The puzzling part is why we have so-called fans who choose to support the athletic director- a departed one at that - over the university. Jurich raised funds and elevated the university’s stature over a roughly 20-year period, but how many average athletic directors couldn’t or wouldn’t have done the same thing?
You and the Jurich fanboys lack the perspective to understand that the university and its athletic department were in a good, if not ideal, position to move forward in the late 90’s when Jurich got here. The basketball program was steeped in tradition, although struggling in the final years of a HOF coach, and the football program had proven it could also be successful at a high level despite the presence of terrible HC.
In fact, the new football stadium was already being built when Jurich got here and that was inarguably the most critical facilities upgrade in university history to date. Jurich came in and received heaps of praise for firing Cooper (what AD wouldn’t?) and coaxing Crum amicably out the door (what decent AD wouldn’t?). To borrow baseball terminology, I’m not sure Jurich’s WAR(wins above replacement) would justify the elevated status you and others grant him. In point of fact, it could easily be argued that his relative value was far below an average and acceptable contribution from an AD given the unprecedented and egregious pattern of public scandal that transpired willfully under his watch.
Jurich was about winning and that was to be commended, but the deification of ST Tomis as misguided as it is undeserved.
