A major donor of the University of Connecticut wants a $3 million gift to the football program returned and his name taken down off the team's on-campus facility over his dissatisfaction with athletic director Jeff Hathaway, The Day of New London reports.
Robert G. Burton, the chairman and CEO of Greenwich-based Burton Capital Management, LLC, has given more than $7 million to the football program, including a $2.5 million "lead gift" for the Burton Family Football Complex and additional funds to equip the building. He informed Hathaway of his wishes in a letter dated Jan. 19, a copy of which was obtained by The Day, the newspaper reported.
The primary reason [former UConn coach] Randy [Edsall] took another job is because he couldn't work with you," Burton wrote to Hathaway, according to the report. "You are not qualified to be a Division I AD and I would have fired you a long time ago. You do not have the skills to manage and cultivate new donors."Edsall, who guided the program's transition from the Football Championship Subdivision to the Big East, abruptly left Connecticut for Maryland after leading the Huskies to the program's first-ever BCS bowl.
In the letter, Burton said he had asked to be "kept in the loop" on the hiring process for Edsall's replacement, saying he wanted to "provide insight" about potential candidates, according to the report. He said he didn't hear back from Hathaway until Jan. 13, by which point UConn had hired former Syracuse coach Paul Pasqualoni -- a decision Burton did not support.
"I was not looking for veto power," Burton said, according to The Day. "Your lack of response on either of these requests tells me that you do not respect my point of view or value my opinion."
In a written response, UConn disputed Burton's version of events, saying Hathaway "did receive and acknowledge Mr. Burton's advice from the beginning of the search" and advised Burton of its choice, according to The Day.
"Many people, including Mr. Burton, shared their ideas about potential candidates with us," the response said, according to the report.
"In the end, the decision was appropriately made by the university in the best interests of UConn and our football program. The Burton family has been exceptionally supportive of the University of Connecticut for many years. The University is grateful to the family, especially for the benefits they have provided to many of our students," the university said.
Robert G. Burton, the chairman and CEO of Greenwich-based Burton Capital Management, LLC, has given more than $7 million to the football program, including a $2.5 million "lead gift" for the Burton Family Football Complex and additional funds to equip the building. He informed Hathaway of his wishes in a letter dated Jan. 19, a copy of which was obtained by The Day, the newspaper reported.
The primary reason [former UConn coach] Randy [Edsall] took another job is because he couldn't work with you," Burton wrote to Hathaway, according to the report. "You are not qualified to be a Division I AD and I would have fired you a long time ago. You do not have the skills to manage and cultivate new donors."Edsall, who guided the program's transition from the Football Championship Subdivision to the Big East, abruptly left Connecticut for Maryland after leading the Huskies to the program's first-ever BCS bowl.
In the letter, Burton said he had asked to be "kept in the loop" on the hiring process for Edsall's replacement, saying he wanted to "provide insight" about potential candidates, according to the report. He said he didn't hear back from Hathaway until Jan. 13, by which point UConn had hired former Syracuse coach Paul Pasqualoni -- a decision Burton did not support.
"I was not looking for veto power," Burton said, according to The Day. "Your lack of response on either of these requests tells me that you do not respect my point of view or value my opinion."
In a written response, UConn disputed Burton's version of events, saying Hathaway "did receive and acknowledge Mr. Burton's advice from the beginning of the search" and advised Burton of its choice, according to The Day.
"Many people, including Mr. Burton, shared their ideas about potential candidates with us," the response said, according to the report.
"In the end, the decision was appropriately made by the university in the best interests of UConn and our football program. The Burton family has been exceptionally supportive of the University of Connecticut for many years. The University is grateful to the family, especially for the benefits they have provided to many of our students," the university said.
