Enough Hart

The recent success by the Gators in basketball illustrates in stark contrast the dire state of the basketball program at FSU. Yet Dave Hart, the FSU athletic director, had the audacity to state that he is pleased with Leonard Hamilton and the direction of the basketball program.Does he take us all for morons?

The FSU basketball team has not been to the NCAA tournament in nine years. In addition, incredibly Florida State's entire 2006 recruiting class is already a complete bust. Not one player recruited is still at FSU. Hardly a great milestone. Why didn't Hart assert some leadership and go after Tubby Smith? Is there any doubt where Tubby Smith would have wanted to go if he had been give a choice between Minnesota or FSU? Next year, we will hear that we have to give the program some time because we lost Thornton and have new players. This while at other schools like Florida they just reload.

This brings me to the leadership of Hart. Dave Hart exerted absolutely no leadership in the last five years to make the needed changes that we all see now were necessary with the football program. He had his head in the sand and the FSU Boosters were left as the change agents for coaching changes. Due to his lack of leadership, the Gators gained competitive advantage over the Noles that was very evident in recruiting.

As much as it hurts me to say it, Florida Athletic Director Jeremy Foley has done an extraordinary job at elevating the Gators to national prominence. This while Hart is pleased with mediocrity. I shudder to envision who Hart might hire after Bobby Bowden leaves. It is obvious that he is not a good judge of talent in coaches.

I believe that it is time for FSU to secure a vibrant and assertive leader. It is obvious to me that Hart is not that man. We as FSU fans and alumni deserve much better. In my opinion, I have had enough Hart. It is time for someone new.