Bellotti resigned as U of O AD

http://sports.espn.go.com/ncf/news/story?id=5009981

We worked the OSN football games as a color commentator this last fall in addition to his AD duties. I thought he did a great job. I can see him being very successful at ESPN.

I hear Ernie Kent needs a job.

It's hard to pass up an offer like ESPN likely offered... who wouldnt want to get paid big bucks to talk about football?! Minimal stress... no boosters or coaches constantly calling.... sounds good to me.

The timing is interesting, however...

Yeah, look how it worked out for Floyd Reese.

Another interesting twist to this story . . .

"Last Friday, he announced that he will be resigning on April 5 to take a broadcasting job with ESPN, leaving much unfinished business at Oregon but taking with him $2.3 million.

Bellotti will get $600,000 by May 1, then monthly payments of $25,000 "to assist Bellotti in seeking a transition to other employment opportunities currently available to him," according to his release agreement with the school, which specifies April 30 as the effective resignation date.

Bellotti signed the agreement on March 16, the same day he announced the dismissal of basketball coach Ernie Kent and the day before he signed a deal with ESPN to provide analysis and color commentary for college football games.

The money will not come from the university; rather, from the increasingly cash-strapped athletic department."


Link to full story

Another interesting quote from the article:

As the release agreement states:

"Bellotti wishes to end his employment with UO at this time, and UO agrees it is in their mutual best interests for Bellotti to do so."

Something still smells fishy here...

Edit to add this math: So Belotti is taking $2,300,000 with him. That's $600,000 up front, leaving $1,700,000 to be paid out at $25,000 per month...? That's 68 months. I dont know about you, but I think that would sure help ease the sting of ending one's employment... Especially when that person has another gig lined up already, that likely pays pretty well, too (can you say double-dip?!)... This is just plain bizarre.

Yeah, I mean I understand WHY Bellotti would want to leave, but agreed, in the words of Bill Shakespeare: something is rotten in the state of Denmark...

Here's another Bellotti resignation story that sheds a little light on what went on..

A little.

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