Tech AD Radakovich still has a job; for that, he’s a lucky man
Demaryius Thomas holds a list, but you'll note it's not a list of infractions. (AJC photo by Johnny Crawford)
The strongest sanction in the NCAA arsenal — and we should stipulate this was one sanction not levied against Georgia Tech — is the “show-cause” penalty. When a coach is found to have committed egregious violations (two examples: Dave Bliss and Kelvin Sampson), he’s banned for a number of years and any member institution seeking to hire him during that span must convince the NCAA it has good reason.
I mention this because I’ve been thinking: If the NCAA said, “We want you, M. Bradley, to show cause as to why Dan Radakovich should remain athletic director at Tech,” I’m not sure I could.
This isn’t easy for me to say. I like Radakovich. Until Thursday, I rated him among the brightest stars in his industry. But the department Radakovich heads turned what should have been a one-week tempest into a 20-month ordeal that has yielded four years’ probation, a $100,000 fine and a vacated ACC title.
Even the NCAA sounded a note of incredulity. From its press release: “The university’s failure to cooperate and meet the obligations of membership compounded the seriousness of the case by adding onto what was originally an isolated instance of impermissible benefits and preferential treatment.”
As late as this spring, Tech still believed this case could amount to no more than a secondary violation. This tells us Tech had no idea what was happening, which is a dire indictment. Radakovich has been in this job since 2006 and has spent all but four years of his adult life working for NCAA institutions. This is the man who should have been steering, not asking, “Which way looks good to y’all?”
It’s clear he got bad advice, but Radakovich was (and remains) the guy in charge. He gets paid to safeguard his athletic association. Given that Radakovich had fired coaches Chan Gailey and Paul Hewitt despite the onerous contracts negotiated by predecessor Dave Braine, this AD seemed capable of acing any test. He flunked this final.
In a 25-minute phone conversation Friday, Radakovich was asked if he felt he’d let Tech down. His response: “The circumstances around this have caused a lot of consternation, not only with me, but within the department. I take this very seriously. I know there was no intent to hinder the investigation, but the NCAA enforcement committee doesn’t see it that way. That’s a blow to my integrity.”
If you read the committee on infractions’ 26-page report, you’ll have a hard time grasping how a case that began with the NCAA checking on a football player’s cellphone and his use of complimentary tickets could lead to such heavy penalties because a different player was found to have accepted $312 of clothing. (FYI, most of the clothing given to Demaryius Thomas was never worn and is housed in a cabinet at Tech.) From Point A to Point H to Point W?
Conceded Radakovich: “It’s not cut and dried. It’s not as simple as some cases.”
I get that part. What I also get is that the NCAA got ticked at Tech — not just at former Institute counsel Randy Nordin and what it called his “obstructionist reproach,” but also with the AD.
Said Radakovich: “I don’t personally think I angered the NCAA. I think the NCAA and this particular investigator were miffed when I did not follow his instruction to our compliance director.”
Radakovich told football coach Paul Johnson what was coming. Investigator Marcus Wilson had asked that Radakovich not say anything. Said Radakovich: [The NCAA believed] this action impeded their investigation. We maintain that it did not.”
Then: “This [don't-say-anything order] may have come up a hundred times [in other cases], but it certainly wasn’t highlighted. It goes back to how the individual investigator chooses to handle it. It is procedural.”
And that’s Tech’s defense: That its error was procedural, as opposed to conspiratorial. Said Radakovich: “There was no clandestine meeting, no conspiracy to pull together a story. That stuff didn’t happen.”
Why did he tell Johnson? “I was going off previous experience I’d had … I did it consciously.” Then: “I need to have a relationship with coaches. That’s important in being able to run a department. What would my relationship [with Johnson] have been like if I hadn’t said anything? That’s the part that gets lost.”
The NCAA made hay of Tech’s failure to comply with its request. The committee on infractions noted that, because it lacks subpoena power, “the successful adjudication of infractions cases is heavily dependent on the good faith efforts and, most importantly, the full and complete cooperation of member institutions and other involved parties under investigation by the enforcement staff. ”
Translated: We might not be able to make an agent come testify, but if you work at one of our institutions you’d better do as we say.
Said Radakovich: “We didn’t do — Georgia Tech didn’t do — some things very well.”
That doesn’t quite go far enough. This was a howling case of mismanagement — “A cautionary tale of conduct that member institutions should avoid,” the NCAA deemed it — from a school that has, of all things, a college of management.
Asked if he had offered his resignation to Tech president Bud Peterson, Radakovich said: “No, I did not. Was not asked and didn’t offer.”
Then: “The lesson learned from all of this is that when you get that inquiry, the initial phone call is to bring in someone like a Chuck Smrt [a former NCAA investigator who now counsels those being investigated and who was retained by Tech] … someone who is skilled in that kind of forum. You need a different set of eyes. As good as any university attorney is, this is not their forte.”
In 2006 a Tech coach said, “If Tech people understand anything, it’s business.” The next day Gailey’s team lost the ACC title to Wake Forest in the worst game ever played. Fifty-one weeks later, Radakovich fired Gailey. Two years after that, a different Tech coach won the conference title. This week the crowning achievement of this AD’s most notable hire was forfeited because the AD and his department didn’t follow procedure.
I’m not a Tech grad, but I wouldn’t call that good business. I’d say it’s close to being a firing offense.
By Mark Bradley
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291 comments Add your comment
Bulldog Joe
July 17th, 2011
9:32 am
I see the humble bumbles and the rest of the Urination are pretty upset about this.
Bulldog Joe
July 17th, 2011
9:35 am
Looks like now the jackets were shutout on the ‘09 Team Goals.
Fair Play
July 17th, 2011
10:00 am
UGA sat AJ Green preemptively and cooperated with the investigation. We took a season on the chin, limped off, and to hopefully rebound this season. Tech on the other hand, played ineligible players, STILL LOST to UGA then won the Another Crap Conference Title and followed that up with a stink of an Orange Bowl game against Iowa. Sucks when you cheat and still lose to UGA and in your big time bowl game in the spot light! Tech graduates are the only people who think they have any integrity. Tech has proved to be an elite technical school when a $312 mistake turns into major violation. Only the North Avenue Trade School could figure out an equation to fit that!
william
July 17th, 2011
10:25 am
Funny how Mark thinks drad should be fired, but that wonderful specimen of dog killer Mike Vick should be worshpped and held up as a role model to children.
hey bulldog joe...
July 17th, 2011
11:08 am
why would the urination be upset about the jackets? we sure as hell dont give a turd about the urination aka the dawgs aka the bullfrawgs aka the goats.
and before you answer back lets make sure you get this right…. their is only one urination and it is not the jackets.
the jackets do not urinate on their library carpet every saturday.
the jackets stadium is not referred to by all opposing fans as the urinal with hedges or is it the cesspool? doesnt matter … same difference. the jackets dont have fans drunken toothless necks urinating on opposing fans from the top of their stadium like the dawgs do. such class……………….
having said that there is ONLY one fan base that can honestly be referred to as the uri nation.
btw have you guys started pointing to the uga vs gt game at the end of your season as your salvation game once again? its never tooo early when you consider you have 2 months to kick in gear for another run at the fulmer cup.
you’ve already lost 2 starters an ol and a coach.
tooooo funny you frawgs. tooo funny!
hey bulldog joe...
July 17th, 2011
11:15 am
their is only one urination and it aint the jackets.
google …… what fan base has
toothless neck fans who piss on opposing fans
students and fans that urinate on their library carpet
a stadium that smells like stale urine
a stadium that people refer to as the cesspool
it sure does not come up the jackets!
headley lamar
July 17th, 2011
11:22 am
One thing is for sure.
Tech is now one of the dirtiest programs in college football.
You know how Miami is refered to as the “U”
Maybe Tech should just embrace is dirty thug ridden cheating program and call themselves the “T”
It could be there own little thing.
hey headley....
July 17th, 2011
11:58 am
i got something for ya. lets see if you live up to your nic.
as far as dirty goes….. wasnt uga on probation ever 4 years under dooley?
as far as dirty goes….. tell me again how many of your players have been arrested over the last 5 years. tell me again about panty gate.
yeah i thought so. guess i muffled you up…….
headley lamar
July 17th, 2011
1:10 pm
One team has been on probabtion twice in the last ten years
Another team hasn’t
Tech is one of the dirtiest programs in CFB
Case closed
threetrone
July 17th, 2011
1:44 pm
he is lucky because he passed on Tech grads Price and Neal when hiring Gregory, and he hasn’t been fired for that; what AD would not want to hire Price whose jersey was retired? is experience better than what Price had to offer? man, I don’t think so; is Ratikovich on Tech’s side or LSU’s; I don’t agree with the hiring of Gregory; I believe Mark Price should have been hired; I understand he expressed interest in the position
Ramblin Recluse Road
July 17th, 2011
1:54 pm
I think Tech’s doing lousy in sports these days. They wear black and powder puff pink, the football team does not pass, they have Buzz and not the BD years yj on the T-club jackets, they passed on Price and Noodles. Once the football team wore all white with gold helmets for one night game, and it looked like they wore white long johns. They have lousy uniform art. Their all white basketball uniforms look like white underwear, and that’s why they lose in them. I’ve concluded to ramble reclusively from Tech, my alma mater. I ramble very little with them.
KAW
July 17th, 2011
2:28 pm
When we Tech grads/fans look at the past two athletic administrations (notably AFTER Dr. Rice stepped down/retired), the athletic program has had secondary and top-level sanctions levied against it. INEXCUSABLE!
I definitely agree with Nate Kelsey’s recommendation, but I also believe one other blogger may have a point when it was pointed out the NCAA may have made Tech’s case an example. This would simply have resulted much lighter against Tech (punishment-wise) – possibly – had the school’s counsel not advised President Peterson so poorly, and had D-Rad not been so amateurish in his reactions. Summarily speaking, NONE of this would have transpired under Dr. Homer Rice. Braine’s not without criticism here – the weighty, cumbersome contracts, etc. Let’s get Tech representatives who CORRECTLY advise our school’s president, and who expertly and SOUNDLY run our athletics department. Lastly, this may add fuel to the fire for those who advocate paying players some type of stipend. If an argument like this comes to fruition, I’d suggest getting boosters & so-called “friends of the program” (doesn’t every I-A program – no, I WON’T call it FBS, or whatever the clumsy acronym is – have these guys/gals/community fans hanging around?!) contribute to some pot that is distributed and have the cash flow to the players monitored.
@buckeye
July 17th, 2011
2:33 pm
Thanks for caring so much about Georgia football you have to go on a TECH blog and write about some irrelevant past coach. You are pathetic. Tressel sets a new standard for hypocrisy. Congrats. Own it.
captguitarman
July 17th, 2011
3:28 pm
Wow! What a game going on here. Toothless, neckless rednecks on offense vs. snooty, hypocrital nerds on defense, reffed by a biased, but blind sports writer, and under the auspices of all powerful and all seeing, but perspectiveless and totally clueless OZ. Hard to pick a winner here. But, in the big picture, the rednecds and nerds will not be the losers. It will be the clueless NCAA that continues to lose ground and credibility by taking an unreasonable, “tough guy” approaches in much ado about nothing cases like this — reasoning that if they continue to play tough, these problems will begin to dissipate. Not to be contrary, but these kinds of problems and this bad behavior (mildly bad in this case) will begin to dissipate when big time college football ceases to be what it has surely become despite all the “student-athlete claptrap” . . . Big Business. And just when will that begin to happen? Next week? Because this tough guy approach (along with the USC decision, Ohio State decision, and so on) has all the schools, players, agents, alumni, opportunitists, hangers-on, relatives, entrepreneurs, lawyers, NCAA rules consultants (a whole new burgeoning field of opportunity), and the NFL execs closely watching what is going on in their free minor league) all just quaking in their boots? Or perhaps, next month before the season starts, everyone will disavow all this monetary influence permeating super lucrative, big time college sports and all gather on the playing fields for the first kick off singing Kumbya, and swearing blood oaths to never to it again? Or, more likely, when monkeys fly out my butt. The great and powerful Oz took back a title over $312 because of the incidental misconduct of a couple of players and the decision by the adults in charge to view it as a small matter and handle it badly. Most adults involved in top tier collegs sports these days make $312, or more, per second. What kind of message does that send to all the other players on that team? If you think the APS cheating scandal was a travesty because the adults in charge made it all about themselves and not about the students, you ain’t seen nuthin’ yet . . . until you get inside of big time college sports. The only place in America where indentured servitude is legal. Millions and billions of dollars floating around, and everyone involved gets richer than Cresus except for the gladiators out on the field, foreced to suffer these kinds of indignities over $312, and bad adult behavior??? Are you kidding me? This system is corrupt, and as long as it remains like it is, these stories like this will continue. There is just too much money in the system for the worker bees not to be getting any of it.
DawgPoo
July 17th, 2011
3:39 pm
If the NCAA plans to stay in business, they will need a staff of 20,000 investigators in order to apply this kind of justice to all. Some of their rules are archaic, but they are still the rules, and we all are supposed to follow them. If anyone is laughing at Tech’s misfortune here……be careful. There isn’t much room for error……. And, if I’m a Buckeye, I’m worried……
Sven Ottke
July 17th, 2011
4:42 pm
After reading the entire case and response, Tech got shafted and the NCAA is a joke and should be ashamed of themselves. A total witchhunt.
Brian
July 17th, 2011
6:26 pm
Funny you make such a deal over an athlete getting $300 in clothes but you say NOTHING about jim loser donnan and his ponzi scheme of over ten million.
Memo to ga fans re aj
July 17th, 2011
6:29 pm
you lost to colorado with him
you lost to fla with him
to auburn with him
and cent fla with him
so quit acting like his not playing was why last season was bad. in fact, using your logic, this year should be dreadful since he and kris durham are gone. they accounted for about 3/4 of your receiving offense.
gmcinva
July 17th, 2011
7:25 pm
My concern as a Tech Graduate is the incompetence shown by the Tech Athletic Director and the Administration in this event. I’m not interested in the eternal Tech vs UGA b.s., or in the question of whether the punishment from the NCAA fits the “crime”. I’m concerned with the lack of intelligence shown on the part of the Tech Administration. I understand that they are not Tech Graduates, but surely some basic notion of Business Judgment would have indicated that thumbing your nose at NCAA directives is unlikely to be a sound strategy. Coupled with the poor performance of the athletic teams and the ridiculous contract with Hewitt, this should lead to an evaluation of just what performance is expected in the athletic program in view of the funds invested.
Doc
July 17th, 2011
7:32 pm
mark maybe but dont the heads of the ncaa have bigger fish to fry and though they might have done some proceedural things wrong and antagonized the investigators is it worth this or is ohio state with their egregious disregard of everything get the death penalty since it went on for ten years? i have come to expect so little from the ncaa that they make examples of the little guys and get paid off by the big boys. very little to respect about big time college sports as yo follow the money that rarely lands where it ought to nor the penalties meted out.
juvenal
July 17th, 2011
8:02 pm
again, what about dez….no penalties for playing someone with eligibility issues……….drad did some dumb things, but intent? no proof….as for the dauugs, reason # 2 to the 27 why they don’t apparently reason, you want the nzaa hanging around Georgia 4 more years? aint that far from the ATL to athens(geographically, anyway)……..also, big price to pay, recruiting 1st. rounders…..glad i’m just in this for fun……
original ole yeller
July 17th, 2011
9:45 pm
Everyone needs to understand that Bradley makes his living by stirring up stuff that may or may not be true. I’ll give him this he has over the past two years managed to have most all the state schools call him an idiot including UGA when he was after Richt’s hide. Well he gets paid for publishing anything to cause controversy that will keep his blogs going. Just understand, he is a hack. Not worthy of a real news reporter title. Just don’t respond to his idiot columns and maybe he will just go away like Terrance Moore did.
original ole yeller
July 17th, 2011
10:04 pm
Hey Bradley and Schultz I CANCELLED my subscription to the fish wrapper today. I do not need to spend money on such worthless bias reporting. I really hope that anyone out there with any since of fairness in reporting would do the same. The AJC has become the National Enquirer of Atlanta. Full of half truths and sensationalism.
original ole yeller
July 17th, 2011
10:31 pm
I just cancelled my subscription to the AJC. I do not need to read biased reporting. Both Mark Bradley and Mr. Schultz need to back to journalism school. Hey guys, it’s supposed to impartial and non biased, just the fact please. I really hope that Atlanta subscribers wake up and understand they are being hosed by negative reporting I would also suggest that neither of these
so called “reporters” are allowed on either the Tech or UGA practice fields. Tells you a lot dose it not.
GT93
July 17th, 2011
11:53 pm
GT managed to turn a minor incident into a major violation, largely through bad communications and bad decisions. We’ll tend to our wounds and move onward and upward.
What I’d like to know is this: what accountability do these sports agents and their friends have for gifting $312 worth of clothing in the first place?? Also, isn’t it a conflict of interest to have a former UNC football player [Marcus Wilson] conducting NCAA investigations at his former opponents schools?
http://www.examiner.com/sports-in-raleigh/ncaa-violation-2010-rumors-and-talk-of-investigation-conflict-of-interest-at-unc
Stinger2
July 18th, 2011
3:45 am
Bradley: Your ego must be the largest between you and Jeff Schultz. I say this because of you writing in this post about the NCAA coming to you to show cause why DRad showld not be fired. I realize that your mission here is to stir up as much negative feelings as you can against DRad. Why? Because its an opportunity to get an attaboy from your bosses for almost 300 responses. Good job….you did well in this respect. An to top it off and rub salt into the wound….you statement ” I liked DRad until this” is sickening.
VC
July 18th, 2011
7:52 am
Has the NCAA become the FDIC of college athletics? Meaning, every investigation/audit the “rules” change. It shouldn’t take 20 months to determine whether someone accepted clothes or held a basketball tournament whatever they’ve determined was an infraction. DRAD I think many of us would have done the same thing. It’s unfortunate that the NCAA is making an example of something that every institution would have done too. Granted, there were infractions (if the NCAA says don’t accept anything from anyone etc) but lets punish for the infraction. It took the NCAA how many weeks to determine if AJ Green sold a jersey? Ridiculous. I’m all for doing things the right way but lets be real, did getting some athletic clothes make Tech better? Did they cheat recruiting an athlete by giving him things? Was there anything that was done that gave Tech an advantage over another team? The answer is NO! Give them the punishment they deserve. It’s time we move on, lets get another ACC Championship in 2011! Taking away the 2009 championship is on paper, we all know who really won in 2009.
Beast from the East
July 18th, 2011
8:47 am
Once again, misplaced anger. The Tech AD created this mess…..not Bradley. How about writing a scathing letter to Tech’s President about how sickened you are with the way your AD botched this whole deal instead of the persoanl attacks on a writer that is paid to write his opinions? What do you want Brdaley to say? Is he supposed to say that Tech is holier than thou and the NCAA is just a bunch on meanies? LOL! YOUR $600,000 PER YEAR HEAD OF THE AD DID THIS! Hold him accountable. I assure you he would not survive this in the private sector.
hahahahaha!!!
July 18th, 2011
8:49 am
Nothing better than being on vacation enjoying some adult beverages with family and friends at a local pub and then seeing the news that Yech has to vacate wins, YET AGAIN, come up on ESPN!!!
LOL, when will the cheating, dirty, corrupt bugs ever learn!?!?!
What's the Good Word?
July 18th, 2011
9:19 am
Tech’s chances of winning an appeal with the NCAA would improve radically if the AD who messed things up were to be let go.
Tech Fan
July 18th, 2011
9:54 am
LOL @ Mark Bradley and the ENTIRE AJC.
The FAILURE to report on Tech has to be one of the biggest FLOPS in sports media, and none other than your Athens Journal Constitution.
LOL. So credibility has been lost for the AJC and their biased reporting.
True Dawg
July 18th, 2011
10:56 am
Some of the comments from BOTH GaTech and UGA fans are embarrassing for the state of Georgia. Do you not realize how ignorant you sound when you make ridiculous comments about each other’s schools and teams? If you are a true UGA fan please, please quit making the 98% rest of us look like idiots.
That being said I have to say this NCAA ruling seems excessive and inconsistent with penalties handed down to other schools. Who knows what the best course is to take with these Barney Fifes. UGA cooperated with the NCAA with AJ Green and still got 4 games suspension. On the other hand, the Alabama player gets 2 games suspension for a very similar situation. But Cam Newton’s father can demand $200,000 and the NCAA says he knew nothing about it. What a huge loophole they opened up with the Cam Newton decison. In my mind a player getting a few clothes or selling a jersey is nowhere near as big a potential infraction as shopping your son around for the highest bidder. But the message the NCAA is sending is that it is ok for a representative to ask for money as long as the player doesn’t have knowledge of it. NCAA seems to be trying to act as the big enforcer with GaTEch and they don’t deserve this.
MarkK
July 18th, 2011
12:37 pm
I’m a bit late to the party here, but this link should put things in perspective.
https://encrypted.google.com/search?q=UGA+football+major+violations+timeline&ie=utf-8&oe=utf-8&aq=t&rls=org.mozilla:en-US:official&client=firefox-a#q=UGA+football+major+violations+timeline&hl=en&safe=off&client=firefox-a&hs=gyR&rls=org.mozilla:en-US:official&prmd=ivns&tbs=tl:1&tbo=u&ei=HzsfTpWTFKbm0QGz_82eAw&sa=X&oi=timeline_result&ct=title&resnum=11&ved=0CGoQ5wIwCg&fp=1&biw=1152&bih=567&bav=on.2,or.r_gc.r_pw.&cad=b
Nice try, tool
July 18th, 2011
1:15 pm
@ “True” Dawg –
You are as much a real Dawg fan as I am a real Yech fan. At least be man enough to admit what you are.
What a gutless d-bag, but typical Yech fan.
Riiiiiiight
July 18th, 2011
1:18 pm
@ “True” Dawg –
You are as much a real Dawg fan as I am a real Yech fan. At least be man enough to admit what you are.
What a gutless d-bag, but typical Yech fan.
Riiiiiiight
July 18th, 2011
1:19 pm
True Dawg is a spineless Yech fan, fyi
Sam
July 18th, 2011
1:21 pm
I heart Mark Bradley!!!
GTGuy44
July 18th, 2011
3:23 pm
Dr. Peterson Radakovich must be fired. Three big benefits will accrue from that action. One we will fire the guy ultimately responsible for our problem (one made major by Radakovich versus the minor slap on the hand had he cooperated), two the NCAA would in all likelihood reduce the penalties because of the Radakovich firing and third Dr. Peterson would help re-establish his good image with the Tech alumni. Anything short of that will be an increasingly big problem for Dr. Peterson.
GTGuy44
July 18th, 2011
3:25 pm
Don’t you Georgia fans have anything better to do. We screwed up big time, but overall most all of you responding act like little children. You are incredibly immature.
GTGuy44
July 18th, 2011
3:51 pm
Don’t you Georgia fans have anything better to do? We screwed up and admit that we did. The comments posted by some of your fans are incredibly childish and immature.
Jketman
July 18th, 2011
10:00 pm
If i ever see m.bradley in person i think i may slap him for stupidity.