Paul Mills Slightly Toasty Seat

[C0|dB|00ded]

I know you're trolling with your contrarian schtick, but I actually agree with this post. If Mills fixes the perimeter defense and figures out how to use Ballard a lot more, we could have a fun squad by conference tourney time.

Mills did figure out Ballard a few games ago (but we got smoked on defense that game so I am not sure if the impact stuck). And he did figure out his best lineup by the end of the night last night. Whether he continues to use both of those in large doses remains to be seen. Simply using that lineup from the last 5 minutes by itself will narrow the gap in our perimeter defense hole by itself, IMO.

Yeah. After Marshall's "retirement", the brainless/thoughtless/effortless hiring of an assistant with no D1 head coaching experience, the implosion of our shiny new conference, the hiring of this weird-lookin' fella... I'm dead inside. The only place to go is up! The glass is 1/8th full!

And yes, the pieces are there to be more than competitive in our conference. I see improvement with ball movement and decision-making.

ECU brought mad intensity to Koch Arena. This wasn't going to be an easy game no matter what our team did. And we lost on a last-second shot. The game was fun to watch. Had we played like uninspired, lethargic clowns, I would not be saying what I am saying. The boys are trying...

1/8th full.

[shock]

Guys, I really think by year 12 Mills will have us in the top 3 in the conference.

[Aargh]

Guys, I really think by year 12 Mills will have us in the top 3 in the conference.

We're moving to the Summit League?

[pinstripers]

Guys, I really think by year 12 Mills will have us in the top 3 in the conference.

that won't help me.

[BAShocker]

Guys, I really think by year 12 Mills will have us in the top 3 in the conference.

By that time, will there only be 3 members in the conference?

[ShockerFever]

Admittedly I haven't watched a ton of Shocker games this year

No shyt.

[Stickboy46]

By that time, will there only be 3 members in the conference?

Gotta have 8 to be a conference.

Year 2038 Standings
1. UTSA
2. ECU
3. WSU
4. Friends
5. Newman
6. Southwest Womens college
7. Friends Intramural squad
8. St Mary's School for the blind

[JVShocker]

By that time, will there only be 3 members in the conference?

By that time there will only be three members on shockernet.

[C0|dB|00ded]

Lots of cognitive dissonance happening on this board.

Everybody agrees that college bball is dead as we know it - at least for now. So why then scream and screech when we don't succeed? Or even more absurd, compare today with 4 years ago? This is the silly season. Anybody winning a national championship in 2025 is going to have an asterisk. Just like those that shone during the Covid seasons (like BJ). These are asterisk periods of time where those who should win don't, and those that shouldn't do.

Throw away the record. Don't look at the opponent. Just treat every game like an exhibition game. If you're entertained, then clap. If the product sucks, turn it off, or leave. Investing your heart, soul. and mind in this era is foolishness and indicates you have not yet accepted the fact that college basketball - as we know it - is dead. At least for now. We'll see what the Title IX brouhaha yields.

Stop comparing today with even two years ago. K-suck is top 5 in team spending FFS. Nothing makes sense.

Cheer for the hard work you are getting to see. We may see less and less of it in the future. Our W/L record is almost meaningless.

There's a VERY high probability that had Marshall survived the cancel wars, he'd be struggling right now as well.

I watched an entertaining game last night. And as proof that I am fully acceptive of the fact that college bball is dead, I felt exactly ZERO sadness when the prayer 3-ball went in at the end. I just kind of chuckled and turned the game off. What else can you do?

[rjl]

The real winner is apparently whatever meds Cold is on.

[1972Shocker]

It would be very interesting to know the sales pitch ADKS used to entice a $4.6 million increase in booster contributions in FY2024 vs FY 2023. Even with that we only ran a net surplus, excluding severance payment obligations, of $868,000 in FY2024. So it wouldn't take much backsliding by donor's to put WSU-ICAA back into a net annual deficit in FY2025 (which is just past the halfway mark).

If there were promises made about seeing progress with the men's basketball program (and what else really matters very much at Wichita State financially), then sustaining the needed level of donations could certainly be at risk unless we some kind of miracle turn around in the next 2 months.

Based on the net asset position of the WSU-ICAA as 06/30/24 (setting aside funds to cover the existing severance pay obligations), and assuming no erosion in that position since that time, WSU could fund a buyout of 1-year of Paul Mills contract. The buy-out of HCPM as of June 30th of each year are as follows: 2025 = $4,310,000; 2026 = $2,646,000; 2027 = $1,360,500. Note that the buyouts of year 4 and 5 are at 75% of total compensation.

This assumes in the meantime that he does not earn a 1-year contract extension for 1) 25+ Regular Season Wins; and/or 2) Regular Season Conference Championship (including a tie); and/or 3) a Conference Tournament Championship. If that would happen you can add $1,435,500 to above buyout costs.

So if ADKS want to get rid of him after this season he will need to raise at least $3 million from boosters assuming no further deterioration in financial condition since 06/30/24. At the end of next season he might "only" need to raise $1.2 million to get it done. So is it worth it to wait 1 more year to save $1.8 million knowing that next year is a total rebuild whether we replace Coach Mills or not.

There is a mitigation clause in the contract that would require Coach Mills to diligently seek mitigation of ICAA’s payment obligation set forth in subsection 21.2 by seeking full-time subsequent comparable employment at Actual Market Rate, as that term is defined herein (“Subsequent Employment”). For purposes of this subsection, “comparable” shall mean any coaching, consulting, broadcasting, or athletic director position with any other college, university, or professional sports or athletics organization. In the event Coach’s Subsequent Compensation is below an Actual Market Rate, Coach expressly agrees that ICAA may assign a market value of compensation to Coach’s Subsequent Employment based upon ICAA’s good faith and reasonable analysis of similar positions. (I wonder if Isaac Brown's contract contains the same provision? Has he been diligently seeking subsequent employment).

If I'm a major donor I probably make any commitment to a buyout fund dependent on ADKS using an acceptable search committee to guide him and hopefully he could entice Jim Schaus to head up that committee.

Paul Mills Contract: https://www.wichita.edu/about/public_information/_documents/mills-mbb-contract.pdf

[1972Shocker]

I will point out that section 20.1 of HCPM's agreement reads:

For purposes of this Agreement, the term “Cause” shall include any one or more of the following as determined by ICAA: (a) the refusal, failure, fraud, or dishonesty of Coach in any material respect to comply with the reasonable directives of the Director of Athletics or to perform the duties set forth in this Agreement

Appendix A outlines the duties which include:

As Head Men’s Basketball Coach, Coach’s duties and responsibilities include, without limitation:
1. Lead, supervise, evaluate, recruit, train, condition, discipline, educate, develop, promote, and coach the University's men's basketball team to compete successfully in the AAC and nationally.

---

It seems to me that HCPM has and is clearly failing to coach a team that is or can compete successfully in the AAC and nationally with next year looking even more questionable. No doubt HCPM would challenge this in court and I am not sure what Wichita State's chances to prevail would be if they terminated him for cause on this basis.

Coach Mills' employment contract can be terminated by mutual agreement of the parties. Perhaps ADKS should approach HCPM and let him now that he is not living up to the duties of his contract noted above and that he is considering terminating HCPM for cause. However, just to be gentlemanly about it WSU would agree to a $1 million buyout at the end of this season with no mitigation requirement.

[BostonWu]

It would be very interesting to know the sales pitch ADKS used to entice a $4.6 million increase in booster contributions in FY2024 vs FY 2023.

He's pretty proud of the 4.0 team GPA.

As for the rest of your post, there's next to zero chance he doesn't get at least one more season.

[C0|dB|00ded]

The real winner is apparently whatever meds Cold is on.

Just flippin' the script.

It also helps when I actually watch a game instead of just reading about them. We have some very exciting components.

[C0|dB|00ded]

It would be very interesting to know the sales pitch ADKS used to entice a $4.6 million increase in booster contributions in FY2024 vs FY 2023. Even with that we only ran a net surplus, excluding severance payment obligations, of $868,000 in FY2024. So it wouldn't take much backsliding by donor's to put WSU-ICAA back into a net annual deficit in FY2025 (which is just past the halfway mark).

If there were promises made about seeing progress with the men's basketball program (and what else really matters very much at Wichita State financially), then sustaining the needed level of donations could certainly be at risk unless we some kind of miracle turn around in the next 2 months.

Based on the net asset position of the WSU-ICAA as 06/30/24 (setting aside funds to cover the existing severance pay obligations), and assuming no erosion in that position since that time, WSU could fund a buyout of 1-year of Paul Mills contract. The buy-out of HCPM as of June 30th of each year are as follows: 2025 = $4,310,000; 2026 = $2,646,000; 2027 = $1,360,500. Note that the %buyouts of year 4 and 5 are at 75% of total compensation.

This assumes in the meantime that he does not earn a 1-year contract extension for 1) 25+ Regular Season Wins; and/or 2) Regular Season Conference Championship (including a tie); and/or 3) a Conference Tournament Championship. If that would happen you can add $1,435,500 to above buyout costs.

So if ADKS want to get rid of him after this season he will need to raise at least $3 million from boosters assuming no further deterioration in financial condition since 06/30/24. At the end of next season he might "only" need to raise $1.2 million to get it done. So is it worth it to wait 1 more year to save $1.8 million knowing that next year is a total rebuild whether we replace Coach Mills or not.

There is a mitigation clause in the contract that would require Coach Mills to diligently seek mitigation of ICAA’s payment obligation set forth in subsection 21.2 by seeking full-time subsequent comparable employment at Actual Market Rate, as that term is defined herein (“Subsequent Employment”). For purposes of this subsection, “comparable” shall mean any coaching, consulting, broadcasting, or athletic director position with any other college, university, or professional sports or athletics organization. In the event Coach’s Subsequent Compensation is below an Actual Market Rate, Coach expressly agrees that ICAA may assign a market value of compensation to Coach’s Subsequent Employment based upon ICAA’s good faith and reasonable analysis of similar positions. (I wonder if Isaac Brown's contract contains the same provision? Has he been diligently seeking subsequent employment).

If I'm a major donor I probably make any commitment to a buyout fund dependent on ADKS using an acceptable search committee to guide him and hopefully he could entice Jim Schaus to head up that committee.

Paul Mills Contract: https://www.wichita.edu/about/public_information/_documents/mills-mbb-contract.pdf

He made one call.