UConn President Susan Herbst Talks Academics, Athletics And What Keeps Her Up At Night

[huskymedic]

UConn President Susan Herbst Talks Academics, Athletics And What Keeps Her Up At Night

>>There has been a lot of turmoil in athletics over the past seven year. Has that been a huge stress for you?

I wouldn’t say it’s a big stress point because I knew what I was getting into. I mean any president for a DI competitive institution knows that it’s a very complicated world, so I was ready for that and I understood all the nuances related to academic performance, to compliance, to revenue and of course to winning, and so our conference challenge is definitely a kind of perfect storm situation, and it’s very, very simple to understand.

I think most people who follow UConn sports understand that we got in very late to football, very late, and the big media contracts that would help us financially are 80, 85 percent about football. As great as we are in all the Olympic sports, whether it’s field hockey or women’s basketball or men’s basketball, the big money in America is in college football and we came in late to it, we had a few bad years these last few years.<<

>>If you could get a do-over of any decision regarding athletics, what would it be?

Well, the things that I’d like a do-over on actually happened before my time, but that doesn’t mean that I don’t dream of doing them over, and one of the big ones is that the football field should be on campus. I will tell you that I just went through why football’s so critical to us and the world, and it’s the only place I’ve heard of or been to where the football was not walkable for our students, and what an incredible disservice that was, not that Rentschler Field is not beautiful. We love it, it’s a gorgeous field, it’s a state of the art field, but college sports are for college students to play and to enjoy. We are so glad to have all of our fans, but these things we do are for them, and to see them have to figure out how to get to the field. If they could roll out of bed on a Saturday morning and go to a game, wow, spirit would be tremendous, and it would be transformational for the whole place. So I wasn’t here, didn’t make that decision, but it’s one that I regret on behalf of the entire UConn Nation every day.<<

 

[CL82]

(T)he football field should be on campus. ...It’s the only place I’ve heard of or been to where the football was not walkable for our students, and what an incredible disservice that was... We are so glad to have all of our fans, but these things we do are for them, and to see them have to figure out how to get to the field. If they could roll out of bed on a Saturday morning and go to a game, wow, spirit would be tremendous, and it would be transformational for the whole place. I regret on behalf of the entire UConn Nation every day.<<

Herbst is spot on here. I've been saying the same thing for years...

The trade off is that you'd make easier for students to wander over at noon. Having them used to going to games for four years is what builds a long term fan base.

Doesn't matter though. The Rent is our stadium for the foreseeable future. I like it as a venue and I'm glad to have it.

 

[Guapo]

She gets it.

 

[Guapo]

She gets it.

Edit: SUSAN HERBST READS THE BONEYARD.

 

[Guapo]

Edit: SUSAN HERBST READS THE BONEYARD.

Edit: @whaler11 is actually Susan Herbst.

 

[freescooter]

I agree with her on this but I’m shocked she didn’t say start a lacrosse program!

 

[Nostical]

We will miss her.

 

[uconnphil2016]

Edit: @whaler11 is actually Susan Herbst.

would be the perfect burner acct. no one would ever suspect it was susan, but she gets to hear people go to battle with her and defend her, thus helping her to feel better. genius.

 

[husky8273]

strategic deflection by SH to note the stadium location as her "do-over of any decision regarding athletics" which did not occur on her watch and ignore all the decisions that did - ACC, PP, BD, KO, etc.

 

[J187Money]

Btw that’s exactly what she has said to me personally on various occasions. Which is why I always said she gets it even when others think she doesn’t.

 

[metsfan2323]

all the decisions that did - ACC, PP, BD, KO, etc.

PP occurred before she arrived and KO was 100% JC and we did get a national championship out of it so there should be no regretting KO's hiring. The ACC thing wasn't her decision. I'll give you Bob Diaco, so you are 1 for 4, you could bat clean-up for the Mets.

 

[Chief00]

strategic deflection by SH to note the stadium location as her "do-over of any decision regarding athletics" which did not occur on her watch and ignore all the decisions that did - ACC, PP, BD, KO, etc.

You nailed it. This response is so typically SH - my one do over is something that was done wrong before I even got there. There were so many bad decisions or situations she fell short in.

Having said that, I like on campus stadiums, especially if you can work out the traffic issues somewhat.

 

[whaler11]

PP occurred before she arrived and KO was 100% JC and we did get a national championship out of it so there should be no regretting KO's hiring. The ACC thing wasn't her decision. I'll give you Bob Diaco, so you are 1 for 4, you could bat clean-up for the Mets.

You should get your facts straight one time.

Herbst was the President when Edsall quit and Pasqualoni was hired.

The ACC wasn’t her decision and that Calhoun hired KO are just theatre of the absurd.

 

[UConnNick]

You nailed it. This response is so typically SH - my one do over is something that was done wrong before I even got there. There were so many bad decisions or situations she fell short in.

Having said that, I like on campus stadiums, especially if you can work out the traffic issues somewhat.

Vintage Connecticut...only the small minded, parochial, provincial politicians and residents of a New England state would have used "traffic issues" as a reason to build a football stadium 25 miles from a college campus with 16,000 students.

 

[metsfan2323]

You should get your facts straight one time.

Herbst was the President when Edsall quit and Pasqualoni was hired.

The ACC wasn’t her decision and that Calhoun hired KO are just theatre of the absurd.

"She was named the president of the university on December 20, 2010,[1] and took office on June 1, 2011. " Phillip Austin was the interim president when P was hired by Jeff Hathaway.

Its a credit to her for hiring KO then. Hire someone else and JC tells Shabazz to transfer and 2014 never happens.

It doesn't surprise me that in your hell hole of a head the truth is considered absurd. Only morons blame her for us not being in the ACC (as if it were her "decision"), earn that title if you wish moron.

Keep on stalking J-A-C-K-A-S-S.

 

[Jimmy Serrano]

metsfan2323

 

[metsfan2323]

metsfan2323

Badge of honor.

 

[whaler11]

"She was named the president of the university on December 20, 2010,[1] and took office on June 1, 2011. " Phillip Austin was the interim president when P was hired by Jeff Hathaway.

Its a credit to her for hiring KO then. Hire someone else and JC tells Shabazz to transfer and 2014 never happens.

It doesn't surprise me that in your hell hole of a head the truth is considered absurd. Only morons blame her for us not being in the ACC (as if it were her "decision"), earn that title if you wish moron.

Keep on stalking J-A-C-K-A-S-S.

You got me that time Mets. You’ve cut
it to 387-2.

It’s hilarious though watching y’all
follow her lead how she is resposible for nothing.

 

[billybud]

UMass's stadium in Foxborough is 68 miles from Amherst and the campus.

UConn's stadium is 19 miles from camus.

Miami's is 17, as is UCLA's...

Almost everyone else is on campus.

List of FBS Stadiums Sorted by Distance from Campus » FootballGeography.com

 

[huskymedic]

UMass's stadium in Foxborough is 68 miles from Amherst and the campus.

UConn's stadium is 19 miles from camus.

Miami's is 17, as is UCLA's...

Almost everyone else is on campus.

List of FBS Stadiums Sorted by Distance from Campus » FootballGeography.com

UMass’ home stadium is on campus (Gillette was a failed experiment).

 

[Chief00]

Vintage Connecticut...only the small minded, parochial, provincial politicians and residents of a New England state would have used "traffic issues" as a reason to build a football stadium 25 miles from a college campus with 16,000 students.

Fair point - makes sense to me - but like any other progress - I-384 to Providence or Pfizer Vet Research facility - the locals need to be dealt with to get it approved.

 

[Chief00]

"She was named the president of the university on December 20, 2010,[1] and took office on June 1, 2011. " Phillip Austin was the interim president when P was hired by Jeff Hathaway.

Its a credit to her for hiring KO then. Hire someone else and JC tells Shabazz to transfer and 2014 never happens.

It doesn't surprise me that in your hell hole of a head the truth is considered absurd. Only morons blame her for us not being in the ACC (as if it were her "decision"), earn that title if you wish moron.

Keep on stalking J-A-C-K-A-S-S.

You are right on some things but you couldn’t be more wrong about the ACC.

 

[CL82]

The ACC wasn’t her decision and that Calhoun hired KO are just theatre of the absurd.

So you think that we had a chance to join the ACC and Herbst turned it down? Interesting.

 

[buddy]

She would not have turned it down. Inexperience by the new AD at that time, and failure to network with ACC members probably led to UConn's downfall in athletics. For me, it falls more on him, then her. He needed to do the leg work and he failed.

 

[CL82]

"She was named the president of the university on December 20, 2010,[1] and took office on June 1, 2011. " Phillip Austin was the interim president when P was hired by Jeff Hathaway.

Its a credit to her for hiring KO then. Hire someone else and JC tells Shabazz to transfer and 2014 never happens.

It doesn't surprise me that in your hell hole of a head the truth is considered absurd. Only morons blame her for us not being in the ACC (as if it were her "decision"), earn that title if you wish moron.

Keep on stalking J-A-C-K-A-S-S.

metsfan2323 = Susan Herbst?