coach. The highest paid G5 coach makes $2.8M/year (Tulane) with the top-5 coaches making $2.1 - $2.8M/year. WSU needs to go big and INVEST in the football program right out of the gate. We can't cheap out. I don't care if it costs $4-5M/year, you find the best coach in the new conference who can get into every West coast living room.

Gotta payoff the bonds first since the revenue stream is gone.

Endowing a head coach position at $4 million annually would take at least $50 million.

 

[CougPatrol]

Gotta payoff the bonds first since the revenue stream is gone.

Endowing a head coach position at $4 million annually would take at least $50 million.

If it were my decision, that’s what I would do. Set up a coaching endowment.

 

[95coug]

Just like most investments, the smartest thing would be to get rid of debt. Pay the construction bonds so that all future revenue is unencumbered.

 

[etowncoug]

Just like most investments, the smartest thing would be to get rid of debt. Pay the construction bonds so that all future revenue is unencumbered.

What interest rate are we paying on the debt? It seems imprudent to lower debt on the balance sheet at a reasonable rate, with future borrowing costs being much higher currently. Much better to keep cash around unless someone is looking to unload their bonds at a discount.

 

[425cougfan]

This just isn't going to happen. I mean, sure, we can write about it and argue about it. But whether it's in some kind of rebuilt Pac that effectively is the MWC or the MWC itself, the opposite is going to happen. Lower coaching salaries at WSU at a market rate for the conference. These are just some of the painful decisions and consequences that we're going to see going to more like $4m a year in media rights revenue, especially if there is jack shit left in the conference coffers that WSU is able to split with Oregon State, which is my base case.

Remember how I talked about Dickert possibly being asked to restructure his deal? I acknowledged at the time that it would get super awkward when, at the time, he had the #13 team in the country. It gets a lot less crazy with each embarrassing loss. I'm not saying this definitely will happen, but consider this: they could go to him and let him choose:

Option A: Reworked deal that pays $1.6m a year to coach through 2027, with incentives for on-field performance.

Option B: You are hereby terminated, Jake. You get the $4.75m or whatever it is in guaranteed money that remains. WSU hires a new staff, including a head coach making mid- to lower-end MWC money, something like $1.3m a year.

WSU wouldn't want to terminate him and shell out the $4.75m, but it only takes a couple years of the low-rent coach to make up for not having to pay Dickert $2.73 - $3.5m per year to run a bad G of 5 team out there, and it puts pressure on him to have a deal that's market for the conference in which he now is going to be coaching. He'd probably walk. Honestly, he's in for a world of shit if he stays, especially if the season keeps going the way it is. Mass transfers, increasing recruiting difficulties, pissed off fans, probably a lousy season next year that gets him fired anyway ... it's just a mess. As someone wrote on here recently, if the MWC or the Pac-MWC hybrid becomes a reality, WSU is more likely than most think to just reset with a new staff.

Do I enjoy any of this? Hell no. I just reside in reality most of the time.