The Closer: Is Mark Emmert's job on the chopping blocks?

With the avalanche aimed at the NCAA's Indianapolis headquarters building more and more every day, the question of whether NCAA President Mark Emmert needs to worry about his job security is on the tip of many experts tongues. The 60-year old Emmert, has been the President of the NCAA since November 1, 2010, after serving as the President of the University of Washington since 2004. Previous to this position with at Washington, he had over 20 years of experience in Higher Education, at schools such as Louisiana State University, University of Connecticut, and University of Colorado.

President of the NCAA, Mark Emmert

As a long-time "leader" and face of big institutions, Emmert (presumptively) understand the incredible importance of transparency and trust. Once the facade of an institution is muddled and the trust for the leadership is lost, it is time for a change.

An institution is like a car, and like any machine, it needs to be well-oiled and working in perfect harmony. When the engine, well actually the steering wheel, if we take into consideration the amount of work that is done, is not in-line with all the other parts of the car you are going to crash; you WILL FAIL.

The NCAA is defined as "a non-profit association of 1,281 institutions, conferences, organizations and individuals". I am not going to even touch the "non-profit" section of that description today, as I have already killed that (here). Basically, the NCAA is meant to be an institution ran and controlled organization that supports the athletic endeavors of athletes at the collegiate level. Why, then, does one man seem to be making all of the major decisions? A man who is making nearly $1.6 million per year, as reported by  USA Today, working for a non-profit, tax exempt organization.

Okay. I understand that this dictator-like set-up is acceptable considering the fact that Emmert has complete understanding and control over his appointed staff. WAIT. What is that you say? HE DOESN'T? Oh.

Julie Roe Lach, former Vice President of Enforcement at the NCAA

Where does Mark Emmert get off telling college presidents, administrators, and coaches how they should manage their staffs, when he himself has no idea what is going on within the NCAA offices? Not only does he not know about many of the major doings of his high-level officials, he blames them for anything that goes on.

I get it. I really do. Running an organization that supports over 400,000 student athletes is NOT easy. But when it comes down to it, you should be more than capable of managing and communicating with your immediate executive staff.

As soon as you have lost control of your own hand-picked specialists and you sanction member institutions for the same lack of control that you are showing at a higher level, it is about time to consider giving up the title of President.

The next major question is: Who is going to stand-up against the NCAA and Emmert to demand changes to it's current structure?

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Kevin Murray is a sophomore Sport Management Major at Drexel University. He is originally from Havertown, PA, a small suburb of Philadelphia. He worked in the Drexel Sport Management Department as a Research Assistant focusing on the Penn State scandal, equity in collegiate sports, and Title IX.  Currently, Kevin is the SMTSU Treasurer and Drexel Athletics Marketing Intern.  You can follow Kevin on Twitter @kevinj_murray.

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