by Sanford Levinson

The New York Times reports that the University of Miami has fired its football coach Larry Coker. According to the Times, "there have been some indications that Miami may attempt to raise the salary it offers to an incoming coach. Coaches at many of the country's top programs now make well above $2 million in salary and incentives. School president Donna Shalala has directed Sergio M. Gonzalez, the school's vice president for Advancement and Communications, to begin a six-month fundraising campaign among donors to finance higher salaries for coaches and to improve athletic facilities." The story includes the information that "Coker, who had three years left on his contract, is expected to receive a multimillion-dollar buyout from a contract that paid him about $2 million a year." "Our primary responsibility is to our student-athletes," Shalala said in a statement. "We believe they deserve the best coaching in the country." Could anything more illustrate the complete corruption of the contemporary university and its "leadership"?