Wednesday, October 03, 2012

Rumored ADs, rumored coaches and what it all means

RUMORS on the AD front

Blauds wants BC to hurry up and pick an AD. My guess is that his whining and criticism is on behalf of a source who also might be a candidate for the job. As is often the case, he's way off the mark on a few fronts. BC doesn't need to accommodate any candidates. All the public finalists would gladly take the job and should expect multiple rounds of interviews. None of the named ADs are currently with BCS programs. These jobs don't come along all that often and the potential pay raise and power of the BC job is worth the wait. Blauds also doesn't know all the candidates. I don't either but I've been told from multiple sources that there are others interested and being screened whose names have not leaked yet. Finally Blauds is off when he says the process is too long. Just having a process is a good thing. BC is going to narrow the list and have more discussions, and then negotiate with a finalist. It will be on BC's terms and probably wrapped up within the next four to six weeks. BC doesn't need to announce a hard date publicly because then if they miss the hard date it gives the appearance that something is wrong. The only real deadline is to have the new AD hired before football season ends.

RUMORS on the coaching front

First came the glowing profile of Al Golden from Dan Wetzel that mentioned he could be a candidate for other jobs. Then came the ESPN blurb that mentioned BC as a possible destination for the Miami coach. That got the message boards talking and rightly so. He'd be a great candidate to replace Spaz. But would he really come here? In my experience covering Al Golden from afar, there is a simple truth: if his name is mentioned for a job, he wants it and his people are probably leaking it. With his AD potentially leaving and the still unknown of NCAA sanctions, maybe Golden wants to bail before the program is crushed. If he stays at Miami he might endure a four or five year rebuilding process and that is probably too long for a guy like Golden. And after enduring all those losses he'll really only have value to Miami. He's not going to be a "hot" coach after multiple losing seasons. At BC he could avoid a decline, build year over year and then be in a prime spot to jump to a bigger program in four of five years (like right when his alma mater Penn State comes out from sanctions). I always viewed Golden as a better self promoter than coach, but at both Miami and Temple, he's proven he can win despite difficult circumstances. I watched good chunks of the Miami-NC State game and the Miami-Georgia Tech game. In both, his team played hard. I think he could do some great things at BC. But I don't think it will ever get that far. Even with a new AD, I would be surprised if we paid a new coach $2 million+ to come to the Heights. It's not a money thing either (the new ACC TV deal would cover the cost). It is a culture issue. I don't see our leadership willingly breaking the bank for Golden.

But when we make a change the new AD should at least call Golden. The leaks alone let us know that he'll have the conversation.

12 comments:

mod34b said...

Blauds is pathetic.

I strongly suspect that Blauds lacks access to the decision makers. Probably getting 3rd hand info.

That being said, Bobinski seems like a solid candidate on paper. Knows $$$. Knows how to manage sports. Knows how to pick coaches. Knows Jesuits. ND grad is a good thing too.

mod34b said...

So long as people - like Blauds- are throwing names around willy-nilly, let me suggest another possible candidate from the "Jesuit Farm System": Santa Clara AD Dan Coonan (another Domer)

eagle1331 said...

Mod, I normally agree with moth of your posts, but Bobinski would be the WORST of the rumored final candidates that Blauds tosses around, in my opinion. His expertise is not in rebuilding a football program and reviving a fan base that has fallen off. It isn't in getting a community that has grown distant or never been close to support you. It isn't in championship level hockey.

Our basketball team is already on a rebuilding path and that is his strong suit; he is first and foremost a basketball man. That isn't what we need. We need a man to come in and reshape several programs, if not a whole athletic department...

eagle1331 said...

PS - Frazier is my favorite of the rumored candidates, thus far, if you want to debate, in the spirit of the night haha

ATL_eagle said...

1331:

There's a lot to like about Bobinski. If he gets the job, I'll explain more.

mod34b said...

1331 - disagree away! As you know, I welcome a debate!

Frazier was effectively let go (not rehired) at Merrimack after inly two years. Not good. He then became associate AD for beverages at Wisconsin. Not good. 'Bama grad is not good either. He has some pluses, but seems like a huge gamble.

Bobinski is low key and mature. First, he is a money guy. That is critical for building infrastructure and fund raising - two key roles for BC AD-to-be He has also made some great hires - He hired Tad Mata as an unknown -- before anyone knew Mata was an awesome coach. He has an eye for talent and intangibles. He also knows about building a winning tradition.

Sure he has a big hole on football but I think that is overstated. A good manager can manage anything. I think that applies here. He is "only" 54, which means he can stay for awhile, but is beyond being a young ambitious ladder climber

What's your view?

EL MIZ said...

"In 2009, Bobinski hired Chris Mack as men's basketball head coach. He also hired Thad Matta as head men's basketball coach in 2001 and Sean Miller as Xavier's first associate head coach."

by my count that's 3 for 3 in basketball coaches, so at least he can do something right.

"In men's bas­ketball, Xavier has averaged 25 wins over Bobinski's 12 years while making at least the NCAA Tournament Sweet 16 four out of the last five years. XU made the 2004 and 2008 Elite Eight. In addition, men's basket­ball has extended its streak to 88 straight seniors that have graduated."

that is more success in his tenure at xavier than all of BC basketball success combined. i love our big east tourny win but we've never been to an elite 8! 2 elite 8's and 4/5 sweet 16s!

interesting business background too

Bobinski came to intercollegiate athletics more than 25 years ago from the business world, not the playing field or coaching arena. Before coming to Xavier he was the athletic director at the University of Akron, and prior to that, was the associate director of athletics at the U.S. Naval Academy. Before moving to the Naval Academy, Bobinski, 54, was associate and assistant business manager at the University of Notre Dame from 1984 to 1989. A native of Yaphank on Long Island, N.Y., Bobinski received his bachelor of business administration from Notre Dame in 1979, graduating magna cum laude, while playing four years for the Fighting Irish baseball team.

As a licensed certified public accountant, he first went into accounting with Deloitte, Haskins and Sell and Arthur Young & Company from 1979-82. He also worked for the Walt Disney Company in Orlando from 1982-84 before moving into college athletics at UND in 1984.

far and away the most impressive guy i've read about so far (vs the army guy boo and the wisconsin guy). in my opinion hockey here essentially takes care of itself and bball or football is where we need some expertise with fundraising also a big part. this guy clearly hits the bball with 3 excellent hires and excellent track record.

could he make the right football hire? well if his basketball coaching hires are any evidence (which they are), then i think the answer is yes. plus ND and navy on his resume, lets get this guy

AJH said...

Billy Curley is hurt by your no Elite 8 comment. Andrew DeClerq remembers it fondly.

EL MIZ said...

LOL fair enough. upon further research, apparently we made an elite 8 in 1982 as well. regardless, Xavier's had an impressive run under this guy which would be the envy of any school outside of Kentucky, NC, Duke.

eagle1331 said...

Atl -

I'm interested in hearing a preview of your Bobinski interest...

Mod and ATL -

For the record, I wrote that after playing the debate drinking game, until I couldn't anymore. I'm not saying he's a bad guy or a bad AD, I just don't think his experience fits what we need right now, or what BC is (IMO). No hockey experience and no football experience to me is a negative, and at least from his profile, is an area where Frazier does have some pluses over him.

I'm not sure how I feel about us hiring a would-be-first-time-AD since Gene has left a bit of a rebuilding project, so in that regard, Bobinski is probably better suited... I'd just like someone with all around sports acumen (and outside bullets on his resume). While I'd like Jerry to be around forever, he probably won't be, and that means whoever comes in will likely hire his successor and needs to have some feel for that college hockey landscape. Yes, Bobinski has a good track record with basketball coaches, but that doesn't necessarily translate to football and hockey (or other sports).

EL MIZ said...

eagle, what do you perceive to be the challenges with the hockey program? i am a casual observer, but i would imagine York has a young protege that would be an obvious replacement? i would think with our location and recent history, it would be a very easy sell. what do you foresee as challenges?

football -- i agree with you, but all you need to do is hire the right coach one time. he's got a good track record at Xavier with his b-ball coaches so at least he presumably has a good vetting and interview process.

eagle1331 said...

Miz -

I don't see a challenge, per say, with hockey.. We are the premier college to coach at while we should be every coaches dream job IMO, it is his responsibility to maintain that. There are plenty of colleges on the cusp, just like football, so there will be just as much pressure on a BC-AD to replace York one day as there is the AD of say... Usc, bama, lsu, etc. to replace a football coach. He needs to know its hands off of york, improve conte, and maintain the relationship with that protege (who is on the staff already but almost lef this season).

I don't think a basketball coach hiring is similar to football.. His coaches at Xavier haven't had to completely rebuild either. I could be wrong, its just my personal preference that an AD have some Div 1 football experience... He has 0.