O'Keefe Out at LSU

Typically, this column is reserved for my opinions on sports-related topics. Today, however, I am going to take the liberty of expressing my opinion on an upsetting development at my Alma mater, Louisiana State University. Chancellor Sean O'Keefe -- a man whom the LSU community has grown to respect and admire -- has announced his resignation from that post effective February 1st. In the statement released earlier today, O'Keefe hinted at the reason for his resignation: "It is evident to me that LSU needs a campus leader who enjoys the full confidence of the board and the president."


The truth is, all of the facts are still not known as to what exactly was said in leading up to this untimely event. O'Keefe is in the fourth year of the five year contract he signed when Mark Emmert left LSU for the University of Washington. While O'Keefe's statement would lead an intuitive person to believe a lack of support from System President John Lombardi and the LSU Board of Supervisors are to blame, I am not prepared to point the finger at anyone just yet, but will instead focus on what positives O'Keefe has accomplished since his arrival at LSU.



After discussing this topic on my radio program in Baton Rouge today, I received the following e-mail from a listener named Mark:

Matt,

I haven't worked for O'Keefe, but I personally know people who do and they all wonder what took so long. I have been told he serves on the board of directors of 12 corporations and is never in his office when he is needed. I have also been told he doesn't make any decisions and defers to others. He was also running NASA during the two shuttle disasters. Lombardi apparently is cleaning house and wanting a chancellor who wants to run the university. You mentioned what a good job he has done and my question to you is "What has O'Keefe instituted on his own, not just maintained what Emmeret started"?

Mark

Every point Mark makes is valid. I think the key to remember is perception. There are plenty of different ways to lead successfully. Look at the two previous LSU football coaches. Nick Saban was a demanding control freak who often times was conservative offensively, while Les Miles is more personable and risky. Both won national championships. To determine which is better is merely a matter of perception.

As for O'Keefe, some may look at his other obligations as a distraction from his job as Chancellor. I view it as a tremendous coup to have a Chancellor who is so highly sought after in the public sector. Think of the networking potential for LSU when our Chancellor is affiliated with some of the wealthiest, most powerful companies in the country. As for Mark's friends -- let's be honest -- who doesn't criticize their boss? If Lombardi has a "Saban" and wants a "Miles" that's his prerogative. And it's my right to disagree with him. How many football fans still question Miles as head coach even now?

Also, attempting to blame O'Keefe for the shuttle disasters is a horrendous low blow and displacement of blame for a disaster that, in all truthfulness, had very little, if anything, to do with the man running NASA. If you want to blame someone for a tragedy, blame the technicians on the ground who failed to properly inspect Columbia before it departed. Or how about a little blame on Lockheed Martin (a Louisiana company) who manufactured the foam that broke off, causing the disintegration upon reentry? Blaming O'Keefe for Columbia is like blaming President Bush for 9-11 or Skip Bertman for LSU's loss to Kentucky this year. After all, he DID hire the coach that lost the game.

In my opinion, O'Keefe did a tremendous job lobbying the Louisiana Legislature as state funding for the University has increased since he's arrived. Maybe it takes a politician to lobby successfully more so than an academic. I recall during my final year at LSU, funding in the MassComm department was so low that all of my exams were taken on overhead projectors because professors didn't have the funding to print hundreds of copies of tests on paper (seriously). Moreover, O'Keefe has done an admirable job fundraising privately and carrying on the Flagship Agenda set forth by Emmert. This has been demonstrated by the continuous increase in admission standards met by incoming classes during O'Keefe's tenure. Perhaps most importantly, he represented the University and the state with class and dignity.

There are also those who argue that O'Keefe has no business running a university since he is not an academic. True, O'Keefe does not possess prior university experience, but allow me to pose this question: who would you rather have running your university, an aeronautics professor, or the man who ran NASA? I know who I would choose.

My feelings today are best expressed and shared by former LSU Board of Supervisors Chairman Stewart Slack who said, “I think it’s a tragedy. It’s just a real shame for the university.” It's a University that I will continue to love and support in any way I can, but on this day, I shake my head in disappointed disbelief.