Braun Defends Jeter Firing, Says Only Jordan Was Offered Job

Sitting at her office desk, glancing occasionally at the camera set up in front of her, Amanda Braun begins answering questions. She answers every one. Regardless of the length of the answer, each brings with it an aura of conviction as the embattled and not-backing-down-in-the-slightest Athletic Director discusses the many controversies swirling around the men’s basketball program at UW-Milwaukee.

She is, however, somewhat careful as well, seemingly aware of the controversy that surrounds her. And she makes some news right off the bat, denying pointblank that new coach LaVall Jordan was not the only person offered the coaching job vacated by her termination of Rob Jeter.

“He (Jordan) was the only person we offered the job to,” said Braun who disputes an account that she told another coach prospect, TJ Otzelberger, to bring his family from Iowa to Milwaukee for an introductory press conference.

Indeed, she denied all rumors regarding Iowa State Assistant Coach  Otzelberger, saying that reports which surfaced on local radio last week stating that he was originally the top candidate for the position that went to Jordan are not accurate.

“It’s interesting what people present as fact,” said Braun, who dismissed Milwaukee radio station WTMJ’s report, which included speculation that Chancellor Mark Mone overruled an Otzelberger hire. “I’ve heard a lot of rumors along the way. I think we hired a coach two in a half weeks ago, according to some reports.”

She also revealed new details about Jordan’s contract. Jordan signed a 5-year contract with his base salary being $350,000, which is about $100,000 less than Jeter made. Combined with what the university owes Jeter this next year and that means UWM is looking at over $800,000 owed in a time of austere budget cuts.

Braun defended firing Jeter and not allowing the team to enter post-season play, saying: “Postseason is a reward for achieving goals and meeting expectations. I’ve said this many times; this year we didn’t attain that level of success.”

She gave the same reason for the firing of Jeter, saying the team didn’t achieve the goals that were set. “You have to evaluate; did we meet or exceed the expectations for the program this year? Fifth place in conference is not what we aspire to be, and that was not the standard we set.” In other words, the team failed its objective, and Braun doesn’t see it fitting to reward the team by paying for a “postseason” or its coach with a new contract.

The UW-Milwaukee men’s basketball team has been eating up the headlines lately. What triggered this was the firing of Head Coach Jeter on March 17, and it further escalated with four players requesting releases. Then, Jordan made his introductory press conference as the Panther’s new head coach, and this week Akeem Springs signed with Minnesota and Austin Arians with Wake Forest, and then play-by-play announcer, Bill Johnson, burned every bridge on his way out when he quit via Instagram (this interview with Braun occurred the day before Johnson quit, and she didn’t mention him; Media Milwaukee has requested a follow-up interview with Braun on that matter).

An interview with Media Milwaukee was accepted after a week of requests to discuss the rumors. In a large office festooned with trophies, accolades and Panther propaganda sits Braun who is in the eye of the controversial storm. While former play-by-play announcer Johnson described her as a “deplorable human being” she willingly accepted the interview, greeting the students with a lively and professional manner, even saying it is her job to support and assist the students.

Having arrived from an interview with sports radio talk show “Chuck and Wickett” on 105.7, she knew what questions were coming, and answered them all courteously. When the topic of Otzelberger was addressed, a state of confusion was expressed.

WTMJ speculates that Otzelberger was not only a finalist for the job, but the top choice of Braun and was interviewed on April 6 for the position. However, the reports specified that it was Chancellor Mark Mone who overruled her decision and hired Jordan. Why hire a search committee and then override their suggestion? Otzelberger, soon after, was hired as Head Coach of South Dakota State. However, she denies the report.

Rob Jeter was fired after 11 years despite having one-year remaining on his contract because particularly in the sport of men’s basketball, according to Braun, the athletic director has a choice to make when someone has a year remaining on a contract. Either extend beyond that year or make a change. Simply “running the clock out” is not a standard, specifically because of recruiting, she said.

Braun has been under intense criticism since the firing, as well as not accepting invitations to both the College Basketball Invitational and the CollegeInsider.com tournaments. The reason for both decisions comes from the simple fact that the team has underperformed, she said.

The College Basketball Invitational (CBI) was created in 2007 and had its first inaugural season 2008. It pairs off 16 mid-major programs that weren’t invited to the NCAA or NIT, AKA the NCAA or NIT leftovers. To host a CBI game, teams have to pay $50,000 and that fee goes up to $75,000 to host semi-finals. In other words, it ain’t cheap.

She defends her decision, stating how UWM “along with probably 100 schools in Division-1” declined the invitation, and believes the NCAA and NIT to be the program’s true goals, calling them the “two real invitations,” since they do not require universities to “pay to play,” even though program boosters and sponsors could possibly cover most, if not all the costs. But Braun stated that it wasn’t about the funding, and with all the money owed to the former and new coach, it couldn’t solely have been if you crunch those numbers.

A 20-13 record may be described by many as a successful season, especially when they finished 14-16 the year before, but it only merited a fifth place finish in conference, and the university’s goal is third place and above, she said.

The last time the Panthers finished in the top three in the Horizon League Conference was five years ago when they placed second. They will try to find the lost mojo they once had when they won conference three straight years from 2004-2006. They may have made it to the NCAA tournament just two years ago after getting hot and winning their conference tournament, but they’ve only been to the dance four times this century. That is what Braun wants to change.

If the Panthers want a “real” postseason birth, she says, they are going to have to earn it through Braun’s exacting standards.