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MSU football: Gamble says many reasons for Kramer firing
By JIM CNOCKAERT Chronicle Sports Writer
Montana State athletic director Peter Fields says he doesn't worry about what people think about his decision late last week to fire Mike Kramer.
Chronicle file photo MSU athletic director Peter Fields said Monday he's received about 25 applications for head football coach. He doesn't have the time. He says his only concern is putting into place the process that will enable MSU to hire its next football coach.
“I'm not going to get into that,” Fields said Monday when asked about how he believes the public perceives him. “It doesn't serve any purpose at this point.”
Fields fired Kramer Friday, a day after the latest in a series of arrests involving current and former MSU football players. The arrest Wednesday of ex-Bobcat Rick Gatewood apparently was the last straw for Fields, who dismissed Kramer after seven seasons.
MSU president Geoff Gamble said Monday that the letters and comments he has received the past three days have been more against than supportive of the firing, but he re-affirmed his support of Field's decision. Fields consulted with Gamble and vice president for student affairs Allen Yarnell on Friday morning before firing Kramer.
“I have been getting a selection of letters, and they're pretty standard,” Gamble said. “Sixty percent are saying: ‘What are you doing?' Forty percent are saying it's a good decision.
“The truth is, everyone likes Mike. But occasionally, you have to step back and say: ‘Is the program going in the direction we want?' I am supportive of Peter's decision and the reasons for it. These are fairly complex reasons. We have this whole suite of criminal activities, but there are academic issues and compliance issues. They all are in the realm of leadership issues.”
Alleged criminal activities in the past year involving former and current MSU athletes have generated the most negative publicity for the MSU athletic department, but Gamble said he is equally disturbed that the football program is losing three scholarships because it is not in compliance with NCAA academic progress requirements.
“The fact that I am hearing from the NCAA on this is a pretty serious issue for me,” he said.
“And I don't think we have seen the end of where this will all play out (in terms of criminal investigations). My instincts tell me there is more. This reflects badly on the entire athletic department, and these folks deserve better than that. I understand it's a handful (of athletes who have been arrested), but that is troublesome stuff.”
Fields said Monday afternoon that he is quickly moving forward with the search for a new coach. He said he has one more person to add to the committee that will screen potential candidates. Fields said he will ask for recommendations as quickly as possible.
He said that the committee - made up of members of the community (including people representing the various athletic booster clubs), the faculty and the athletic department - will initially be asked to select a group of 8-10 coaches who will be interviewed by telephone. From that group, 3-5 coaches will be brought to campus for in-person interviews and open forum sessions.
It appears the committee will have no shortage of potential candidates to consider. Fields said that by Monday afternoon, he already had received 25 applications and was expecting more. He said the applicants so far run the gamut from coordinators at big Division I programs to head coaches at smaller schools.
“I never felt that it would be an issue,” Fields said when asked if he had worried whether MSU would attract quality candidates. “I'm hearing from a lot of people - a lot of very good people.”
Gamble said he is confident that Fields' search will produce strong candidates.
“It is a strange time of year to be doing this, but actually there has been tremendous interest,” the president said. “I think Peter will have a good process in place.”
By JIM CNOCKAERT Chronicle Sports Writer
Montana State athletic director Peter Fields says he doesn't worry about what people think about his decision late last week to fire Mike Kramer.
Chronicle file photo MSU athletic director Peter Fields said Monday he's received about 25 applications for head football coach. He doesn't have the time. He says his only concern is putting into place the process that will enable MSU to hire its next football coach.
“I'm not going to get into that,” Fields said Monday when asked about how he believes the public perceives him. “It doesn't serve any purpose at this point.”
Fields fired Kramer Friday, a day after the latest in a series of arrests involving current and former MSU football players. The arrest Wednesday of ex-Bobcat Rick Gatewood apparently was the last straw for Fields, who dismissed Kramer after seven seasons.
MSU president Geoff Gamble said Monday that the letters and comments he has received the past three days have been more against than supportive of the firing, but he re-affirmed his support of Field's decision. Fields consulted with Gamble and vice president for student affairs Allen Yarnell on Friday morning before firing Kramer.
“I have been getting a selection of letters, and they're pretty standard,” Gamble said. “Sixty percent are saying: ‘What are you doing?' Forty percent are saying it's a good decision.
“The truth is, everyone likes Mike. But occasionally, you have to step back and say: ‘Is the program going in the direction we want?' I am supportive of Peter's decision and the reasons for it. These are fairly complex reasons. We have this whole suite of criminal activities, but there are academic issues and compliance issues. They all are in the realm of leadership issues.”
Alleged criminal activities in the past year involving former and current MSU athletes have generated the most negative publicity for the MSU athletic department, but Gamble said he is equally disturbed that the football program is losing three scholarships because it is not in compliance with NCAA academic progress requirements.
“The fact that I am hearing from the NCAA on this is a pretty serious issue for me,” he said.
“And I don't think we have seen the end of where this will all play out (in terms of criminal investigations). My instincts tell me there is more. This reflects badly on the entire athletic department, and these folks deserve better than that. I understand it's a handful (of athletes who have been arrested), but that is troublesome stuff.”
Fields said Monday afternoon that he is quickly moving forward with the search for a new coach. He said he has one more person to add to the committee that will screen potential candidates. Fields said he will ask for recommendations as quickly as possible.
He said that the committee - made up of members of the community (including people representing the various athletic booster clubs), the faculty and the athletic department - will initially be asked to select a group of 8-10 coaches who will be interviewed by telephone. From that group, 3-5 coaches will be brought to campus for in-person interviews and open forum sessions.
It appears the committee will have no shortage of potential candidates to consider. Fields said that by Monday afternoon, he already had received 25 applications and was expecting more. He said the applicants so far run the gamut from coordinators at big Division I programs to head coaches at smaller schools.
“I never felt that it would be an issue,” Fields said when asked if he had worried whether MSU would attract quality candidates. “I'm hearing from a lot of people - a lot of very good people.”
Gamble said he is confident that Fields' search will produce strong candidates.
“It is a strange time of year to be doing this, but actually there has been tremendous interest,” the president said. “I think Peter will have a good process in place.”
