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Updated 4:31 AM on Friday, October 12, 2007

Byrne now must clean up Franchione's mess

By ROBERT CESSNA
Eagle Columnist

Bill Byrne had plenty to say Thursday when Texas A&M released its findings in the internal investigation into Dennis Franchione's secret e-mailed newsletter.

Yet it was what Byrne didn't say that mattered most.

He didn't say that Franchione would be A&M's football coach for 2008. That's something that will be decided at season's end.

Byrne doesn't talk about a coach's status during the season. It's always been his policy, and it's a good one.

Byrne launched an even better policy Thursday. He never wants to deal with another internal investigation. It will not become a tradition under his watch. One was one too many.

And that's why Franchione's days in Aggieland seem numbered.

Byrne is a no-nonsense guy. He would have opted for a root canal instead of telling the nation how embarrassed, disappointed and frustrated he is over Franchione's secret newsletter. He doesn't just feel that way for himself but for all the Aggies who have been suffering for these transgressions and will continue to do so. The players, students, university and former students have to pay for Franchione's error in judgment.

"This is a very unfortunate situation we don't want to experience again," Byrne said.

You can bet it won't. Byrne will stake his reputation on it.

It has to infuriate him that something so stupid could happen under his regime -Êand go on for so long. If Byrne had only known, he would have stopped this in its planning stage.

"My guess is there was an attempt to keep it from us," he said. "I think the whole thing started as something well-intended. It just got out of control."

It's more of an embarrassment than anything else. Another Aggie joke. Oklahoma gets in trouble for having its players get paid for work not done. Texas of late can't keep its players out of the police report. A&M is in trouble because its football coach hired someone to let a handful of boosters get the real inside scoop.

Now Byrne has to clean up.

Thursday was impressive. He didn't sugarcoat a thing, saying he'll straighten this out quickly.

Franchione's personal assistant, Mike McKenzie, who also was employed by the university, is no longer on the A&M payroll. And since Franchione had to disband his Web site, CoachFran.com, he also no longer needed McKenzie.

The good news is that A&M shouldn't get anything more than a slap on the wrist from the NCAA for secondary violations. The Aggies will survive. These weren't the violations of A&M's past. Remember Paul "Bear" Bryant, Kermit Davis or Jackie Sherrill?

Byrne is hell bent on building champions, not chumps. He won't be remembered for Frangate.

But what about Franchione?

I'm no lawyer, but he obviously violated the portion of his contract that states he had to report outside income to the university. Still, a net profit of $37,806.32 seems insignificant when compared to a $2 million-a-year contract that runs through 2012.

Franchione wasn't doing this for profit, so it might be hard to void his contract on those grounds.

Ultimately, Franchione's future at A&M won't be decided in a board room. This will be settled on the football field. Luckily, Franchione's a much better coach than he is Web master.

Franchione has to win enough games to turn public opinion in his favor, so Byrne will bring him back for 2008. Winning cures all. Fans are forgiving - if you win. If you lose, they'll complain about the smallest of things. Franchione has been criticized for all sorts of petty things, even his lack of emotion on the field.

Those are things Byrne didn't even acknowledge, but secret e-mails that lead to NCAA sanctions gain his full attention.

"I'm assuring you, [this] will be part of his review," Byrne said. "We evaluate any actions that occurred to the football team. We look at items like recruiting, wins and losses, NCAA violations, Big 12 violations."

If Franchione beats Texas, Texas Tech, and Oklahoma and wins a bowl game, he'll get a raise and an extension. Byrne would gladly walk off the Alamodome turf carrying the Big 12 championship trophy arm-in-arm with his football coach.

But if Franchione loses too many games, he'll have to agree to a buyout. Every time he loses, critics will bring up the VIP Connection as another reason for firing Franchione.

Franchione meant well, but unless he does well, he'll be remembered as the $2 million coach who lost it all so a handful of fans could know what he was thinking.

Who would have thunk it?

n Robert Cessna's e-mail address is robert.cessna@theeagle.com.