Top AD candidates becoming clearer

[TigerFanAU 586]

3 hours ago, auburnphan said:

 I think a person with successful AD experience is more qualified than someone with none

Agree. Business acumen is important, but its the ATHLETIC department in the end. Other than her NFL job, McKenna-Doyle has never worked in athletics. Most of her career was at Disney. I want to swipe a current AD from a big university, turn-key AD.

[RHN1975 302]

1 hour ago, LKEEL75 said:

.  Again, I was merely pointing out that she had less experience in what I felt is a very large portion of an AD's job.

I don't think fundraising is as an important role for and AD as we like to believe. Who is the head fundraiser at bama? I can promise it isn't Greg Byrne. He is the guy running the dept but the money comes from the short guy running the football program. 

 

I highly doubt even 50% of a successful AD's time is spent worried about fundraising and it's probably down around 10% at best. If they are worried more than that about raising capital we have a major issue.We have 4 or 5 departments related to generating money through gifts and ticket sales. The AD's big worry about fundraising is having the right people heading these departments. 

[RHN1975 302]

1 hour ago, TigerFanAU said:

Agree. Business acumen is important, but its the ATHLETIC department in the end. Other than her NFL job, McKenna-Doyle has never worked in athletics. Most of her career was at Disney. I want to swipe a current AD from a big university, turn-key AD.

As much as is said about college sports being about student-athletes we all know that is a stretch. College athletics have become a business and it is a business to entertain fans and promote the university. She has stints at Disney, Universal, and the NFL which are all top tier entertainment companies. 

 

 

 

[keesler 5,924]

4 hours ago, Barnacle said:

Agree with this entirely. We need someone who knows how to run a $150,000,000.00 corporation. If they have a background in athletics, that's obviously a huge positive. If they don't, it shouldn't disqualify them.

Then can we all make a pact that when an AU sports program hits the crapper we won't blame the AD for the success or lack success we see on the field/court, etc?

Let's face it, Jay Jacobs has caught holy hell for the W-L record AU has recorded in his 10 yrs on the job.  

Like someone posted above, let’s yank an AD from another program that has experience and a good track record.  A “turn key” AD sounds great to me, I couldn’t care less if they have AU ties.

[Barnacle 9,064]

51 minutes ago, keesler said:

Then can we all make a pact that when an AU sports program hits the crapper we won't blame the AD for the success or lack success we see on the field/court, etc?

If blame is warranted, I think you ought to blame the Athletic Director. I'll promise to only direct fair criticism at the AD.

[Barnacle 9,064]

@keesler my problem with the criticism of JJ, is a lot of it was based on "inside" information. I read all sorts of stories and rumors about his meddling, interference, etc. Since that isn't the kind of information that I would know anything about, I couldn't criticize him for those things. I guess at some point I took some people's word for it, though.

[RHN1975 302]

51 minutes ago, keesler said:

Then can we all make a pact that when an AU sports program hits the crapper we won't blame the AD for the success or lack success we see on the field/court, etc?

Let's face it, Jay Jacobs has caught holy hell for the W-L record AU has recorded in his 10 yrs on the job.  

Like someone posted above, let’s yank an AD from another program that has experience and a good track record.  A “turn key” AD sounds great to me, I couldn’t care less if they have AU ties.

The won-loss record was not the only problem with Jacobs. Many of his problems came from other management issues outside of actually sporting events. Just because someone is a "professional" AD does not mean they will make good hires. Take a look at the situation UT just went through with their professional AD. 

 

The key to insuring you have success on the field/court is hiring the right people and knowing when someone is not right and it's time to move on. A well ran organization with a true leader will be successful on the field. I want a leader that will take a hands off approach and let the coaches coach while giving them 100% of the support they need. Give them the tools and make it clear it is their responsibility to be successful. No AD can be 100% involved in managing the 19 teams that AU fields across all sports. They may know football but what about basketball, baseball, or softball. There is no way for anyone to know everything about every sport so the right leadership will rely on the people under them to be successful. 

[AU64 10,122]

56 minutes ago, keesler said:

Then can we all make a pact that when an AU sports program hits the crapper we won't blame the AD for the success or lack success we see on the field/court, etc?

Let's face it, Jay Jacobs has caught holy hell for the W-L record AU has recorded in his 10 yrs on the job.  

Like someone posted above, let’s yank an AD from another program that has experience and a good track record.  A “turn key” AD sounds great to me, I couldn’t care less if they have AU ties.

Sounds good....you have anyone in mind other than the 3 ADs at bama during Saban's time there, who have a consistently better football program at their school over the past 10 years than JJ?  

I expect there are a few out there but none come to my mind.   Otherwise a person does not have to know much about football to know when the W-L record is not acceptable.....at AU for example, hundreds if not thousands of people will keep him or her advised. 

[keesler 5,924]

21 minutes ago, AU64 said:

Sounds good....you have anyone in mind other than the 3 ADs at bama during Saban's time there, who have a consistently better football program at their school over the past 10 years than JJ?  

I expect there are a few out there but none come to my mind.   Otherwise a person does not have to know much about football to know when the W-L record is not acceptable.....at AU for example, hundreds if not thousands of people will keep him or her advised. 

Given the current state of AU athletics and what the new AD is about to inherit (3-4 programs under internal investigations).....I’d hope Pres Leath and the BOT would place previous experience as an AD at the top of the criteria list.

This Athletic Department is NOT a cherry of a job right now. 

[AU64 10,122]

3 minutes ago, keesler said:

iven the current state of AU athletics and what the new AD is about to inherit (3-4 programs under internal investigations).....I’d hope Pres Leath and the BOT would place previous experience as an AD at the top of the criteria list.

This Athletic Department is NOT a cherry of a job right now. 

Other than Ole Miss and Louisville.....not sure that any AD has had that much facing him or her ...though I would take a look at the person at UNC-CH....has to be a genius to wiggle off the hook after a 5 year investigation......books of evidence because of  20 years of institutional mismanagement..... and not lose a single scholarship. 

[RHN1975 302]

8 minutes ago, keesler said:

Given the current state of AU athletics and what the new AD is about to inherit (3-4 programs under internal investigations).....I’d hope Pres Leath and the BOT would place previous experience as an AD at the top of the criteria list.

This Athletic Department is NOT a cherry of a job right now. 

At the same time what does having AD experience have to do with dealing with internal investigations? Just because you have experience does not mean you have dealt with anything like what is going on at AU. I have been in leadership in the same industry for 21 years and see something new every week. 

[oldaufeller 367]

3 hours ago, RHN1975 said:

As much as is said about college sports being about student-athletes we all know that is a stretch. College athletics have become a business and it is a business to entertain fans and promote the university. She has stints at Disney, Universal, and the NFL which are all top tier entertainment companies. 

 

 

 

Interesting.  This makes her resume' more appealing to me.  Here is a listing of AU merchandise licensees.  AU Merchandise Licensees.  We're (at the time of the report) # 11 overall and "Auburn football ranked fifth among SEC schools for revenue in one Forbes report, netting the institution around $66 million per year." During the 2010 season we were # 4 nationally, #2 SEC.  This person manages/oversees staffing , budget,  compliance, and contract negotiations.   The x's and o's are done on a balance sheet not a play book.  The AD is responsible to establish and oversee staff and committees that do specific searches or functions in particular areas: for instance, finding a coach, overseeing a capital building project or driving a fair legal resolution.  A sports guru is not the right choice.  That is the person you call in as a consultant when you search for a coach.  Same as you call in an attorney when it's time to address a lawsuit.

Read the rest on at your own risk.  So to address how does the AD get in the crawl space of Tuberville? Where do those "manipulation" remarks come from?  Take a lesson from Congress.  Congress. doesn't really make a budget per se, they make laws that manipulate and stipulate how the money is spent.  For instance,  "a line item" is actually a item of law and not a budgetary  amount. So line item veto is a veto executed on a element of law.  Congressional budget looks like "it is legal to spend 2.3 trillion on defense, but it is only legal to use 2.8 to 3.2 million of that for My Favorite University to study the environmental impact of paint chips off the bumpers of armored vehicles;  or 800 billion to the highway department, but the law says you must include a 6.13 million dollar safe space at every rest area in Nevada.  Congress doesn't actually create and oversee these projects - they just make it illegal to do anything else.  So in essence the real core of fraud waste and abuse comes literally from lawmakers not budget directors. Go figure.  The AD staff manipulates resources and contracts to coerce and control resources and people.  The real issue is how necessary continuity and stability are to these programs.  A board member can't fire you, but they can use their influence to zero your assistant budget unless you hire so and so - in far so many more words.  You may be allowed to hire a football assistant as long as that person is the age of 21 between Jan 1 and Jan 31 or 2017, has taken these courses, live's off campus but no more than 3/4 of a mile away, and has work experience two years ago of 63 days exactly at Chik-Fil-A.  ... to the point that only one person qualifies.   

[keesler 5,924]

2 minutes ago, RHN1975 said:

At the same time what does having AD experience have to do with dealing with internal investigations? Just because you have experience does not mean you have dealt with anything like what is going on at AU. I have been in leadership in the same industry for 21 years and see something new every week. 

I would think working within Compliance,  NCAA rules and regulations, as well as conference regulations, Title XI issues, etc.  would be beneficial when taking a job that is currently facing multiple sports that are under investigation plus adding an ongoing Federal investigation that who knows when it will get completed?

Everyone has their opinion,  I just personally like to hire someone that’s chartered these waters before.  Some experience and knowledge of the NCAA would be an asset.

[AU64 10,122]

Well at least we have gotten past the arguments for Tubs as our next AD  ....that's an accomplishment IMO   . 

[PowerOfDixieland 3,226]

So we're concerned about merchandising and entertainment value?  Good grief.

Football is the ONLY sport that generates significant revenue.  For the last (full) accounting calendar year the athletic department generated revenues of just over $140 Million.  Football was responsible for just over $92 Million, which is almost 75%.  Basketball contributed over $11 Million.  No other single sport generated over $1 Million.  Non sport specific revenues were in excess of $32 Million.  Any business owner would be scared sh**less if one "customer" was driving 75% of their income and would do everything (and I mean EVERYTHING) to make sure they coddled that segment of their business.  If it's simply about what's relevant we should hire accordingly.

[AU_Tiger_88 417]

Last time I checked (a few years ago) JJ was over the 1 mil a year point.  I don't want anyone that is part of the ol boy network as that is a problem that we have now within the department.  We need someone to advance our department and clean house from some of the scandals that we have and have had.  People would have been fired in companies that misappropriated tickets like we had a couple of years ago.  Everyone on here has had some sort of issue with our Athletic Department, I believe we need a New AD that will overcome those problems and do the right thing and not cover these issues up.  We don't know everything that happened with the softball team but we all know that it wasn't a secret within the athletic department as you can't keep that a secret.  Someone had to have known and yet who was let go over that mess besides the coaches?  Look at what has happened in basketball.  You mean to tell me that it wasn't known by someone within that department?  I am sure it probably could have not been known, but given the fact that it was mentioned that "this is how it is done in the NBA" coming from one of our coaches this had to have been known by others but yet nothing was done about it.  Look at the former baseball coach that was fired...there was problems there and someone with the AD had to have known some of the issues if not then what are they doing?  That is why I would like someone who will clean up the department.  Of course this is my opinion of things going on within the department.  I am not an insider but I do know that there are many issues within the department that will need to be straightened out.  I just want a strong ETHICAL leader to right the ship and continue to keep it running.

[CameronCrazy 1,062]

Texas just landed the AD that I really wanted. So I will more than likely not be impressed from this point forward.

[AUCE05 369]

On 12/8/2017 at 11:46 AM, AUIH1 said:

Has anyone ever confirmed that McKenna-Doyle may be a Tim Jackson ally.

wde

She has zero experience running an AD.     Would be a terrible hire.   Same with SE.   hopefully we get Utah States AD.  

[DunderMifflin 60]

5 hours ago, AUCE05 said:

She has zero experience running an AD.     Would be a terrible hire.   Same with SE.   hopefully we get Utah States AD.  

Of the ones I have heard, I favor this move also.  I like the experience at various stops because you learn something, and take something, from every place.

Very familiar with the SEC having spent about a decade at Ole Miss.  Also familiar with the state given his time at Troy.  But disconnected enough from AU to be able to look at things with a clean slate.

I am sure there are others who would do a great job but all I know is the list I have seen.

[AUIH1 1,515]

5 hours ago, AUCE05 said:

She has zero experience running an AD.     Would be a terrible hire.   Same with SE.   hopefully we get Utah States AD.  

I am leaning that way as well.

wde

[Mikey 16,614]

7 hours ago, AUCE05 said:

She has zero experience running an AD.     Would be a terrible hire.   Same with SE.   hopefully we get Utah States AD.  

She apparently has more quality and varied business experience than any of the other candidates. Top-level management is not that different regardless of the product being produced.

[oldaufeller 367]

Here you go - as I understand it - if any of you qualify knock yourself out.  An athletic director (AD) is an administrator who oversees athletic programs and staff. 

Remember at our level this person is a manager (COO) of athletics.

Description

• responsible for supervising all the details related to smoothly functioning athletic departments
• making sure that teams meet national or conference ethical and legal standards (emphasis mine)
• oversees financial, practical, and legal matters pertaining to the schools’ teams
• does not generally work directly with student athletes 
• works closely with coaches and is generally responsible for hiring and firing decisions regarding coaches and athletic staff
• successfully promote a school’s teams 
• acts as a liaison between athletic and academic departments. 
• supervises or is directly responsible for details regarding team schedules, transportation and equipment.
• promoting and fund-raising for athletic departments
• public relations regarding the school’s athletic department

Necessary Skills

• communication, management and organizational skills required
• communicate with people at various levels, including coaches, faculty, alumni and parents. 
• public speaking skills 
• skills in understanding finances and budgets, 
• legal regulations
• time management is crucial 

Emphasis mine - think basketball and softball directly, a number of other sports .  Ignore at your own peril. Skill or even a simple understanding of a particular sport doesn't seem to be a qualification. JJ  did not leave because of sports performance.  He left because of breakdowns/violations of legal and ethical handling of school staff (coaches/asst coaches) and student athletes. We better find someone who can handle THAT task exceptionally, everything else excellently.  Keep in mind the AD is the final contract point but coaches are usually found by search committees.  

Now take the resume's and score them against the requirements- remove your personal bias - we want the best hire.

[RHN1975 302]

15 hours ago, PowerOfDixieland said:

So we're concerned about merchandising and entertainment value?  Good grief.

Football is the ONLY sport that generates significant revenue.  For the last (full) accounting calendar year the athletic department generated revenues of just over $140 Million.  Football was responsible for just over $92 Million, which is almost 75%.  Basketball contributed over $11 Million.  No other single sport generated over $1 Million.  Non sport specific revenues were in excess of $32 Million.  Any business owner would be scared sh**less if one "customer" was driving 75% of their income and would do everything (and I mean EVERYTHING) to make sure they coddled that segment of their business.  If it's simply about what's relevant we should hire accordingly.

100% agree with this point but let a sex scandal, discrimination lawsuit or FBI probe into another sport pop up and see how important they are. Let the people hired to handle the football team handle it and support them 100% while laying out clear expectations. It is much easier to manage because of the media scrutiny football gets at a large school. It is the other sports without as much attention that can cause major issues for a university. 

[Auburn 6 101]

Any word on Whit Babcock from Va Tech?  He's a guy that I like a lot and his name was thrown around at the start of our search, but he seems to have disappeared from our radar.

[oldaufeller 367]

16 hours ago, PowerOfDixieland said:

So we're concerned about merchandising and entertainment value?  Good grief.

Football is the ONLY sport that generates significant revenue.  For the last (full) accounting calendar year the athletic department generated revenues of just over $140 Million.  Football was responsible for just over $92 Million, which is almost 75%.  Basketball contributed over $11 Million.  No other single sport generated over $1 Million.  Non sport specific revenues were in excess of $32 Million.  Any business owner would be scared sh**less if one "customer" was driving 75% of their income and would do everything (and I mean EVERYTHING) to make sure they coddled that segment of their business.  If it's simply about what's relevant we should hire accordingly.

Not not sure I can connect these dots.  Hows does AD understanding of football relate to athletics management?  Contract management, merchandising, licensing, legal and ethical compliance, scheduling, facilities and equipment etc.  I actually don't want someone who coddles football - because you then create a preferential environment that leads to ethical and legal problems (read as "covering someone's behind when they should be shown the door.")   Remember, JJ did not leave because of sports performance - it was legal exposure of the University to issues that should have never occurred, required to be exposed and dealt with.  Hiding in shadows and covering ill behavior can bring down entire programs and damage Auburn deeply.  I actually oppose hiring a football centric AD.  I want a senior manager who knows how to handle a large amount of money, withstand groups of strong personalities (think coaches, board (<-especially,) and fans as a whole,) and can direct to instill a solid level of moral and legal integrity in all athletic programs. 

The AD is responsible to make sure the coaches (football coaches primarily for us) perform to the level they are expected and find the resources necessary to make that happen.  We have problems when board members or AD or AD staff begin telling the coaches what assistants they're going to get or meddle in internal schedules (training for instance,) etc.  The AD is required to tell the coaches to pack sand if the program gets off the rails. Why would we want a football centric AD?  So the AD can tell GM  to run more slants?

I stole the following with a few markups of my own.

• Coordinators and position coaches are managers: A manager is in charge of something: resources, people, projects, programs, accounts; a manager might also be a part-time individual contributor
• Head coach is a director:  A director is in charge of something bigger: multiple managers, an entire discipline, multiple projects; a director often doesn't have time to be an individual contributor
• The AD is an officer: A chief officer is not only in charge of something big (like multiple directors, or an entire aspect of the business), but is also an officer of the company and so has specific legal and stockholder obligations that managers and directors often don't.