Friday afternoon, Loyola and Jim Paquette announced that he would step down as their AD in June. The news immediately sparked internet speculation that he is coming to BC as the new Athletic Director. After talking to a few people this evening, I am pretty sure this is coincidence and Paquette is unlikely to get the BC job.
I haven't written much about the AD search lately because there hasn't been real news. BC's fundraisers are answering some big donor questions and the school has signed Parker Search, but no hard news on interviews, finalists or even a hard timeline. But this is what I do know and how it fits in with the Paquette situation.
-- BC is telling donors that they want someone who has hired multiple coaches -- and hopefully a football coach -- in a previous job. This would seem to eliminate Paquette right off the bat. Loyola doesn't have a football team and Paquette never made a football hire. He has hired coaches while in Baltimore but never under the microscope or challenges of a Power 5 type revenue sport hire.
-- The new AD will not have ties to Gene Defilippo. This might not be fair to Paquette or any of the other BC staffers from the GDF era, but it is understandable position from BC. If they want new energy, new ideas and a new face to present to the donor and sports community, it doesn't look great to bring in Gene's righthand man.
Then there is the timing on Paquette's part. The BC job has open to speculation ever since BC publicly announced that Bates' contract had not been extended. He's been a lame duck since. Any interested candidate has had ample time to work the back channels and prepare for an opportunity. Someone like Paquette would especially have insider info that most candidates would not have. If he thought he was in the mix for this job, would he make such a big change now? Leaving Loyola does nothing to help his candidacy. If anything it might raise questions. I haven't talked to Paquette about this -- but I doubt he takes this risk if BC were an immediate option.
I could still see Paquette return to BC in some capacity or even become AD one day years from now. But given the timing and the public stances of BC's current leadership, I don't think he is getting the job now.
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8 comments:
BC had a great number of alums who are successful business executives I hope BC taps into that and does not limit the search to the usual AD types.
Look st ND. They hired Jack Swarbrick who had no experience in any AD department before ND hired. He has been very successfully
Interesting that they haven't hired anyone yet since June is two months away.
Maybe they are looking at someone from a school still left in the tournament. Someone they cannot pry away because of the tournament. Someone from Wisconsin or Florida would be the focus - football, bb and academics on par with BC.
Seems a bit odd that Paquette would be leaving without simultaneously announcing his taking a new position elsewhere. Highly unlikely he would leave first and then search for a new position (unless he was unexpectedly dismissed which appears doubtful).
More than even money that they have hired Paquette. From the MAAC to the Patriot League. Leahy at work again. Just hope that it works out nonetheless. Must have been a heck of a search.
Maybe my reasoning is "Flawed" , but I hope that Paquette is not the next A.D. at BC. Just the very fact that he was here for years with the " Midget" bothers me. I believe that all current senior staff should be reevaluated since the lack of progress and creativity in marketing is so blatant. An individual that has been part of BC for years may have loyalties to current staff that are not performing at a high level in their jobs. He/she also may not see the flaws that are apparent in procedures that are in place. For instance , what does the Fenway Sports Management Group do for BC ??? However , I have an inkling that Paquette may be the choice -the Parker search group that recommended Paquette to Loyola is the group that we hired - is that a correct fact ??? Perform a national search as was Implied !!!!!!!
In case you need more inside on how our shit-show institution that is a top school in America runs its coaching highers... they hired an outside firm that has previously been investigated for how it conducts its searches.
https://www.insidehighered.com/news/2015/09/17/parker-executive-search-under-scrutiny-recent-searches
Jesuits or not, the problem st BC is that they act like the Catholic Church always does: does what it wants to do, gets no (or does not listen to) input from others and believes and acts as if it is accountable to no one. Really sick of this routine. Lahey is as imperious as Bernard Law, - he just has a better mask
I think nappy has the right read of the situation.
Hope I'm wrong about this M34 - it would be almost too hard to believe that BC would be that inept.
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