What's the story behind the story here?

http://www.kbtx.com/sports/headlines/63331487.html#

I just saw this. What is the story?

Well, Eric Sehn underachieved his last year here. Seems like odd timing. Maybe as a 17-year vet he was making too much money to justify keeping him?

It seems like firing him the week the season starts with no replacement lined up means there must've been some event that set something off--Maybe a violation of University policy, some sort of safety issue with repeated warnings? I dunno, the timing just seems odd. Someone's gotta know, right?

Based on the timing my guess is he was on the hot seat and just refused to do something that somebody higher up wanted him to do and that was the final straw. But who knows?

When the budget is busted, the long-term employees are the first to go.

Apparently he and Bultman didn't get along, that must have something to do with it.

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When the budget is busted, the long-term employees are the first to go.

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That's kinda what I was thinking. Can't imagine how much he was making, but it must've been a lot, especially considering the small size of the group he coaches. It still seems like odd timing. We knew there was a budget problem a while ago, and it's really bad timing for the divers. Maybe he was due some bonus if he was still the coach for the first official meet? Seems like if that was the case, though, they'd at least or raise offer him the opportunity to resign first.

I've asked around, and it sounds like the powers-that-be are staying tight lipped about this and no one seems to know exactly what happened. I wonder if we'll ever find out?

From what I understand, there have been some internal issues and they decided to pull the plug...

BTW, if it was an issue of money, he would have been gone awhile ago.

I know nothing about this but if it was a budget issue I think it would have occurred when Byrne did his other staff reductions.

It is highly unusual to change coaches one month into the season.

Who is coaching the divers now?

I'm thinking along the lines as y'all. There's a story behind this that we just don't know. If it were budget issues, it wouldn't have been done so suddenly at this time.

So by this point, I think some stories are starting to creep up. I feel like several that have posted on this thread probably know them, but everyone's afraid to be the one that posts it. I'm not going to either, but suffice it to say, it's not a budget issue.

Somebody knows the real story. Come on Ags this is what message boards are for. Spill the beans.

I don't think it's my place to be reporting anything more specific about stuff like this on the internet.

anything to do with a number "14" txaggie?

Ban me if you must, but I have been told that Billy Pickard says he is still drawing his paycheck. He was one of the 17 that was relieved of their dudies by Bryne to cut expenses. Since Pickard refused to leave, then someone else had to leave. Pickard even he is well past 70 years of age, has powerful friends. Remember me when this post is deleted.

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an me if you must, but I have been told that Billy Pickard says he is still drawing his paycheck.

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it is well known pickard is still being paid. i doubt this guy was fired because of that.

Someone posted on another board that $$Bill's MO is when things get tough - watch he will fire a swimming or diving coach.Done it before.

Don't know what that other board is - but Byrne killed men's swimming at Nebraska. That program was guilty of a number of wrongdoings - so he killed the entire program. I do not doubt that he may have wanted to kill the program anyway to save money - and Nebraska's swim programs have never been good. MANY Div 1 schools do not have men's swimming.

But no one fires a coach three weeks into a season unless something bad happened.

Maybe we're looking at this the wrong way. Maybe something happened at the Woodlands and their coach just became available, and if people were unhappy with the existing coach, it was an opportunity to let him go.

No inside info, just thinking out loud.

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Maybe something happened at the Woodlands and their coach just became available, and if people were unhappy with the existing coach, it was an opportunity to let him go.

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I promise this is NOT what happened.

Our swim/dive programs are some of the best in the country. Byrne isn't just going to get rid of them without a good reason (NCAA infractions, etc). Something happened, we just don't know what.

could have just been a scapegoat problem for the entire mens and womens programs.....easy way to reduce cost and get rid of a quy (may not have been liked to well) department wise not sure. I still do believe $$bill has been holding back the progress of Men' swimming because of his past program kills of Neb and Oregon (no one ever mentions Oregon. Diving coach was last link to both the men and womens teams....I'm just saying

#1. In what sense do you feel that he has been holding back the Men's program?

#2. There were rumors of the Men's program getting cut before Byrne ever got here. I know for a fact we lost some really good recruits because of it.

holding back because he would never outwardly say or make a statement that he never has plans for or never will drop the Men's program...and he is 100% behind the team and it is an important part of the athletic deptartment. Other teams have used $bill 's past against ATM in recruiting Well before the current Coaching Staff was there. "dont go there the AD is going to drop the swim program...."

You have to admit....but the perception is there

Kordell84 - although I sometimes have doubts about Byrne's commitment to men's swimming - your "just saying" just doesn't make sense.

We have no hints here why the coach was fired. He was liked enough to be here 17 years. Perhaps after 17 years he was making more money than Byrne was willing to pay a diving coach. But firing the coach in the prime recruiting season makes no sense. It is too bad the interim coach won't be our real coach since he could attract great divers to TAMU.

The single worst thing Byrne did for men's swimming was give Holmes a 1 year contract initially after Nash was fired. Holmes was immediately disadvantaged convincing recruits to come here when the men's coaching staff was not secure.

also,,, thank goodness we built a really top notch pool. And be glad the women's team really vaulted in the top eight and vieing with tu.... those 2 things helped justify somewhat to keep the men's program going.....

1. cost to rent the pool from the university parks and rec.

2. and having a top 5 facility siting idle with out any teams to call home is crazy

3. Byrne did want to drop swimming all together as in the past. I think the reqents said no because of this facility...just my thouhgts really. and when the women shot up....made it difficult to drop the programs because of title nine.

the men's team was very close in my opinion

I agree with you spicewood

read my other 2 post near you at bottom

As I said awhile ago, I have it on good authority there were issues that led to the dismissal that have absolutely nothing to do with finances.

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I still do believe $$bill has been holding back the progress of Men' swimming because of his past program kills of Neb and Oregon (no one ever mentions Oregon. Diving coach was last link to both the men and womens teams....I'm just saying

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In Nebraska's case, you have to remember that came at a time when every other school in that region was or had done the same thing. That was a coordinated effort in the Big 12 north to work through various issues, some that even date back to when my father was a coach at NU before I was born. There were issues that didn't and certainly don't exist now at Texas A&M.

I don't know if Byrne's plan way back when was to do what he did at Nebraska or not (cut men's swimming, add other sports), but I know any such plan died a long time ago. This firing has nothing to do with finances and nothing to do with shutting any program down.

[This message has been edited by TXAggie2011 (edited 11/3/2009 3:13p).]