Thoughts on Rod Tueller

NavyBlue · Post by **NavyBlue** » August 16th, 2019, 6:58 am

In the best and worst USU ADs, Rod Tueller's name came up. I was thinking during his time is when USU football and athletics in general, took a nose dive. Can those that were around at the time weigh in with their opinions of what happened around that time?

NVAggie · Post by **NVAggie** » August 16th, 2019, 7:59 am

I think the community and fans should take more blame for the failure of the program. If we push it off to someone else, we are bound to make the same mistake.

It is t Hartwell’s, Smith’s, or Andersen’s responsibility to keep the program going. It is our responsibility.

oleblu111 · Post by **oleblu111** » August 16th, 2019, 9:16 am

In defense of Rod the administration at USU did not care about athletics as a result he was limited in what he could do. He should never have got the job, but much of what went on back then was not all on him.

I agree that the lack of fan support was, and is a huge road block to USU's progress.

NavyBlue · Post by **NavyBlue** » August 16th, 2019, 10:15 am

He was one that agreed to 3 for 1s in football with BYU, wasn't he?

QuackAttackAggie · Post by **QuackAttackAggie** » August 16th, 2019, 10:16 am

NavyBlue wrote:He was one that agreed to 3 for 1s in football with BYU, wasn't he?

A 3 for 1 is really just 1 game off from a 2 for 2. Not bad right

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oleblu111 · Post by **oleblu111** » August 16th, 2019, 11:00 am

Let me say that I was very close to the head football coach when Rod was the A.D. USU's football facilities were awful. No money to hire decent assistant coach's no commitment from the University, even the uniforms, and equipment was not what they should have been. Coach never blamed Rod for what went on, he told me Rod is doing all he can, but he has no support.

The improvement started when George Emert became president, all of a sudden facilities got better, schedules improved, coaching salaries got better. Things like charter flights make a difference.

Rod should have never been the A.D. at USU, but given the complete lack of support, he was most likely the best we got have done.

I know people get real sick of me (I can't express myself without swearing) about the lack of alum and overall fan support at USU, but it is the biggest problem we have in moving forward.

Im going to buy my grand daughter, and her friend two season tickets to USU football this season she is a student, but they do not want to sit with the hurd. both are knowledgeable about the sport and want a more adult atmosphere. I can get two seats in the upper east side on the 40 yard line for $115 each, there are tickets all over the stadium which only has around 16,000 seats for sale.given the home schedule and a team that finished ranked in the top 25, that leads me to believe we have perhaps the smallest cheapest fan support in FBS football.

Sorry for the rant.

Post by **GeoAg** » August 16th, 2019, 11:06 am

Speaking truth. We get way more than we as a fan base pay for.

NavyBlue · Post by **NavyBlue** » August 16th, 2019, 11:15 am

oleblu111 wrote: ↑
August 16th, 2019, 11:00 am
Let me say that I was very close to the head football coach when Rod was the A.D. USU's football facilities were awful. No money to hire decent assistant coach's no commitment from the University, even the uniforms, and equipment was not what they should have been. Coach never blamed Rod for what went on, he told me Rod is doing all he can, but he has no support.

The improvement started when George Emert became president, all of a sudden facilities got better, schedules improved, coaching salaries got better. Things like charter flights make a difference.

Rod should have never been the A.D. at USU, but given the complete lack of support, he was most likely the best we got have done.

I know people get real sick of me (I can't express myself without swearing) about the lack of alum and overall fan support at USU, but it is the biggest problem we have in moving forward.

Im going to buy my grand daughter, and her friend two season tickets to USU football this season she is a student, but they do not want to sit with the hurd. both are knowledgeable about the sport and want a more adult atmosphere. I can get two seats in the upper east side on the 40 yard line for $115 each, there are tickets all over the stadium which only has around 16,000 seats for sale.given the home schedule and a team that finished ranked in the top 25, that leads me to believe we have perhaps the smallest cheapest fan support in FBS football.

Sorry for the rant.

Was the university president at the time Stan Cazier? Do you know how long he was in that position?

oleblu111 · Post by **oleblu111** » August 16th, 2019, 11:18 am

Yes Stan Cazier was president ,from 1979 until 1992. I know he did not attend that many games.

calaggie · Post by **calaggie** » August 16th, 2019, 2:37 pm

Stan Cazier was the worst president USU has seen in a while. He was president all 4 years I was there. Never saw him once. I was in student government, and never even laid an eye on him. For the life of me, I can’t understand why they named the new library after him. Perfectly good naming opportunity, and they waste it on someone who did nothing to advance the university.

swordsman1989 · Post by **swordsman1989** » August 24th, 2019, 2:25 am

calaggie wrote: ↑
August 16th, 2019, 2:37 pm
Stan Cazier was the worst president USU has seen in a while. He was president all 4 years I was there. Never saw him once. I was in student government, and never even laid an eye on him. For the life of me, I can’t understand why they named the new library after him. Perfectly good naming opportunity, and they waste it on someone who did nothing to advance the university.

I can't say that I disagree with you there. Cazier was the president when I started, and I was there during the transition to Emmert. I don't know any details about Cazier or what he did at USU, but I do get the impression that he was content to see USU basically be on par with Weber State. I don't feel like he pushed hard to represent USUs interests at the state level. I certainly do not expect USU to challenge the University of Utah's status as the "flagship" university of the State. But I do feel more should have been done in the 1980s and 1990s to push USUs standing as a strong number 2, sort of like Michigan State's standing in relation to Michigan, or Florida State's standing in relation to Florida. As it stands now, USU is really almost number 3 in the State in terms of profile, with UVU garnering a lot in terms of enrollment and expansion over the past decade or two. (To be fair, my impression could be a bit skewed in this respect as I now live outside of the country and UVU has worked very hard to create a strong profile in the aviation industry, which is how I make my living. In my professional life, UVU is quite a high profile university, even though USU has an equally strong aviation program overall.)

oleblu111 · Post by **oleblu111** » August 24th, 2019, 9:38 am

I fear both UVU and Weber in the future, however as of today we are much better academically than either of those two are, so we need to keep that status. The business school is a great example when S.A. got Huntsman involved it became his goal to make USU one of the finest Business school in the country so he made a huge investment which his family is carrying on as well as the Koch Brothers.

We need to get a Vet school. That level of academic quality will be hard for any other school to get. They will have more students we just need to get better students, but still need to have quality growth .

calaggie · Post by **calaggie** » August 24th, 2019, 11:59 am

The legislature and the bd of regents have really screwed higher ed in Utah. Every community college should not be called a university. Universities are research institutions, and Utah has exactly 2 public research institutions.
But if you’re going to go down that road, at least follow the UC/Cal State model. Every “university” other than USU and Utah can only offer masters level degrees. Below that should be pure teaching colleges.
Pres Cocket told me that UVU will create a new degree programs from nothing — no funding, no personnel, no nothing. Then cry to the regents and legislature for funding. She said it’s often successful, and the regents do nothing to discourage the practice.

swordsman1989 · Post by **swordsman1989** » August 24th, 2019, 1:12 pm

oleblu111 wrote: ↑
August 24th, 2019, 9:38 am
I fear both UVU and Weber in the future, however as of today we are much better academically than either of those two are, so we need to keep that status. The business school is a great example when S.A. got Huntsman involved it became his goal to make USU one of the finest Business school in the country so he made a huge investment which his family is carrying on as well as the Koch Brothers.

We need to get a Vet school. That level of academic quality will be hard for any other school to get. They will have more students we just need to get better students, but still need to have quality growth .

Oh no, are the Koch brothers...well the Koch brother now...funding USU? I guess I need to re-think my love for USU if that is the case.

swordsman1989 · Post by **swordsman1989** » August 24th, 2019, 1:27 pm

calaggie wrote: ↑
August 24th, 2019, 11:59 am
The legislature and the bd of regents have really screwed higher ed in Utah. Every community college should not be called a university. Universities are research institutions, and Utah has exactly 2 public research institutions.
But if you’re going to go down that road, at least follow the UC/Cal State model. Every “university” other than USU and Utah can only offer masters level degrees. Below that should be pure teaching colleges.
Pres Cocket told me that UVU will create a new degree programs from nothing — no funding, no personnel, no nothing. Then cry to the regents and legislature for funding. She said it’s often successful, and the regents do nothing to discourage the practice.

I have long felt Utah has too many "Universities". Arizona has more than double the population of Utah, and half of the number of public Universities. The Utah legislature seems to think there needs to be a university on every corner, and as a result you have watered down universities struggling for resources. IMHO, kill Dixie, Weber and UVU, or relegate them back to being "State Colleges", offering associates degrees and a small spattering of Bachelors degrees, and keep the majority of Bachelor's, and all Master's and Doctorate's, at Utah, USU and maybe SUU (to serve the southern part of the State).

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