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Post by notsofast on Aug 6, 2018 13:07:12 GMT -5
Here's a fun hypothetical for everybody out there:
You're named Interim Athletic Director at GWU with a one-year tenure. In that year, you have to accomplish the following tasks:
1) Replace two current coaches (bonus points if you can name who you'd hire to replace them)
2) Lock down two coaches with long-term contracts
3) Launch one big targeted fundraising initiative
4) Make one miscellaneous change of your choosing (can be as simple as another coaching move, creation of a new position, change of conference, etc)
Who would you replace? Who would you lock down? What would you fundraise toward? What change would you make?
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Post by gwebb1994 on Aug 6, 2018 20:33:52 GMT -5
First, an immediate drop to D3 in football. Stop the charade of fielding a subpar FCS program. Our current facilities and lack of full scholarships are glaring reminders of the lack of commitment to being a serious factor at the FCS level. Take the big $$$ saved and take half of it and use it to bring all of our other sports up to appropriate funding and operating levels for a D1 program. Take the other half and put it in the general fund of G-W to help stabilize the institution financially. That way, a major fundraiser could be moved down to be more constructive after the move was completed. Bringing all the other sports up to correct funding levels would cause improvement on the field, and thus, would make fundraising easier after the move down was done.
Now replacements, assuming that the above took place and all sports were properly funded...
Stroupe and McCray are gone.
For Stroupe, first call I make is to Mike Jones (1993 GW alum) at Tusculum in Jefferson City. He has been there forever and is now their AD as well. It would take a lot to pry him away, maybe offer him an assistant/associate AD slot in addition to his HC duties. Second call if he says no is to Tampa, FL to longtime U of Tampa assistant Sam Militello. He's been the top assistant and pitching coach at the D2 power for 18 years. In those 18 years, he has had 32 pitchers alone selected in the MLB draft. If somehow we could pry him away from his alma mater, the minute he steps on campus G-W baseball obtains credibility it has never had in its' D1 history. If those two fall through, a third call would be Michael Lowman, top assistant at D2 power Catawba, a HPU grad with some knowledge of the BSC.
For McCray, with the classification move, I would look at three possibles in no particular order....(1) Steve Spence, longtime OC at D3 power Washington & Jefferson in Pennsylvania, (2) Brendan O'Brien, 10 year DC at Washington & Lee in Virginia, a solid D3 program and (3) Rich Duncan, DC at Berry, who helped build the program from scratch in 2013 up to D3 contender status, was a previous D3 HC at Aurora, Illinois. All three of these names are solid, not necessarily flashy, but would know how a D3 program is properly operated and how it is to function. If you want a local wild card to get local enthusiasm back behind the G-W program, then Lance Ware at Shelby High would be the obvious choice.
Lock up any coach to long term deals? Any deal would have to include a huge buyout so when a higher up D1 school comes calling to poach the coach, G-W can reap some coin in the process. Does any coach deserve it? Extend Craft 4 years and see what happens. Outside of him, nobody. The new women's coach on paper seems like she will win quickly here, but I wouldn't extend her until after she has a year or two on her resume.
Miscellaneous change? Easy. With the money saved from the move to D3, properly create and fund a proper marketing department for the GW athletic program. One that can get the greater Cleveland-Rutherford County area excited about having a Division 1 athletic program right in their backyard. This would help in any fundraising efforts as well. The one major target for fundraising would be a new modern basketball-only arena, giving Porter Arena to Volleyball and Wrestling. This modern arena would need to be operated with vision, to not just host GW hoops games, but also local events, drawing other sports, concerts, etc. to campus. Also, only allow basketball-related banners to hang in it. Seeing banners from all sports in Porter Arena reeks of a high-school mentality.
Overall, get the hell out of the D2/NAIA mindset for the operation of the program as a whole. Act like you are in D1 and belong for a change. Stop the cornpone and cheap promotion of your program, act professional, be professional.
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Post by Doc on Aug 7, 2018 14:46:24 GMT -5
There is no D3 in football. There is FCS non-scholarship football, which isn't a viable option for this place (nor PC, which they'll find out soon enough). The trumpeting of money saved is overblown.
You aren't saving 60-63 scholarships. The majority of Pioneer League schools are spending 40-50 scholarships worth of institutional money on their football programs. Jacksonville and San Diego, according to most who are familiar with that league, are spending more than that. Nobody is coming to play football at Gardner-Webb for books and cleats anymore. Ship has sailed. You also lose 60+ scholarships worth of NCAA supplemental money, which is a six-figure loss. Add an additional $400,000+ in annual travel and negate what should be $500,000+ worth of FBS guarantee money annually in coming years. It's not enough savings to make such a drastic move. There is an anti-football crowd at GWU, but the numbers range from 2-3 folks. Not surprising that I've always been told one of that small number is a source for the above poster. Who knows. I'm sure that's only a rumor.
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Post by gwebb1994 on Aug 7, 2018 18:23:34 GMT -5
No D3 in football? Go ask the folk up at Mount Union in Ohio about it and get back with me.
I wasn't referring to FCS nonscholly in the Pioneer League, I meant a pure D3 move, play football in the USA South Conference where Brevard ended up for example.
And my great 'sources' as you call them are far from anti-football. They, like anyone with half a pulse, realize the financial distress GW is in. Mothballing football completely is an asinine idea, playing it at a level where it doesn't bleed massive amounts of money is not.
The days of big $500K payouts are dwindling. The FBS power five are going to start playing amongst themselves more, and those games will be few and far between. Anybody know how much Appy is offering us to be their scrimmage opponent this fall, maybe $150K or so?
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Post by gwujake08 on Aug 7, 2018 20:28:30 GMT -5
150 K is nothing to sneeze as for the first thing I would do is work on retention. That's our biggest problem IMO
Agreed, not just athletically, but on the academic side as well. Of course, all schools now are in the battle to sell their brand against all of these online schools such as WGU, U Phoenix, etc. A totally different dynamic.
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Post by notsofast on Aug 7, 2018 23:22:51 GMT -5
Want to take a shot at the hypothetical scenario Jake? I’m curious to hear your opinion.
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Post by gwebb1994 on Aug 8, 2018 17:46:43 GMT -5
Want to take a shot at the hypothetical scenario Jake? I’m curious to hear your opinion. He likely doesn't want to risk losing his press pass and access to pregame buffets.  |
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Post by winthropeaglefan on Aug 9, 2018 12:58:23 GMT -5
No D3 in football? Go ask the folk up at Mount Union in Ohio about it and get back with me. I wasn't referring to FCS nonscholly in the Pioneer League, I meant a pure D3 move, play football in the USA South Conference where Brevard ended up for example. And my great 'sources' as you call them are far from anti-football. They, like anyone with half a pulse, realize the financial distress GW is in. Mothballing football completely is an asinine idea, playing it at a level where it doesn't bleed massive amounts of money is not. The days of big $500K payouts are dwindling. The FBS power five are going to start playing amongst themselves more, and those games will be few and far between. Anybody know how much Appy is offering us to be their scrimmage opponent this fall, maybe $150K or so? But you can't play D3 football and D1 in everything else. You'd have to have everything in D3 if you move football out of D1. |
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Post by gwebb1994 on Aug 9, 2018 18:00:43 GMT -5
No D3 in football? Go ask the folk up at Mount Union in Ohio about it and get back with me. I wasn't referring to FCS nonscholly in the Pioneer League, I meant a pure D3 move, play football in the USA South Conference where Brevard ended up for example. And my great 'sources' as you call them are far from anti-football. They, like anyone with half a pulse, realize the financial distress GW is in. Mothballing football completely is an asinine idea, playing it at a level where it doesn't bleed massive amounts of money is not. The days of big $500K payouts are dwindling. The FBS power five are going to start playing amongst themselves more, and those games will be few and far between. Anybody know how much Appy is offering us to be their scrimmage opponent this fall, maybe $150K or so? But you can't play D3 football and D1 in everything else. You'd have to have everything in D3 if you move football out of D1. Hypothetical WEF. I know good and well none of this will happen. Heck, we'll likely extend our football coach. The key to the future is the hire put in the President's chair. If it's a G-W good old boy, the whole institution will go bankrupt. |
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Post by dawgdad on Aug 15, 2018 18:58:24 GMT -5
My Fun Hypothetical:
1) Stroupe and the tennis coach. New blood on the block, a fresh start. Send a clear message - lifers with underachieving records need to pack up.
2) Craft and the Wrestling Coach.
3) Actually fully fund a position/staff at GWU charged with alumni and Bulldog Club outreach. A pro with experience and a track record to lead the goal-oriented efforts! Our current situation is a complete joke.
4) Ever been on Campus on a Saturday morning? See the soccer kids, refs, Dads, and of course Moms, ALL OVER THE PLACE!!!!! Outreach to Cleveland County he wants??? Turn this nice gesture of giving field time into a full-blown effort to make GWU a DESTINATION for this insanely popular activity. Its right there for the taking. And build a couple camp Motels near campus.
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Post by garbageman80 on Nov 3, 2018 9:35:20 GMT -5
Everyone on here saying D3 is what we should drop to isn't thinking this through rationally. D2 would seem feasible but rather than leave D1 GW could leave the Big South Conference and go play non scholarship football in the Pioneer Football League! The only issue with that is what do you do about Basketball and other sports because the Big South I don't think will allow partial members but I may be wrong. If GW leaves D1 it should be for D2 not D3 I can't name 1 school that has ever done that and I don't think that's the answer to the proverbial problems surrounding Football and other athletics but it's just an opinion nothing more!
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Post by garbageman80 on Nov 3, 2018 9:37:10 GMT -5
My Fun Hypothetical: 1) Stroupe and the tennis coach. New blood on the block, a fresh start. Send a clear message - lifers with underachieving records need to pack up. 2) Craft and the Wrestling Coach. 3) Actually fully fund a position/staff at GWU charged with alumni and Bulldog Club outreach. A pro with experience and a track record to lead the goal-oriented efforts! Our current situation is a complete joke. 4) Ever been on Campus on a Saturday morning? See the soccer kids, refs, Dads, and of course Moms, ALL OVER THE PLACE!!!!! Outreach to Cleveland County he wants??? Turn this nice gesture of giving field time into a full-blown effort to make GWU a DESTINATION for this insanely popular activity. Its right there for the taking. And build a couple camp Motels near campus. I agree Dawgdad there does need to be changes from top to bottom! |
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