Booster Remorse: UConn football donor wants his $3M back, name of

[UConn James]

UConn Donor Robert G. Burton Demands Return Of $3 Million Donation

 

So, this is Connecticut's introduction to the kind of boosterism that demands a large say in what happens in the AD's office. With his 5% of the total cost of the practice facility on campus, I guess Burton thought he was buying access and that he was an important player in the football program.

 

His letter --- which he sent to the AD, the governor, the current and incoming UConn presidents, etc. --- just makes him look like a petulant child. There are methods of making ones' case that a certain hire was not good for the program. As it stands, Paul Pasqualoni has an extensive resume with success at both the college and professional levels. Evidently, Bill Parcells thought enough of Pasqualoni that he brought him in at Dallas and then when he moved on as a quasi-GM in Miami. Burton, it seems, fancies himself a football man more knowledgeable than Bill Parcells --- he was, after all, a former 19th-round NFL draft choice out of Murray State --- who then somehow was successful in business. He chose to go with an argument that reads, "I'm taking my ball and going home!" Not the first time in the history of the world that a donor isn't happy, and it won't be the last.

 

Asking for his money back now is like asking the Marines' Toys for Tots for his Battleship game donation back because he doesn't like the kid the Marines gave it to. That's not how a donation works, Mr. Burton.

 

I'm not enamored with our AD Jeff Hathaway, either. But I give him credit on this for not allowing a donor to think that a few million dollars within the whole budget of a D1 school grants him any kind of hiring influence or veto power.

[KD in CA]

I read about this in the paper last week. What a Grade-A douchebag.

[UConn James]

Follow-up: Burton, UConn Settle Differences

 

And I think Mr. Burton's going to be really wrong about Paul Pasqualoni, however much Burton may not like him personally (not being liked by Burton would rather seem to be to PP's favor). This whole blow-up was very unnecessary, but may prove to be a good experience for this relatively fledgling program to get inoculated against.