Barnes was crucial in rebuilding the PAC and without him we would be in a much darker lace. We should thank him for his dedication and hard work.
With that said, the new PAC point is to get back to the Power level, and to do that requires a nimble AD with a pulse on the current NIL market, but also marketing. Barnes is not forward thinking, he is reactive and always too slow in the reaction.
Its not an insult, its not disrespect, every one of us has a date we need to step down from our role, and Barnes is at that point, if he truly wants what is best of the Oregon State is to pass the baton off to the next AD.
'You either die a hero or live long enough to see yourself become the villain'.
Sadly Barnes inability to read his own situation is playing right into this quote.
I was very much in Barnes corner...
I think most fans, even those with anger towards Barnes could agree with this... but would his salary (with bonuses) over $1.1 million still occur? More than double what all other ADs in the new Pac will receive, and with lessened duties?
No consultant, no advisors, no coaches in waiting. How many times has Mike Riley been asked to come back? Make clean breaks and move on. If Barnes isn't working out you don't keep him on, same with Trent Bray. It's too bad feelings are going to get hurt, but that's the life of cutthroat college athletics.
This may be selfish, but if President Murthy wants to leave a lasting legacy at OSU and endear herself to Beaver Nation, she needs to get Jensen & NVIDIA on board with Beaver football in every capacity possible. Enrollment, academics and the new AI center at OSU are gonna happen with or without her, those aren't legacy moves. She has one job here: make Jensen Huang the Phil Knight of Oregon State. lolz
It is not my money to spend and Dr. Huang is free to do as he wishes in our society. I really appreciate his contributions to the Engineering School. Still, one can think that $1B out of a net worth of $180B is nothing compared to the $1.5B out of $40B that PK has donated to his alma mater. I highly doubt Dr. Huang knows Phil Knight or cares about his donations. But it is a relevant comparison for those of us who care about our most public-facing university athletic programs.
Knight and Huang have a different focus. Nike and college sports are intertwined. Knight's contributions to the UO athletic program helped increase Nike's visibility and likely had a positive impact on the company's profitability, despite its recent downturns.
Donating large sums of money to the OSU athletic program might make the Huangs feel good and would certainly be a nice public relations move among a relatively small group of people. But it doesn't do anything for Nvidia's profit picture or enhance their personal wealth.
Orange sunshine… with all the shade you’ve thrown at UO and Phil Knight, it’s good to see that down deep you really understand the importance of a generous, wealthy supporter. In spite of what you say about Uncle Phil and the Ducks. Wouldn’t it be great to have two highly competitive university athletics departments in all sports?
My second favorite team is the Beavers. I wish them well and would love to see the football rivalry always be between two Top 10 teams.
Its not that Uncle Phil donating is the issue, its that puddle chicken fans discount and minimize it as the reason UO is succeeding.
Daddy Warbucks has stabilized the program in times that it could have fallen into disrepair... UO would be in the exact situation as OSU if not for one donor giving unlimited funding. That FACT is denied by puddle chickens, and that is why the Beaver fans harp on it so much
Not sure who is denying that Knight's contributions are a huge factor? I know I fully embrace it and know it is a significant part of Oregon's success. Are you sure you aren't making this up to fulfill how you want to see it? There are always a small percentage of bad fans of every school. In my experience, which is a long time, the Duck fans I come across fully embrace Phil Knight and what he means to Oregon Football, as well as the many other non-sports contributions to the school. The majority of Duck fans don't deny his contributions, but mostly just grow tired of the bitterness and jealousy coming from Beaver fans and others. There is no doubt some Duck fans express their tiredness of it in a bad way, just like Beaver fans express their jealousy in a bad way. The point is that it goes both ways! I hope that Beaver sports will ultimately get some contributions from Huang.
I remember very well the early 70’s when UO had many Head Coach TurnOvers in Football, and couldn’t buy a game to Win ! OSU was financially MORE stable than UO - well before the Knight era !
Hats off to UO for facilitating Knight’s vision….OSU has always been too Conservative in their leadership of thinking “Outside the Box”. It has and will be , OSU’s downfall as shown today ….😢
They deny his impact... That if the money showed up they would be the lowest of low in the old PAC, and without his money today, if he dies and the future payments are stopped (all possible) that UO would be worse off than Nebraska
The most common Duck fan retort to an (admittedly jealous) Beaver fan pointing out that if it weren't for Uncle Phil, UO would be in the same place as OSU is this: "But Phil gave to the OSU baseball program and helped keep Pat Casey at OSU." Yep. He did. Thanks, Phil. But Duck fans seem to imply that it's the same as all he has done for UO.
Don’t give me that BS Henry. Your grade school name calling of puddle chickens and Daddy Warbucks shows you have the maturity of a fifth grader. Ducks fans completely understand the importance of Phil Knight and Nike. Envious Beavers fans never let us forget it. OSU fans consistently taunt insults such as UO, the best pro team money can buy, or championships bought, not earned. All you have to do is read the OSU fan comments in John’s columns season after season. UO fans know that to compete with the best, you have to be funded like the other wealthy programs (Ohio State, Texas, USC, etc). Oregon State fans hurl insults upon insult at the fact that UO has one particularly large donor. Now that Beaver fans can sniff Nvidia money, all of a sudden the lunch pail team is ready to get in line for a big handout, pride be dammed.
I think the point is that many Oregon fans don't remember that the football program was about .500 until Phil opened his wallet. Basketball wasn't much better. They were good in track, and as a track and Prefontaine fan, I thought that was cool. But this rise to success in Eugene wasn't done with nose to the grindstone, super hard work. It was one guy opening his wallet. Nothing wrong with that, every school would take that money. But I know a lot of duck fans who don't admit that's what happened.
Nearly all the Duck fans I have talked to about the significance of Phil Knights money readily acknowledge the direct connection of the $'s
to the success of the school's athletic teams. Recruiting, facilities, equipment etc. No doubt about it.
OSU should continue efforts to cultivate an interest
by Dr. Huang in Beaver athletics. If there is an interest $$ more likely than not will follow given a second hurdle. Phil Knigjts intetest probably was a combination of an alumni
connection and benefit to Nike.
Dr. Huang has the alumni.connection now
make the Navida connection to the money like Nike.
Ai has been discussed at length in previous comments on previous threads reacting to JC's articles. Put it together
The article was solely about OSU. Feeding schmuck fan trolls, who always show up to thirstily try and hijack the comments and muddy up the discourse with their insecure attention whoring, serves no good purpose.
Best to ignore them. Comment and reply only to comments on the topics covered in this article, which would be OSU, WSU, and the PAC12 rebuild.
Jensen Huang’s wealth FAR exceed’s PKnights/ NIKE’s by 1,000000 %….if Murthy can get him involved in OSU’s HC hire , Jensen might save OSU from another Bad Hire, and facilitate Jensen’s personal involvement in OSU football. Our OSU Prez and staff seem to have their “Heads in the Sand” ( again !)
100%. It's such a drop in the bucket for him and that's at 100M donation to athletics in general and football in particular. The donation he made to the engineering department isn't exactly a donation, it's a business investment to further R&D and he gets kickbacks from the taxpayers. There is a very good book on this billionaire investment strategy called the University of Nike. It is eye-opening what is being done and the taxpayer is often on the hook. These are not donations in any way shape or form.
Will look for it. Pi$$e$ me off that folks overlook the taxpayer side so often because it favors "their team". The owners give a rat$ a$$ about the fans.
The Huangs own a little less than 4% of Nvidia stock. Their net worth is reported to be about $180 billion. While the stock is at its current high point, wouldn't it make a big difference if she could get him to donate 1% --$1.8 billion -- of that to the athletic program?
That seems like it should be doable, since he could use the donation to offset some of his current tax liability on gains from his sales of the company's stock. Treat it like an endowment and use the current earnings to supplement the program. At 5% minimum, they should be able to generate at least $90 million a year.
You are absolutely correct; few of our OSU Alumni See the importance of getting Jensen involved ! He SHOULD be on this selection committee, even if from Afar !…..what better way for him to “See” the NIL and Portal issues , i.e. OSU’s lack of a financial backer akin to UO’s Knight .
Here is the importance of international promotion afforded by a Top 10 sports program: My Minnesota-born kids, who know I am from Corvallis and have been there and around the campus with me, still ask me for Oregon Ducks gear when I am in state. The Ducks are just a lot better known and are cooler with their friends. And that is what matters to them. It is pure promotion. Dr. Murthy understands this, I think. Beaver Sports are not just important to the alums and students, but are the way you project your school around the world. I hope for the day when my kids and grandkids ask me for Oregon State Beaver gear
Brian, you and I are usually in agreement but might see this a bit differently. You mention your kids always ask for ducks gear, but how many of them asked to attend Oregon? Statistics show OSU enrollments continue to dominate UO. I understand where you're coming from but I'm not sure this national exposure you're talking about in football does anything more for OSU as a university other than give die hard fans like you and I a chance to puff our chests out. Promoting the academics should always be the first priority and I think Dr. Huang is helping with that in spades. I can't fault him for that.
There may be frustration with Barnes at the moment, but Murthy came along at the right time. She is fantastic for OSU. OSU could be in a very different spot right now if she was not the fighter she is. I do have some sympathy for Barnes. He had to navigate some very uncharted waters. Lets see how this next hire goes.
Saving Oregon States' athletic department is in a lot of ways just another engineering problem. It is a rational problem. It has a lot of moving parts and one needs to anticipate what can go wrong and how to make it all work efficiently. I think Dr. Huang is likely highly analytical (educated guess ;-) and so I would approach saving OSU sports analytically, not emotionally. Sports are public-facing, internationally broadcast, and are highly engaging. Dr. Murthy shows she has this understanding. Maybe she can convey to Dr. Huang that importance. It is outstanding to have Dr. Huang support computer science and robotics along with electrical engineering. But to give that school the attention it deserves, athletics are the lens into Oregon State. No need to love the sports if you love the engineering school. Sports become a form of promotion
Murthy is not seeing the connection ; she comments “I don’t want to get him into details “, another words ( read) “ I don’t want to bother Jensen Huang”.
She is disappointing and needs to be aggressive and GET him involved .
NOT impressed by her statement about our wealthiest OSU Alumni who IS a
I have it on good authority that those conversations with Huang have taken place. Just because she is not out there saying exactly what that private conversation is and what it entailed, does not mean she is not trying.
Great interview, JC. Murthy is a good leader for this period in OSU's history--in many ways. Her comments about Barnes were measured, and she stressed her support for him in the present state. I did not get the impression that she supports Barnes in the long term. At some point, as the dust settles and the new PAC12 moves forward, he will depart. Murthy is not a scorched earth leader. But I am certain she is aware of Barnes failures. She has her eye on a point in time when it will be best for him to go.
Those on this thread who think OSU/Murthy/the OSU Foundation are not in frequent contact with the Huangs are clueless.
Those who think the Huangs don't know the depth and amount of Phil Knight's donations to the University of Oregon are equally clueless.
Mr. Huang runs a $5 trillion business. He is an astute businessman dealing with world-wide concerns. Quite frankly, asking him to be a member of a football coaching search committee is an insult to his intelligence.
It's not any of my (or yours) business to tell the Huangs how to spend their money. President Murthy said the Huangs love OSU and fully realize its impact on their lives.
I'm sure that at some point, they will respond in a way they feel appropriate, above and beyond the $50 million we know they have donated (I'm sure it's more).
As the true "homer" that I am, Corvallis born and raised, Oregon State Alumni family and all, I want the very best for my university. The Beavers have been blessed with Dr. Huang as an alum, with his own commitments to the school and Corvallis. He may or may not take on the Athletic Dept as his special cause. I hope he does. But we need to also celebrate and promote Dr. Huang's past and future contributions to the Engineering school and the AI super-computer and robotics programs specifically. I walked by the Collaborative Innovation Complex yesterday afternoon to see its progress. Beautiful building. I have great hope in how that center transforms the reputation of Oregon State and Corvallis. We, the university and Dr Murthy, need to promote the heck out of that facility and association with Dr. Huang and make Corvallis and the Mid-Valley the Palo Alto of the north.
OSU is very lucky to have this woman as its president.
The university is flourishing under her guidance. Record enrollment, record giving, record research funding, impressive capital construction all over campus; so many good things happening despite the attacks on higher education emanating from the White House.
She is wisely delegating the football coaching search to those who know their business. Unlike those doorknobs at LSU.
Now if she could finally figure out a way to keep Washington Way and 35th Street open for more than a month at a time ...
She thanks Trent for his contributions in a critical time but acknowledges he was out of his depth moving forward. She’s no dummy. She knows the Barnes situation is the same.
Truly saddening to see how blind Murthy is to Barnes' numerous screwups. Donor dollars are going to dry up quickly if he sticks around. He needs to go.
The vast majority of tech billionaires do not give significant support to the athletic programs at their alma maters. Bill Gates, Paul Allen, Jeff Bezos, just as PNW examples.
Phil Knight is unique in that he competed in varsity athletics at Oregon, was born and raised in the state of Oregon, built and headquartered his company in Oregon, his company and primary passion revolve around sports and the athletic industry, he still lives in Oregon, and he has always had the desire to intertwine his passion with his business.
I’m not sure if Huang even ever played organized sports growing up. Oregon State should focus more on Jensen for academic donations, which are clearly in his wheelhouse, and rather than trying to hit an unlikely home run with him on athletics, focus more on its other successful graduates who might have more interest in athletics. For example, the numerous athletes who have made big money in pro football and baseball.
John, do I read Ms. Murthy right in that she's equally a people person and a nuts and bolts person? She certainly appeared to appreciate Trent Bray's efforts under seriously difficult circumstances and Barnes has allowed--supported even--some awful things to transpire under his watch. That cannot be lost on Ms. Murthy. Perhaps there's not an elegant way to move on from Barnes at the moment and she won't do until there is.
President Murthy is a great person to have in charge at OSU right now. She’s incredibly smart and steady, and that’s what OSU needs. I’m not a big fan of Barnes, but I also understand this probably isn’t the time to make a big change with the AD. I don’t see him being AD for more than another 12-18 months though, basically get the Beavs into the reborn conference.
Barnes was crucial in rebuilding the PAC and without him we would be in a much darker lace. We should thank him for his dedication and hard work.
With that said, the new PAC point is to get back to the Power level, and to do that requires a nimble AD with a pulse on the current NIL market, but also marketing. Barnes is not forward thinking, he is reactive and always too slow in the reaction.
Its not an insult, its not disrespect, every one of us has a date we need to step down from our role, and Barnes is at that point, if he truly wants what is best of the Oregon State is to pass the baton off to the next AD.
I wonder if he considers a transition to advisor and fundraiser in this contract.
I am reminded of the Dark Knight quote:
'You either die a hero or live long enough to see yourself become the villain'.
Sadly Barnes inability to read his own situation is playing right into this quote.
I was very much in Barnes corner...
I think most fans, even those with anger towards Barnes could agree with this... but would his salary (with bonuses) over $1.1 million still occur? More than double what all other ADs in the new Pac will receive, and with lessened duties?
No consultant, no advisors, no coaches in waiting. How many times has Mike Riley been asked to come back? Make clean breaks and move on. If Barnes isn't working out you don't keep him on, same with Trent Bray. It's too bad feelings are going to get hurt, but that's the life of cutthroat college athletics.
This may be selfish, but if President Murthy wants to leave a lasting legacy at OSU and endear herself to Beaver Nation, she needs to get Jensen & NVIDIA on board with Beaver football in every capacity possible. Enrollment, academics and the new AI center at OSU are gonna happen with or without her, those aren't legacy moves. She has one job here: make Jensen Huang the Phil Knight of Oregon State. lolz
That Nvidia piece could make everything else look very small.
Nvidia will come into the picture and do what is possible. The Huangs don’t lose either.
It is not my money to spend and Dr. Huang is free to do as he wishes in our society. I really appreciate his contributions to the Engineering School. Still, one can think that $1B out of a net worth of $180B is nothing compared to the $1.5B out of $40B that PK has donated to his alma mater. I highly doubt Dr. Huang knows Phil Knight or cares about his donations. But it is a relevant comparison for those of us who care about our most public-facing university athletic programs.
Knight and Huang have a different focus. Nike and college sports are intertwined. Knight's contributions to the UO athletic program helped increase Nike's visibility and likely had a positive impact on the company's profitability, despite its recent downturns.
Donating large sums of money to the OSU athletic program might make the Huangs feel good and would certainly be a nice public relations move among a relatively small group of people. But it doesn't do anything for Nvidia's profit picture or enhance their personal wealth.
Orange sunshine… with all the shade you’ve thrown at UO and Phil Knight, it’s good to see that down deep you really understand the importance of a generous, wealthy supporter. In spite of what you say about Uncle Phil and the Ducks. Wouldn’t it be great to have two highly competitive university athletics departments in all sports?
My second favorite team is the Beavers. I wish them well and would love to see the football rivalry always be between two Top 10 teams.
You misread the room.
Its not that Uncle Phil donating is the issue, its that puddle chicken fans discount and minimize it as the reason UO is succeeding.
Daddy Warbucks has stabilized the program in times that it could have fallen into disrepair... UO would be in the exact situation as OSU if not for one donor giving unlimited funding. That FACT is denied by puddle chickens, and that is why the Beaver fans harp on it so much
"Puddle chickens!" Can't stop laughing. Thank you! OSU '71.
As a Duck fan I'm glad the best rival fans can do is entertain yourselves with childish names.
Sadly we're not really rivals anymore. Can't really have that when it's no longer competitive.
Not sure who is denying that Knight's contributions are a huge factor? I know I fully embrace it and know it is a significant part of Oregon's success. Are you sure you aren't making this up to fulfill how you want to see it? There are always a small percentage of bad fans of every school. In my experience, which is a long time, the Duck fans I come across fully embrace Phil Knight and what he means to Oregon Football, as well as the many other non-sports contributions to the school. The majority of Duck fans don't deny his contributions, but mostly just grow tired of the bitterness and jealousy coming from Beaver fans and others. There is no doubt some Duck fans express their tiredness of it in a bad way, just like Beaver fans express their jealousy in a bad way. The point is that it goes both ways! I hope that Beaver sports will ultimately get some contributions from Huang.
I remember very well the early 70’s when UO had many Head Coach TurnOvers in Football, and couldn’t buy a game to Win ! OSU was financially MORE stable than UO - well before the Knight era !
Hats off to UO for facilitating Knight’s vision….OSU has always been too Conservative in their leadership of thinking “Outside the Box”. It has and will be , OSU’s downfall as shown today ….😢
They deny his impact... That if the money showed up they would be the lowest of low in the old PAC, and without his money today, if he dies and the future payments are stopped (all possible) that UO would be worse off than Nebraska
The most common Duck fan retort to an (admittedly jealous) Beaver fan pointing out that if it weren't for Uncle Phil, UO would be in the same place as OSU is this: "But Phil gave to the OSU baseball program and helped keep Pat Casey at OSU." Yep. He did. Thanks, Phil. But Duck fans seem to imply that it's the same as all he has done for UO.
Don’t give me that BS Henry. Your grade school name calling of puddle chickens and Daddy Warbucks shows you have the maturity of a fifth grader. Ducks fans completely understand the importance of Phil Knight and Nike. Envious Beavers fans never let us forget it. OSU fans consistently taunt insults such as UO, the best pro team money can buy, or championships bought, not earned. All you have to do is read the OSU fan comments in John’s columns season after season. UO fans know that to compete with the best, you have to be funded like the other wealthy programs (Ohio State, Texas, USC, etc). Oregon State fans hurl insults upon insult at the fact that UO has one particularly large donor. Now that Beaver fans can sniff Nvidia money, all of a sudden the lunch pail team is ready to get in line for a big handout, pride be dammed.
I think the point is that many Oregon fans don't remember that the football program was about .500 until Phil opened his wallet. Basketball wasn't much better. They were good in track, and as a track and Prefontaine fan, I thought that was cool. But this rise to success in Eugene wasn't done with nose to the grindstone, super hard work. It was one guy opening his wallet. Nothing wrong with that, every school would take that money. But I know a lot of duck fans who don't admit that's what happened.
Nearly all the Duck fans I have talked to about the significance of Phil Knights money readily acknowledge the direct connection of the $'s
to the success of the school's athletic teams. Recruiting, facilities, equipment etc. No doubt about it.
OSU should continue efforts to cultivate an interest
by Dr. Huang in Beaver athletics. If there is an interest $$ more likely than not will follow given a second hurdle. Phil Knigjts intetest probably was a combination of an alumni
connection and benefit to Nike.
Dr. Huang has the alumni.connection now
make the Navida connection to the money like Nike.
Ai has been discussed at length in previous comments on previous threads reacting to JC's articles. Put it together
OSU!
They deny that they would be a lower tier team, worse off than Oregon State without his money.
Also if the money disappeared tomorrow they would be worse than Nebraska
The article was solely about OSU. Feeding schmuck fan trolls, who always show up to thirstily try and hijack the comments and muddy up the discourse with their insecure attention whoring, serves no good purpose.
Best to ignore them. Comment and reply only to comments on the topics covered in this article, which would be OSU, WSU, and the PAC12 rebuild.
Thanks for the compliment, gotta stay young at heart ♥️
TLDR
Jensen Huang’s wealth FAR exceed’s PKnights/ NIKE’s by 1,000000 %….if Murthy can get him involved in OSU’s HC hire , Jensen might save OSU from another Bad Hire, and facilitate Jensen’s personal involvement in OSU football. Our OSU Prez and staff seem to have their “Heads in the Sand” ( again !)
100%. It's such a drop in the bucket for him and that's at 100M donation to athletics in general and football in particular. The donation he made to the engineering department isn't exactly a donation, it's a business investment to further R&D and he gets kickbacks from the taxpayers. There is a very good book on this billionaire investment strategy called the University of Nike. It is eye-opening what is being done and the taxpayer is often on the hook. These are not donations in any way shape or form.
Will look for it. Pi$$e$ me off that folks overlook the taxpayer side so often because it favors "their team". The owners give a rat$ a$$ about the fans.
The Huangs own a little less than 4% of Nvidia stock. Their net worth is reported to be about $180 billion. While the stock is at its current high point, wouldn't it make a big difference if she could get him to donate 1% --$1.8 billion -- of that to the athletic program?
That seems like it should be doable, since he could use the donation to offset some of his current tax liability on gains from his sales of the company's stock. Treat it like an endowment and use the current earnings to supplement the program. At 5% minimum, they should be able to generate at least $90 million a year.
This makes too much sense. Bruce, you're like a beautiful mind. You must be a CPA with a degree from OSU. Outstanding comment!
You are absolutely correct; few of our OSU Alumni See the importance of getting Jensen involved ! He SHOULD be on this selection committee, even if from Afar !…..what better way for him to “See” the NIL and Portal issues , i.e. OSU’s lack of a financial backer akin to UO’s Knight .
Murthy doesn’t see the light as we do !😂
Here is the importance of international promotion afforded by a Top 10 sports program: My Minnesota-born kids, who know I am from Corvallis and have been there and around the campus with me, still ask me for Oregon Ducks gear when I am in state. The Ducks are just a lot better known and are cooler with their friends. And that is what matters to them. It is pure promotion. Dr. Murthy understands this, I think. Beaver Sports are not just important to the alums and students, but are the way you project your school around the world. I hope for the day when my kids and grandkids ask me for Oregon State Beaver gear
Brian, you and I are usually in agreement but might see this a bit differently. You mention your kids always ask for ducks gear, but how many of them asked to attend Oregon? Statistics show OSU enrollments continue to dominate UO. I understand where you're coming from but I'm not sure this national exposure you're talking about in football does anything more for OSU as a university other than give die hard fans like you and I a chance to puff our chests out. Promoting the academics should always be the first priority and I think Dr. Huang is helping with that in spades. I can't fault him for that.
There may be frustration with Barnes at the moment, but Murthy came along at the right time. She is fantastic for OSU. OSU could be in a very different spot right now if she was not the fighter she is. I do have some sympathy for Barnes. He had to navigate some very uncharted waters. Lets see how this next hire goes.
Can you imagine inheriting the downfall of the Pac-12 as you're an engineering expert... taking your first presidential job at a university?
No way. I have the upmost respect for Mrs. Murthy. She's clearly an incredible leader. I think OSU is in good hands.
Saving Oregon States' athletic department is in a lot of ways just another engineering problem. It is a rational problem. It has a lot of moving parts and one needs to anticipate what can go wrong and how to make it all work efficiently. I think Dr. Huang is likely highly analytical (educated guess ;-) and so I would approach saving OSU sports analytically, not emotionally. Sports are public-facing, internationally broadcast, and are highly engaging. Dr. Murthy shows she has this understanding. Maybe she can convey to Dr. Huang that importance. It is outstanding to have Dr. Huang support computer science and robotics along with electrical engineering. But to give that school the attention it deserves, athletics are the lens into Oregon State. No need to love the sports if you love the engineering school. Sports become a form of promotion
Murthy is not seeing the connection ; she comments “I don’t want to get him into details “, another words ( read) “ I don’t want to bother Jensen Huang”.
She is disappointing and needs to be aggressive and GET him involved .
NOT impressed by her statement about our wealthiest OSU Alumni who IS a
“Detail Guy” !!!!
Wake up , Murthy !
I have it on good authority that those conversations with Huang have taken place. Just because she is not out there saying exactly what that private conversation is and what it entailed, does not mean she is not trying.
It should be mission I, and Huang should see the importance of it. When you have it, be generous, its great for karma and the rest of the world.
You had me until the last sentence.
Great interview, JC. Murthy is a good leader for this period in OSU's history--in many ways. Her comments about Barnes were measured, and she stressed her support for him in the present state. I did not get the impression that she supports Barnes in the long term. At some point, as the dust settles and the new PAC12 moves forward, he will depart. Murthy is not a scorched earth leader. But I am certain she is aware of Barnes failures. She has her eye on a point in time when it will be best for him to go.
Sometimes reading between the lines can lead to seeing whatever one is pre-disposed to see.
Those on this thread who think OSU/Murthy/the OSU Foundation are not in frequent contact with the Huangs are clueless.
Those who think the Huangs don't know the depth and amount of Phil Knight's donations to the University of Oregon are equally clueless.
Mr. Huang runs a $5 trillion business. He is an astute businessman dealing with world-wide concerns. Quite frankly, asking him to be a member of a football coaching search committee is an insult to his intelligence.
It's not any of my (or yours) business to tell the Huangs how to spend their money. President Murthy said the Huangs love OSU and fully realize its impact on their lives.
I'm sure that at some point, they will respond in a way they feel appropriate, above and beyond the $50 million we know they have donated (I'm sure it's more).
She’s in the right place at the right time. Thank goodness for her leadership.
Unlike Doctor John
As the true "homer" that I am, Corvallis born and raised, Oregon State Alumni family and all, I want the very best for my university. The Beavers have been blessed with Dr. Huang as an alum, with his own commitments to the school and Corvallis. He may or may not take on the Athletic Dept as his special cause. I hope he does. But we need to also celebrate and promote Dr. Huang's past and future contributions to the Engineering school and the AI super-computer and robotics programs specifically. I walked by the Collaborative Innovation Complex yesterday afternoon to see its progress. Beautiful building. I have great hope in how that center transforms the reputation of Oregon State and Corvallis. We, the university and Dr Murthy, need to promote the heck out of that facility and association with Dr. Huang and make Corvallis and the Mid-Valley the Palo Alto of the north.
As an out-of-stater I found this interview excellent, interesting and insightful. Dr. Murthy
seems an impressive leader. I wish her and Oregon State success in the new Pac12.
OSU is very lucky to have this woman as its president.
The university is flourishing under her guidance. Record enrollment, record giving, record research funding, impressive capital construction all over campus; so many good things happening despite the attacks on higher education emanating from the White House.
She is wisely delegating the football coaching search to those who know their business. Unlike those doorknobs at LSU.
Now if she could finally figure out a way to keep Washington Way and 35th Street open for more than a month at a time ...
That is a city of Corvallis issue. Oh, the city of Corvallis. Ugh!
She thanks Trent for his contributions in a critical time but acknowledges he was out of his depth moving forward. She’s no dummy. She knows the Barnes situation is the same.
We can only hope.
I like that woman. Even fixing dinner is a competition.
Truly saddening to see how blind Murthy is to Barnes' numerous screwups. Donor dollars are going to dry up quickly if he sticks around. He needs to go.
The vast majority of tech billionaires do not give significant support to the athletic programs at their alma maters. Bill Gates, Paul Allen, Jeff Bezos, just as PNW examples.
Phil Knight is unique in that he competed in varsity athletics at Oregon, was born and raised in the state of Oregon, built and headquartered his company in Oregon, his company and primary passion revolve around sports and the athletic industry, he still lives in Oregon, and he has always had the desire to intertwine his passion with his business.
I’m not sure if Huang even ever played organized sports growing up. Oregon State should focus more on Jensen for academic donations, which are clearly in his wheelhouse, and rather than trying to hit an unlikely home run with him on athletics, focus more on its other successful graduates who might have more interest in athletics. For example, the numerous athletes who have made big money in pro football and baseball.
Well said
Excellent interview. Proud to have her as the President of my alma mater.
John, do I read Ms. Murthy right in that she's equally a people person and a nuts and bolts person? She certainly appeared to appreciate Trent Bray's efforts under seriously difficult circumstances and Barnes has allowed--supported even--some awful things to transpire under his watch. That cannot be lost on Ms. Murthy. Perhaps there's not an elegant way to move on from Barnes at the moment and she won't do until there is.
Hopefully if and when needed, we all have confidence that she can and will conjure up her elegance.
The ability to put one's fist in a velvet glove is an advanced and valuable management skill.
Great interview John!
President Murthy is a great person to have in charge at OSU right now. She’s incredibly smart and steady, and that’s what OSU needs. I’m not a big fan of Barnes, but I also understand this probably isn’t the time to make a big change with the AD. I don’t see him being AD for more than another 12-18 months though, basically get the Beavs into the reborn conference.