Finalists for AD

[ghostofdylan]

Feb 4, 2013 20:41:17 GMT -6 73withharoldlee said:

(Its) current chancellor sees athletics as an important asset to the life of students and alumni.

I'll believe this when I see it (and yes, I realize that Mike runs The Hill with the basketball team.)

[kingsteve]

Paul

I am with you on that. trust but veriffy...I am uneasy yet based on Lovell backing decision to go back to the KC...modest short term financial gain but huge loss in prestige and motivation. Short term, penny wise, dollar foolish..

[PantherU]

Feb 5, 2013 12:11:20 GMT -6 kingsteve said:

Paul

I am with you on that. trust but veriffy...I am uneasy yet based on Lovell backing decision to go back to the KC...modest short term financial gain but huge loss in prestige and motivation. Short term, penny wise, dollar foolish..

I think he was poorly advised. I don't think Lovell would have made the move on his own, especially if he had proper advice.

[kingsteve]

Jimmy

Probably the case but still .....really horrible decison IMO as it may have saved some modest amount of sheckles in the overall sea of red ink but cure worse than the problem. All this did was further degrade the flagship athletic program, lower our profile and reputation in the media, community, alumni and conference and likely damage recruiting and morale for a good while until either we go back downtown or announce some definitive plans for an alternative to the KC down the line. Speaking of that do you think it is magical thinking to consider the possibility of going back to the Cell while a new arena is being financed and constructed?i

[dutchpthr]

i don't see anyway in which we end up back at the Cell with any kind of deal that would be a benefit to us after the way in which we left and how that seemed to burn a few bridges with the WCD.

I could be wrong but i highly doubt we will be back at the cell next year or after in the capacity that we were before, just don't see businessmen/politicians/university employees swallowing any pride to make a deal work out for us to go back there.

[skrapheap]

i'd support returning to the cell only on the following conditions:

• The current leadership running the District which runs the Cell all resign immediately.
  
• The rent charged to UWM allows the program to at least break even.
  
• UWM has high priority priority for scheduling events, and
  
• Concessions revenue is shared with UWM.
  

The first item might be negotiable

You may say that UWM could never get that sort of deal, given the unceremonious departure. i'd point out that we didn't have that kind of deal before, and wouldn't ever have been given that kind of deal even if we were on the best of terms with the district. They wanted us as a tenant, but only because they could make money from having us as a tenant. And we saw how they would schedule Disney on Ice ahead of a tournament game because they could get more money.

If the only terms we could ever get from them are lousy terms, i don't see any upside in going back. And i maintain that all we could ever have gotten from the existing leadership of the district are lousy terms.

As for the AD, i remember people speaking very highly of Paul Plinske when he was a finalist in an earlier search. (i am sure i am not alone in being surprised that he applied for the position again after being passed over before.) And i have a soft spot for Whitewater, having grown up there. So if they want to offer him the job, i have no problem with that.

[Pantherholic]

Feb 4, 2013 17:37:40 GMT -6 gman2 said:

I can only see Schmidt coming here to use this as a stepping to stone to major level AD position. I don't see him as long term candidate.

Plinske's only 43. If he succceeds here, he could potentially become a candidate for UW when Barry retires. He's no lifer either way.

[GoPanthers33]

My vote is for Plinske.

[gman2]

Feb 5, 2013 17:24:08 GMT -6 skrapheap said:

(i am sure i am not alone in being surprised that he applied for the position again after being passed over before.)

Why. Bo Ryan was passed up for Ric Cobb in his first try for the UWM coaching position.

[nickpanther]

wow. we could have had Bo ryan for 15 years instead of 2 here. imagine the difference in our standing after 15 years of running bo's offense. look how well he has done at Wisconsin. they've never missed the tourney.

[apaladino]

My wish list from whomever is the new AD...

1. A new on campus arena
2. A new coach for men's basketball
3. A Yes or No as to whether football will ever be back

[uwmfansince1997]

Feb 5, 2013 21:25:43 GMT -6 nickpanther said:

wow. we could have had Bo ryan for 15 years instead of 2 here. imagine the difference in our standing after 15 years of running bo's offense. look how well he has done at Wisconsin. they've never missed the tourney.

Don't forget the cardinal rule of a BCS conf. That's the luxury of getting the cream of the crop before the hyphenated schools, as it pertains to recruiting. It all starts with the coaches culture, but it sure doesn't hurt to have great blue chip recruits here and there.

[PJD]

Your chancellor really does care about sports. Likely more than any other we've had in a while. I've talked with him enough times to be comfortable saying this. Caring includes the short term pain of getting the program out of the red. We simply could not continue to operate the way we were at the cell. These decisions were not short sighted. There's no lack of hard work and trying here. He put a lot of thought into the Costello deal and that did not work out. I'm sure Mike (now with Andy) are working hard on this decision. I have not talked to him lately so have no idea on what they are thinking on these candidates.

[73withharoldlee]

The campus is dealing with crunch, i. e. space. Most outsiders don't realize the logistic problems that exist at UWM. An arena is needed not just for basketball but to sell other attractions to enhance the student life at the university. Everyone knows this but how is it accomplished. It seems Mr. Geiger to understands this and is looking at options that can work but they need community support even beyond Milwaukee. The University is expanding to Downtown, Wauwatosa, and to the South Side of the city. The Athletic Department becomes an integral piece of the puzzle that is called UWM, or Milwaukee U. This is far beyond whether Jeter is here for 4 more years. The next AD needs to have a vision and motivation to get it done.

[PantherU]

On football, this is what I'd like the new AD's answer to be:

"Football will only happen on mandate from students and alumni. That mandate has to come in the form of tens of millions of dollars of up front commitment in addition to a steep annual funding. Football will not come from my office. I plan to work with what I have, which is the best program in the Horizon League."