Earlier this summer, the Florida A&M board of trustees voted to table contract approval for new men’s basketball coach Patrick Crarey II until an August retreat.
For once, a deadline was met ahead of schedule, although curiously, the board recommended a shorter contract than originally negotiated, according to the Tallahassee Democrat.
Board member Kelvin Lawson said, “What I’m trying to do is mitigate the risk. If I go with one year because I’m not 100 percent confident and the year is successful, then great ― I’ll go with multiyear.”
Crarey’s original three-year, $150,000 per-year contract was not voted on because “It didn’t get a motion and died on the table,” said Board vice chair Deveron Gibbons.
Crarey came to FAMU from St. Thomas, fresh off of two NAIA national tournament appearances, and prior to that, he won 163 games at Washington Adventist, leading their transition from a USCAA program to the NAIA ranks.
Crarey has been working as a volunteer employee, still announcing recruits, including Shaquille O’Neal’s son, Shaqir from Texas Southern.
Those credentials were not enough in the eyes of some board members for a longer contract.
“Everyone knows it takes time for a program to rebuild. I get that. I want to be careful what I say because I’m not trying to be disparaging,” Lawson stated. But out of 50 candidates, this person probably wouldn’t have finished in the top five in most races.”
Gibbons added, “It bothers me when I see some names on there, many of which I don’t even know, but I look at their background and experience and wonder how we got to this individual [Crarey] that’s two [divisions] beneath where we are playing in the SWAC.”
The Florida A&M men’s basketball program has not had a winning season since 2007, when it won the MEAC championship.
