Yeow-zah! Robert G. Burton, the largest donor in the history of the University of Connecticut's football program is peeved (that's a G-rated understatement) he wasn't kept in the loop when the school hired Paul Pasqualoni as its new head coach this month.
Check out this link to Burton's "personal and confidential" letter to the athletic director posted by the Connecticut Post (nice work guys!)
Here are a couple of the highlights:
"I told you that I wanted to be involved in the hiring process for the new coach. I also gave you my insight about who would be a good fit for the head coaching position as well as who would not. For someone who has given over $7,000,000 to the football program/university, I do not feel as though these requests were asking for too much. Your lack of response on either of these requests tells me that you do not respect my point of view or value my opinion."
"You hired a coach who only knows CT coaches and players. CT players alone will not put UConn's program where we want it to be."
"I am fed up with you as a manager because you did not let the hiring process take place in an open manner. ... I believe that you are not qualified to be a Division 1 AD and I would have fired you a long time ago. You do not have the skills to manage and cultivate new donors or the ability to work with coaches."
It goes on, and on, and on. Burton also asks that he be refunded his total donation amount and, when that happens, he asks the school to remove his name from the campus' Burton Family Football Complex.
Ignoring the seven-million-dollar tone for a moment, does this guy have a point? As a former player and NFL draft pick it's not like he's some rich tech nerd who has won his fantasy football league the last 10 years in a row so thinks he knows something about football. This guy actually does.
The letter brings to light the cold, hard reality of college sports -- don't "peeve" off the major boosters. They ain't giving their money away just to feel good about themselves. The more money schools accept, the more they have to answer to those who are paying the bills.