Brandon’s self-created media circus here violates his number one “triage” duty: to not waste one hour or day of precious recruiting time between Jan. 1 and the Feb. 5 “signing day.” Every second is valuable. Brandon’s had 5 weeks since OSU to pore over RR evaluation docs and data, and to draw up every conceivable Option Plan for potential coach hires. All the Jan. 1 Gator Bowl drubbing did was mandate that Brandon just add another ‘F’ grade for RR on the chart. Ergo, Brandon should have announced his verdict on Jan. 2, and moved on. This delay by Brandon is the first evidence that he’s either floundering and/or covets the media attention for himself. He’s not only wasting precious January recruiting days, but also heightening the uncertainty of all those recruits, which can only push them elsewhere. Not a good sign.
So, whatever your thoughts about the merits of Rich Rod as a coach, and whether he ought to stay or go, this latest delay is unnecessary, and can only be interpreted as showing Brandon clueless, or loving all the limelight. Why, for example, did he not do what any rational AD would have done (at least out of consideration for RR), which is to have scheduled any meetings with Rich Rod in some discreet and undisclosed off-site location? The best explanation at this point is that Brandon wanted his meeting with Rich Rod to be held on South State St. yesterday to maximize, not minimize, the media frenzy. Brandon’s looking more and more as though he values his time in the limelight more than he values precious recruiting days.
