KMSP: U still deciding how to search for new AD

BleedGopher

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per KMSP:

A lot has happened in the nearly six months since Norwood Teague resigned as the University of Minnesota’s athletic director. There have been more sexual harassment allegations, another resignation, an outside investigation and an internal audit.

But the search for a new athletic director has not yet begun. According to the university, Kathy Brown, the vice-president of human resources, is tasked with developing the search plan. That means making recommendations on whether to once again use an outside search firm, who is on the search committee, and deciding the interviewing and vetting process. Brown will present her recommendations in February.

“So the process is beginning, in the early stages, and many conversations to take place,” Dean Johnson, the chair of the Board of Regents, told Fox 9.

Johnson said he doesn't know when the search will begin, let alone when someone will get hired — or whether Beth Goetz, the interim athletic director, will become permanent.

“Timeline has not been established, because we're very confident in the work of interim athletic director Beth Goetz. So we don't feel rushed in this matter,” Johnson said.

http://www.fox9.com/news/77094849-story

Go Gophers!!
 


Good grief. The U brought us Maturi and Mega. I wish they would put Las Vegas odds on this:

O/U on # of months to hire: 10

Odds on University screwing this one up: 1.2/1
 

Good grief. The U brought us Maturi and Mega. I wish they would put Las Vegas odds on this:

O/U on # of months to hire: 10

Odds on University screwing this one up: 1.2/1

It's be done by June.
 

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Amazing timing, given Chip Scoggins's great article today: Head Football coach on basically a one-year trial contract, Head Basketball Coach overseeing one of the worst seasons to-date (and has leveraged rumored interest for at least one significant raise), a hockey program in the midst of an inexcusable downfall.

Lets see - those the three most important programs the U has and they're all in a state of flux or a complete mess. Nah, everything's fine! Things will work themselves out.

Dean Johnson - Beth seems like a nice person, but please enlighten the public on what she is doing that is so great? Maybe she is doing a great job, but from an outsider's perspective, I can't point to anything she has done since hiring Claeys that gives evidence to showing she is doing great.
 

Calm down its all about the process. It takes time to set the agenda, find the committee members, and determine what they are looking for. Then the decision of whether the committee can chose a candidate or need outside help. This should be a class at the U of M Carlson School of Management in identifying the signs of bureaucracy and its self fulfilling failings.
 




Well, this is discouraging.
 


Rescooter :

Good grief. The U brought us Maturi and Mega. I wish they would put Las Vegas odds on this:

O/U on # of months to hire: 10

Odds on University screwing this one up: 1.2/1


It's be done by June.


Does getting it done by June increase the odds of the U screwing this up?
 

This isn't that surprising. They said spring at the earliest.

The U got burned by two search firms now who did not find problems with candidates, one when they hired the IT guy buying stuff for himself, family, and etc, and then MEGATOUNGE.

Personally I don't really care. Goetz seems to be doing fine with no major dramas. Tracy has the ball for now so no major hiring to do for football.
 



This isn't that surprising. They said spring at the earliest.

The U got burned by two search firms now who did not find problems with candidates, one when they hired the IT guy buying stuff for himself, family, and etc, and then MEGATOUNGE.

Personally I don't really care. Goetz seems to be doing fine with no major dramas. Tracy has the ball for now so no major hiring to do for football.

Talk like that might get you banned from GH. Outrage, because you actually don't know what is really going on is the expected response.
 

And people wonder why we can't get quality AD's or coaches to come here...
 

How you be knowing so?

Just a guess. That was the expectation from Kaler early on, June/July. Maybe that's changed. I'm assuming their finding a way to make Goetz permanent without public outcry for promoting from within. The outcry is inevitable. They need to just get her permanently hired and move on.
 

Talk like that might get you banned from GH. Outrage, because you actually don't know what is really going on is the expected response.

I'm a little surprised because Kaler was pretty clear that spring was the earliest they expected to pull the trigger. But apparently for some reason we should have hired one quickly because I guess that would .... score touchdowns or something ....
 

Kaler in August:

"Frankly, I am in a much better place now, four years into my presidency," Kaler said. "I know a lot of people in Division I athletics that I didn't know four years ago. I can't tell you for certain that we would or wouldn't use an outside search firm, but we certainly wouldn't rely on them as heavily as we did." http://www.twincities.com/sports/ci_28701201/umn-president-eric-kaler-takes-full-responsibility-hiring

Kaler in early December:

"I am a much more experienced president than I was when I searched for Teague,” he said. “I have a lot of contacts in the college athletics world now. I’m chairman of the Big Ten board of directors. I think there’s less of a need to use a search firm like Parker than there was four years ago.” http://www.startribune.com/kaler-likely-won-t-use-search-firm-to-find-new-ad/361156131/

Board of regents in mid-January: "We still haven't made a decision on how to search for a new AD"

No worries though.
 

Kaler in August:

"Frankly, I am in a much better place now, four years into my presidency," Kaler said. "I know a lot of people in Division I athletics that I didn't know four years ago. I can't tell you for certain that we would or wouldn't use an outside search firm, but we certainly wouldn't rely on them as heavily as we did." http://www.twincities.com/sports/ci_28701201/umn-president-eric-kaler-takes-full-responsibility-hiring

Kaler in early December:

"I am a much more experienced president than I was when I searched for Teague,” he said. “I have a lot of contacts in the college athletics world now. I’m chairman of the Big Ten board of directors. I think there’s less of a need to use a search firm like Parker than there was four years ago.” http://www.startribune.com/kaler-likely-won-t-use-search-firm-to-find-new-ad/361156131/

Board of regents in mid-January: "We still haven't made a decision on how to search for a new AD"

No worries though.

Sounds like the regents disagree with the president.
 

The search firm approach is the "safe" option. If things go bad, you can blame the search firm. If Kaler does the hiring "in-house," he is on the hook for the results.

Personally, I would put together a committee of alumni, boosters, and prominent local residents (Wheelock Whitney/Dick Ames/Arne Carlson?) to screen candidates, conduct initial interviews, and make a recommendation to Kaler. Like it or not, MN people can be very parochial. They put a big emphasis on having "Minnesota values" and "Minnesota ties." The local committee allows for some of those values to be considered.
 

Just a guess. That was the expectation from Kaler early on, June/July. Maybe that's changed. I'm assuming their finding a way to make Goetz permanent without public outcry for promoting from within. The outcry is inevitable. They need to just get her permanently hired and move on.

I think you're on to something (or maybe we're both on something?), but this feels like a process that's pointing toward the interim label being removed. From the little I know around the role/duties/skills needed in an AD, she seems like a good fit. Might as well just make it happen.
 

Just a guess. That was the expectation from Kaler early on, June/July. Maybe that's changed. I'm assuming their finding a way to make Goetz permanent without public outcry for promoting from within. The outcry is inevitable. They need to just get her permanently hired and move on.

Whether they hire her or not there will be a major outcry. Unless she publicly states she's not interested in the position at this time, the PC crowd will go nuts if the U hires a man over her with all the gender issues going on in that department. On the flip side, you have all the jock sniffers who think she isn't experienced enough or have the right connections (I mean as in people, not plumbing) or whatever. Whether it's the camp that seeks an experienced D1 FBS AD or the Pete Najarian camp.

Personally, I don't think there's any rush because I don't see any coaching changes this year. I think hockey should have been more obvious they were going to struggle, so I don't think you can fire Lucia this year. I wouldn't extend him, either. Basketball is far worse than expected, but I think Pitino deserves one more year. Claeys isn't going anywhere. So it's not like they need to get someone in today before the shakeup. But they better hire someone who is capable of doing the shakeup, whether that's Goetz or someone else.

The bigger issue than the coaches is the lack of enthusiasm locally for the three main sports. Hockey has almost become an after thought, the Barn could be used as a barn with all the open space, and football is hanging on by a thread. I don't know what the answer is (I suppose if I did the U could hire me as AD), but it's not going to be answered in the next three months anyway...
 

The search firm approach is the "safe" option. If things go bad, you can blame the search firm. If Kaler does the hiring "in-house," he is on the hook for the results.

Personally, I would put together a committee of alumni, boosters, and prominent local residents (Wheelock Whitney/Dick Ames/Arne Carlson?) to screen candidates, conduct initial interviews, and make a recommendation to Kaler. Like it or not, MN people can be very parochial. They put a big emphasis on having "Minnesota values" and "Minnesota ties." The local committee allows for some of those values to be considered.

Wheelock is 89, Arne Carlson is 80. Nothing against Seniors as I am one myself, but how about a group that is a bit more in touch with the the current society. How about 95 year old Sid and 88 year old Walter Mondale. Just saying.

Go Gophers
 

Wheelock is 89, Arne Carlson is 80. Nothing against Seniors as I am one myself, but how about a group that is a bit more in touch with the the current society. How about 95 year old Sid and 88 year old Walter Mondale. Just saying.

Go Gophers

Hey at least we wouldn't have to worry about incriminating txt messages.... mostly because they never turn their phone on / don't know how to use it.
 


The bigger issue than the coaches is the lack of enthusiasm locally for the three main sports. Hockey has almost become an after thought, the Barn could be used as a barn with all the open space, and football is hanging on by a thread. I don't know what the answer is (I suppose if I did the U could hire me as AD), but it's not going to be answered in the next three months anyway...

Was with you except on this. Football had a down year but not terrible. IF they follow that up with a 2-10 year next year, THEN i'd say they are hanging on a thread. Coming off a year where the stadium was full despite under performing expectations I'd say they are okay for now.
 


Was with you except on this. Football had a down year but not terrible. IF they follow that up with a 2-10 year next year, THEN i'd say they are hanging on a thread. Coming off a year where the stadium was full despite under performing expectations I'd say they are okay for now.

True, but on the same sense, they had a good home schedule (TCU, Michigan, Nebraska and Wisconsin) after back to back 8 win seasons and weren't turning people away at the door. Doesn't mean the sky is falling, but it is a little disappointing. Next year with a terrible home schedule and increased donations after a losing season will tell a lot about the state of the program.

But yes, it is not nearly in the state that the other two programs are in and you are right that "hanging on by a thread" was probably a little excessive...
 

If we are still deciding how to search, how long until we actually initiate (much less complete) the search?
 




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