Details on Friday meeting between Blake James and large donors

DMoney

Jan 4, 2020 1 min read

Per a source with knowledge of the meeting, a group of high-level donors met with Blake James on Friday. The purpose of the meeting was to offer significant money if Manny was willing to make necessary changes.

Most notably, the group wanted Alonzo Highsmith to take on a general manager role that would usurp some of Blake and Manny’s power over the football program. One booster even offered to pay Highsmith’s salary for two years. Blake refused and instead offered a more traditional “chief of staff” role that was mostly administrative in nature.

Highsmith is not expected to accept the offer and instead is in discussions with Mario Cristobal at Oregon.

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Brandinho

Jan 10, 2020

hoops156 said:
Lonnies year was just doomed from the beginning. started with the walker injury preseason that led him to start slowly and when he started to get it together Brown got hurt for the year. it couldve been so much more had both been healthy from day 1

Yeah, honestly outside of the Larkin SS team, was our most talented team on paper

hoops156

Jan 10, 2020

Kendall Boy Cane said:
Yeah, honestly outside of the Larkin SS team, was our most talented team on paper

easily.

also i wouldve loved to have seen what Huell couldve been his last year here if not for that FBI bs.

Redstate12

Jan 10, 2020

DMoney said:
Not all the way dead yet. Zo meeting with Blake today, per sources.

In person?

Canes2082

Jan 10, 2020

Blake is feeling the heat from the fanbase and apparently certain donors....

Blake needs to make this happen for 2 reasons:

1. It gives the fans what they want. So if it fails all he has to do is say "Hey this is what yall wanted, no my fault."

2. It take heat off of him if he gives decision making power to Zo. So once again if it fails he can say, "Hey this is what yall wanted, he makes the decisions not me."

TheOriginalCane

Jan 10, 2020

RC26 said:
This is a novela at this point.

A telenovela.

allbouttheu2001

Jan 10, 2020

Maybe all the twitter tweets at Blake James is working a little. Seen some crazy stuff.

Ohio_Cane

Jan 10, 2020

DMoney said:
Not all the way dead yet. Zo meeting with Blake today, per sources.

Please for all that is HOLY.... find a way to make Blake hire Zo

5NC4

Jan 10, 2020

Canes2082 said:
Blake is feeling the heat from the fanbase and apparently certain donors....

Blake needs to make this happen for 2 reasons:

1. It gives the fans what they want. So if it fails all he has to do is say "Hey this is what yall wanted, no my fault."

2. It take heat off of him if he gives decision making power to Zo. So once again if it fails he can say, "Hey this is what yall wanted, he makes the decisions not me."

It doesn't give the fans all of what they wanted. Some of the heavy hitting BOTs, donors and fans wanted Manny fired and Mario as HC.

There is also a power struggle on the BOT. Certain BOTs want to keep Manny and some wanted to fire him.

datcaneguy

Jan 10, 2020

Let Manny hire the staff he wants and retains who he wants. Then they bring Zo in handcuffed to a already put in place staff which in a sense favors Manny and Blake agenda all along. Hmmm

Canes2082

Jan 10, 2020

5NC4 said:
It doesn't give the fans all of what they wanted. Some of the heavy hitting BOTs, donors and fans wanted Manny fired and Mario as HC.

There is also a power struggle on the BOT. Certain BOTs want to keep Manny and some wanted to fire him.

Your never gonna get everything you want in an negotiation. Getting Zo in somehow and getting Enos replaced with Lashlee is a good start.

Even if Manny screws up badly next season i could see those guys easily being retained and Manny getting the boot and possibly James

CANEMC

Jan 10, 2020

The Rock and A-Rod cut that check.

Baba Yaga

Jan 10, 2020

One way or another, make it stop.

UMFarArcher

Jan 10, 2020

darius19 said:
I fully trust DMoney, but this post almost sounds too ridiculous to be true. I have a suspicion that information is being leaked out to cause commotion in the Canes community and increase the pressure before a bigger meeting happens. Especially him taking a similar position at Oregon with Mario. That just SOUNDS like some **** someone would leak because they know Miami fans would freak out.

I highly doubt Blake has the authority to look at key BOT members and say no to Highsmith. That’s a fired on the spot kind of offense.

Well, you never left him alone for a few minutes in the presence of your candy bowl.

You come back in a few minutes, and the bowl is depleted, and DMoney's cheeks are puffed out like he's a chipmunk.

And no, he can't speak for a few moments . . .

dookie blaylock

Jan 10, 2020

TheOriginalCane said:
It's not that I'm disagreeing with anything that you say on a factual basis. I would like to win more tournament games. Agreed.

But we also have to acknowledge that this is the best 9-year run for UM women's basketball ever.

We may be "mid-pack" for NCAA tournament teams, but we are better than "mid-pack" for the ACC and women's basketball in general.

I just try to have a bit of perspective. Miami has never been a basketball blue-blood. We got rid of men's basketball for 15 or 20 years. I think we are very good, all things considered, but I'm not sure if we can ever crash the blue-blood party. On the women's hoops side, we need to build a Florida pipeline, and on the men's side, we may need to "cheat a little bit" (very risky, considering the FBI investigation) or at least convince a couple of one-and-done TYPES (and, yes, I know the rules are about to change) to come to Miami.

Man, I want to win the national championship in everything that Miami does, even if that's ice hockey or Quidditch. But I don't think that Miami basketball (men or women) are as bad as some people would have us believe.

a run where meier has never made it past the second round of the dance despite being the higher seed in 7 of the 8 ncaa tournament losses. she's definitely the best coach we've had for the women, but something about the tournament and preparing the team just doesn't click. big stage yips.

g8rh8rMD

Jan 10, 2020

DMoney said:
Not all the way dead yet. Zo meeting with Blake today, per sources.

Hopefully, this is Zo interviewing Blake to see if Blake gets to keep his job or gets booted down to cleaning toilets. The idea of Blake interviewing Zo and Highsmith being asked to convince Blake James that AH can be of benefit to the UM football program is comical and insulting.

Whatever happens, it is really good to see that there is at least an element of the power structure that isn't giving up.

Hoyacane1620

Jan 10, 2020

There is a poster on Canesport who put a note out this morning that Several boosters, including one very generous one, have volunteered to pay ALL of Alonzo’s salary.

Incredibly, up to this point, Blake James has refused to accept the money.

This person also said that he knows several people are amping up the pressure to force Blake’s hand.

At this point, it is important that everyone know and make a concerted effort by reaching out to the athletic department and making your thoughts known.