University of West Florida President Manny Diaz will soon announce plans for the school to jump from Division II to Division I in all sports. How he will pay for the increased operational costs remains to be seen. Without budget help from the Florida Legislature and Gov. DeSantis, the school’s athletic program could be in the red within three years, according to knowledgeable sources.
- Several sports message boards report that UWF may join the soon-to-be-formed United Athletic Conference, a rebrand of the Western Athletic Conference. WAC schools Abilene Christian, Tarleton State and UT Arlington will join with football-playing Atlantic Sun Conference members Austin Peay, Central Arkansas, Eastern Kentucky, North Alabama, West Georgia and Little Rock to form the all-sport United Athletic Conference.
Clifford Cha-Cha
Dr. Clifford Humphrey will no longer be Diaz’s chief of staff, effective maybe as soon as April 1. He will be sent to “color” somewhere, similar to Trump’s former Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem, who is now the envoy to the Shield of the Americas.
Background: Last July, the UWF Board of Trustees approved the hiring of Dr. Clifford Humphrey as chief of staff, a newly created executive position combining strategic initiatives leadership with chief of staff responsibilities. Interim President Manny Diaz presented the proposal, citing his need for cross-departmental coordination and strategic planning.
- “This position will be building and expanding research relationships, working hand in hand with the provost and other folks on campus to try to connect those research opportunities across silo,” Diaz explained to the board members.
Humphrey has been over his head at UWF and a pain in the butt to the administration and faculty. He is rumored to be behind the recent push to eliminate coed dorms on campus.
- We have been told no one will replace Humphrey, but many of his duties will be assigned to Alex Smith, UWF Director of External Affairs.
Sun Belt Conference is where they belong. The rivalry with South Alabama, Troy and others would be better and more meaningful for the region. UWF’s 15,000 enrollment is on par or even larger tban other Sun Belt schools. Make it so the new football stadium has to be expanded within 10 years.