Chip Scoggins: Najarian might have what U needs in an athletic director

[gopherdudepart2]

Being on the radio or TV and articulating your thoughts is not easy for anyone

Ear of the beholder. He's unlistenable on the radio with a vague, general stream of consciousness.

Asked about impending Viking free agency last show:
Ya know, the Vikings understand going forward that we had a really good football season. Ya know, we win the division, we lose a really tough game to Seattle on our home field, now how do we build upon that. And we know that we have goals that are set in front of ourselves that we would like to achieve and we know we have to add pieces on both sides of the ball to make sure we put ourselves once again in a good position to see if we can make a significant run around playoff time.

What he basically said is the Vikings are a couple players away from making a significant run(NFC title or Superbowl level) in the playoffs. Those pieces a lot of fans already know about, offensive line (guard) safety and Wide receiver. I don't know what is so vague about what he said. People get the wrong perception about Trent from his radio or media appearances.
When you hear him speak in person he is much more articulate and thoughtful. Not sure why that doesn't come across on the radio. He is a smart guy, a passionate alumnus just like Najarian. All I'm saying is he has just as much chance to be successful in that role as some outsider. If you're looking for a former player, at least look at one that has had success running a government program before. There is a lot more egos and bureaucracy (see Title IX) especially U of M at play running a government entity like a University athletic program, than saying running your own business. All of the coaches compete for a slice of the pie, so you have to balance all of those want's with the reality's of a black and white budget and with the downslide in ticket sales especially in football and basketball the numbers have to not be huge deficits.
Say what you will about Maturi being a bean counter but he got that you have to not run deficits or go broke and at the same time give the student athletes a good experience, and he did his best from a financial perspective. I'm not saying Najarian would not be a good candidate, just that I think Tucker would be an equal in that regard, and would have a good chance to succeed in that role at the University. Give him the ball and I think he would run with it, not just fundraising but in making sure the revenue programs are delivering success. I'm no friend of Tuckers, don't know the man personally but on the couple occasions I have the opportunity to hear him speak about running Minneapolis athletic programs I was impressed about his dedication to giving kids opportunity in athletics and the role that athletic activities can open doors for people that they might not otherwise have had that opportunity. That and he won a championship at a player at the U so he just might know what successful coaches look like and how they run their programs. Why not consider Trent Tucker for the role, so you don't like how he sounds on the radio or TV, doesn't lesson the man's ability in a leadership role. He is a winner, just like Najarian and we need winners, to start winning on the field again. Winning in basketball and Football matters.

 

[UpnorthGo4]

I'm no advocate of Goetz. If she gets the job, it's at least defensible. The Najarian "candidacy" is laughably absurd on its face.

And yes, experience (not sure why it's in scare quotes) in fundraising is essentially a prerequisite for an athletics director. I'm going to go ahead and assume that you have never worked in advancement if you believe that it's a game of personality and presentation. It's an actual professional job just like any other with its inherent training and experience factors - it's not something that you can just walk off the street and start doing. Working in corporate America gives you no experience commensurate with professional advancement - raising capital in a corporate environment is not even close to the same thing.

The only thing laughably absurd is your post. Barry Alvarez is not only one of the most successful AD's in the Big 10 he is also one of the most successful in the country. How much experience did he have before he became Wisconsin's AD? The answer is zero. He was a head football coach and that is all. Head football coaches fail all the time as AD's. The people who succeed as AD's have personal qualities that would enable them to succeed in numerous other occupations. Great leaders are highly sought after in every field because of their ability to manage and motivate people and sell whatever they are being asked to sell. Corporations hire CEO's all the time who have little or no relevant experience in that corporation's specific business. Those people are being hired because of their demonstrated leadership, management, and motivation skills. Najarian has proven he can lead, manage, and motivate people. That makes him a great candidate for the U's AD. Is he the best candidate? That remains to be seen.

 

[Golden_Sloth]

he has athletics experience, of course. I'm quite certain that he has fundraising experience, and I don't know about the public sector but also don't see why that would be a key qualification for AD?
We aren't hiring a nuts and bolts guy, we're hiring a decision maker at the top. We want someone who is going to make great decisions and push the U to change where it needs to change, and rally public and donor opinion. I don't think of that as a mascot, and I'm not saying PN is for sure the guy, but not only are you wrong, you're focusing on the wrong things.

No experience in athletics administration. I thought everyone would understand that's what I meant, but I guess not. I have athletics experience too, I'm guessing a lot of people on this board do. Means nothing.

And when exactly has he done any fundraising? Last time I checked, running a private, for profit business entails exactly zero charitable fundraising.

You can bury your head in the sand and pretend these things don't matter, but they do.

 

[dpodoll68]

The only thing laughably absurd is your post. Barry Alvarez is not only one of the most successful AD's in the Big 10 he is also one of the most successful in the country. How much experience did he have before he became Wisconsin's AD? The answer is zero. He was a head football coach and that is all. Head football coaches fail all the time as AD's. The people who succeed as AD's have personal qualities that would enable them to succeed in numerous other occupations. Great leaders are highly sought after in every field because of their ability to manage and motivate people and sell whatever they are being asked to sell. Corporations hire CEO's all the time who have little or no relevant experience in that corporation's specific business. Those people are being hired because of their demonstrated leadership, management, and motivation skills. Najarian has proven he can lead, manage, and motivate people. That makes him a great candidate for the U's AD. Is he the best candidate? That remains to be seen.

If he hadn't played football at the U, would anyone even be talking about him? The answer, of course, is no. That's his sole qualification - oh, and that he's rich, which clearly means he's a good leader, and fundraiser, or something.

 

[Ski U Mah Gopher]

The only thing laughably absurd is your post. Barry Alvarez is not only one of the most successful AD's in the Big 10 he is also one of the most successful in the country. How much experience did he have before he became Wisconsin's AD? The answer is zero. He was a head football coach and that is all. Head football coaches fail all the time as AD's. The people who succeed as AD's have personal qualities that would enable them to succeed in numerous other occupations. Great leaders are highly sought after in every field because of their ability to manage and motivate people and sell whatever they are being asked to sell. Corporations hire CEO's all the time who have little or no relevant experience in that corporation's specific business. Those people are being hired because of their demonstrated leadership, management, and motivation skills. Najarian has proven he can lead, manage, and motivate people. That makes him a great candidate for the U's AD. Is he the best candidate? That remains to be seen.

My guess is in the last few years of the Richter administration, Barry already knew he was going to be the next AD and was preparing for that job while still coaching.

 

[Section2]

No experience in athletics administration. I thought everyone would understand that's what I meant, but I guess not. I have athletics experience too, I'm guessing a lot of people on this board do. Means nothing.

And when exactly has he done any fundraising? Last time I checked, running a private, for profit business entails exactly zero charitable fundraising.

You can bury your head in the sand and pretend these things don't matter, but they do.

ah, so we're only talking about CHARITABLE fundraising. Well, like I said, I wouldn't be at all surprised if he's done that. But in my mind, fundraising for the athletics department isn't really charitable fundraising. People want some kind of return for their investment, they just don't expect to make money. Ultimately winning and running a first class operation do more for fundraising than a guy with experience. VCU raised money because they won, not because of Teague's experience and professional skills. Just my opinion.

 

[Section2]

Just because you have no clue about it doesn't mean it's not real. Sorry to burst your bubble.

I'm sure it's a real name that people have given to a task. My bubble is not burst. I am sure you have a lot more knowledge on the subject than I do, but my BS detector goes off when names get changed for no reason other than to make a task sound more important and complicated than it is. Our society is overrun with this dumb trend. You're using this complicated and impressive sounding task name to disqualify Najarian. I'd be more convinced by a discussion of the actual skills required and an argument for why PN would not be a good fit for the role.

 

[Section2]

If he hadn't played football at the U, would anyone even be talking about him? The answer, of course, is no. That's his sole qualification - oh, and that he's rich, which clearly means he's a good leader, and fundraiser, or something.

The answer is no. But that's not his sole qualification, neither is his bank account. The argument is that he's a passionate supporter of the U, obviously the family has deep ties, he's a professional athlete, and he's been very successful both in the media and business world. Maybe Norwood runs circles around him with designing budgets and doing administrative work, but I kind of doubt it. Passion, drive, smarts and success are great traits in a leadership role. I don't think Norwood had passion, drive is suspect, probably very smart. He did have loads of professional advancement experience, but that didn't translate into success at the U. Again, no idea whether PN is a good choice, only quibbling with the criteria and your argument is basically "najarian is a dumb choice".

 

[dpodoll68]

I'm sure it's a real name that people have given to a task. My bubble is not burst. I am sure you have a lot more knowledge on the subject than I do, but my BS detector goes off when names get changed for no reason other than to make a task sound more important and complicated than it is. Our society is overrun with this dumb trend. You're using this complicated and impressive sounding task name to disqualify Najarian. I'd be more convinced by a discussion of the actual skills required and an argument for why PN would not be a good fit for the role.

I'm using the "complicated and impressive sounding task name" because that's what it is called, and what everyone in the profession calls it, particularly at institutions of higher education. Again, just because you know nothing about it doesn't mean it's made up and not real.

Read more if you want to actually learn something and not come across as clueless as you sound: http://www.advancementresources.org/

 

[dpodoll68]

your argument is basically "najarian is a dumb choice"

That's not "basically" my argument at all and you know it. I've laid out pages worth of writing here why his "candidacy" makes zero sense for a major land grant university. If he wanted to be the AD at Moorhead or Mankato? Sure, have at it.

I find your tack here very interesting given that you're possibly the biggest opponent of cronyism on the board. This would be a textbook crony hire.

 

[Maximus]

How much experience did he have before he became Wisconsin's AD? The answer is zero. He was a head football coach and that is all. Head football coaches fail all the time as AD's.

He had experience with academics, compliance, fundraising, marketing (selling his program) when he became Wisconsin's AD. Also, dealing with the media (how many times did we shake our heads at some of the Maturi quotes?). He was also familiar with equipment staffs and training staffs.

All the reasons some people want John Anderson, basically.

 

[Word]

Does Najarian still wear a pony tail? That is pretty much the deal breaker for me.

 

[DarrenTheGreek]

Just because you have no clue about it doesn't mean it's not real. Sorry to burst your bubble.

Not to be a jerk, but I had no idea either and this didn't give me much info.

 

[dpodoll68]

Not to be a jerk, but I had no idea either and this didn't give me much info.

You're a good guy, definitely not a jerk, and this isn't directed at you. There's nothing wrong with not knowing much about a topic, but then to speak from ignorance and talk smack about an entire profession is a dick move. There's a common misconception that anyone can be a fundraiser, that it's a hobby and not a profession, etc. A lot of people display that here daily - my favorite long-running meme is Doogie's nonsense insistence that Kill raised almost all of the money for the new facilities. I can virtually guarantee that Najarian has almost no formal athletics fundraising experience of any kind. It's not something that most people do on the side for funsies.

 

[dtrain19]

You're a good guy, definitely not a jerk, and this isn't directed at you. There's nothing wrong with not knowing much about a topic, but then to speak from ignorance and talk smack about an entire profession is a dick move. There's a common misconception that anyone can be a fundraiser, that it's a hobby and not a profession, etc. A lot of people display that here daily - my favorite long-running meme is Doogie's nonsense insistence that Kill raised almost all of the money for the new facilities. I can virtually guarantee that Najarian has almost no formal athletics fundraising experience of any kind. It's not something that most people do on the side for funsies.

I tend to agree. Doogie asked the other day what if Najarian could make 3 calls and raise $10 million? I say great...do it today then. What is he waiting for?

 

[oak_street1981]

These threads about the AD search are classic, with heavy doses of DPDoll68 arrogance and hogwash.

There was even a harmless reference by someone else to Barry Alvarez, excusing away his great AD leadership, because had time to plan a learn from "Richter'.

Let us not overlook that Pat Richter is a living, breathing example of why Minnesota should strongly consider hiring a proven business leader with Football connections like Peter Najarian.

Pat Richter was a 17 year VP of Human Resources at a meat company before the great Donna Shalala tabbed him to save the failing U of W Athletic Program, which had been a dismal failure in FB and BB for almost 30 years. They were in even worse shape than Minnesota at that time. At least we had the Musselman/Dutcher years, plus the 1967 FB title. They had nothing for 28 years.

Richter and Shalala are two of the greatest success stories in the history of the state of Wisconsin, and neither one of them know squat about athletic "administration" at least on paper. I am sure neither one of them was an expert in "forward spastic advancement' or whatever that BS term was that was tossed out earlier.

There are plenty of great professionals who aspire to become big time ADs that work in lower levels of the profession. Many of those types have become very good when they given a chance, but to suggest that someone has to have that background to be a credible candidate is just silly.

Leadership, toughness, connections, and passion are what count. Administrative experience in college athletics and micro level skill sets are in the lower half of any job description I would put together. In fact I would not even have a job description for a job like this one.

 

[Pompous Elitist]

You're a good guy, definitely not a jerk, and this isn't directed at you. There's nothing wrong with not knowing much about a topic, but then to speak from ignorance and talk smack about an entire profession is a dick move. There's a common misconception that anyone can be a fundraiser, that it's a hobby and not a profession, etc. A lot of people display that here daily - my favorite long-running meme is Doogie's nonsense insistence that Kill raised almost all of the money for the new facilities. I can virtually guarantee that Najarian has almost no formal athletics fundraising experience of any kind. It's not something that most people do on the side for funsies.

You seem to know a lot about fundraising...I'm impressed.

With your sparkling personality, if you are involved with the facilities fundraising that explains a lot.

In seriousness, we need someone in the AD that can close deals, make connections, bridge divides, keep their nose clean, and represent the U well here and elsewhere. They are a leader, not just an administrator. This nuts and bolts talk; please stop.

 

[short ornery norwegian]

Fundraising is salesmanship, but on a different level. In the financial world, you sell people on an opportunity - "invest your money with me, and I'll get you a return of x% on your investment." Once you have a track record, it makes the sales pitch go a lot smoother.

In the world of athletic fundraising, there is no immediate or tangible return on investment. You're asking very wealthy and successful people to give you large sums of money - sometimes millions of dollars, with no return (other than a possible tax deduction, depending on the circumstances.) To close a deal like that, you have to be able to sell the donor on the idea that their donation is achieving some kind of goal or purpose that they support. A much harder sales pitch, in my estimation. Otherwise, the donor would be better off to put their money in a safe investment and get some return on it.

There may be some inherent cross-over between Najarian's business experience, and athletic fundraising - but it is a different type of sales pitch, and not everyone can pull it off. Really good salespeople - and really good fundraisers - are hard to find, and when you find one, you had better hold on to them.

 

[Pompous Elitist]

You can bet your bippy corporations and folks like Sanford are looking for some sort of return on investment, or they are buying access or influence. Look at political donations; there is no tangible upfront return but the dividends can be enormous if they grease the skids for your area of interest. These are business deals, plain and simple. You can call it something else if you wish.

Actual charitable giving, eg when Sid or that teacher or that farmer donates his estate to the U, are a different animal. There shouldn't need to be a any cajoling or selling other than handholding, guarantees and written contracts on how the money will be utilized.

Just MHO.

 

[dpodoll68]

These threads about the AD search are classic, with heavy doses of DPDoll68 arrogance and hogwash.

There was even a harmless reference by someone else to Barry Alvarez, excusing away his great AD leadership, because had time to plan a learn from "Richter'.

Let us not overlook that Pat Richter is a living, breathing example of why Minnesota should strongly consider hiring a proven business leader with Football connections like Peter Najarian.

Pat Richter was a 17 year VP of Human Resources at a meat company before the great Donna Shalala tabbed him to save the failing U of W Athletic Program, which had been a dismal failure in FB and BB for almost 30 years. They were in even worse shape than Minnesota at that time. At least we had the Musselman/Dutcher years, plus the 1967 FB title. They had nothing for 28 years.

Richter and Shalala are two of the greatest success stories in the history of the state of Wisconsin, and neither one of them know squat about athletic "administration" at least on paper. I am sure neither one of them was an expert in "forward spastic advancement' or whatever that BS term was that was tossed out earlier.

There are plenty of great professionals who aspire to become big time ADs that work in lower levels of the profession. Many of those types have become very good when they given a chance, but to suggest that someone has to have that background to be a credible candidate is just silly.

Leadership, toughness, connections, and passion are what count. Administrative experience in college athletics and micro level skill sets are in the lower half of any job description I would put together. In fact I would not even have a job description for a job like this one.

My sole selection criteria for the new AD is how hard they're willing to work to get the band marching down University again.

 

[station19]

Fundraising is salesmanship, but on a different level. In the financial world, you sell people on an opportunity - "invest your money with me, and I'll get you a return of x% on your investment." Once you have a track record, it makes the sales pitch go a lot smoother.

In the world of athletic fundraising, there is no immediate or tangible return on investment. You're asking very wealthy and successful people to give you large sums of money - sometimes millions of dollars, with no return (other than a possible tax deduction, depending on the circumstances.) To close a deal like that, you have to be able to sell the donor on the idea that their donation is achieving some kind of goal or purpose that they support. A much harder sales pitch, in my estimation. Otherwise, the donor would be better off to put their money in a safe investment and get some return on it.

There may be some inherent cross-over between Najarian's business experience, and athletic fundraising - but it is a different type of sales pitch, and not everyone can pull it off. Really good salespeople - and really good fundraisers - are hard to find, and when you find one, you had better hold on to them.

Keep in mind Norwood and Brewster were pretty good salespeople.

 

[GopherJack]

Speaking of fund raising, how would you rate Lou Nanne's efforts? Is he still involved with these efforts? Everybody in MN seems to love him, but has he really made a difference?

 

[DLguy]

These threads about the AD search are classic, with heavy doses of DPDoll68 arrogance and hogwash. There was even a harmless reference by someone else to Barry Alvarez, excusing away his great AD leadership, because had time to plan a learn from "Richter'. Let us not overlook that Pat Richter is a living, breathing example of why Minnesota should strongly consider hiring a proven business leader with Football connections like Peter Najarian. Pat Richter was a 17 year VP of Human Resources at a meat company before the great Donna Shalala tabbed him to save the failing U of W Athletic Program, which had been a dismal failure in FB and BB for almost 30 years. They were in even worse shape than Minnesota at that time. At least we had the Musselman/Dutcher years, plus the 1967 FB title. They had nothing for 28 years. Richter and Shalala are two of the greatest success stories in the history of the state of Wisconsin, and neither one of them know squat about athletic "administration" at least on paper. I am sure neither one of them was an expert in "forward spastic advancement' or whatever that BS term was that was tossed out earlier. There are plenty of great professionals who aspire to become big time ADs that work in lower levels of the profession. Many of those types have become very good when they given a chance, but to suggest that someone has to have that background to be a credible candidate is just silly. Leadership, toughness, connections, and passion are what count. Administrative experience in college athletics and micro level skill sets are in the lower half of any job description I would put together. In fact I would not even have a job description for a job like this one.

+1000

 

[BleedGopher]

Lou Nanne chimes in:

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Go Gophers!!

 

[Section2]

You're a good guy, definitely not a jerk, and this isn't directed at you. There's nothing wrong with not knowing much about a topic, but then to speak from ignorance and talk smack about an entire profession is a dick move. There's a common misconception that anyone can be a fundraiser, that it's a hobby and not a profession, etc. A lot of people display that here daily - my favorite long-running meme is Doogie's nonsense insistence that Kill raised almost all of the money for the new facilities. I can virtually guarantee that Najarian has almost no formal athletics fundraising experience of any kind. It's not something that most people do on the side for funsies.

Who's talking smack about fundraising? I'm not saying ANYONE can be a fundraiser, I'm saying that there are personal traits that make someone likely to succeed in fundraising. Kill might not have raised almost all the money himself, but do you think he was not a critical component to getting this done? How much professsional experience do you think he has?
Obviously your job must have something to do with this, and of course your self importance is off the charts, so put the two together and voila, this thread.

 

[Iceland12]

Lou Nanne chimes in:

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Go Gophers!!

Lou's right, but not exactly a tough stand. Why wouldn't Najarian at least deserve consideration?

 

[Section2]

I find your tack here very interesting given that you're possibly the biggest opponent of cronyism on the board. This would be a textbook crony hire.

I don't know that PN has any ties to Kaler, or the board of regents. He's got a last name, for sure. But I don't think his dad's legacy is a reason for HIRING him, I just think that his ties to the U demonstrate his passion for the institution.
Basically there are two camps here on what makes a good AD:
some people think an understanding and experience with budgeting, equipment staff, admin, professional advancement (!!) etc are the keys to a good hire.
I get that, but I just think you could hire the best person in the country at those tasks and they could still fail as AD.

Other people want a savvy sports mind who is going to make good BIG decisions. That's a lot harder to evaluate and predict, and "experience" doesn't really mean much, a Matt Millen has loads of experience but he would be a guaranteed failure.

 

[Spoofin]

Lou Nanne chimes in:

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Go Gophers!!

LOL. What answer could LN give when asked this question straight out? Nothing to see here.

 

[UpnorthGo4]

LOL. What answer could LN give when asked this question straight out? Nothing to see here.

Nanne's answer went on for some time and he mentioned three or four highly successful AD's around the county who came to their jobs with zero AD experience. Two of the AD's Nanne mentioned were Don Canham at Michigan and Pat Richter at Wisconsin. Nanne further stated that the position description for AD's has changed. Division I college sports has become big business with extremely big budgets. He said hiring someone with a business background makes a lot of sense. He also mentioned the recent trend of professional teams hiring general managers with business backgrounds and no relevant sports experience.

Nanne said the most important attribute for an AD is the ability lead and manage people and make good hires. He added that since the AD will be out of the office and traveling a large part of the time it is important to have a second in command who handles the day to day administrative duties of the AD. In a nutshell, Nanne confirmed just about everything I said in my last post a couple of pages back. Believe me when I say that Nanne thinks Najarian is a great candidate for the job. You just had to listen to him.

 

[Section2]

Nanne's answer went on for some time and he mentioned three or four highly successful AD's around the county who came to their jobs with zero AD experience. Two of the AD's Nanne mentioned were Don Canham at Michigan and Pat Richter at Wisconsin. Nanne further stated that the position description for AD's has changed. Division I college sports has become big business with extremely big budgets. He said hiring someone with a business background makes a lot of sense. The most important attribute for an AD is the ability lead and manage people and make good hires. Lastly, Nanne said since the AD will be out of the office and traveling a large part of the time it is important to have a second in command who handles the day to day administrative duties of the AD. In a nutshell, Nanne confirmed just about everything I said in my last post a couple of pages back. Believe me when I say that Nanne thinks Najarian is a great candidate for the job. You just had to listen to him.

That's great, but did he mention relationships with equipment managers? did the phrase professional advancement come up?