In the ever-changing BC AD search a new name emerged Wednesday: Ohio State assistant AD Martin Jarmond. The name first leaked out on the BC message boards, then the Heights and finally via SI's Pete Thamel. I immediately went to Twitter to share my skepticism on the reports. Because this post could be meaningless in less than 24 hours (see the Mike Dee talk), I will try to keep things short. I don't believe Jarmond is the choice and I would be less than thrilled if he is the hire.
My skepticism on Jarmond being the candidate is based on how quiet this process has been. For better or worse, this is a Father Leahy decision and he has shown no history of sharing his opinions or news with sports reporters. The only thing I hear from BC people is that this is all Leahy and he is not talking. So if Jarmond is truly a finalist, it is his side that is talking to the media or BC folks speculating. If Jarmond's representatives are leaking to the media prior to a deal being finalized, they are playing with fire. It is the surest way to lose a BC offer. I would also be surprised by Jarmond based on the prerequisites that BC wanted in a candidate. While he has fundraising experience, Jarmond has never run his own department and has never hired or fired a coach. Of course, BC can say they want something and totally flip on that requirement, but it would be somewhat out of character for Father Leahy given his decisions since firing Gene D.
As for my skepticism on Jarmond's ability for the role, I just think BC is not in a place where we want someone learning on the job. We have major building projects to execute, decisions to make on our three biggest coaches (I am including a plan for when York steps down), and a fan and donor base to build up. Jarmond might be an Athletic Director wunderkind, but I would prefer someone who had a longer track record and a proven history of success.
We will see how this plays out. As the constant naysayer in this process, I will be wrong eventually. I just don't think it will be with Jarmond.
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55 comments:
this seems like the hire BC needs to make. get an up-and-comer, hope he's legit, and have him help the department make big-time strides in the time he's here before he's poached in 4-5 years by a top program. some of the critiques have me scratching my head
"has never run his own department" - Jarmond is the "administrator" of Football, Men's Basketball, Baseball, Men's Golf, Women's Golf, whatever that means. having oversight of the revenue sports at a top 3 athletic department in terms of size/revenue is, in my opinion, comparable with (or superior experience to) running a third-tier program like Miami of Ohio.
"never hired or fired a coach" - is it fair to say the hiring aspect is almost entirely outsourced to these search firms? for better or worse, i'm not sure having a hiring track record is relevant if the market practice is to have search firms present to you a list. also, Bates had "hiring experience" and he hired Jim Christian (and extended him! still makes me LOL!). for BC, Christian should be fired, and the only firing decision he'll have to make will be with respect to Addazio in a year or two.
i'd much prefer taking a chance on a guy than hiring another re-tread like Bates who has "been an AD" at some lower level school but doesn't have the vision or ability to get us out of the cellar.
also, RE: the York successor, that seems like something York should be doing, not the next AD. i'll admit to not being a huge hockey follower/supporter, but i'd imagine York has a cadre of able lieutenants who are assistants (or were, and are now HC elsewhere) and he knows a short list of 2-3 guys who will guide the program once he leaves. the hand-wringing about his replacement seems short-sighted if you assume he'll have a big say in who should take over (as most big-time coaches like York do nowadays anyway).
Disagree. He is a fundraiser with not hiring experience.
Pretty apparent that the headhunter is leaking the names when they get scratched. It is good for the recruit and the hunter since it attaches the person's name to a power 5 job which could make them a client in the future.
This guy would be good if the situation were reversed. We don't need money or involvement in some committee. We need our teams to be better. We need someone who doesn't rely on headhunter ie someone who has his own mind and access to candidates.
We have worst facilities in Power 5 and the ticket out of the cellar is fundraising. Said worst facilities are the reason (we are told) we can't recruit players or good coaches. This guy set records at two schools performing the skill where we need competence.
Also, he played college hoops, I would imagine he knows a good coach when he sees one in that realm.
You have to shake things up. A guy with experience running a department failed last time (Bates). I have no problem with this hire, especially if, as ATL has stated, a more proactive role with the BOT in the future to act as a check and guide. Running an athletic department isn't rocket science and the construction will hardly fall solely on his shoulders, many voices/inputs will express recommendation. This thought that the AD has to be the end all be all is wrong. Put him a spot to raise money and actually work and let the university as a whole assist in major decisions/infrastructure projects. Let's be honest, do you really expect the school to do that much more from an athletic building perspective ? The Rec center, IPF, BB/SB projects are done and basically on auto pilot, can't imagine much more happening. And if it did (renovations to Alumni or Conte) I think you will see the AD work in accord with the administration and hopefully BOT (have them do something instead of sit around and pay each other on the back).
ATL - minor typo: Jarmond nor Larmond (BC of old)
" If Larmond's representatives are leaking to the media prior to a deal being finalized, they are playing with fire"
On this forum , it would appear that no one is capable of being the A.D. Give me a break !!!! So he is young - so he has not hired or fired - I am so sick of this process and so many BC followers( ??? ) expecting the second coming of Christ !!! It is BOSTON COLLEGE and the impression from so many is that every qualified A.D. must be salivating at the chance to join and lead BC. BC will once again be the focus of so many jokes about ineptitude. And what great news - ADDAZIO HAS ALMOST FIGURED OUT A PROCESS FOR THE "SPRING GAME". A "SPRING GAME" has become a challenging decision process . WOW - what next ????/
agreed, Guido.
as compared to the other candidates mentioned (the ND compliance lady, the Seton Hall AD, Mike Dee, Paquette, et al) this guy seems to have the most upside.
ATL/Knucklehead - who is your ideal candidate? if you were father leahy right now, who would you have pursued as the Number 1 Option from day one?
I think Jarmond would be a good hire. It would show a new era and thought process by BC. He is clearly an up and comer and does have good experience at two of the biggest schools in the country. I don't care what ethnicity or gender the new AD is as long as they are good at their job but I do think hiring a minority candidate optically would look good for BC.
I would also agree to an extent that lack of hiring and running a department is a bit troubling. The department is a mess and needs strong leadership. However it also needs a new face, energy and new ideas.
I read an article on Jarmond that spoke about how he has handled future football scheduling for Ohio State and initiative to start selling beer at football games among other creative ideas. Beer at BC will never happen but BC needs similar type thinking.
He would have to hire a strong #2 with possible former AD experience to help him navigate some areas but all in all I think it would be a creative progresive hire. Now if Jarmond is not a strong leader and ends up being a puppet to Leahy then obviously we have issues.
Ultimately the new AD, Jarmond or someone else, has to be able to hire strong coaches. When TOB and Al were at the top of their games in 2000's, BC was selling out both football and basketball games and was a player on the national scene. Since then our coaches in those sports have not been strong hires (Jags included). Good teams drives attendance, drives fundraising, drives facilities, etc. etc.
It all starts with how strong are your major programs and everything else falls in behind that.
Said it yesterday. The Rice, AD and Richmond AD are realistic candidates. The Gladchuck bridge may have been burned but he would be good if you are looking for someone who is effective. He is a dick though.
In the fall I was calling for someone from a big time program who worked with football OR basketball extensively because I think if you fix one then you can get the other fixed. Examples: Northwestern(FB leading to BB), Duke(BB leading to Football), Florida State and Florida(FB to BB).
A good AD can have a huge impact. Example: Wisconsin had basically nothing going(except hockey) before Barry Alvarez.
Understand the skepticism that maybe this hire wont happen but def echo el miz's sentiment if it is the hire.
Is Jim Paquette really a better candidate just because he has hire GG Smith as their basketball coach who has gone 47-76? -- doesn't really make sense to me and point being none of the names floated seem to have an amazing track record with coaching hires.
Nobody wants the job and they are out of Catholic candidates
The only way Jarmond "works out" at BC in its current state is f he has incredible relationships with Urban Meyer and Thad Motta. I mean to the point where they can funnel players that they have recruited but didn't have room to sign and funnel assistant coaches to BC.
That guy isn't going to get any respect from anyone at BC. He played at UNC Wilmington zippy. He is a fundraiser and committee member. He is a "good guy." He hasn't hired anyone and/or had to demand success from anyone.
This is the most important personnel decision the school has made since Jim O'Brien being fired and TOB not being paid an extra $250K a year after taking a degenerate gambling ridden cesspool and turning it into an NFL feeder program.
I would not leave the program in the hands of Martin Jarmond. Right now.
If they hire him I hope he does well. Just doesn't seem like the right fit.
why so hostile to Jarmond, Knuckle? Why so angry and negative?
"That guy isn't going to get any respect from anyone at BC"
Not so. He'll get tons of respect and that will grow as his on-the-job success grows.
Why does he need OSU to help him? He can help himself.
Again. The athletic department needs its mens basketball(womens to a certain extent) and football programs to improve exponentially. In order to do that you need an Athletic Director to analyze the current coaches(including assistants), fire the current coaches and hire new ones. That is what the Athletic Department needs. He doesn't have that experience.
I clearly stated that he has strengths and wish him success if he is hired.
Reading comprehension Mod.
I'm just not sure who exists that would tick off all the boxes of:
Power 5 experience
Experience hiring successful coaches (bonus points for football or basketball hires)
Willing to be hired by BC
I don't know the likelihood of this leak being true, but Jarmond seems to have a lot more upside than any of the other names floating around. I'd rather have a guy hungry to make a name for himself than a retread looking for a soft landing. If Jarmond does get the not, and doesn't accomplish anything here, he just made the rest of his professional life a lot harder.
I look at this a lot like I look at recruiting and and coaching. We don't have the pull to draw in the biggest/strongest/fastest/whatever. Instead, we need the guys with chips on their shoulders and things to prove.
Look around nationally, hiring successful coaches is practically witch craft. How many programs have struck out multiple times? Our past two ADs have done a dreadful job of hiring, and both of them came to BC with experience hiring coaches and both have struck out multiple times.
Knuckle - i guess my disconnect on the hiring is the canidates your are suggesting:
Richmond AD Keith Gill (previously at American) did not hire the current basketball coach at Richmond or the the coach at American during his tenure there. He did hire Russ Huesman to be the Richmond football coach for next year but since he hasn't played a game who knows how that will work out.
Rice AD Joe Karlgaard: Hired Mike Rhoades for basketball who just got hired for VCU. Went 23-12 last year but was 47-52 over this three years and then has promoted Scott Pera as the new HC.
My point being do your preferred candidates really have great hiring experience.
Good schools, have been AD's, this job would be a step up so they are realistic, clean programs seemingly.
They have personnel experience. That is better than none. That experience is paramount to being young and having played bottom end D1 basketball.
Again he has strengths but no experience in what you need. He did focus on football OR basketball it was fundraising and committee contributions, if I recall correctly.
He did not focus on BB or Fball. Excuse me.
It does not appear that a present ad has any interest in coming here, from anywhere that has basketball and football. I even think an ad from the mac is out
BC would make a complete fool out of themselves if they hire this guy. He has no experience. If they want (read Father Leahy) a black A.D., then go out and get one with the proper credentials. I'm warning that the Jesuits have gone "social justice" crazy. The bizarre has become fact. There is no doubt that this rumor has a great deal of validity. The next step would be to hire a woman football coach. When you have a head Jebbie (mod's words not mine)with a liberal philosophy that border's on "One Flew over the Cuckoo's Nest", then expect any action within the realm of "redistribution of wealth" and one world socialism.
That is probably right. Whose fault is that?
Most of these AD types are douchebags. I remember Gene saying he couldnt believe how popular hockey was at BC. He did know when he took the job how important the program was to the university.
. . . Comment was to canttakeit
Jesuits have always been liberal. Do you listen to the pope at all? Why do you think he is the first Jesuit pope?
from his bio "Jarmond is the sport administrator for Football, Men's Basketball, Baseball, Men's Golf, Women's Golf. He is also responsible for football scheduling. "
JBQ - i have no idea what you are ranting about
JBQ - has the acid started to take hold? Maybe Suntrup could be AD now that he's not a Super Bowl winning QB
i'm sort of baffled by the position held by some that one needs AD "experience" - Batesy had that, how'd that work out?
we aren't appointing someone to do brain surgery, being an AD doesn't seem that complicated, and this guy HAS experience at the biggest (or one of the biggest) athletic departments in the country.
knucklehead - the Rice and Richmond recommendations are laughable. we need their big time "i can hire a coach" prowess b/c they hired some no-namers? LOL.
i had never heard of this guy until this AM and know nothing about him beyond what i've Googled, so i don't want to come of as some sort of advocate for him, but he or someone similar to him (IE a young guy who has really excelled in an athletic department) is exactly what BC needs. news flash to those who think we can poach some Power 5 AD away - we are the bottom of the Power 5 barrel. we don't pay well, we are in an expensive city, and we have been losers for almost a decade. this hire requires taking a chance on someone who is a little outside the usual AD box.
Rice and Richmond aren't power 5. Job is a step up. If I am making a must work out hire I am not hiring someone with zero experience in the most important aspect of the job.
That would be laughable. In dark way.
@El Miz: That is the reason for the "search firm". The request was to find candidates with "experience". If Leahy just wanted a black A.D., he could have used word of mouth. He is 37 years old with very little experience. You can also "smell a rat" a mile off. Ohio State is the home of Urban Meyer who is the mentor for the Dazzler. This guy would not fire Addazio.
@Hario: "Experience" and lack thereof and 37 years old. Leahy has bought into the "liberal cheese" left over from Ronald Reagan.
LOL - maybe we should just keep Batesy: BC a step up job (from being jobless), 10+ years of experience as AD with experience in hiring and firing, older than 37, not black or part of Reagan Liberal Cheese, Older than 37, has never hired a woman for football coach. He seems to check all the boxes
Bring back Batsey
El Miz,
Outside of the box? He isn't outside of the box. He is as inside the box as you can get and he would be a good option if were in need of $$(fundraiser) or exposure(scheduler). We need new coaches. He has no experience with personnel as far as I can tell.
You don't make any sense.
"Batesy?" Losers.
ND AND HOLY CROSS FATHERS SEEM DEDICATED TO WINNING
JESUITS AT GONZAGA AND XAVIER DEDICATED TO WINNING.
FATHER MONAN SJ LAUNCHED A GLORIOUS 25 YEARS OF BC ATHLETICS.
WHY IS BC NOT DEDICATED TO EXCELLENCE AND WINNING?????????
DI FLOPPO AND BATES MOTEL TOTAL DISASTERS THE PERSONS RESPONSIBLE SHOULD HAVE NOTHING TO SAY !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
As a conservative, I'm a big believer in the merit system not the quota system. If jarmond's is the best guy for the job , hire him. But I don't want Leahy hiring a minority just to meet some politically correct diversity quota.
Honestly... this would be the first time BC has thought "outside of the box" with regards to Athletics as far back as I can remember. I'm `100% down to take a risk on a potential rising star. Better than a MAC AD, has been, never will be, or midling AD at some other school. Can't be worse than Bates. He has a pretty solid resume.
"We need new coaches. He has no experience with personnel as far as I can tell." says Knucklhead, who proceeds to recommend ADs who have hired loser coaches. go figure.
Reagan Liberal Cheese would be a good band name - have no idea what it means though.
Suntrup for AD - then he could get his "just deserts" for Addazio sinking his career.
El Miz, you don't understand the problem. It is experience vs. lack of it. The recommendations have hired people. The Ohio State guy hasn't. The Richmond football coach isn't a loser and the Rice BB coach turned the program around and upgraded to VCU.
Arrogance and ignorance are a poor combination. Think about a change in thought process.
He has some positives and negatives from an experience standpoint. And without knowing who was contacted and who expressed an interest in the job - its pretty difficult to assess. I would have hoped for an AD from a lower profile school with a record of making solid hires, running a successful program and a reputation as a very demanding AD. I would have put fundraising on the list but not at the top. But it may very well be that there were no interested candidates with the AD experience I would have wanted. I actually hope this was the case as opposed to Leahy being swayed by the guy's demeanor and interviewing prowess rather than his qualifications - as with Bates. We don't need another charmer - we need a hard nosed manager focused on performance. As I have little faith in Leahy's judgment in this area - its hard not to be a bit too skeptical. Having said that - and if this turns out to be the guy - I hope it works out to Leahy's credit and he turns out to be exactly what we needed.
the Richmond football coach is undefeated i suppose.
Well said Nap. "as opposed to Leahy being swayed by the guy's demeanor and interviewing prowess rather than his qualifications - as with Bates. We don't need another charmer - we need a hard nosed manager focused on performance. As I have little faith in Leahy's judgment in this area - its hard not to be a bit too skeptical"
Not well said Knuck: "Arrogance and ignorance are a poor combination. Think about a change in thought process." and "'"Batesy?' Losers" and "Most of these AD types are douchebags"
well said Dannyboy: "I don't know the likelihood of this leak being true, but Jarmond seems to have a lot more upside than any of the other names floating around. I'd rather have a guy hungry to make a name for himself than a retread looking for a soft landing. If Jarmond does get the not, and doesn't accomplish anything here, he just made the rest of his professional life a lot harder."
He won three conference titles in a row at his previous job.
That is the opposite of loser.
he did win three conference titles at Chattanooga... Jim Cristian won conference titles at kent state too...
I just don't get when criticizing the number 2 guy at one of the biggest athletic department in the country (who would would likely be hired there if Gene Smith retired tomorrow) for not having hiring/firing experience you pick as a counter instead the AD from Richmond... who has the grand experience of hiring 1 major coach, only last year, the coach of which has yet to coach a game (so we don't even know if he did a good job at his hiring).
You are making my point. The Richmond AD has experience hiring successful coaches and the Ohio State guy doesn't.
Totally fine with Jarmond.
The original post citing experience with hiring and firing coaches. We are too cheap to hire a sitting AD with those kind of credentials.
Ultimate questions is what was promised to Jarmond as far as financial support. This is the alpha and the omega for BC athletics.
the Richmond AD has experience hiring "successful" coaches? He has hired 1 coach whose record is 0-0. why is he a successful hire????
Think it through.
"Think it through"? a 0-0 record is the one of a successful coach? Did you just not realize the Richmond AD had only made 1 hire (4 months ago) and that coach hasnt coached a game for them yet when you threw out the name?
Truth be told, Bates did hire Donahue who was a successful coach at Cornell. Look how that turned out. I knuckle's view, that would be a successful hire though.
Give it a try Hario . . . thinking it through(try to be self-sufficient). Three conference titles in 4 years is the definition of success. It is obvious that you cannot define someones performance somewhere when they don't have a record, isn't it? It should be. So when he gets canned from Richmond then you can say he wasn't successful. Okay little buddy? Cogitesne?
Any issues with the Rice guy? Was the Basketball coach hire there not good? Or are you really just looking to drum up some shit by harping on the Richmond guy?
DeFilippo hired Donahue not "Batesy". That is the truth, Bravesbill.
Looks like another 5 years of terrible football and basketball teams. WOW!
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