Appalachian State University?released two documents Monday evening related to the ouster of legendary football coach Jerry Moore, including a letter from Dec. 20, 2011 in which athletic director Charlie Cobb asked Moore to step down.
Both documents are included at the end of this blog.
In a memo to chancellor Kenneth Peacock dated 11 days later, Cobb said Moore had rejected a three-year contract offer (at $100,000 annually) to step down as coach and become Special Assistant to the Athletic Director, and Cobb recommended ?the school agree to Moore?s request to coach one final season.
The school announced earlier this month that Moore (215-87 in 24 seasons with the Mountaineers) was no longer the coach, a move in which Moore has said ?blindsided? him.
The documents were released in response to a Citizen-Times request through the Freedom of Information Act.
Portions of the letter and memo are redacted.
Cobb declined an interview request from the Citizen-Times on Tuesday.
Moore couldn?t be reached for comment, and Peacock didn?t respond to interview requests.
In the letter to Moore, dated Dec. 20, 2011, Cobb listed several reasons for wanting to make a change ? ?a lack of chemistry on the coaching staff, the potential for 6-7 new coaches due to attrition, a new strength coach for the off-season?and the lingering mood surrounding the program.?
Cobb also wrote that there was pressure from unnamed people to make a change.
?Short of being able?to guarantee a championship season, I?m not sure people, especially the ones that matter ? will be satisfied,? Cobb wrote.?
Moore finished with?winning seasons in each of last 19 seasons with ASU, including an 8-4 mark this season when the Mountaineers won the Southern Conference title for the seventh time in eight years and?reached the FCS playoffs for an eighth straight season.
The Mountaineers were 87-24 in Moore?s last eight seasons, with three straight FCS national?championships (2005-07), a 53-8 record in SoCon play and a 15-6 mark in the playoffs.
When Moore was asked to step down last year, he was coming off an 8-4 record, the first time?since 2004 that the program hadn?t won at least 10 games.???
Cobb wrote of his admiration for Moore and his concern that if he remained as coach, his health could be threatened and the legacy and all he built at ASU could be tarnished.?
After offering Moore the new job, the letter ends with Cobb asking Moore to speak with his wife Margaret and think about the offer for a couple?of days.
In the Dec. 31?memo from Cobb to Peacock, Cobb wrote ?we (Cobb and Peacock) agree it is time for Coach Moore to retire.?
Cobb wrote that Moore?s response to the job offer was to request one final season of coaching in 2012. ???
?Cobb recommended that Moore coach the 2012 season and that he retire immediately?after the final game.
?This would be communicated immediately to him and the staff and announced?publicly in the spring, although?it is assumed that it will be public before then,? Cobb wrote.
Cobb also wrote that he expected Moore to retire even if the program won a national championship.
He also referred to the ?disjointed chemistry (during the 2011 season) that eventually (a)ffected every person involved in the program.?
Seven ASU assistants left the program after the 2011 season, including Moore?s son Chris, who had been on his father?s staff for 13 years.
Four of those seven went from ASU to Western Carolina, including Mark Speir, the Catamounts? head coach.
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Moore has said in previous interviews that he didn?t?agree?to any deal where 2012 would be his final season.
There was not a public announcement from ASU that 2012?would be Moore?s final season, and the news earlier this month that Moore was ousted against his wishes ?surprised and angered many?Mountaineers? fans. ??
For more on this story, check back later at CITIZEN-TIMES.com and pick up Wednesday?s print edition of the Citizen-Times.
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Letter from ASU athletic director Charlie Cobb to head coach Jerry Moore, dated Dec. 20, 2011. Portions of the letter have been redacted by ASU.
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Coach,
I write this letter with the utmost respect and admiration for you as a man and mentor. I
appreciate everything that Margaret and you have done for Lindsay, my kids, and me since
I was named AD in May 2005. Harrison still talks about coach giving him his first
Appalachian t-shirt at Hilton Head.
Through the years and especially recently since ?sitting in this chair? I?ve learned that men
sometimes have a difficult time expressing their true feelings when they sit and talk. Last
night, as I lay awake trying to figure out the right things, I remembered that you gave me a
book the day before our 2005 game against Coastal Carolina. So, I opened it again to read
the passage that you wrote thanking me for the energy being created for the first game.
Your words were as true last night as they were that first weekend.
Over the past couple of weeks, I?ve thought a lot about the football program, but, most
importantly, you and Margaret. What we?ve accomplished the past seven years is
remarkable when anyone thinks back to the circumstances of 2005. Coach, I am genuinely
concerned for you and for Margaret. I see our strengths ? the tradition, our reputation,
facilities, and scholarship funding ? and realize most of this has been accomplished in the
recent cycle. However, I also see our weaknesses ? the lack of chemistry on your staff, the
potential for 6-7 new coaches due to attrition, a new strength coach for the off-season
workouts, and the lingering mood surrounding the program from as you describe ? a tough
season.? I also don?t see a program that is in disarray because we have good kids and good
players, but one that needs new voices. I have no doubts that you will work longer and
harder to make it work, but you are only one man of 12-13 others responsible for the
direction. What I see for the next year is a man that I revere paddling as hard as he can so
as to not drown versus being able to stand and admire all that he has built.
Right now, we have a chance to build the appropriate legacy for you with this program.
Without a doubt, you have raised the expectation bar, but I firmly believe that where we
are right now goes way beyond wins and losses. At most places, an 8-win season is
celebrated, but you acknowledged to many throughout the season that this was your
toughest year in coaching. Short of being able to guarantee a championship season, I?m not
sure people, especially the ones that matter ? will be satisfied. And, honestly, even if we
were to win a fourth title, does that make it all good in the end if you have to exhaust
yourself physically and mentally to accomplish it? I think back to Margaret?s reaction after
the Maine game and am worried that the risk to everything you?ve accomplished is not
worth trying to win a few more ball games. As I told you on Sunday, I do not want you to
become (REDACTED) or Appalachian to become (REDACTED) by you and me trying to make this
partnership work too long.
Everybody that loves and respects you is trying to protect you and your legacy. No one
wants to see you (REDACTED). We
care too much. Regardless of your willpower and mental toughness, the reality of next
season is a year without (REDACTED), new coaches whose commitment to you
and the program is unknown, a new strength coach leading the off-season program, and the
?is this Coach?s last year? prevalent before and during the season. And, unlike 2005 when I
arrived, there is no clear cohesion among your staff about direction and I?m not sure that
the proper trust can be created by a group of new coaches in a short period of time. I also
think trying to put that staff together is going to be tough given our circumstances? My
guess is about right now, you?re getting charged up and ready to fight the fight. That?s not
my intention in writing this. My intention is to clearly point out to you the great challenges
that lie in front of us in trying to make another season work. Being rational, I do not think
the 20-hour days or sleeping in your office is in your best interest.
I write all this to tell you ?it?s time.? I also know that everybody who knows your family
and our current situation feels the same way. Why?
1. This protects you and your legacy at Appalachian. As (REDACTED) told you,
this is the very best possible exit strategy because you go out ?a winner.?
2. The timing allows for the proper transition of the program. I am fairly
confident that the new coach will keep some of the remaining staff, so these
guys can be taken care of as well. We can execute a search quickly after
Christmas, so any lost momentum in the recruiting cycle will be minimal.
3. Emotionally, it allows you and Margaret the ability to go do many new and
exciting things without the strain of another season. I?ve witnessed this
transition with (REDACTED)
4. And finally, financially, this is the best deal for you and Margaret.
i. The job title is ?Special Assistant to the Athletics Director.? In essence,
you would be a friendraiser and fundraiser for football program?
Our ambassador. You can be around the program and kids daily. You
will have an office near Rick and me to use as necessary.
ii. Technically, we would set the job up to be an independent contractor
relationship paid by Yosef Club. This allows you to earn income from
speeches, presentations, etc. without undue restraint by the
University. You would have to establish your own health coverage,
but we can work with the guys at Blue Cross to put something
together.
iii. This would be a three-year commitment (January 1, 2012 ? December
31, 2014) at $100,000 per year. You also would be eligible to start
drawing your retirement, which is an additional (REDACTED) per month.
Additionally, your monthly social security is added too. Plus, by
retiring, you can immediately receive payment for your accrued
vacation time, which is currently (REDACTED) before taxes. So, financially,
you are making as much or more as you currently do.
Coach, I understand what I?m asking. I ask you to share this with Margaret and think about
this over the next couple of days. With everything going on, if I didn?t think this was in your
best interest, I would not come to you with this. I trust you and Margaret understand that.
I thank you from the bottom of my heart for reading and thinking about this.
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?Following is a memo from ASU athletic director Charlie Cobb to chancellor Kenneth Peacock?date Dec. 31, 2011. Portions of the memo have been redacted by ASU. ?
MEMORANDUM
To: Ken Peacock
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From: Charlie Cobb
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Date: December 31, 2011
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Re: Football Transition
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Ken, as part of our discussions, I felt this could help facilitate the conversation.
We agree that it is time for Coach Moore to retire. I communicated this to him prior to Christmas. After some thought, he understands that it is time for him to define his retirement but has requested to coach one final season in 2012. And while I was initially disappointed that Coach was not in agreement with everything I proposed, I have since thought through all the positives and negatives of his request and strongly believe this is the best option for all parties involved. I have tried to think about what is best for Appalachian while also thinking about how you or I would respond to a similar request. I am comfortable that the following recommendation addresses our two major concerns after the season ? a definitive retirement date for Coach and several staff changes ? that were accomplished in the past two weeks.
Recommendation:
The 2012 football season is Coach Moore?s last season as head coach. He will retire immediately following the final game of the 2012 season. This would be communicated immediately to him and the staff and announced publicly in the spring although it is assumed that it will be public before then.
This solution is best for Appalachian based on the following 3 reasons:
1.
Potential FBS transition
?As we discussed before the holidays, the conference realignment process has reached the point that it touches Appalachian. We should know this spring or summer what opportunities, if any, exist for us. This will make our future conference affiliation a known part of the decision-making process following the 2012 season and not speculative, as it would be in the next several weeks. I cannot stress the importance of knowing this direction in terms of creating the best available candidate pool. Also, potentially, the 2012 season will be the first of our 2-year transition period. If so, it is beneficial for this to begin with our existing situation instead of a new staff in terms of creating momentum during the transition years.
2.
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Financial.
Coach Moore has a salary agreement offered and approved by the BOT in 2009 to coach the 2012-2013 season at a base salary of $230,000. (REDACTED).? Additionally, I calculated that we owe an additional $265,000 in severance and accrued vacation leave to the 11 members of our current staff. This puts the total financial commitment at $500,000 to make a change at this point in time.
The right new head coach will want somewhere in the $250,000-350,000 annual range and my guess is $650,000 for his assistant?s salaries. (REDACTED) The head coach?s annual salary is $500,000 and the pool for assistants is $1.3 million. For comparison, our salary pool for 10 assistants is currently $520,000, which is third in the SoCon Given (REDACTED) our continuing need to absorb the out-of-state waiver and the recent reduction in our approved student fee request for 2012-13 by approximately $225,000, I am not comfortable spending from our current operating budget or reserves, especially as this could negatively impact funds for possible realignment. I do think that we will need to increase spending for the vacant assistant coaching positions, but this will be a fraction of costs for a new staff.
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Our 2012 schedule is one of the best in recent memory. We will meet our ticket sales goal. We just completed a fundraising year where we reached $1 million by December 31 for the first time in history. We are currently more than 10% ahead of last year, which set a record for the Yosef Club.
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3.
?
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Public Relations.
Of the roughly 250 Division I football programs, Appalachian trails only Boise State in terms of number of games won during the past seven years. I have no doubt that it is in Appalachian?s best interest to allow a natural transition with Jerry versus terminating him, which is what this would be. Secondly, we all anticipate another difficult budget year for campus. Based on current issues, I do not see a viable way for you or me to explain to interested parties how we spent the referenced money. I also think we can be successful in 2012 if everyone is committed to making this work because we have already answered the chemistry questions of 2011 with current staff changes.
There are plenty of respectable coaches who will coach the 2012 season at Appalachian under this scenario once the go-ahead is given. I also do not think a transition year will negatively impact recruiting for several reasons. One, effective recruiting is an inexact science by nature. Second, over the last several years, kids being recruited by us have not come in with the expectation to play for Coach their entire college careers. Three, because of the unstable nature of coaching, no kid being recruited by any staff in America can be honestly told that they will play for that coach or staff for his entire career. In the SoCon alone, every team but Wofford and us changed head coaches in the past five years or, more accurately, during the college life of kids in the 2011 graduating class.
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Potentially, new members of our 2012 staff could look like:
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? Offensive coordinator/Quarterbacks coach
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?
o
Bill Stewart, former head coach at West Virginia following Rich Rodriquez. He and Jerry are long-time friends and Bill knows our offense since West Virginia is where our staff went in 2004 to learn the spread offense.
? Offensive line coach
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?
o
Bill has a coach from (REDACTED) that he wants to bring with him?
Receivers coach
We are targeting (REDACTED) for his leadership and knowledge of the offense.
(REDACTED) would move from the (REDACTED), a position that he has coached previously.?
(REDACTED)? and will do a great job in this minimum-salary position.?
Defensive secondary position?
Dale Jones is targeting a veteran college coach from (REDACTED) and/or a defensive assistant at (REDACTED). ??
?Ken,
I realize the recommendation that I am making will require me to be more directly involved on a day?to day basis in terms of leadership and chemistry within the staff and with the players. This is something that I will establish with Coach?if you are on board?with this recommendation. I believe I can do this in a way that helps Coach and the football program if we have an agreement on my role from the beginning. Ken, the 8-3 season (the team actually finished 8-4) of 2011 was enver about a lack of talent but solely about?disjointed chemistry that eventually (a)ffected every person involved in the program. With these issues resolved, we have a team that can compete.
There is nothing more that would be a storybook ending to this journey for Appalachian, Coach Moore and thousands of Appalachian fans for our football team to win a 4th?National Championship in Coach?s final year. I believe?that with you and the Board of Trustees? support we have a legitimate chance of making this happen.?
Thanks for reading.?
Charlie ?????
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Source: http://www.citizen-times.com/jarrettsjournal
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