Changes in UWM Athletic Department

[mcdadenets50]

Is this the "she" referred to here:

uwmfreak.proboards5.com/index.cgi?board=Blow&action=display&n=1&thread=3791&page=2


D'Abbraccio Leaving UWM For Mount Mary

Will become AD at northwest side school

Dec. 11, 2006

MILWAUKEE - University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee Associate Athletic Director Deanna D'Abbraccio has resigned her position to accept the post of athletic director at Mount Mary College, UWM Athletic Director Bud Haidet announced today.

D'Abbraccio has been a member of the UWM athletic staff since 1989 and was promoted to associate athletic director in 2000.

"Deanna has played a significant role in the growth and success of our athletic program during her tenure at UWM," Haidet said. "The position of athletic director at Mount Mary is a great opportunity for her and we wish her great success as she helps that athletic program grow."

Mount Mary is a four-year, women's liberal arts college located on Milwaukee's northwest side. The school currently offers five sports and has been granted provisional membership for NCAA Division III competition. Plus, the school recently opened a new recreation and athletics facility on campus.

"It's been a pleasure to be a part of the growth and successes of UWM athletics over the past 16 years," D'Abbraccio said. "I will truly miss our outstanding student-athletes and staff and the many friends and colleagues on campus with whom I've had the privilege of working. The opening of the Pavilion last January was a highlight of my tenure, as was the graduation of our student-athletes. I look forward to the new challenge of becoming the director of athletics at Mount Mary College."

D'Abbraccio originally joined the staff in Milwaukee as the NCAA compliance coordinator and academic advisor. She became an assistant athletic director and the Senior Woman Administrator in 1996 before becoming associate athletic director in 2000. Her areas of responsibilities at UWM included sport supervision, academic enhancement, student-athlete welfare and CHAMPS/Life Skills, as well as the strength and conditioning and sports medicine programs. She also helped coordinate the Klotsche Center addition project, with the Pavilion opening in January of 2006.

D'Abbraccio served as an administrative liaison for various sports committees within the Horizon League and worked as tournament director for a number of Horizon League Championships held at UWM.

Nationally, she has been a member of the NCAA national advisory committee for the CHAMPS/Life Skills program and a member of two Division I NCAA certification peer review teams. She has contributed to the programming of the NCAA regional rules compliance seminars and has been a site representative for the NCAA Women's Basketball Committee for the first and second rounds of the NCAA Tournament.

[milwsport]

All the best Deanna. Thanks for a job well done

[uwmfan]

....one hurdle taken away for Bud and his next move. Next will be Kathy Litzau adding administrative duties to her resume.

[nighthawk]

What move of Bud's are you referring to? Are you implying his departure, or his plans to move the programs forward?

[uwmfan]

Bud will be naming his own successor upon his retirement. I do not know when this will take place, but would anticipate in the next 2-3 years (purely speculation, but know it's been discussed w/in the department) and the person he expects to name has been told to several within the department.

I think Bud has done many good things to help the department. However, there are a number of personnel issues that I will not get into on this board that have been blown.

[dylanrocks]

I have some major trepidation about the changes that are about to be made. There's still too much defeatist attitude inside the department. There aren't enough outreach efforts to the students, for one. Too many things to discuss in a single post. In short, this program shouldn't be treated internally in the same manner that it was eight or nine (or even five) years ago.

[pantherpanther]

uwmfan said:

Bud will be naming his own successor upon his retirement. I do not know when this will take place, but would anticipate in the next 2-3 years (purely speculation, but know it's been discussed w/in the department) and the person he expects to name has been told to several within the department.

I think Bud has done many good things to help the department. However, there are a number of personnel issues that I will not get into on this board that have been blown.

Why bring it up if you are not going to elaborate? Obviously you seem to have some information, why not share it?

To me, it's all a bunch of crap. While I wish D'Abbraccio well, no one is irreplaceable...

The Department is moving in the right direction, and I have full and complete faith that Bud will choose the most competent successor

[uwmfan]

Don't mistake simply winning games, titles or other as the complete assessment of the direction a program is heading. Up until recently I would have felt the same way, but recent personnel issues have raised concerns in my mind.

Changing of personnel happens. You are correct, it's the nature of the beast. But when the business side of running an athletic department begins to take precedence over student development, when ethics and integrity take a back seat to selling a seat, then we've crossed over to a path that may appear on the surface to be fine, but the internal dysfunction playing out will eventually create more problems than you see on the surface right now.

Yup, I'm vague on this. I have my reasons. Sorry you don't like it.

[pantherpanther]

No I don't like it, because you are missing the main point in your criticism of the administration of the department. ALL Athletics is business...and if you don't understand that, then you are sorely missing the point. If there is no business side of it, then there is no Athletics. Student Associations won't see the need to help fund the Department if there are no sound business practices.

Don't get me wrong, student development is critical too...they both are crucial. Our Athletic Department has made great strides in the business arena - TV and promotional packages being the two that immediately come to mind. I would agree with most who have posted on here that the Department does need to do more to attract students, and I am confident they will.

By the way, I too know several Athletic Department personnel, and whatever dysfunction you are talking about, I suspect it is coming from some disgruntled employees, who if they are that upset, need to go find another job. Not to say that everything is rosy there, hell it is not rosy anywhere, but for the most part, things are good. The Athletic Department is just like many businesses, understaffed and underfunded.

And yes...selling a seat is important. That is one way the bills get paid...

[milwsport]

I agree. There's lots of things we'd all like to see but, there's only so much money to go around.

No matter how it's divided there will always be those who aren't happy. That's not necessarily a bad thing, it shows they care about their work and want more. However, that desire for more should NOT be finding its way onto a fan board.

It's disappointment, dispiriting and is not conducive to building support for the program.

[dylanrocks]

There were two advertisements promoting the women's game against Chicago State that appeared early this week, with Daron Sutton's voiceover and appearing during the D-list. As you know, that game was in direct conflict with the men's game in Madison. How many of you would have been persuaded, regardless of the amount of promotion, to attend the women's game rather than watch the men's game at home or at a local establishment? In this case, was the money well-allocated?

[Deleted]

dylanrocks said:

There were two advertisements promoting the women's game against Chicago State that appeared early this week, with Daron Sutton's voiceover and appearing during the D-list. As you know, that game was in direct conflict with the men's game in Madison. How many of you would have been persuaded, regardless of the amount of promotion, to attend the women's game rather than watch the men's game at home or at a local establishment? In this case, was the money well-allocated?

Great Point Dylan! I too would consider that a huge misuse of funds based on the situation with the men's game coming into conflict with the women's game.

[pantherpanther]

jpanther03 said:

dylanrocks said:

There were two advertisements promoting the women's game against Chicago State that appeared early this week, with Daron Sutton's voiceover and appearing during the D-list. As you know, that game was in direct conflict with the men's game in Madison. How many of you would have been persuaded, regardless of the amount of promotion, to attend the women's game rather than watch the men's game at home or at a local establishment? In this case, was the money well-allocated?

Great Point Dylan! I too would consider that a huge misuse of funds based on the situation with the men's game coming into conflict with the women's game.

Why? Yes there was a conflict, but should there not have been advertisement? The Women have an audience too...so why?

Just my honest opinion...I don't think there was a misuse of funds. Money has been allocated to both programs...and both should be publicized.

[uwmfan]

pantherpanther said:

No I don't like it, because you are missing the main point in your criticism of the administration of the department. ALL Athletics is business...and if you don't understand that, then you are sorely missing the point. If there is no business side of it, then there is no Athletics. Student Associations won't see the need to help fund the Department if there are no sound business practices.

Actually, you're missing the main point of my argument. Good business sense MUST include ethical practice and integrity, in particular when it comes to dealing with personnel matters. If you don't believe professional ethics and backing your staff is important, well, then have a nice life in the business world. I understand business too, but there are different measurements of that success, and being successful in business and being successful while also being sound in professional practice need not be mutually exclusive.

Using the student government right now as an example of backing is laughable. It seems their former leadership has their own issues with ethical practice and how to properly use funds.

You also mention that this may be an issue of disgruntled staff members. When one sees a consistent pattern of disgruntled staff, pointing the finger at the employee as being the problem only goes so far. Has anyone else noticed the revolving door that is the coaching staff for women's basketball assistants over the last 10 years or so? Hmmmm, must be some pretty bad assistants CONSISTENTLY hired who turn out to be bad eggs. Maybe they're just not asking the right questions in the interview process? Perhaps then the problem then isn't who's being hired but......well, I'll see if you can figure that one out on your own.

Those of you on this board that know me understand that for more than 20 years I have been the most supportive fan out there. I have bled UWM and have worked with members of the AD since the 80's. However, I have personally been impacted by questionable ethical issues stemming from certain leaders w/in the department and will no longer blindly follow whereever they will lead.

[dylanrocks]

I support UWM fan in this. There are several issues here: 1, Yes, the women have an audience. Is it the one that listens to the D-List? (Remember, Dan Needles is hardly a beacon of gender sensitivity). Perhaps the adds would have been better placed on Lifetime or during, let's say, Jessica McBride's show. Take it a step further: Marquette has done a fantastic job in recent years building a lagging fan base. Did it do so by marketing its men's and women's programs together or independently? Second, has no one else noticed the topsy-turvy condition of the women's basketball staff? It's hardly a bastion of stability.