If you measured him against his big money sport counter part Donald Hill-Eley, you would get the impression that Morgan State University doesn’t measure at all when it comes to athletic success. Hill-Eley received a contract extension earlier this year, despite having only two winning seasons in six years.
Well, recruiting some big-time athletes and making CBS Eye On America may have had something to do with it, but the point is that Hill-Eley responded to the extension with a Bears team that has a real chance to contend for the MEAC championship this year.
Then you have Todd Bozeman, the basketball coach who helped to reverse the Bears’ misfortunes in the men’s basketball program by leading the team to its first regular season conference championship in school history and its first conference championship appearance in 31 years.
And, dude blogs! Very well, I might add.
And yet, no talk of an extension for the Boze.
That’s not to hate on Hill-Eley, because he certainly has earned his money. Prior to his tenure, the Bears had not had a winning season in 25 years. He has transformed Morgan football into a recruiting hotbed, locally and throughout the country.
But this is to hate on the school administration who seem to be dragging their feet on what is the right thing to do. Sure, Bozeman has caught some heat since his arrival in Baltimore, but he has surely done for basketball what Hill-Eley has done for football; national prominence, and more than Hill-Eley, conference dominance.
Insiders at Morgan may assume that Bozeman and his previous troubles will afford them ample time to extend him after this, the final season on his contract. But it may only take one more season of success for other mid-major or power programs to see him as a the guy to reverse their fortunes, either as a head coach or a top-level assistant.
And Morgan will not be in a position to ask for loyalty, because they will have missed the opportunity to display it themselves.

LJ 1:23 pm on October 27, 2008 Permalink
JC, I agree with you regarding Bozeman’s extension. When Morgan first hired him as basketball coach I thought he was a STEAL for their program. I saw his Cal coached teams (was at the game in which they defeated a top-ranked UCLA squad). Bozeman star player at the time was Jason Kidd and soon to be NBA player Lamond Murray. Bozeman is a good coach and recruiter and I believe (unfortunately in the future), he’ll be hired by a high-profile college basketball program. With his returning players and recruiting class, Morgan should continue it’s winning ways in the MEAC and beyond this season. His teams will be a force to reckeon with.
JC 1:45 pm on October 27, 2008 Permalink
Morgan dragged its feet with Hill-Eley’s extension, but it was justifiable because of his record. With Bozeman, there’s no way you should let a recruiter and coach like him get away.
If you can’t afford him, that’s another story. But at least let him and the supporters know that you are interested in keeping up the level of success.
BJ 10:16 am on January 12, 2009 Permalink
This is so like Morgan, they have the very best coach in the league, have finally gained some respect, and have decided to drag their feet on this guy. If this were a big time University this would not be an issue. It is time for this and other HBCU’s to wake up.
JC 1:25 pm on January 12, 2009 Permalink
I really don’t know why the school (Morgan) has this policy of not rewarding coaches for success before their deal runs out.
Maybe they’ve been burned so many times before, that they approach with caution.