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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U
UMJay

Jan 4, 2020

88 said:
Is Highsmith even good at what he does?

We have no idea, but that’s not the point

IcemanArcade

Jan 4, 2020

I don’t know why people are acting surprised. No AD/Coach is willing to split their power on a three way. This isn’t early 2000s Roc-Fella and Def Jam. Manny Navarro said this on his podcast. The only way Highsmith comes here is if Blake James is relieved of his duties, and Highsmith is made new AD... But Blake is essentially betting on his future by letting Manny bet on himself. That’s why I tempered my excitement with the OC hire. As excited as I am for Lashlee it’s Just a tease to get this fan base to buy in again. If Manny and Canes win 8-9 games next year, (which with a new offense they’ll be capable of) they just saved their a— from being on the hot seat.. Idk what the **** is going on over there in Coral Gables but a s—Storm is brewing. Like Barry said, Civil war

Cribby

Jan 4, 2020

Hoyacane1620 said:
Exactly. And they haven't been able to get enough support together to force the issue. Blake is protected as long as that doesn't happen.

If you fundraise well you can destroy the entire athletic dept. welcome to the U

A
ACE01

Jan 4, 2020

So Zo and Mario will end up together just not at the U awesome.... just great

Canes Legacy

Jan 4, 2020

Why was that even offered to Blake and why does he have a say? It should be “This is what’s happening and if you don’t like it, door is right there”

KevinCaneFace

Jan 4, 2020

Is there transfer papers for fans?

Like at what point can I just pick another team without guilt of disloyalty? I've invested 32 years. I obviously couldn't root for anyone in this region. I could be a Duck. Sebastion is almost a Duck.

If they just shut down the program we could all mercifully move on without any guilt.

Jan 4, 2020

Blake should have been immediately fired

datcaneguy

Jan 4, 2020

So I guess it is safe to say the BOT with ties to Manny Sr have more money and voting rights collectively than the 10 or 12 others on the board asking for change in the football program. I want to know if Blake would have told those BOT's with ties to Manny Sr, "No, I am hiring Mario" would the headline in the Herald the next day would of been, "UM fires AD Blake James" Only structural change made this off-season was a OC. Though it was needed not enough to move the needle of frustrated fans, alumni, and reporters.

JustWin

Jan 4, 2020

The administration does not care about the fan base. Doesn’t matter how much we complain.

They don’t care about football.

A
AboutTheU05

Jan 4, 2020

OrangeBowlMagic said:
Sure, money helps influence decisions. But this needs to start with Frenk. FSU’s recent coaching search was largely comical, but their president was flying with the AD and staffers all over the country meeting with candidates. He was intimately involved. Frenk seems to be very hands off with athletics. So Blake essentially has free reign. He raises money well. So, they leave him alone.

Then no it doesn’t start with Frenk it starts with money and withholding it which the BOT can do. Frenk isn’t going to magically start caring enough to get hands on with athletics but he will care when programs in the Univeristy lose money.

J
JOE'CANE

Jan 4, 2020

TheOriginalCane said:
Slight correction, he is actively trying to save his job AND he doesn't mind destroying Miami football in the process.

Ur ***** right. He is enemy number 1. ***** carpet bagger. ***** idiots are destroying one of the most unique and special programs in NCAA history.

Andrew

Jan 4, 2020

cooks002 said:
This is not being a puppet bro. This is chain of command and being held accountable for your performance. Strong leadership doesn't ask their management if they would please mind implementing their vision for the organization. Blake is essentially operating as the owner of the **** team.

You are not asking for a vision, you are asking for a specific change. The BOT should hire an AD and allow the AD to implement their plan. If the BOT is having to give specific orders then it is clear they believe the AD isn't doing their job. The Richt hire isn't considered a bad hire, even if UM fans think so. At this point the BOT is being as hard as they can on Blake, considering we are one year into Blake's coach.

toolbox

Jan 4, 2020

I don't care if we win Blake got to ******* Gooooooooo!!!!!

3rd-43

Jan 4, 2020

DMoney said:
This part is just my educated guess, but I believe Blake’s future is now tied to Manny. If next year is a failure, Manny will be gone and Blake will be in serious trouble.

“serious trouble” after next year? D, he should be out immediately after that sorry *** display.

gatorsSUCK!

Jan 4, 2020

Fire BJ

MiamiCanesFan77

Jan 4, 2020

When this clown is supposed to be holding Blake accountable that is the problem...

simplycanes

Jan 4, 2020

DomWorld_Peace said:
Y’all really believe Zo is gonna go to Oregon and Mario is gonna allow him to be HIS boss? Don’t make no sense. Y’all relax.

Difference is Mario doesn't need Highsmith to be his boss, and more importantly, he likely already sees value in Alonzo's expertise therefore it won't need to be forced upon him.

GCane305

Jan 4, 2020

OrangeBowlMagic said:
Sure, money helps influence decisions. But this needs to start with Frenk. FSU’s recent coaching search was largely comical, but their president was flying with the AD and staffers all over the country meeting with candidates. He was intimately involved. Frenk seems to be very hands off with athletics. So Blake essentially has free reign. He raises money well. So, they leave him alone.

And this is the biggest problem. The core of this ******* circus.

Jan 4, 2020

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UPDATE: FUNDED UPDATE: https://www.gofundme.com/f/us1-billboard-protest-um-administration Since many are rightly confused, here’s an official update. Days ago the gofundme page disappeared, after Gofundme informed that I had not responded with requested information about the campaign nearly...

www.canesinsight.com

Click here to support US1 Billboard: Make The U Great Again organized by 305 separatist

305 separatist US1 Billboard: Make The U Great Again Enough is enough. The goal of this campaign is to raise enough funds for a billboard on US1, close to

www.gofundme.com

Finish the ******* billboard.

S
SSCane

Jan 4, 2020

Blake James is clueless. What good is another powerless admin role going to do at this point?
Wish they would just fire this incompetent fool already.

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Details on Friday meeting between Blake James and large donors

Comments (923)

UMJay

IcemanArcade

Cribby

ACE01

Canes Legacy

KevinCaneFace

Ver

datcaneguy

JustWin

AboutTheU05

JOE'CANE

Andrew

toolbox

3rd-43

gatorsSUCK!

MiamiCanesFan77

simplycanes

GCane305

who

Billboard update, hecht saboteurs are among us UPDATE: FUNDED

Click here to support US1 Billboard: Make The U Great Again organized by 305 separatist

SSCane

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