BleedGopher
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The looming Tracy Claeys decision notwithstanding, it’s time for Mark Coyle to demonstrate why he was hired as our AD. He has been the quietest and most benign Gopher AD that I can ever remember. I gave him the benefit of the doubt the first few months he was in office. I figured his style was laid back, the antithesis of Mega Tongue and even more laid back than Maturi (who was very active in the media). Coyle gives the most bland comments I have ever heard from an AD – essentially, no matter what question was asked, his answer was “My job is to support (fill in the blank HC), be here for him/her, make sure they have the right resources to support our student athletes.”
Coyle hid behind press releases and statements during the JRob scandal he inherited. He hid behind process and statements during the Lucia contract negotiations. He is not visible at Gopher basketball games like Teague and Maturi were. And his handling of the current football issue has been well documented – and regardless of one’s opinion of how he’s handled it, he conducted one of the worst “press conferences” I have ever seen. From a crisis communications standpoint, I can’t imagine him handling it worse.
Coyle has now been AD for 7 months and I challenge anyone to share what his vision is for the athletic department. Now is the time. Everyone who loosely follows Gopher sports expects an announcement of some sort on Tuesday. Coyle needs to do soon what he should have done months ago. He needs to share his vision for the future of Gopher sports. He needs to be bold, he needs to create a sense of excitement, commitment, control and flat out vision. He hasn’t shown that he has a vision yet, nor has he shown that he is a public leader that multiple stakeholders will rally around.
While I don’t expect Coyle to do this on Tuesday, here is the vision I hope he will share with the following stakeholders soon in a “State of the Athletic Department” sort of proactive, multi-media press conference:
Gopher student athletes and coaches: What is Coyle, as AD, going to do to ensure they have the tools to be the most successful student-athletes and coaches they can be. This goes beyond the facility enhancements that he inherited. What improvements has he made during his time as AD to support them, and what does he have planned for 2017 and beyond. Share specifics, not platitudes and AD-speak.
Season ticket holders: I know he conducted a fan survey, it’s time to share what he learned and what changes he’s implementing. The Gopher home football schedule has been complete for about six weeks, long enough for him to evaluate the game day experience. What changes is he going to make? (and the answer can’t be more jumpy castles and face painting stations) What practical enhancements will we see next year that will stop the bleeding of season tickets and improve the game day experience? What changes to price structure are coming if any? What about Gopher basketball and hockey – what can he tell existing season ticket holders?
And why hasn’t the U communicated at all to the general football season ticket holder about the current issue? I have been shocked that there hasn’t been a single email addressing the situation. I realize they can’t get into specifics nor should they, but going in a bunker to one of your most important stakeholders is the worst way to handle a crisis.
Corporate and big money donors: The updates from Doogie sound like we’ve added about $4MM in donations for the athletic facility in the 7 months that Coyle has been in office. I’ll give him the benefit of the doubt that he’s active in this area behind the scenes, but what is the public vision for the athletic department that big money donors will buy into? People want to associate with a winner and new management has a window to sell hope, but 7 months is probably the beginning of the end of said window.
When Theo Epstein had his first press conference with the Chicago Cubs he sold a vision (and he obviously had a track record) and in that press he said the Cubs would win a World Series but it would take time and it may get worse before it got better. But he sold his vision. He shared specifics. I want to know what Coyle’s vision is. I want to see his public passion, I want to hear where we have vulnerabilities with concrete actions on what we’re going to do to fix our areas where we’re weak and what the timetable is. I want to know that as a season ticket holder to football and basketball that we’re making changes across the board.
I want an AD with a vision, who has the communications skills to publicly share them and get buy-in, and an AD that will fight for his coaches and student-athletes.
There is a crisis in confidence with the school and athletic leadership right now that was thrust into the spotlight because of the latest football issue, but it goes beyond that. We need Coyle to step up and share his vision. But I fear we’ll get more platitudes and benign statements. I hope to be proven wrong.
Go Gophers!!
Coyle hid behind press releases and statements during the JRob scandal he inherited. He hid behind process and statements during the Lucia contract negotiations. He is not visible at Gopher basketball games like Teague and Maturi were. And his handling of the current football issue has been well documented – and regardless of one’s opinion of how he’s handled it, he conducted one of the worst “press conferences” I have ever seen. From a crisis communications standpoint, I can’t imagine him handling it worse.
Coyle has now been AD for 7 months and I challenge anyone to share what his vision is for the athletic department. Now is the time. Everyone who loosely follows Gopher sports expects an announcement of some sort on Tuesday. Coyle needs to do soon what he should have done months ago. He needs to share his vision for the future of Gopher sports. He needs to be bold, he needs to create a sense of excitement, commitment, control and flat out vision. He hasn’t shown that he has a vision yet, nor has he shown that he is a public leader that multiple stakeholders will rally around.
While I don’t expect Coyle to do this on Tuesday, here is the vision I hope he will share with the following stakeholders soon in a “State of the Athletic Department” sort of proactive, multi-media press conference:
Gopher student athletes and coaches: What is Coyle, as AD, going to do to ensure they have the tools to be the most successful student-athletes and coaches they can be. This goes beyond the facility enhancements that he inherited. What improvements has he made during his time as AD to support them, and what does he have planned for 2017 and beyond. Share specifics, not platitudes and AD-speak.
Season ticket holders: I know he conducted a fan survey, it’s time to share what he learned and what changes he’s implementing. The Gopher home football schedule has been complete for about six weeks, long enough for him to evaluate the game day experience. What changes is he going to make? (and the answer can’t be more jumpy castles and face painting stations) What practical enhancements will we see next year that will stop the bleeding of season tickets and improve the game day experience? What changes to price structure are coming if any? What about Gopher basketball and hockey – what can he tell existing season ticket holders?
And why hasn’t the U communicated at all to the general football season ticket holder about the current issue? I have been shocked that there hasn’t been a single email addressing the situation. I realize they can’t get into specifics nor should they, but going in a bunker to one of your most important stakeholders is the worst way to handle a crisis.
Corporate and big money donors: The updates from Doogie sound like we’ve added about $4MM in donations for the athletic facility in the 7 months that Coyle has been in office. I’ll give him the benefit of the doubt that he’s active in this area behind the scenes, but what is the public vision for the athletic department that big money donors will buy into? People want to associate with a winner and new management has a window to sell hope, but 7 months is probably the beginning of the end of said window.
When Theo Epstein had his first press conference with the Chicago Cubs he sold a vision (and he obviously had a track record) and in that press he said the Cubs would win a World Series but it would take time and it may get worse before it got better. But he sold his vision. He shared specifics. I want to know what Coyle’s vision is. I want to see his public passion, I want to hear where we have vulnerabilities with concrete actions on what we’re going to do to fix our areas where we’re weak and what the timetable is. I want to know that as a season ticket holder to football and basketball that we’re making changes across the board.
I want an AD with a vision, who has the communications skills to publicly share them and get buy-in, and an AD that will fight for his coaches and student-athletes.
There is a crisis in confidence with the school and athletic leadership right now that was thrust into the spotlight because of the latest football issue, but it goes beyond that. We need Coyle to step up and share his vision. But I fear we’ll get more platitudes and benign statements. I hope to be proven wrong.
Go Gophers!!
