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  • TAMUK looking for a new AD.

    I'm surprised this hasn't been posted yet. Off to Delaware State Gines goes,

    http://javelinaathletics.com/news/20...to-an-end.aspx


    I hope President Tallant, as one of his last duties before he retires later this year, appoints an AD who has a strong football program slant on his/her resume. If is no secret, the TAMUK program is falling further and further behind facilities wise compared to our counterparts in the LSC and whether some recognize it or not, it has an effect. I think a portion of our fan/alumni base do not understand that in today's age, "bling" is a major selling point to recruits whether we like it or not. That's not to say other sports should be shortchanged with support and in fact I think baseball needs a similar shot in the arm as far as facilities go. Imagine the giant leap that program will make if we could get some indoor batting cages, a locker facility on the baseball grounds, etc.

    The new AD needs to formulate a capital campaign that is entirely separate from the any others going on a campus. The model others have used successfully to engage stakeholders and generate excitement needs to be utilized. I really feel despite hiring a good coach in Wilkerson, the program as whole has been let down the last few years and it's very apparent with declining attendance, etc. Furthermore we need someone who realizes we just can't rely on history to get us through any down years which happen in almost every program. That's not to say history should not be ignored. But if you can't show a prospect some RECENT history with serious playoff runs and players getting NFL offers, all of the NAIA banners from the day are not going to convince them to play down here. The formula is not working and hasn't worked for over a decade now. Our friends at Commerce figured that out and got aggressive on all fronts and they got a brand new shiny trophy in their trophy case.

  • #2
    Re: TAMUK looking for a new AD.

    Originally posted by LSC Fan View Post
    I'm surprised this hasn't been posted yet. Off to Delaware State Gines goes,

    http://javelinaathletics.com/news/20...to-an-end.aspx


    I hope President Tallant, as one of his last duties before he retires later this year, appoints an AD who has a strong football program slant on his/her resume. If is no secret, the TAMUK program is falling further and further behind facilities wise compared to our counterparts in the LSC and whether some recognize it or not, it has an effect. I think a portion of our fan/alumni base do not understand that in today's age, "bling" is a major selling point to recruits whether we like it or not. That's not to say other sports should be shortchanged with support and in fact I think baseball needs a similar shot in the arm as far as facilities go. Imagine the giant leap that program will make if we could get some indoor batting cages, a locker facility on the baseball grounds, etc.

    The new AD needs to formulate a capital campaign that is entirely separate from the any others going on a campus. The model others have used successfully to engage stakeholders and generate excitement needs to be utilized. I really feel despite hiring a good coach in Wilkerson, the program as whole has been let down the last few years and it's very apparent with declining attendance, etc. Furthermore we need someone who realizes we just can't rely on history to get us through any down years which happen in almost every program. That's not to say history should not be ignored. But if you can't show a prospect some RECENT history with serious playoff runs and players getting NFL offers, all of the NAIA banners from the day are not going to convince them to play down here. The formula is not working and hasn't worked for over a decade now. Our friends at Commerce figured that out and got aggressive on all fronts and they got a brand new shiny trophy in their trophy case.
    Hopefully, TAMUK will be smarter in their hires for a new Prez and a new AD than Chicago State. The school is dire straits of closing the doors and the morons hire an ex NFL player with no experience for AD for millions of $$ they don't have and a Lawyer for Prez with no experience to run university. Probably run it straight into the ground. Illinois University system is in a worse mess than Louisiana.

    As for as some of comments of TAMUK needed upgrades, I can tell you that I know for a fact several athletes have went elsewhere after visiting the campus. And that's just the small circle that I am in. I presently know of two that are there right now competing but not in football. Make that one the other transferred I was just told. Also, your cricket fields are going to have to take a back seat to Prairie View A&M. LMAO. :laugh: They are going to build 84 fields for what reason I have no idea other than to be the largest in the US.

    Comment


    • #3
      Originally posted by Techster88 View Post
      Hopefully, TAMUK will be smarter in their hires for a new Prez and a new AD than Chicago State. The school is dire straits of closing the doors and the morons hire an ex NFL player with no experience for AD for millions of $$ they don't have and a Lawyer for Prez with no experience to run university. Probably run it straight into the ground. Illinois University system is in a worse mess than Louisiana.

      As for as some of comments of TAMUK needed upgrades, I can tell you that I know for a fact several athletes have went elsewhere after visiting the campus. And that's just the small circle that I am in. I presently know of two that are there right now competing but not in football. Make that one the other transferred I was just told. Also, your cricket fields are going to have to take a back seat to Prairie View A&M. LMAO. :laugh: They are going to build 84 fields for what reason I have no idea other than to be the largest in the US.

      Comment


      • #4
        Re: TAMUK looking for a new AD.

        Originally posted by Techster88 View Post
        Hopefully, TAMUK will be smarter in their hires for a new Prez and a new AD than Chicago State. The school is dire straits of closing the doors and the morons hire an ex NFL player with no experience for AD for millions of $$ they don't have and a Lawyer for Prez with no experience to run university. Probably run it straight into the ground. Illinois University system is in a worse mess than Louisiana.

        As for as some of comments of TAMUK needed upgrades, I can tell you that I know for a fact several athletes have went elsewhere after visiting the campus. And that's just the small circle that I am in. I presently know of two that are there right now competing but not in football. Make that one the other transferred I was just told. Also, your cricket fields are going to have to take a back seat to Prairie View A&M. LMAO. :laugh: They are going to build 84 fields for what reason I have no idea other than to be the largest in the US.
        84 acres, 12-14 fields and its a private developer, not the university

        Link to article
        Who was the first person to look at a cow and say, "I think I'll squeeze these dangly things here, and drink whatever comes out?"

        Comment


        • #5
          Re: TAMUK looking for a new AD.

          Originally posted by JavsFan View Post
          84 acres, 12-14 fields and its a private developer, not the university

          Link to article
          LMAO. Just goes to show how much I know about it. I saw the 84 and assumed as I was driving by. I do believe there is some connection to PVAMU even if not stated according to some A&M folks. Whose bright idea to build this in the middle of nowhere is beyond my comprehension?!?!?

          Comment


          • #6
            Re: TAMUK looking for a new AD.

            Originally posted by Techster88 View Post
            LMAO. Just goes to show how much I know about it. I saw the 84 and assumed as I was driving by. I do believe there is some connection to PVAMU even if not stated according to some A&M folks. Whose bright idea to build this in the middle of nowhere is beyond my comprehension?!?!?

            Tech Grad! :laugh:

            Comment


            • #7
              Re: TAMUK looking for a new AD.

              Originally posted by LSC Fan View Post
              I'm surprised this hasn't been posted yet. Off to Delaware State Gines goes,

              http://javelinaathletics.com/news/20...to-an-end.aspx


              I hope President Tallant, as one of his last duties before he retires later this year, appoints an AD who has a strong football program slant on his/her resume. If is no secret, the TAMUK program is falling further and further behind facilities wise compared to our counterparts in the LSC and whether some recognize it or not, it has an effect. I think a portion of our fan/alumni base do not understand that in today's age, "bling" is a major selling point to recruits whether we like it or not. That's not to say other sports should be shortchanged with support and in fact I think baseball needs a similar shot in the arm as far as facilities go. Imagine the giant leap that program will make if we could get some indoor batting cages, a locker facility on the baseball grounds, etc.

              The new AD needs to formulate a capital campaign that is entirely separate from the any others going on a campus. The model others have used successfully to engage stakeholders and generate excitement needs to be utilized. I really feel despite hiring a good coach in Wilkerson, the program as whole has been let down the last few years and it's very apparent with declining attendance, etc. Furthermore we need someone who realizes we just can't rely on history to get us through any down years which happen in almost every program. That's not to say history should not be ignored. But if you can't show a prospect some RECENT history with serious playoff runs and players getting NFL offers, all of the NAIA banners from the day are not going to convince them to play down here. The formula is not working and hasn't worked for over a decade now. Our friends at Commerce figured that out and got aggressive on all fronts and they got a brand new shiny trophy in their trophy case.
              I think the new AD at TAMUK has to have an appreciation for the past and a plan to connect with the community. If I'm the new AD, here are some of the things I'm going to try and find out even before I get started.

              1. What's working? No point in reinventing the wheel. What was done under the previous administration that really resonated with the community?

              2. How are we connecting with young families - the ones in our area and the ones across South Texas? Are we connecting our student-athletes directly with elementary students in the area and giving them a reason to support our players?

              3. Are we leaning on the brand at the expense of the individuals? While no one coach or student-athlete is bigger than the program, are there opportunities for our student-athletes to make real connections in the community?

              4. Are we serving the community? How many community service hours are our student-athletes putting together?

              At the end of the day, if you're investing in student-athlete experience and connecting the student-athletes (your program's best ambassadors) with the community around them, that'll boost your bottom line donation-wise. And I think that becomes your springboard into bigger major gifts and the like. Another thing to consider is what you can do to partner with the academic side of campus and open these projects up to other sources of money? Can a larger investment benefit more than just athletics? One of the things we've done at ATU that is really pretty cool was purchase a mobile production trailer. We used it to stream our football games last year, and the production crew was all students. Our broadcast journalism program now has a mobile production trailer that they can take anywhere, and this year the belief is that all of our games broadcast through the trailer - and any remote broadcasts they use the trailer for will kick right back to our campus television station and go out on the local cable system. That's a great benefit, but what's REALLY great for the kids is they're getting training on industry-standard equipment producing a live sporting event. That was the selling point. A curriculum could be built around that. Are there other projects that could have tangible benefits for other areas on campus too?

              To be successful, the next AD is going to have to be a big-picture thinker. In some ways, it's easier for an AD to take a job at a school without a strong history - no history, no expectations. That's not the case in Kingsville - and as you know there is an arms race in the league when it comes to facilities, staffing, etc.

              The wild card is what happens at TAMUCC. If they hire an AD who has some serious chops, it's going to have an impact on the bottom line in Kingsville. That's a big if given their track record. But if Kingsville gets someone who will aggressively go after Corpus Christi, and can package the program as a regional presence rather than a Kleberg County one, then there's some real opportunity to connect with a larger audience, to build a wider base of support, and potentially tap into a larger amount of corporate money as well.

              Bottom line... TAMUK is a gold mine, in my view. There are a lot of D2 programs that would kill for that tradition and level of alumni support. If the new AD can be true to that and successfully build the next generation of supporters, there's no limit to how high that program can go.

              Comment


              • #8
                Re: TAMUK looking for a new AD.

                Originally posted by oldweevil View Post
                I think the new AD at TAMUK has to have an appreciation for the past and a plan to connect with the community. If I'm the new AD, here are some of the things I'm going to try and find out even before I get started.

                1. What's working? No point in reinventing the wheel. What was done under the previous administration that really resonated with the community?

                2. How are we connecting with young families - the ones in our area and the ones across South Texas? Are we connecting our student-athletes directly with elementary students in the area and giving them a reason to support our players?

                3. Are we leaning on the brand at the expense of the individuals? While no one coach or student-athlete is bigger than the program, are there opportunities for our student-athletes to make real connections in the community?

                4. Are we serving the community? How many community service hours are our student-athletes putting together?

                At the end of the day, if you're investing in student-athlete experience and connecting the student-athletes (your program's best ambassadors) with the community around them, that'll boost your bottom line donation-wise. And I think that becomes your springboard into bigger major gifts and the like. Another thing to consider is what you can do to partner with the academic side of campus and open these projects up to other sources of money? Can a larger investment benefit more than just athletics? One of the things we've done at ATU that is really pretty cool was purchase a mobile production trailer. We used it to stream our football games last year, and the production crew was all students. Our broadcast journalism program now has a mobile production trailer that they can take anywhere, and this year the belief is that all of our games broadcast through the trailer - and any remote broadcasts they use the trailer for will kick right back to our campus television station and go out on the local cable system. That's a great benefit, but what's REALLY great for the kids is they're getting training on industry-standard equipment producing a live sporting event. That was the selling point. A curriculum could be built around that. Are there other projects that could have tangible benefits for other areas on campus too?

                To be successful, the next AD is going to have to be a big-picture thinker. In some ways, it's easier for an AD to take a job at a school without a strong history - no history, no expectations. That's not the case in Kingsville - and as you know there is an arms race in the league when it comes to facilities, staffing, etc.

                The wild card is what happens at TAMUCC. If they hire an AD who has some serious chops, it's going to have an impact on the bottom line in Kingsville. That's a big if given their track record. But if Kingsville gets someone who will aggressively go after Corpus Christi, and can package the program as a regional presence rather than a Kleberg County one, then there's some real opportunity to connect with a larger audience, to build a wider base of support, and potentially tap into a larger amount of corporate money as well.

                Bottom line... TAMUK is a gold mine, in my view. There are a lot of D2 programs that would kill for that tradition and level of alumni support. If the new AD can be true to that and successfully build the next generation of supporters, there's no limit to how high that program can go.
                Very interesting perspective and some I agree with. I would swear by this you might be interested in the job!

                I don't think the program as whole lacks in the community engagement part of all this. In fact the program has received numerous awards for their community involvement over the years since the NCAA and others have been recognizing and encouraging it,

                I do think we could use the benefit of an outsider to come in and shake the tree if you will and educate the establishment on how the landscape has changed as far as the marketing the program (football in particular) with a huge part of that having to be focused on student athlete now vs the public, alumni base, media, etc. I read too much of our "propaganda" if you will about having some of the best facilities in D2 football and maybe 20 years ago that was true, but not today. Not by a long shot. But that is the bubble some people chose to live in along with the playoff and championship runs of decades ago. Kind of reminds me of the fan base and administration at the University of Nebraska after their program went through some turbulence and even people in the media were telling them you can't just rest on your history to get you through this. I mean they blamed everyone including the University of Texas for being a "bully" in the Big 12 , but that excuse expiration date has come and gone ( Take note Aggy) . They still haven't gotten clue yet in Lincoln.

                I kind of disagree with what you say about how A&M Corpus effects TAMUK currently regardless of whom they hire at AD. They have their own issues with their bread and butter sport being basketball. If they suddenly started a football program, then it would get interesting around here. A&M CC kind of screwed the pooch with basketball be wedding themselves to an arena that is some 20 or more minutes from campus and the major concentration of off campus apartments. They do play a few games in the health center on campus, but it's no bigger than the average Class 5A or 6A high school gym. The only time they get close to filling that 10k seat arena is when they play a power conference team which is rare. The rest of the time they are lucky to get 500 in paid attendance and the optics on TV look horrible. The new AD should really push for an on campus arena of scale for the basketball and volleyball programs.

                The wild card is this... If A&M CC gets an AD ,who while looking through some dusty files at the end of Ocean Drive, discovered they once promised the Southland Conference they would study and possibly start a football program, suddenly said let's give this some consideration and in became a reality. The program down in Kingsville would really take a back page especially if they did it right compared to how they did the basketball program. New stadium near campus with all the bling... Yes it would be a nightmare for Kingsville if the status quo remains.

                Comment


                • #9
                  Re: TAMUK looking for a new AD.

                  Originally posted by LSC Fan View Post
                  Very interesting perspective and some I agree with. I would swear by this you might be interested in the job!

                  I don't think the program as whole lacks in the community engagement part of all this. In fact the program has received numerous awards for their community involvement over the years since the NCAA and others have been recognizing and encouraging it,

                  I do think we could use the benefit of an outsider to come in and shake the tree if you will and educate the establishment on how the landscape has changed as far as the marketing the program (football in particular) with a huge part of that having to be focused on student athlete now vs the public, alumni base, media, etc. I read too much of our "propaganda" if you will about having some of the best facilities in D2 football and maybe 20 years ago that was true, but not today. Not by a long shot. But that is the bubble some people chose to live in along with the playoff and championship runs of decades ago. Kind of reminds me of the fan base and administration at the University of Nebraska after their program went through some turbulence and even people in the media were telling them you can't just rest on your history to get you through this. I mean they blamed everyone including the University of Texas for being a "bully" in the Big 12 , but that excuse expiration date has come and gone ( Take note Aggy) . They still haven't gotten clue yet in Lincoln.

                  I kind of disagree with what you say about how A&M Corpus effects TAMUK currently regardless of whom they hire at AD. They have their own issues with their bread and butter sport being basketball. If they suddenly started a football program, then it would get interesting around here. A&M CC kind of screwed the pooch with basketball be wedding themselves to an arena that is some 20 or more minutes from campus and the major concentration of off campus apartments. They do play a few games in the health center on campus, but it's no bigger than the average Class 5A or 6A high school gym. The only time they get close to filling that 10k seat arena is when they play a power conference team which is rare. The rest of the time they are lucky to get 500 in paid attendance and the optics on TV look horrible. The new AD should really push for an on campus arena of scale for the basketball and volleyball programs.

                  The wild card is this... If A&M CC gets an AD ,who while looking through some dusty files at the end of Ocean Drive, discovered they once promised the Southland Conference they would study and possibly start a football program, suddenly said let's give this some consideration and in became a reality. The program down in Kingsville would really take a back page especially if they did it right compared to how they did the basketball program. New stadium near campus with all the bling... Yes it would be a nightmare for Kingsville if the status quo remains.
                  Well... it'd be an attractive job!

                  One question I'd have on the community engagement piece - is it mostly being done locally or is it something that has taken a more regional view? That I don't know.

                  I think my main point about TAMUCC is that from a marketing standpoint, I don't know how much closer to a real "identity" they are than they were 15 years ago when I was on that campus. In a lot of ways they've only now replaced Ronnie Arrow. But I do agree with you, that empty arena is cavernous. As tough a place as the old Memorial Coliseum was (and I have some fond memories of that building), it had character and it could be loud... I think the challenge has to be filling the on-campus arena first and saving the "big games" for downtown. If they can outgrow the on-campus gym, then they might have something...

                  I think the football thing is a non-starter there to be honest. They'd have to come up with so much more money in order to make it happen, and I'm just not seeing it. Their staff salaries largely take a backseat to the LSC schools. I don't see them coming up with the funding, although that's just my own guess.

                  That said, I think that if they don't take an aggressive step forward with their hire, there is a lot of opportunity for a school like TAMUK to leverage (and grow) football, and by connection, the other sports. There is a lot of opportunity there and I think TAMUK can fill a void in the south Texas market that TAMUCC just isn't doing.

                  Comment


                  • #10
                    Re: TAMUK looking for a new AD.

                    Originally posted by oldweevil View Post
                    Well... it'd be an attractive job!

                    One question I'd have on the community engagement piece - is it mostly being done locally or is it something that has taken a more regional view? That I don't know.

                    I think my main point about TAMUCC is that from a marketing standpoint, I don't know how much closer to a real "identity" they are than they were 15 years ago when I was on that campus. In a lot of ways they've only now replaced Ronnie Arrow. But I do agree with you, that empty arena is cavernous. As tough a place as the old Memorial Coliseum was (and I have some fond memories of that building), it had character and it could be loud... I think the challenge has to be filling the on-campus arena first and saving the "big games" for downtown. If they can outgrow the on-campus gym, then they might have something...

                    I think the football thing is a non-starter there to be honest. They'd have to come up with so much more money in order to make it happen, and I'm just not seeing it. Their staff salaries largely take a backseat to the LSC schools. I don't see them coming up with the funding, although that's just my own guess.

                    That said, I think that if they don't take an aggressive step forward with their hire, there is a lot of opportunity for a school like TAMUK to leverage (and grow) football, and by connection, the other sports. There is a lot of opportunity there and I think TAMUK can fill a void in the south Texas market that TAMUCC just isn't doing.
                    Based on what I've seen on the community engagement part, I think at TAMUK they try to engage the immediate local area (Kingsville and nearby areas) because the need is there. But they do engage on a regional scale too when it warrants. Case in point when a disaster of some sort strikes like Harvey. However it might not make the news like it should because frankly the local newspaper is shadow of its former self and TV news is more commercials than ever it seems, so even slots that were saved for human interest stories are smaller if available at all these days.

                    I don't things have changed much since you left A&M CC. They really haven't done a good job marketing themselves to region as whole on the athletic side of the coin. At least with TAMUK and football, the coaches have camps at multiple locations in the region and even in the RGV. High School baseball is a big time draw here in the Corpus area with multiple programs having state hardware in their trophy cases and state tourney appearences. My son played on one of those teams and not once did we hear of A&M CC putting on camps or making their facility available for playoff games or summer league ball. And maybe only one of his former classmates/teammates even got a serious offer from A&M CC while other ended up at colleges all over the state or even out of state to play ball. Plus their current coach made the mistake when he was hired of recruiting the the DFW area where he was from vs his new front yard. He's played catch up on that, but not before some damage was done. They've done the same with some of the other sports too where they've bypassed some quality local talent who wanted to stay home and a few even went to TAMUK over going to a fellow Southland school.

                    I agree with your thinking on the football thing at the end of the day. It would take a big time effort to get it done and by someone who was interested in putting in a careers worth of hours and burning shoe leather to get it done. They thing is there is a lot of untapped resources here in Corpus that could help get it done. The oil and refining market is good and some of those larger companies and related industries are willing to write checks again where as a a couple of years ago they had to put their checkbooks up so they could just meet payroll and operating expenses.
                    Last edited by LSC Fan; 06-12-2018, 07:23 PM.

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