I realize these coaching salaries are getting out of hand, but, apparently, if you want to be big time this is the entry fee.

Besides, I don't think ND actually pays any salaries - they get some donor to stick his/her name on the coaching position

higher profile than Track & Xcountry, even though I like it. This is especially in the ACC where track/xcountry is not that big. SEC Schools like Tennessee are trying to buy more championships and this is a good investment for them. For Jack keeping him doesn't do much for the alumni overall and the team sports are bigger for ND. Baseball can be agreat 4th sport if Jack can keep Link. Also good baseball can partner with softball. Look at Texas and Oklahoma this year making both WCWS & CWS. Oregon State has a chance to that as well if it wins tonite as winning baseball has helped pull it's softball to higher places.

If that's true, that makes absolutely zero sense to me.

Track and Field/CC use all sorts of crazy terms for the coaches.

Basically the "director" of the program is the overall head and is likely paid the most. Head coaches of Track and Field (Men and Women) and Cross-Country (Men and Women) are the next in line in terms of salary. I believe Carlson's promotion to head Track and Field Coach was an effort to raise his salary through his title.

Here's Jacobs with Carlson after Jacobs' victory this week.

- Matt Sparks found, mentored and promoted Carlson up the ladder and -- blammo -- out the door. Now, I guess that Tennessee threw a freaking bank vault of cash at him, but this still kind of boggles the mind.

My gut is that Carlson felt he was losing that A+++ squad of XC runners to graduation and that it wasn't going to get any better at du lac (at least not for awhile), so leave while you're on top and a lot of cash is coming your way. Plus, maybe he didn't like the idea of being in charge of the entire track program.

So, he gets a raise for less responsibilities. Maybe he didn't want them?

- For ND, The only good thing I can say is that Sparks is still here to keep the mothership going. He can, if need be, step into the HC role for distance again while finding someone.

- Now, for Tennessee: the timing of this is just beyond tactless. Given the release hit Sat., June 11th, did Carlson even take a plane back to South Bend? On top of that, we're currently playing Tenn. in baseball. What happens if Tennessee beats the Irish in the game three today? Oh, we steal Long Distance/XC coach and beat your baseball team.

Seems like Tennessee doesn't give an iota about any degree of collegiality. So, if they don't, I won't: hope the Irish bats warm up and pound the Vols. Also hope Sparks and/or new assistants come back strong next year.

and not allow the Tennessee AD to go up, 2-0, on the Irish over the weekend.

I'm pretty level-headed about most things at my age, but I can't tell you how ticked off this makes me. It must be something out of the "deal with it" playbook, but everything from the open checkbook to the timing just galls me.

And, while Carlson, as an employee doesn't owe us squat, I've got to think Matt Spark is blindsided by his protege.

Errr...

walk on during Breys early years, right?

All I know is when ND plays at Duke, he tends to be unavailable so as to (as was quoted to me) "avoid those Notre Dame assholes".

She had many, many good words about Kevin white - minority and women hiring especially - of course he brought her with him when he went to Duke.

I have no other knowledge of Kevin White, just though I'd post another opinion of Kevin White I just heard recently.