Michigan created a PR nightmare when they announced and then denied a ticket promotion with Coke. But people tend to overlook promotions and tickets don't need discounts when you are winning. That is the bigger problem in Ann Arbor. It would seem that Brady Hoke is in trouble, but the fans and critics who see the big picture want an AD change first. If Michigan makes a change in their Athletic Department, plenty of names will be floated, including BC's Brad Bates.
I was thinking about Bates and Michigan during the Utah blowout. This article on the topic (HT EO) seems like spitballing more than reporting, but you don't need a source to know that Michigan is going to look for replacements among their own alumni. All colleges have their own myopic and self-centered culture, but Michigan is one of the most closed off. Their iconic coach Bo Schembechler instilled this philosophy when he said "Michigan man is going to coach Michigan." Ever since then they've been looking for their Michigan Men. Sometimes it works (see Red Berenson) and sometimes it doesn't (see Brady Hoke). If you're an outsider, the culture can work against you (see RichRod). If they decide they need a Michigan Man to clean things up, Brad Bates is going to be on the short list.
Will it happen? Would Bates want to return to his Alma Mater? I don't know and really I don't care. I think Bates is fine, but I never expected him to have a long tenure. As with so many sports hires, you get someone who was different from the previous coach or director. Gene was a long-time BC employee who left his fingerprints on everything. It would only be natural that his successor would only be at BC a short time. Bates already accomplished enough in my opinion, to leave on good terms. His tenure confirmed that there is life after Gene and he made what seems to be a good football hire. The ACC is more stable now too (regardless of what Bates did or didn't do on BC's behalf). There is still plenty left to do and plenty to still asses, but I would have no problems if Bates went to Michigan. There are plenty of BC guys who would love to take his spot.
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If a Michigan grad asked me as a fan (and alum) I'd give him a favorable recommendation. About the only thing I'm not a fan of is the LED ribbon ads at Alumni, though that was probably less Bates and more the Fenway Sports Group.
Bates is a Michigan native, has an undergrad degree from Michigan, has a Master's from Michigan and was a member of the Michigan football team.
uh... YES he'll take the job if offered and do it in a flash.... faster than Jeff Jags can say J-E-T-S!
would he be considered? for sure he'll be on the short list!
would he get an offer? maybe. A company man who keeps moral order, an educator who talks a good education game and a former football player who builds toward sports success.....could be perfect...
Is time flowing faster? It feels like Bates has been here for all of five minutes. I would definitely be disappointed if he were to leave already. He seems like an engaging guy, and I appreciate the superficial changes that I have at least noticed under his regime (increased twitter presence, fireworks at alumni). It seems like there is too much turbulence at BC, we need to hold on to people for longer periods of time.
I certainly can see why Brad would strongly consider going back to his alma mater. I think BC should do everything in its power to retain BB if it becomes evident that there is a realistic chance that he would consider leaving. I've been super impressed with Brad during the time he has been here. He's really a professional and he sees the big picture what is needed here at BC. He's a Michigan man, not a BC man, I know, but everything that I have observed about him in person, from afar, in my correspondence with him all suggest that he is extraordinarily open to new suggestions, efficient and thoughtful in how he implements changes, and is a great, great (did I say great)representative of BC. He is a man with a plan. He knows what needs to be done to keep BC at the level of athletic success that both the administration and its most dedicated and knowledgeable fan base can aspire to. Count me 100% in the corner of doing everything reasonably possible to keep this guy here at BC. If he considers leaving to be the AD at his alma mater, that would be a reasonable career decision on his part. My recommendation is that BC should make that a very tough decision for him by pledging that BC wants him as its athletic leader for the foreseeable future. If Brad Bates stays at BC, one day he will be considered a true BC man in every sense of the term.
Brad Bates would be a great AD at Michigan. Dr. Bates with his Phd from Vanderbilt has great pedigree for the UM AD job - UM, Vandy, Miami and BC. Considering the new president at Michigan is formerly from Brown - there is no better person to replace the egomaniac David Brandon.
I like Bates. I think he has done a good job here so far. Much like Addazio, he has the luxury of following a complete disaster so what he has done may be par for hte course elsewhere, but is a HUGE improvement to the previous AD.
If I was Bates, aside from the obvious draws (2 degrees, football alum, from Michigan) I would fear that Bates could become restless with all the BS that is associated with BC athletics.
The neighbors, the president not caring/not wanting to allocate money to department, the inability to begin the 10 year plan which in turn could prompt start of an indoor facility/other facility improvements.
There is alot of crap here that he has to sift through, and at Michigan, he not only wouldnt have to deal with it, but the infrastructure is already in place. He would obviously be staring down the barrel of a new football hire which would most likely make or break is time there, but the number of positives to go to Michigan are great
My biggest problem w/ Bates going back to Michigan is if that were to happen Daz wouldn't be too far behind. If the powers that be at Michigan want Bates they will get him. The # 1 reason why they would want him is to get Daz.
Hoib. So silly
It would be their "dream job".
Atlanta Eagle - why would you compare any open job or potentially open job to being filled by our current coaches (or in this case AD) ?? You may become a self-fulfilling prophecy. ! Please stop ! There is no story and no one may have even thought of these things until you bring it up. You generally do an awesome job, but I noticed over the years that you have a habit of placing any decent BC coach in future openings for other programs. Please stop creating stories where none exist, just to get eyeballs. No one other than you has written about this and we don't need any traction to your story.
Yeah, Hoib, I don't get that at all.
Modman, I have noticed that too, but chalk it up to ATL having his ear to the ground with some level of access to athletic dep't types.
The guy's been here like, what, 10 minutes? And none of us have seen Christian on the basketball sidelines. I'm not worrying about an AD
CT
ADs are second fiddle to coaches at big programs, particularly at Michigan where the football coach is more important than the Gov. If Daz keeps this up his name will get mentioned for big jobs. TC was offered the Giant job after y2, and turned it down to stay one more year. In short BC better be ready to pull out the checkbook, and soon, if they want to keep Daz.
He'd be crazy to go to Michigan unless he'd make so much money in three years that he could nearly retire. Their fan base has hugely outsized expectations in nearly everything. Does he want to put his life inside that pressure cooker? The BC job is a great highly prestigious job - where he has the time to make his mark and enjoy his life. Money isn't everything.
Posting a thought about Bates is certainly not unique. If anyone thinks that the folks at Michigan are not capable of looking around and seeing Bates, they are not very clever. Bates is quite visible and is a known quantity to the entire big time athletic community.
Michigan's facilities alone make BC look like a rural high school. Any AD with an ounce of ego would drool at the sight of their tennis center, their field hockey "stadium", their golf course, never mind the Big House. Unfortunately, those same AD's lose their water from other organs when they think about the demands and expectations of UM alumni.
From Michigan blog
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The two names surfacing in the AD hunt are Ward Manuel the AD at Uconn and Brad Bates, the current AD at Boston College.
Manuel was a HUGE Bo Schembechler recruit from New Orleans in the mid 80′s who injured his neck and retired from football as a Wolverine. He spent many years in the Michigan Athletic Department after his injury and was highly regarded before he left for The AD position at University of Buffalo. He hired Turner Gill at Buffalo and along with Gill they achieved Buffalo’s first winning record and post season bid in 2008, since the program went D-1 in 1999. While winning on the field, Manuel also increased revenue at Buffalo from $11 million to $25 million in 3 years. He knows both sided of the business. He is currently the Athletic Director at UCONN.
The second name in the Michigan AD equation is Brad Bates, the current AD at Boston College. Brad Bates, who Bo Schembecher thought would make a great Michigan AD in “Bo’s Lasting Lessons,” leaves Miami (NTM) for Boston College, according to the BC school paper The Heights. Bates played under Bo from 1977 to 1981 as a walk-on DB. I know less about Bates than Manuel, but he appears to be a solid candidate.
If either one of these gentlemen is hired, the road to a Harbaugh gets much more probable. Both Harbaugh brothers and Miles would take the Michigan job under the stewardship of Bates or Manuel, none of them would come to Michigan under Brandon, so change is imminent.
My sources are solid, two respected journalists, one high profile ex-Michigan football star and as I write this a HUGE donor/former Michigan athlete.
The winds of change are powerful at Michigan, this will happen sooner rather than later. If you are a Michigan fan, just know that change is coming soon.
There are other possibilities for the AD job, but Manuel and Bates are the two front runners as I write this, the other candidates are impressive as well.
Hoib, no offense, but that's ridiculous. Dazz has very little national cache. He was a position coach/coordinator, then a rather disappointing coach at Temple, and has, what, 17 games at BC. I'm well aware that coaches often times pull the strings. I think having grown up in the heart of SEC country, I learned that early on. The rumor mill is talking about Harbaugh, klnd of a far cry from Dazz, don't ya' think? Michigan man. Les Miles. Michigan man. Michigan is still the big leagues, despite it's troubles and despite it's horrible, inferior conference run by a delusional dude. Pull out the checkbook. Yeah, okay.
CT
time will tell.
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I'm so tired of the lazy reporting concerning Bo's "Michigan man" comment. He coined that phrase in March 1989, upon firing Bill Fieder, who had just accepted the head coaching job at Arizona State on the eve of the NCAA tournament, but deigned at his presser in Tempe that he would continue to coach at Michigan through the end of the season. Bo said he wouldn't. "An Arizona State man will not coach Michigan. A Michigan man will coach Michigan. And that's how it's going to be." That's the quote. Don't take my word for it. Watch it on YouTube. Frieder was incensed, because unlike Bo and Steve Fischer, the new head coach, he had actually graduated from Michigan, and had two degrees from there. Frieder hated Bo for the comment, but it has nothing to do where one went to school, it's about loyalty and representing the school's values. The nitwits and imbeciles who misrepresent Bo's words as though a Michigan degree is a litmus test are to put it charitably, misinformed; or, at worst, purposely ignorant. The media is a trusted institution: know the facts!
Will be moment streaming more quickly? This feels as though Bates continues to be right here for many associated with 5 moments. I'd personally absolutely always be frustrated when they had been to help depart previously. He / she may seem like a great engaging man, along with My spouse and i take pleasure in this superficial changes that we get no less than discovered under the routine (increased twitting occurrence, fireworks in alumni). It seems like there is certainly a lot of turbulence in BC, we must preserve individuals intended for for a longer time durations.
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