AD

[kellyleeks]

veryone is on the fire Brew bandwagon now and I understand why. However, there is clearly a deeper problem within the department and the man who heads it. I am more concerned about getting in a new AD who "gets it" than I am concerned about getting rid of Brewster. Does anyone really think Joel MACturi (this was my invention, which is why I am the only GH HOF member) can make a decent hire?

Here's what I'll do when I become the new AD:
1. Call Dean Blais and see how soon he can move to Minneapolis.
2. Bring in every head coach with the exception of the following: football, m and w basketball and Dean Blais. Next, I will explain to them that they are accountable for the revenue that they bring in and they have 30 days to show me a plan that makes them at least break even. I don't care if they work for free, get donations or cut scholarships. No more free rides.
3. Explain to the woman's bb coach that s/he will be visiting every high school within a 90 minute radius and lobbying young girls come out to watch the team. Additionally, she will be marketing to all women across the state (side note: how can any woman who owns men's bb tickets, but not women's complain about inequality when they don't even support their own?). UConn and Tenn have proven this can be a profitable sport. If this person can't get it done I'll find someone who can.
4. All future non-revenue sports' HC positions will have clauses in their contracts about meeting revenue targets.
5. Dump all incremental $ into the football program.
6. Become a hero.

 

[ruralgopher]

I don't disagree entirely. You will have to renogiate the NIKE deal though so each sport can attract individual sponsors. The Rowing team can be sponsored by Wenonah Canoes, the track teams can get bids from Nike, puma, Spalding, etc. The golf team can be sponsored by the Royal Bank of Scotland and Sam Snead golf clubs, etc.

Individual sponsorships is the only way this will work and keep you in title 9 requirements.

Or you can take on title 9.

 

[tjgopher]

2. Bring in every head coach with the exception of the following: football, m and w basketball and Dean Blais. Next, I will explain to them that they are accountable for the revenue that they bring in and they have 30 days to show me a plan that makes them at least break even. I don't care if they work for free, get donations or cut scholarships. No more free rides.

6. Become a hero.

Won't it be kind of hard to be a hero when what you've just proposed would ultimately get us kicked out of the Big Ten for not fielding enough varsity sports? The "Olympic" sports CANNOT generate enough revenue to break even. Period. End of story. Don't even attempt it. Once you've shut those down and they all get abolished, then we get kicked out of the league because we can't field the minimum number of teams. Once we're kicked out of the Big Ten, we can kiss the $25 million annual revenue sharing check good-bye.

Yep, a real hero you'd be.

 

[kellyleeks]

Won't it be kind of hard to be a hero when what you've just proposed would ultimately get us kicked out of the Big Ten for not fielding enough varsity sports? The "Olympic" sports CANNOT generate enough revenue to break even. Period. End of story. Don't even attempt it. Once you've shut those down and they all get abolished, then we get kicked out of the league because we can't field the minimum number of teams. Once we're kicked out of the Big Ten, we can kiss the $25 million annual revenue sharing check good-bye.

Yep, a real hero you'd be.

First, there is a lot of revenue out there to be had. It just needs to be a priority.

Second, where did I say that I would cut sports to the point of getting us kicked out of the B10? I said that if the current HC can't do it, I would find someone that could. That said, Wisconsin does not have a baseball team. I am not sure we need one. Additionally, I have no problem pulling scholies from some sports. I don't care if we finish dead last every year in track. Do you? Heck, we can use it as training for our WR/DB types. It could be a good way to get fb walk ons scholies.

Football, basketball and hockey sell the most tickets. All other sports are meaningless and should be judged on how much they don't hurt us. To the 37 fans of the rowing team, too f***ing bad.

Do you really believe that we are that efficient? That we are maximizing every revenue generating and expense cutting opportunity?

 

[Uffda]

I hope you are indeed considered for the next Athletic Dirictor position. You appear to be a qualified, man of integrity. I agree with your common sense philosophy to non-revenue sports. If you are not chosen, my choice is a real " U of Minnesota GUY " , Brock Lesnar.

Brock can replace Baseball, Crew, Golf, etc. with Ultimate Fighting, a real revenue sport.He can single handedly create a new revenue stream by being a headliner himself. I wouldn't want to have to explain a bad loss to him. Sometimes its best to think outside the box a little.

 

[tjgopher]

I said that if the current HC can't do it (break even), I would find someone that could.

It can't be done. End of story. Save for UConn and TN women's basketball, IA wrestling and a handful of others, the minor sports CANNOT break even or turn a profit. It is impossible. You have no idea how much it costs to operate those sports. If you put a "break even" ultimatum on the minor sports, what would the consequences of not breaking even be? They would be eliminated, right? Well, that's how ultimately you'd get kicked out of the Big Ten. A school must compete in a minimum number of sports to remain in the league.

Additionally, I have no problem pulling scholies from some sports. I don't care if we finish dead last every year in track. Do you? Heck, we can use it as training for our WR/DB types. It could be a good way to get fb walk ons scholies.

All other sports are meaningless and should be judged on how much they don't hurt us. To the 37 fans of the rowing team, too f***ing bad.

What happens when you drop women's rowing and you are in non-compliance with Title IX and you get sued and penalized?

Do you really believe that we are that efficient? That we are maximizing every revenue generating and expense cutting opportunity?

Yes, I think the U is pretty well skimping along already on the expenditures of most minor sports. Go have lunch with the gymnastics or golf or track coaches and ask them where they can cut. I'll think they'll all say it's trimmed about as lean as you can make it now. What you also don't realize is that ALL of those coaches already go out and find sponsors and equipment deals and private fund-raisers to keep afloat the way it is. J Robinson and John Anderson's primary job seems to be digging up money from somewhere to operate their program.


Now all that said, in general terms, I'm not all that concerned with the minor sports success or failure myself. But, the idea that cutting them and devoting more resources to football would somehow drastically change the success of the football team is not guaranteed. What you could accomplish by doing it your way is gutting the minor sports to improve football and you could still be SOL on football. There are no guarantees.

 

[gopherphan]

joel maturi is the cancer killing (the) /U/.

while i dont think making the non revs have to pay up will help, lol they cant make any money anyway, i do think wee need to man up and pay the next coach some serious money. you get what you pay for.

 

[50PoundHead]

I hope you are indeed considered for the next Athletic Dirictor position. You appear to be a qualified, man of integrity. I agree with your common sense philosophy to non-revenue sports. If you are not chosen, my choice is a real " U of Minnesota GUY " , Brock Lesnar.

Brock can replace Baseball, Crew, Golf, etc. with Ultimate Fighting, a real revenue sport.He can single handedly create a new revenue stream by being a headliner himself. I wouldn't want to have to explain a bad loss to him. Sometimes its best to think outside the box a little.

And Lesnar's training routine will build the better athletes through chemistry!

I actually wonder how long it will be before there is college UFC. I'm pretty sure J Robinson could coach that quite well.

 

[RodentRampage]

Rowing was brought in as a cheap way to get Title IX compliance. And besides, the "SKI-U-MAH" cheer was created by the Men's rowing team, way, way back.

How is Maturi a "cancer"? He took a gamble that Brewster could recruit hsi way to success, and that's a mark against Maturi. But I think he had something to do with getting this nice new stadium we have. If he's a cancer, then what were the ADs we had in the past?

 

[mplsbadger]

Just like Joel believed that Mason was not the guy o take us to the next level I believe Joel is not the guy to ake us to the next level. He left his mark on the progam and it. Was a posiive one - he got TCF built. Time to get someone who understands the primacy of football success.

 

[Ole]

veryone is on the fire Brew bandwagon now and I understand why. However, there is clearly a deeper problem within the department and the man who heads it. I am more concerned about getting in a new AD who "gets it" than I am concerned about getting rid of Brewster. Does anyone really think Joel MACturi (this was my invention, which is why I am the only GH HOF member) can make a decent hire?

Here's what I'll do when I become the new AD:
1. Call Dean Blais and see how soon he can move to Minneapolis.
2. Bring in every head coach with the exception of the following: football, m and w basketball and Dean Blais. Next, I will explain to them that they are accountable for the revenue that they bring in and they have 30 days to show me a plan that makes them at least break even. I don't care if they work for free, get donations or cut scholarships. No more free rides.
3. Explain to the woman's bb coach that s/he will be visiting every high school within a 90 minute radius and lobbying young girls come out to watch the team. Additionally, she will be marketing to all women across the state (side note: how can any woman who owns men's bb tickets, but not women's complain about inequality when they don't even support their own?). UConn and Tenn have proven this can be a profitable sport. If this person can't get it done I'll find someone who can.
4. All future non-revenue sports' HC positions will have clauses in their contracts about meeting revenue targets.
5. Dump all incremental $ into the football program.
6. Become a hero.

Yeah, that's really not the way to go about it.
There definitely needs to be an administration change and dropping a few non revenue sports may be a part of a new formula for success, but simply expecting olympic sports to foot their own bills isn't realistic.

Here's a better plan IMO:
1) replace Maturi with an AD that understands everything depends on revenue sports being A.Popular, and B. profitable. Make sure the AD understands that the overall athletic department's success is 0 without winning Bball, Hockey, and football, no consolations for women's rowing championships.
2)Bring in every head coach and explain that community outreach needs to be increased. While the big sports bring in the money, non revenue sports can bring in fan support and foster local pride much more than they do now. Roy Griak Invite is a great example.
3)Shake the bushes in Bierman, find anyone who's still thinking it's 1980 and "explain" to them that their position is at risk if they don't share the vision of increasing support to the big 3 sports. Make sure they understand that their job now depends on the 3 programs being as good as possible. Top to Bottom AD to janitor, the place needs to forget past loyalties to certain AD's, coaches, or past ideas about how things SHOULD be run, they are now on board or they're off.
4)Redesign athletic department to support the big 3 programs, I think cutting a handful of non revenue sports can be part of this, but make sure the money will actually help. It's all about the big 3.
5)Cut tailgating fees to fill tailgating lots to the brim. In the future increase fees to the levels they are at now or even higher, but get those lots full of fans every game. I can't believe they wouldn't increase their revenues by doing this.
6)Time to address the media and call them out. Maturi goes on all sorts of shows but never confronts the folks on their BS. Stand up for the U's sports programs for gosh sake. Public opinion does matter and if the media rags on the Gophers all year, it does hurt. Have a spine.
7)Hire a football coach with energy and a very sober and real plan for success. Pay for the coach and his staff. Make the hire based on long term stability and incremental success. No quick fixes, no smoke and mirrors while the program develops. Get the proven systems in place with coaches that have won against BCS opponents. Recruit nationally with specifically targeted recruits for the systems.
8)Notch up the rivalries, get some bluster going. Minnesota against Wisconsin always gets blood boiling, bring it to the forefront of the public's mind. Get the students riled, get the team mad, get the media to pay attention. Heck even Barrerio makes fun of wisconsin.
9)Watch as the big 3 sports improve and produce solid results with the occasional championship/big win, reinvest into big 3 the increased revenues.
10)Be a hero.

 

[RodentRampage]

The reality is that Maturi will retire when the next President comes in and picks a new AD. He's not going anywhere until then. Bruininks is retiring, he's under no pressure: no one can say "Fire Maturi, or we'll force you out!"

 

[kellyleeks]

I like the "everyone's job depends on the big 3" attitude. The new AD needs to explain this to all of the coaches and then give them 30 seconds to decide if they're on board or not.

This Minnesota Nice crap doesn't work in the business world or in a real AD.

 

[imthewalrus]

Uffda has a great idea! LESNER FOR LIFE!

How about having him throw the current ad out of the cage and finish the job on the cement floor.

Good stuff! ; 0 )

 

[WAGopher]

For the team funding, gather all coaches and give them their plan to endow all scholarships within ten years. And give bonuses to anyone securing an endowment of $25,000 or more.

 

[I'mpayingforthestadium]

I like this guy better than the OP. Much more thought out and logical. Cheers to reason!

Here's a better plan IMO:

1) replace Maturi with an AD that understands everything depends on revenue sports being A.Popular, and B. profitable. Make sure the AD understands that the overall athletic department's success is 0 without winning Bball, Hockey, and football, no consolations for women's rowing championships.
2)Bring in every head coach and explain that community outreach needs to be increased. While the big sports bring in the money, non revenue sports can bring in fan support and foster local pride much more than they do now. Roy Griak Invite is a great example.
3)Shake the bushes in Bierman, find anyone who's still thinking it's 1980 and "explain" to them that their position is at risk if they don't share the vision of increasing support to the big 3 sports. Make sure they understand that their job now depends on the 3 programs being as good as possible. Top to Bottom AD to janitor, the place needs to forget past loyalties to certain AD's, coaches, or past ideas about how things SHOULD be run, they are now on board or they're off.
4)Redesign athletic department to support the big 3 programs, I think cutting a handful of non revenue sports can be part of this, but make sure the money will actually help. It's all about the big 3.
5)Cut tailgating fees to fill tailgating lots to the brim. In the future increase fees to the levels they are at now or even higher, but get those lots full of fans every game. I can't believe they wouldn't increase their revenues by doing this.
6)Time to address the media and call them out. Maturi goes on all sorts of shows but never confronts the folks on their BS. Stand up for the U's sports programs for gosh sake. Public opinion does matter and if the media rags on the Gophers all year, it does hurt. Have a spine.
7)Hire a football coach with energy and a very sober and real plan for success. Pay for the coach and his staff. Make the hire based on long term stability and incremental success. No quick fixes, no smoke and mirrors while the program develops. Get the proven systems in place with coaches that have won against BCS opponents. Recruit nationally with specifically targeted recruits for the systems.
8)Notch up the rivalries, get some bluster going. Minnesota against Wisconsin always gets blood boiling, bring it to the forefront of the public's mind. Get the students riled, get the team mad, get the media to pay attention. Heck even Barrerio makes fun of wisconsin.
9)Watch as the big 3 sports improve and produce solid results with the occasional championship/big win, reinvest into big 3 the increased revenues.
10)Be a hero.

 

[Handsome Pete]

Does anyone really think Joel MACturi (this was my invention, which is why I am the only GH HOF member)

Maturi has been called MACturi since he came here 9 years ago. Nice try tho. Hope this helps.