Greg Byrne new Alabama AD

[Really Clark?]

Reports are just coming that he looks to be named tomorrow.

[nsvltndog]

Very Ninja like - I mean who saw this coming? UF search was very open and talked about. I didn't even realize Bama was looking for an AD.

[LC Dawg]

Damn. Alabama's and Florida's athletic programs will be run by former Mississippi State ADs.
How long before Cohen goes to LSU?**

[WildDawg]

Reckon he'll shut down their below the board methods....or fall right in line???

[MarketingBully]

Three AD jobs in less then 10 years. He is becoming the Larry Brown of Athletic Directors.

[fader2103]

The Ninja is gonna help State from the inside. Very ninja like!

[civildawg]

I had no idea Bama was even in the market

[Gutter Cobreh]

Cohen to Arizona***

[Todd4State]

Wow! That gives MSU a lot of friendly connections within the SEC. Alabama, Florida, Kentucky (Byrne, Stricklin, and Cohen were all there at one point in time under Barnhardt), and Texas A&M (Byrne's Dad).

[Cooterpoot]

Must suck to be AD and answer to Saban.

[defiantdog]

I had no idea Bama was even in the market
Bill Battle was only a temporary AD. hes been trying to step down for a while now. I'm not sure how Byrne will fit in at Alabama. You think OM's network is controlling? Byrne has no idea what kind of network Bama has. You only truly find out when you step into that hell hole.

[civildawg]

I mean I understand Bama football is great but is it really that much better than Arizona which is where he calls home? Just seems odd

[PassInterference]

Wonder if Byrne hates OM.

[DownwardDawg]

Reckon he'll shut down their below the board methods....or fall right in line???

Which methods you talking about?

[IMissJack]

This can't be good news for the Rebs psyche.

[Lumpy Chucklelips]

Think Byrne will fire Saban just to show 'em whose in charge?

[Todd4State]

Think Byrne will fire Saban just to show 'em whose in charge?

And then hires Dan Mullen while we end up with Saban.**

[Reason2succeed]

Not too long ago I remember State was always hiring Bama retreads. Glad to see that these programs respect what has been done here enough to hire our previous ADs. This is a sign that we are on the right track.

[LC Dawg]

Wonder if Byrne hates OM.

Everybody hates Ole Miss.

[coastdoglover]

He knows for sure how Ole Miss operates.

[Todd4State]

He knows for sure how Ole Miss operates.

And Auburn- lest we forget Cam gate, and I know he hasn't.

[Skydawg1]

Damn. Alabama's and Florida's athletic programs will be run by former Mississippi State ADs.
How long before Cohen goes to LSU?**LSU should be shaking in their boots.

[fader2103]

Larry Templeton to Ole Miss!!!!

[ShotgunDawg]

The more SEC ADs with MSU ties, the better for MSU.

[RocketDawg]

Didn't he say when he left us that Arizona was the only place he'd go since he was "going home"? And now ....

[MafiaDawg]

Yea. Either he was full of shit or something happened at zona. I'm leaning towards the former.

[msbulldog]

Alabama has 1 of the top 5 athletic budgets in the country, really big step-up, except you have to deal with the gumps.

[codeDawg]

Didn't he say when he left us that Arizona was the only place he'd go since he was "going home"? And now ....

...and now all of his hard work had given him the opportunity to have one of the top jobs in his field. I don't know why anyone would begrudge a man for taking advantage of significant career opportunities.

[MarketingBully]

He is becoming a journeyman AD. Three jobs in less then ten years in a position that people usually spend decades at is not a good look.

[HoopsDawg]

He is becoming a journeyman AD. Three jobs in less then ten years in a position that people usually spend decades at is not a good look.

And Rich Rod has been a disaster hire for Arizona.

[MarketingBully]

And Rich Rod has been a disaster hire for Arizona.

Yep. The legend of the ninja is much more legend then fact...

[msstate7]

And Rich Rod has been a disaster hire for Arizona.

Last year was definitely bad, but 4 bowls (1 NY6) and 3 8 win or better seasons in 5 years is pretty good at Arizona.

[MarketingBully]

I'm glad that we hired John Cohen who loves MSU and is loyal to our school and wants what's best for us instead of an up and comer AD that will leave at the first sign of something better. I don't know. Loyalty should mean something in this day and age. The Gumps can have Byrne.

[MarketingBully]

Last year was definitely bad, but 4 bowls (1 NY6) and 3 8 win or better seasons in 5 years is pretty good at Arizona.

And he will be fired by their next AD.

[MarketingBully]

Last year was definitely bad, but 4 bowls (1 NY6) and 3 8 win or better seasons in 5 years is pretty good at Arizona.

Two of those four bowls were the New Mexico bowl basically the equivalent of the St. Petersburg Bowl.

[codeDawg]

He is becoming a journeyman AD. Three jobs in less then ten years in a position that people usually spend decades at is not a good look.

Yeah, he'll never get a top AD position if he keeps job hopping, oh, wait....

[32 Dive]

Alabama has 1 of the top 5 athletic budgets in the country, really big step-up, except you have to deal with the gumps.

"Greg, you have an opportunity to be Athletics Director at an institution with a top 5 budget. While Coach Saban controls 85% of it, we're confident that you can do wonders with the remainder." - Paraphrasing the "elephant in the room"

[The Federalist Engineer]

Wow! That gives MSU a lot of friendly connections within the SEC. Alabama, Florida, Kentucky (Byrne, Stricklin, and Cohen were all there at one point in time under Barnhardt), and Texas A&M (Byrne's Dad).

I have no idea how "SEC Expulsion" actually works, but if expelling Ole Miss from the SEC, after their NCAA sanctions, comes-down to AD voting we definitely have something good here. Moreover, Alabama and Florida as a tandem could basically say, "they gone" and that would be that. Rebexit 2017!

[coastdoglover]

Greg told me before we hired John Cohen , who he supported, that he was happy at Arizona but was concerned about the league being passed by by other conferences on tv deals, etc. He also told me he missed the SEC , so I assume the Alabama opportunity was too good to pass up. Before anybody belittle's him, remember he was very responsible for MSU getting Schaefer and also had a hand in Ben Howland. We owe a lot to him and I wish him well.

[LC Dawg]

Seems to me that Bama AD is a pretty easy job. Do what Saban says in regards to football and nobody gives a shit about any other sports.

[1bigdawg]

Seems to me that Bama AD is a pretty easy job. Do what Saban says in regards to football and nobody gives a shit about any other sports.

That works until Saban retires. With whom do you replace him?

[Perpetual Underachiever]

Don't forget that the Ninja's new boss, Chancellor Ray Hayes, has very very very deep bulldog ties... Including being an alumnus, our VP of finance, the driving force behind the junction, and is still to this day a huge bulldog fan.

[Liverpooldawg]

Yep. The legend of the ninja is much more legend then fact...

Yes, yes it is.

[LC Dawg]

That works until Saban retires. With whom do you replace him?

Jeff Sessions is going to get the government to clone Saban. Right after he gets the NCAA to quit picking on Ole Miss.

[sack07]

That works until Saban retires. With whom do you replace him?

You replace him with Dabo. A former Alabama WR and Birmingham native. Easy call

[DownwardDawg]

That works until Saban retires. With whom do you replace him?

Dabo Sweeney. And Byrne won't have much say.

[NCDawg]

That works until Saban retires. With whom do you replace him?

He may fly out to Washington and try to convince Petersen to come to Alabama. Maybe he will have more luck with him going to Alabama than he had bringing him to Starkville.

[MarketingBully]

Greg told me before we hired John Cohen , who he supported, that he was happy at Arizona but was concerned about the league being passed by by other conferences on tv deals, etc. He also told me he missed the SEC , so I assume the Alabama opportunity was too good to pass up. Before anybody belittle's him, remember he was very responsible for MSU getting Schaefer and also had a hand in Ben Howland. We owe a lot to him and I wish him well.

Nice. I guess Stricklin really didn't do anything then here.

[msbulldog]

I have no idea how "SEC Expulsion" actually works, but if expelling Ole Miss from the SEC, after their NCAA sanctions, comes-down to AD voting we definitely have something good here. Moreover, Alabama and Florida as a tandem could basically say, "they gone" and that would be that. Rebexit 2017!

I would imagine that's a university president vote.

[State82]

Everybody hates Ole Miss.

Good answer

[lamont]

Nice. I guess Stricklin really didn't do anything then here.

fundraiser mostly

[MarketingBully]

fundraiser mostly

Gotcha. Byrne truly is a ninja if while working for Arizona he also got us Schaefer and Howland. I guess Stricklin was twittling his thumbs at that time. You guys do realize Byrne was only the AD here for two years. He used us for better gigs and then he used Arizona for an even better gig. Sorry, I just don't see this ninja legend you guys do. To each their own though. You guys can continue to look at him as the ninja and hold him in high regard if you want.

[codeDawg]

Gotcha. Byrne truly is a ninja if while working for Arizona he also got us Schaefer and Howland. I guess Stricklin was twittling his thumbs at that time. You guys do realize Byrne was only the AD here for two years. He used us for better gigs and then he used Arizona for an even better gig. Sorry, I just don't see this ninja legend you guys do. To each their own though. You guys can continue to look at him as the ninja and hold him in high regard if you want.

I guess he was here long enough to piss in your Cheerios.

BTW, he had a lot to do with those hires. Byrne continued to be a friend of the program, even from UA.

[Lumpy Chucklelips]

Greg told me before we hired John Cohen , who he supported, that he was happy at Arizona but was concerned about the league being passed by by other conferences on tv deals, etc. He also told me he missed the SEC , so I assume the Alabama opportunity was too good to pass up. Before anybody belittle's him, remember he was very responsible for MSU getting Schaefer and also had a hand in Ben Howland. We owe a lot to him and I wish him well.

I'm guessing he didn't reach out to us when we had our opening? I'm sure if what you're saying is true, and I don't have any reason to doubt it, but I'm sure he didn't just start feeling this way the past two months. I just wonder if he felt this way and missed the SEC that he might have considered coming back to us when we had our opening. Or, as I type this I'm thinking he knew Bama was coming open and wanted to wait on that one.

[RocketDawg]

I'm glad that we hired John Cohen who loves MSU and is loyal to our school and wants what's best for us instead of an up and comer AD that will leave at the first sign of something better. I don't know. Loyalty should mean something in this day and age. The Gumps can have Byrne.

Didn't many think we had all those things with Stricklin? BTW, I already like Cohen better than I did Stricklin.

[RocketDawg]

...and now all of his hard work had given him the opportunity to have one of the top jobs in his field. I don't know why anyone would begrudge a man for taking advantage of significant career opportunities.

I don't begrudge him taking advantage of new opportunities. It's just that it doesn't jive with what he wrote to all of us in his email announcing his move. If it wasn't true, why say it? Just say I'm leaving for what I consider a better job.

[TUSK]

Kush gig to have, until your HC goes 9-4....

[fader2103]

Gotcha. Byrne truly is a ninja if while working for Arizona he also got us Schaefer and Howland. I guess Stricklin was twittling his thumbs at that time. You guys do realize Byrne was only the AD here for two years. He used us for better gigs and then he used Arizona for an even better gig. Sorry, I just don't see this ninja legend you guys do. To each their own though. You guys can continue to look at him as the ninja and hold him in high regard if you want.

The only reason people call him the Ninja is how he handled the hiring of Mullen.

[Political Hack]

Personally I think it sucks to see him leave State to "go home," only to leave a few years later for a new home 90 miles away from Starkville. Professionally, it's a no-brainer.

I have a feeling he and Strick are gunning for the same job long term.

[Lance Harbor]

Personally I think it sucks to see him leave State to "go home," only to leave a few years later for a new home 90 miles away from Starkville. Professionally, it's a no-brainer.

I have a feeling he and Strick are gunning for the same job long term.

What are the Ninja origins again? (I'm old and can't remember)