Thursday, August 23, 2012

Floated names

Because I've hinted at names, people have asked (offline) who are the candidates. At this point I don't know. I truly believe that BC is talking to all sorts of different people and have not narrowed the focus on anyone. And as you'll see from the list below, there isn't an overriding theme or obvious profile.

People Blauds has mentioned. 
I don't think much of Blauds but I can't fault him on his AD search work. He was the first to leak Tim Pernetti, who is interested but has to keep up appearances with Rutgers in case BC doesn't work out. Blauds also mentioned Duke's Mike Cragg. Cragg fits the mold I've heard mentioned of ACC school, worked at a private school, understands BC's student athletes and donors.

Eagle Outsider's board suggested John Currie from Kansas State and Woodie Dixon from the Pac 12. I think both would be great, but I don't think either are serious candidates.

Names I haven't seen online yet, but have been dropped by a few different people...


  • M. Quentin Williams. BC grad, former NFL and NBA executive. Lawyer in private practice in New York. I've heard he's on the A list and other people told me he hasn't been called. No idea, but he's at the center of a lot of speculation. I think he'd be popular with the Football Alumni (since he's one of them) and he has Tom Coughlin in his corner.
  • Chris Plonsky. She's Director of Women's Athletics at Texas and a former Big East official. 
  • Jon Oliver. He's a high-ranking Associate AD at Virginia. I think an endorsement from Virginia's AD Craig Littlepage would go a long way with BC leadership.
  • Sean Frazier. He's been mentioned on BC message boards in the past. People like his hockey background. I have heard his candidacy is real. 
Getting people to share names is harder than in past coaching searches because no one seems to know much and because BC is looking beyond the usual circles. I've been told Jim Paquette may get an interview but he is not getting the job because of the perception -- fair or not --  that he was Gene's right-hand man for so long. 

17 comments:

JBQ said...

St. Louis University once hired Debbie Yow who is now at N.C. St. and previously Maryland. She was a disaster for SLU. I urge BC to thoroughly examine all types of candidates and did I say "thoroughly"?

Joe Gravellese said...

Gotta say, I love Sean Frazier's profile. He played football at BAMA, ran two athletic departments with prominent hockey teams & was an assistant at Maine during their hockey dynasty, and now has a ton of responsibility at a successful Big10 school with a ton of competitive sports. Plus he's from the Northeast originally.

Talk about checking off various boxes that are important at BC. I like the candidate.

NEDofSavinHill said...

Were Romney and Scott Brown to both be elected, a 50% probability, the Repubs would need Brown in the Senate. Under that scenario Brown would be the most powerful person in Congress.His friendship and ties to the Commander in Chief would make him so. If one remembers election night when Brown won he had Romney, Flutie, Smerlas, Deossie and his family on stage. Also on stage was a classmate from law school named Chris Janzen. Janzen lettered in b-bal at BC and is now a lawyer. If Janzen were the AD the days of the ACC football officials cheating BC would be over. A few words from the Feds would restrain any of those instincts. Lets have Sen. Brown's closest friend as AD.

Ry said...

Can we get off the politicians for AD train? It doesn't seem at all realistic, let alone wise.

mod34b said...
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mod34b said...

ATL, although not mentioned by you, the four names you have heard mentioned are each "diversity" candidates. Why not just come out and say you favor diversity in hiring?

Diversity in hiring should certainly be a factor (but just one of many factors) at BC. BC should at least implement something akin to the NFL's "Rooney Rule"

But three of the 4 candiates you mention are not at all right. Plonsky has been at UTx for some 20 years. She was with the BE 20 years ago. She seems to offer BC nothing and has no connection to BC.

Oliver and Frazier have no apparent connection to BC either. NONE. Frazier went to Alabama and now works in Wisconsin. He was at Merrimack but left under a cloud of something. Oliver has been with UVA for 12 years as a #2. Sounds like a Spaz type - a natural as #2. Oliver has no connection to BC.

Williams seems interesting and does have solid BC connections. However, his resume is very choppy . .. lots and lots of job changes. Does not seem that BC would be a 'destination job' for Williams. However, I agree, if he is interested, BC should interview Williams.

Claver2010 said...

Great point Joe.

I've been on Sean Frazier for a while and as long as his departure from Merrimack checks out I think he should be near the top of our list.

BTW ATL these prove you're not a robot words are impossible

mod34b said...

Claver - Frazier is not from New England. He is from LI.

What connection -- anything -- to BC does he have?

Why do you think Frazier should he be on the top of our list? I am missing your point.

Claver2010 said...

Where does it matter where he grew up?

Not sure why you're correcting me as to where he's from, I didn't mention it at all.

Why does it matter what connection he has to BC? Is that now a requirement? That sounds more like that nutjob Lively's agenda.

Now as to why he should be a top candidate:
He played major D1 football
His experience with the hockey program at Maine
He knows the area (AD at Merrimack and oversaw expansion projects in the heavily regulated Massachusetts)
AD at: Merrimack, Clarkson, & Manhattanville

Work at Wisconsin (which is the 3 major sport type school we should be modeling ourselves after):
"Among Frazier's duties with the Badgers is the department's chief of staff/day to day operations, the oversight of football and men's and women's hockey, athletic development, ticket office, badger sports properties, strategic planning, diversity plan coordination and he is the liaison to the UW foundation, Wisconsin alumni association, mendota gridiron football booster club and badger basketball boosters, the Big Ten Conference and WCHA, and the chancellor's office and dean's leadership council."

So he works with both major booster clubs
Day to day operations with the 2 biggest sports on BC's campus
Worked with multiple conferences (both hockey and all other sports, like we have at BC).

mod34b said...

Claver - sorry, i confused you with Joe who said -- "Plus he's from the Northeast originally"

But you now say "Why does it matter what connection he has to BC? Is that now a requirement? "

I think you'll find that this is an incredibly important criteria for BC brass.

The BOT will want a guy with a substantial connection to BC, or perhaps to some kind of Catholic University life. All of BC's ADs going back 60 years had such a connection.

BC brass will want a guy who understands the unique mission of BC. How BC differs from every other ACC school and every other that plays FBS football, including ND.

The BC BOT will want a guy that understands, supports and enhances the BC academic mission and jesuit university culture.

Frazier utterly lacks any connection to BC or its mission. I don't see BC taking Frazier (even U Wisc passed on him with their recent AD search)

AJH said...

How soon until Spaz is blamed for Swigert's knee injury?

Knucklehead said...

That is Gene's fault. The new field turf is supposed to cause fewer injuries. No serious. Look it up.

ATL_eagle said...

Mod34:

I am not for or against diversity. I am mentioning those names because that's what I am hearing.

Claver2010 said...

AJH, sounds like you're sarcastic but he is to blame.

According to a family member (Basselope is Bobby's uncle and travels from Ohio for every game), Bobby was told to sit out for 3 weeks, 1.5 weeks ago.

http://eagleoutsider.com/phpbb/viewtopic.php?f=4&t=11350&start=90#wrap

What he was doing on the field for a meaningless practice, I'll never know.

NEDofSavinHill said...

BC's best ADs were Flynn and Gladchuk. Two BC guys.

ModA36 said...

Chris Jantzen? Seriously? He should be disqualified solely on the basis that he wore a mullet 5 years after it was no longer fashionable.

Joe Gravellese said...

Merrimack is a Catholic school, and Wisconsin was tied with us on the US News University ratings last time I cared to check (granted, like, 4 years ago). Sounds like a decent understanding of Catholic schools and academics to me. Go Frazier!

I'm 100% OK with an outsider coming in and cleaning up the mess GDF left. I love BC and BC people but sometimes you need a new perspective.