If Warde Goes, Where Should we Look?

[Northbound]

They are heavily involved in a search for an AD at Illinois right now....and he is not in the mix. The Athletic Department at Illinois is a disaster, he has the projection of Jeff Hathaway 2.0 to me.

Except the fact that Hathaway had no experience in the sec, b10 or first hand media experience then sure then they are exactly the same. He may not be the right guy, but the parallel to Hathaway isn't remotely accurate.

My guess is that nobody tied to the former guy gets a real sniff based on how the whole thing went down and the reason for it. If you've followed the circus surrounding that search/hire you'd actually think that not being considered is a feather in your cap. Wilson has stepped all over her dick with this so UI alum tell me.

But I don't think that an invite to the P5 is coming anytime soon - so experience there may not be worth a hill of beans.

 

[FDNY99]

Except the fact that Hathaway had no experience in the sec, b10 or first hand media experience then sure then they are exactly the same. He may not be the right guy, but the parallel to Hathaway isn't remotely accurate.

My guess is that nobody tied to the former guy gets a real sniff based on how the whole thing went down and the reason for it. If you've followed the circus surrounding that search/hire you'd actually think that not being considered is a feather in your cap. Wilson has stepped all over her dick with this so UI alum tell me.

But I don't think that an invite to the P5 is coming anytime soon - so experience there may not be worth a hill of beans.

I considered the ACC, Big East and being AD at Colorado St a similar job experience. It will be VERY hard to sell someone who is Asst AD at Illinois as the hire to be the AD at UConn after the disaster that has gone on at that school.

 

[junglehusky]

Blauds now reporting WM to UM could be announced by end of the week.

http://ajerseyguy.com/?p=13224

 

[nelsonmuntz]

Except the fact that Hathaway had no experience in the sec, b10 or first hand media experience then sure then they are exactly the same. He may not be the right guy, but the parallel to Hathaway isn't remotely accurate.

My guess is that nobody tied to the former guy gets a real sniff based on how the whole thing went down and the reason for it. If you've followed the circus surrounding that search/hire you'd actually think that not being considered is a feather in your cap. Wilson has stepped all over her dick with this so UI alum tell me.

But I don't think that an invite to the P5 is coming anytime soon - so experience there may not be worth a hill of beans.

The type of AD Herbst brings in will say a lot about her assessment of our odds. If she brings in a P5 Assistant AD or someone with major athletic program experience, then maybe we are still in the mix. If she brings in a long time small school AD, then it may be an indication that we should be preparing for a new normal.

 

[weyuo]

I wonder what the school is willing to spend on a new AD and staff. I also wonder how much of a head start Herbst and the board had in planning for a new hire. When Manuel came in people scratched their heads because they plucked him from Buffalo(even though he had Michigan ties). It'll be interesting to see just what kind of pull the next AD has as far as aligning UConn for the next conference shake up. Having a plan to better UConn's situation should be criteria numero uno.

 

[Adios]

The type of AD Herbst brings in will say a lot about her assessment of our odds. If she brings in a P5 Assistant AD or someone with major athletic program experience, then maybe we are still in the mix. If she brings in a long time small school AD, then it may be an indication that we should be preparing for a new normal.

You realize that NIU is now on a trajectory similar to USF and UCF?

 

[Sportsman5]

It appears NIU is intensely trying to upgrade conferences. Therefore, the AD obviously has been working extremely hard to make contacts and position the school well. He's already in that mode and has a very good understanding of the landscape. That seems like a great hire. Maybe there's a better man or woman somewhere, but the NIU athletic director seems like he brings just about everything to the table.

 

[FfldCntyFan]

You realize that NIU is now on a trajectory similar to USF and UCF?

Pay no attention to Waylon. At the moment he's trying to frame what would be a very strong statement to fit his narrative.

 

[Palatine]

Someone from the B10 corporate offices.

 

[sub legacy]

If UConn needs an AD, why not look at some of the best in the nation? One example is Oliver Luck. His name surfaced when Texas was looking for an AD. He now works at the NCAA where he is in charge of regulatory functions. I believe he is also a lawyer. More importantly, he was the AD at West Virginia – which could help if UConn wants B12 membership – or membership in the ACC or B10, for that matter. Earlier, he was a quarterback for the Houston Oilers.

I actually considered mentioning Oliver Luck, but I'm sure I would've gotten the dismissive "crazy talk" replies.

 

[FDNY99]

Someone from the B10 corporate offices.

Jim Delaney did call RU and personally recommend Sean Frazier as the best candidate for the job to replace Pernetti.

 

[noeynox]

You realize that NIU is now on a trajectory similar to USF and UCF?

How so? I remember reading NIU had a smallish athletic budget, and realistically can they do better than the MAC? They will never sniff the P5 IMO, and is there a really a benefit to leaving the MAC for another G5 league even The American?

 

[noeynox]

I actually considered mentioning Oliver Luck, but I'm sure I would've gotten the dismissive "crazy talk" replies.

I would love Luck, but can we pay him what he got at WVU or what he is making now? Have to assume he probably made double at WVU to what we paid Warde here no?

 

[Adios]

How so? I remember reading NIU had a smallish athletic budget, and realistically can they do better than the MAC? They will never sniff the P5 IMO, and is there a really a benefit to leaving the MAC for another G5 league even The American?

They are in the #3 market. There's room for schools other than Northwestern, ND and Illinois there. Frazier has been comparing NIU to Boise State.

People keep saying Temple has no hope but there's still talk of them going P5.

 

[LoyalFanCT]

If Luck wants $1 million to $2 million a year -- go for it! If he gets UConn into B12 or Big10 or even ACC -- will not the extra money from being in that conference make his salary not matter? He doesn't have to stay forever. Just get UConn into P5, and then he can head back to NCAA or whatever he wants. Just think about his presence in a room filled with ADs from top football schools. They will take him a lot more seriously than some bureaucrat who never played football. UConn deserves the best and has to get into P5 ASAP.

 

[ktuck911]

People keep saying Temple has no hope but there's still talk of them going P5.

They've shown this year (and along with the recent recruiting) that they can produce a more exciting brand of football (hint hint)

 

[LoyalFanCT]

If UConn can't get Oliver Luck, here is another option. He is more of an administrator -- but has worked for the B12, Pac-10, and B10 in key roles. It is Kevin Weiberg, who was commissioner of the Big 12 Conference, was at the Pac-10 as deputy commissioner. Also was vice president of university planning and development for the Big Ten Network and also as the deputy commissioner of the conference under Jim Delany from 1989 to 1998. Weiberg was an assistant athletic director at WSU from 1980 to 1987. He clearly has the contacts to promote UConn in conference realignment and would be a great asset to any conference.

 

[Fairfield_1st]

The NIU man knows Chicago. Chicago is the headquarters of the Big Ten. And was recommended by the Big Ten commish to Rutgers. Who thankfully passed over him. If Manuel goes, there is no better candidate than Frazier if we want to aim for the Big Ten. He knows his football coaches, too. And he is from Long Island.

He knows his hockey too: AD at both Clarkson (ECAC) and Merrimack (Hockey East), in charge of hockey at Wisconsin as Asst AD (also ran men's basketball and football just like Warde did at Michigan..until he was promoted by Alvarez and ran the day to day operations for the entire athletic department), Frazier also served as Chair of the NCAA Men's Ice Hockey Committee in 2011.

You had me at Delany recommended him. I've heard other names, but if the B1G is Susan's end goal (versus any port in the storm) then we should put our best B1G foot forward. If Delany likes him, that's a major plus for me. Shows UConn knows how to play ball and wants to be a willing partner with the B1G. Also Frazier being somewhat local has to be a plus. That could make us an attractive location for him. I'm all in on him should WM leave.

 

[SAMCRO]

I want the guy who can do all the things necessary in the AD to best position UConn athletics to help Herbst get us in a P5. If that is fund raising, hire a fund raiser; if that is relationships in a certain conference, hire someone with the best relationships in that certain conference; if that is hiring successful coaches, hire someone with a track record of hiring successful coaches; if that is scheduling, hire someone who can schedule; if that is making tea and finger sandwiches with the crust cut off, hire someone who can make tea and cut crust.

I trust that Herbst knows the most important levers that need to be pulled in the AD to best enhance our stock in CR and she will bring in the person with that strength.

 

[J187Money]

Whoever we hire there should be a $1M bounty on getting us into a P5.

 

[BlueDogs]

Whoever we hire there should be a $1M bounty on getting us into a P5.

love that idea.. well done.

 

[Ryan Phalen]

Whoever we hire there should be a $1M bounty on getting us into a P5.

At that point, put a zero after the one...

 

[CL82]

Newman McMurray Delaney or James Chancellor Delaney come to mind...

 

[tduconn]

Just make sure its no one tied to the old BE conference administration.

Its because of that "leadership" most of our rivalries jumped ship when they were able.

No one there ever understood, or wanted to understand the direction was college athletics was taking.

This can't be an on the job learning experience. We need some one who has proven they can jump high hurdles rather than crawl under them. I'd take Luck or Pernetti in a heartbeat.

How about other strong arm AD's......like our nemesis from Louisville.

Mr. Burton, where are you? We need some trickle down monies.

 

[LoyalFanCT]

TDUConn is totally correct. So many of the names I am seeing are people who should be ADs for colleges like Eastern Connecticut, not a school like UConn that somehow has to make it into the B12 or better yet B10, or maybe even the ACC. That is a tough challenge to begin with and having a mediocre AD like Jeff Hathaway again is only going to make it more difficult. How on earth would an assistant AD or an AD at a mid-major have pull with the leadership of the B10? We need to be the most aggressive college in the nation to ensure we are in a P5 conference this year -- not 15 years from now. President Herbst needs to get someone who can take over the realignment tasks and can succeed. Her time is far better spent getting the endowment up to $1B by 2021 (by having the best fundraisers in the nation working for UConn), recruiting Nobel prize winners to the faculty (several of them) (by 2021), and getting UConn into the AAU (this year). She also needs to make sure that UConn is getting a good number of National Merit Scholars in its freshman class each year. Maybe we can even see a UConn graduate receive a Rhodes Scholarship to study at Oxford -- which, like being in the P5, has yet to happen.