FanPost

How to responsibly fire coach Turgeon

According to the NCAA statistics for 2018, Maryland had average ticket sales of 14,675 per game for 18 home games. This is 264,164 tickets sold for 18 games. This is 81% of the maximum ticket sales capacity of 17,950 per game and 19,000 capacity for concerts (Wikipedia).


The NCAA doesn't count heads at each game. So this 14,675 attendance figure does not take into account how many ticket holders actually show up at each game. The NCAA attendance can not take into account the lost parking revenue or the lost revenue from non-attendee ticket holders failing to purchase refreshments, souvenirs, or apparel.


I advocate that the University of Maryland should make a plan to attract people back to Xfinity for men's basketball home games. The first step in the process would be to fire Mark Turgeon.


The second step would be to hire a coach who wins in February and March and plays a more exciting and much faster game of basketball.


The third step is for Maryland to schedule significantly better out of conference teams to play early in the season.


The fourth step would be to hire someone who is a little creative and who would be able to devise various plans that would create favorable publicity and draw a greater number of fans and alumni to the games, not just relying on season ticket plans and seat licensing revenue. Encouraging the sales of individual tickets throughout the entire DMV might accomplish the rebranding of Maryland basketball as an exciting place to be.



The problem to overcome:


If Maryland fires Mark Turgeon immediately after this season ends they are obligated to pay him $10 million over the next 4 years.


The Solution:


Why not demonstrate to the larger more powerful donors that the University of Maryland can be fiscally responsible about the potential firing of coach Turgeon rather than ask them for more money.


First Maryland should devise a plan to increase the average ticket sales by 3000 more fans per game.


Secondly Maryland should devise an additional incentive laden plan to retain current ticket holders and increase the season ticket holders actual attendance at all games.


What would increasing ticket sales by 3000 per game accomplish? First we can assume that each ticket holder on the average spends $45 per game including the extra cost of parking, refreshments, souvenirs, and apparel.


If each ticket holder spends approximately $45 per game, this means that 3000 additional ticket holders will generate an additional $135,000 per game. That means $135,000 additional revenue dollars per game. This means an extra $2,430,000 per 18 home games.


$135,000 x 18 games = $2,430,000 per season of extra revenue. (almost the exact amount of Mark Turgeon's annual salary)


$2,430,000 x 4 years = $9,720,000 extra revenue over 4 years.


This allows Maryland to fire mark Turgeon after this season.


If we subtract any basketball earnings that Turgeon will make in the next 4 years, firing Turgeon becomes a very fiscally responsible thing to do. This does not even take into account the additional parking revenues or money lost when fans who have bought tickets don't go to some of the games. Their paid-for tickets count toward the attendance figures reported by the NCAA but do not contribute to any additional per game revenue.


I am convinced that firing Mark Turgeon is the most fiscally responsible thing that Maryland can do to turn around the uncertain future outlook for Maryland basketball.


If AD Evans wants to keep his job after Loh leaves (Loh is either 73 or 74 years old and is looking at retirement) he had better fix Maryland men's basketball before it can no longer be easily fixed.


This assumes that Maryland men's basketball doesn't live up to it's potential and win 2 or 3 or 4 games over the next 2 weeks. I believe with the right head basketball coach(not Turgeon) Maryland would win a minimum of 3 or 4 games this NCAA tournament, not 0 or 1.


Let's come up with a first-class plan to replace Turgeon that doesn't depend on 1 or 2 donors footing the bill. Make Maryland the factor it should be in March again.



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