UConn AD returns to Phoenix area, where he once worked for Arizona State (AzCentral)

[JMick]

And to be fair he made that money back for the state and university the last 2 years with the Hurley hire.

The Dave haters are up there with our dumbest fans.

 

[Smp7598]

Anyone else find it interesting that Hurley talked about ASU not supporting men's basketball and that Bobby could do better if he was supported like Dan is at UConn.

I maybe nitpicking ,but I thought it said more like his brother getting the resources!

 

[SubbaBub]

More friends in power conferences. If he's gone, best of luck. He did a good job here and we should be able to find a similar or better replacement.

 

[Hoophound]

I love the job he’s done. If he’s leaving, we need to make a very strong football AD hire and if it costs a lot of money to do that, we best do it anyway.

 

[Letsgohuskies11]

 

[KembaRunner]

I

Anyone else find it interesting that Hurley talked about ASU not supporting men's basketball and that Bobby could do better if he was supported like Dan is at UConn.

I heard that and thought it was a brazen shot at ASU athletics, but now I get it. “Once Dave gets there and supports Bobby, ASU will be solid.”

 

[RC111]

Regardless of my thoughts on him or the job he's done, I think the timing of this article is inappropriate.

I'll need to read it for better context, but my initial reaction is to wonder why a nothing piece about "returning to the Phoenix" area is getting published now. The implications are pretty obvious, and he must have known that when he agreed to speak to the reporter and provide quotable content about his connections to the institution and the area.

Regardless of how disinterested the players may be, any story that serves as even a minor distraction and/ or makes the trip about him seems inappropriate. This could have waited four days.

I also have to question him being in Arizona tweeting about takeout (and likely interviewing for a new position) even before the team arrived. Stay focused until this weekend is over and THEN do your interviews or whatever. Not great that he was already out there, comfortable, and doing interviews like this while the team was stuck back home.

 

[AdamaNation]

By clear I meant it's clear he's going to ASU. I agree with you. Its in discussion or agreed to already.

For what it’s worth he did a solid job keeping us relevant. Though not the best administrator, he guided us out of treacherous waters. Post Ollie. Post AAC. Tv deals. Nil. State funding. He did well.

 

[Palatine]

In college sports everyone is a free agent every year. Very strange.

 

[Salty Dog]

I like AD Dave but I'd completely understand if he left. It's not like he's going to some random school - he seems to have deep connections to ASU and you can't blame someone for wanting to go home. It's unfortunate but understandable.

 

[mlpavela]

Is there not one alumnus we could find to do this job next? Are we not a school capable of producing graduates capable of holding the job?

 

[RC111]

Curious - if you didn’t read the article - how do you know it’s a “nothing piece”?

If that's a sincere question, I have a sincere answer.

But I think my response indicates why I believe that, as I quoted the title, and I believe your "curious" is more a commentary than a question?

First, there was a lot of content quoted before my post in your initial post. That alone gives me a good indication of its content.

Second, news articles are formulaic and predictable. The titles of pieces necessarily denote what they'll discuss and what the main idea is. It's good writing 101. You create interest by telling the readers what they have in store for them, and the writing is easier to follow and digest when a logical progression is followed, giving the reader a figurative roadmap.

This piece is obviously biographical in nature, and the most compelling element, according to the title, is that Benedict has ties to the area. Not much of a news event. I would wager that if I read it in full it's going to talk about Benedict's career in a manner that highlights his ties to the area and rise up the career ladder. That's a human interest story. And sometimes those are interesting. But they're rarely "news." And that's what I mean by "nothing piece." Not that it isn't compelling or worth a read, but rather that timeliness isn't essential for it in the way it would be for a breaking news story.

Breaking news needs to be covered when it happens, or the story has passed. I think a human interest piece about our AD, with the lovey eyes he's making at another school during our tournament run, isn't much of a story and could wait a few days, even if it's slightly less of a draw after the tournament is over.

 

[huskymedic]

This place never ceases to amaze me even after all these years…

 

[UConnRock]

Can't believe some still point at how "He cost Connecticut taxpayers a lot of money with a certain fiasco". Ya don't think lawyers were the decision makers on this matter and not the AD. The AD did his job and replaced a failing coach with a winning coach. AD Dave did an nice job w/ the move from the AAC. Did some nice independent football scheduling. Got Mora which hasn't worked out as planned, but was a good gamble.

 

[RC111]

I love the job he’s done. If he’s leaving, we need to make a very strong football AD hire and if it costs a lot of money to do that, we best do it anyway.

Everyone has some misses. Hurley was a great hire and he deserves credit for that. I think Mora was also the best he could have done for a program that had fallen as low as ours. Mora has already taken us out of the national spotlight and given the team fight and spirit, even when they lose.

He's also overseen a huge increase in donations and navigated the development of a new hockey arena, soccer stadium, and baseball/ softball fields and facilities. Those are something, and I think we could do a lot worse. I hope it doesn't take doing worse for people to appreciate him.

 

[buddy]

I think he has done a great job here. I believe he really tried to get UConn into a power conference but now realizes it is not happening. Can't blame him for wanting to go to a power school.

 

[CTBasketball]

And to be fair he made that money back for the state and university the last 2 years with the Hurley hire.

The benefactors and people who really pull the strings made that hire moreso than he did.

 

[The Viking]

Couldn't he have just told the reporter he didn't want to discuss it now if he really only wanted to focus on what UConn is doing at the moment? Is it that hard? You can't wait a week?
Not a Benedict hater myself, I understand him wanting to go home.

 

[Huskyforlife]

Hope our next AD spends less time on Twitter.

 

[uconnfan68]

The AD at Butler may be available

Have to wake him up.

 

[coachcap]

Is there not one alumnus we could find to do this job next? Are we not a school capable of producing graduates capable of holding the job?

As an administrator, John Dorsey comes to mind, but he is at retirement age ....

 

[RC111]

Couldn't he have just told the reporter he didn't want to discuss it now if he really only wanted to focus on what UConn is doing at the moment? Is it that hard? You can't wait a week?
Not a Benedict hater myself, I understand him wanting to go home.

This is what I was trying to get at but you said it better and more succinctly.

 

[UConnJim]

I don't want Benedict to leave, but if he did leave, my first phone call would be to Brian White the AD at FAU. Father was AD at Duke, Notre Dame, Arizona St., Tulane,... Brothers are AD at Tennessee (and UCF, Buffalo) and men's basketball HC at Georgia. Hired Dusty May as basketball coach and Tom Herman as football coach at FAU. Played the conference realignment game moving FAU from CUSA to the AAC.

 

[UConnTrumbull]

I don't want Benedict to leave, but if he did leave, my first phone call would be to Brian White the AD at FAU. Father was AD at Duke, Notre Dame, Arizona St., Tulane,... Brothers are AD at Tennessee (and UCF, Buffalo) and men's basketball HC at Georgia. Hired Dusty May as basketball coach and Tom Herman as football coach at FAU. Played the conference realignment game moving FAU from CUSA to the AAC.

That would be a good call. Although the AAC is basically just CUSA 2.0

 

[UConnJim]

That would be a good call. Although the AAC is basically just CUSA 2.0

Have you looked at what the current CUSA looks like? AAC is a much better conference.