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Post by longsuffering on Dec 14, 2018 19:58:30 GMT -5
The 21st century D-1 branding and marketing apparatus is in place. Whether the deals that have been inked and the staff hired are cash positive or a big financial drain, I don't know. In the past when HC filled venues and created buzz in the community (Potter-Vicens-Perry era, Duffner-Lockbaum era, Ralph Willard era) it was due to performance on the field and court and Administrative spending had a touch of Jesuit frugality to it. In the past most people in the area read the T&G and their news coverage of HC sports provided most of the marketing needed.
We can't go back to a pre-internet, pre-social media world, but modern marketing and branding won't work miracles without a compelling product. So, let's hope the new AD can add value to the overall W-L record to give HC something to market.
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Pine out?
Dec 14, 2018 20:14:19 GMT -5
via mobile
Post by purplepig on Dec 14, 2018 20:14:19 GMT -5
From the Col Springs newspaper: Nathan Pine will be Air Force’s first athletic director without military experience. That won’t be the last first Pine experiences after taking the revamped position at the academy. Pine comes in not as a government employee, as each of his predecessors were, but reporting to the Air Force Athletic Association Corp. This change will permit Pine to earn beyond government scale, to directly raise funds and to shed some of the responsibilities of directly overseeing the physical education department that had come with the position. Interesting in that there is a “lack of institutional control” as the NCAA would say. Presumably the school retains some ex officio role, but could any institution outside the academies employ such a hierarchy?
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Pine out?
Dec 14, 2018 20:36:28 GMT -5
via mobile
Post by bfoley82 on Dec 14, 2018 20:36:28 GMT -5
I will be greatly surprised, if not shocked if Gordie is interested in the AD position and I am more than confident he would not want an assistant AD position to be the glad hander/fund raiser. He is very successful and well established at what he does and I suspect it'd be a pay cut. He seems to enjoy supporting Holy Cross in a quieter fashion and in the background. Of course, he could surprise me. Ron Perry the younger would make more sense to me. Almost as visible as Gordie and see him at the Hart on occasion. And there is the father connection. I do hope that who're gets the position puts an emphasis on winning, especially in the most visible sports: football, basketball, hockey and baseball. If that means a de-emphasis on the others, that's OK by me. We aren't doing especially well in any sports but since I was never around the area when the "Notre Dame Fighting Irish, Holy Cross Winning Irish" was popular, it'd be nice to have them back and mean it. Tired of the (figurative) participation trophies. Patriot League Lacrosse has won a National Championship this decade and the last time Patriot League baseball was?
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Post by hcpride on Dec 14, 2018 20:37:14 GMT -5
Getting back to a possible replacement for Nate Pine, surprised nobody has mentioned Nick Smith. Any chance that is why he came to HC last year?
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Post by sader1970 on Dec 14, 2018 21:46:57 GMT -5
OK, I get it. You like LAX. I really don't care when a PL team won LAX or never won national champs in baseball. I am not talking about the PL, I am talking about Holy Cross. While it has been many decades since HC won the baseball national championship, even LAX lovers will have to agree that while it may no longer be "the national pastime," baseball is still more widely played nationally while LAX tends to be in certain regional hotspots.
I am not against LAX per se but when I was a leader/executive, one of my basic management principles was "if everything is a priority, nothing is a priority." There is always a scarcity of resources. There are precious few people or organizations that can be good at everything. Holy Cross athletics is an almost perfect example of that. Prioritize!
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Post by bison137 on Dec 14, 2018 23:45:40 GMT -5
From the Col Springs newspaper: Nathan Pine will be Air Force’s first athletic director without military experience. That won’t be the last first Pine experiences after taking the revamped position at the academy. Pine comes in not as a government employee, as each of his predecessors were, but reporting to the Air Force Athletic Association Corp. This change will permit Pine to earn beyond government scale, to directly raise funds and to shed some of the responsibilities of directly overseeing the physical education department that had come with the position. Interesting in that there is a “lack of institutional control” as the NCAA would say. Presumably the school retains some ex officio role, but could any institution outside the academies employ such a hierarchy? The AD in each of the Service Academy structures reports directly to the "president" of the Academy, i.e. the Superintendent, so at the end of the day, the school has as much control as it wants. But it does't raise the money or sign the checks.
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Post by bison137 on Dec 14, 2018 23:49:45 GMT -5
I do hope that who're gets the position puts an emphasis on winning, especially in the most visible sports: football, basketball, hockey and baseball. If that means a de-emphasis on the others, that's OK by me. The first three, yes - but Patriot League baseball is not very visible at all and never will be. Northeastern baseball in general barely moves the needle. In theory, however, Holy Cross at some point could contend for a national championship in lacrosse. That would be a lot more visible than anything baseball could do.
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Post by sader1970 on Dec 15, 2018 0:03:43 GMT -5
Sez you! Another LAX lover.
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Post by longsuffering on Dec 15, 2018 0:24:33 GMT -5
The city of Worcester isn't spending $105 million to build a Lacrosse stadium to lure a triple A Lacrosse team from neighboring RI to the city. UMaine had competitive baseball teams for years up in snowy Orono.
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Post by hc87 on Dec 15, 2018 0:47:23 GMT -5
Let's face it, if we're being truly honest, men's basketball and football are really the only sports that "move the needle" in terms of 95% of colleges at the D1 level.
The other sports are gravy...nice if they're good, but almost no one cares.
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Post by bfoley82 on Dec 15, 2018 3:31:19 GMT -5
Let's face it, if we're being truly honest, men's basketball and football are really the only sports that "move the needle" in terms of 95% of colleges at the D1 level. The other sports are gravy...nice if they're good, but almost no one cares. Fact and hockey in the Northeast and Midwest does when you are nationally competive.
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Pine out?
Dec 15, 2018 3:33:01 GMT -5
via mobile
Post by bfoley82 on Dec 15, 2018 3:33:01 GMT -5
Getting back to a possible replacement for Nate Pine, surprised nobody has mentioned Nick Smith. Any chance that is why he came to HC last year? I mentioned him...guy that knows the market as he has been in New England from his college days through his admin days. Sign me up with him
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Post by Pakachoag Phreek on Dec 15, 2018 6:37:28 GMT -5
I give you example A of the type of candidate HC is probably seeking: the new AD at Colgate. Posters here continually ask, 'Why can't HC be like Colgate? And note where the previous AD at Colgate (a double Colgate alum, BTW) wound up after about five years in Hamilton. And before UNC, where was she? At the University of Oklahoma for 11 years. goheels.com/news/2015/6/24/210167290.aspx?path=generalAnd before the University of Oklahoma?
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Post by purplehaze on Dec 15, 2018 8:42:11 GMT -5
Agree with PPhreek, I’d certainly hope they consider a well qualified female with a background similar to the Colgate AD. As I have pointed out in the past Colgate with their 3000 enrollment is getting it done in the PL with a fraction of the athletic history of HC
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Post by joe on Dec 15, 2018 8:57:29 GMT -5
HC needs to have the guts to hire someone who isn’t afraid to stir the pot and blow the roof off of HC athletics as we know it. Emphasize the bread and butter sports, demote the minor sports to club level, upgrade conferences, raise funding for higher coaches salaries, figure out better venues for FB, BB, and IH, and have a 5 year plan for conference re-alignment virtually across the board, except for women’s IH. I’m sick of the Ivy comparisons. We should be destroying the Ivy League in all sports. If we can’t in 5 years, drop the sport. Anything short of this equals status quo. I’ll take the job. And for free.
If all this fails, go to D3, have the math and classics teachers be coaches, and give everyone a trophy and cookie.
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Post by sader1970 on Dec 15, 2018 9:42:07 GMT -5
Joe, with all due respect, you know that none of this is going to happen. So, time for me to again nominate td128 for the job if he can tear himself away from Congressional hearings.😂
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Post by hchoops on Dec 15, 2018 9:46:58 GMT -5
Getting back to a possible replacement for Nate Pine, surprised nobody has mentioned Nick Smith. Any chance that is why he came to HC last year? Please give some info on Smith
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Post by hcpride on Dec 15, 2018 9:56:17 GMT -5
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Post by rgs318 on Dec 15, 2018 9:58:40 GMT -5
WORCESTER — It has been a great fall season for Assumption and the man who oversees the college’s 24 sports teams, director of athletics Nick Smith. Smith was all smiles and thoroughly thrilled for the Assumption football team following Saturday’s NCAA Division 2 second-round playoff win at the Multi-Sport Stadium, and he will be in Indiana, Pennsylvania, this Saturday, when the Greyhounds make program history by playing in a national quarterfinal.
“It’s been an incredible season of accomplishments,” Smith said, “but it’s not about the wins and the losses. It’s about the way our team goes about its business, how we play and how we coach. Our student-athletes are great people and great ambassadors of the institution. Hopefully, we keep it going.” Smith’s five-plus years as Assumption’s director of athletics have been a proud and enjoyable time, and now he is looking forward to a new opportunity just across town.
Smith has been named senior associate athletic director of external operations at Holy Cross. Assumption announced Smith’s resignation Tuesday, but he will remain at Assumption through the end of December. Senior associate athletic director Peter Gardula will serve as AC’s interim director of athletics beginning in January and a nationwide search for Smith’s successor will take place next spring.
“We are excited to welcome Nick to Holy Cross,” director of athletics Nathan Pine said. “I have been impressed from afar by the job Nick has done leading the athletic department at Assumption, and we look forward to the addition of his experience, knowledge and leadership to our team. He will be a great addition to our staff and our culture.”
At Holy Cross, Smith will assume the title previously held by Joe Bertoletti, who left HC earlier this fall. “I’m really, really excited about the opportunity to work with Nate and the rest of the staff there,” Smith said. “You look at what they’ve done there over the last four years and what they’re doing over there is pretty remarkable. To join that team and have the opportunity to keep moving that forward and keep furthering that growth is a fantastic opportunity.”
Smith said he wasn’t actively looking to leave Assumption, “but once I went through the process (at HC) I liked what was going on and as the process went on it made more sense for me personally and professionally to look at this opportunity. I’m so thankful Nate has given me this opportunity.”
At Assumption, Smith led a strategic overhaul of the athletic department to improve the student-athlete experience through facilities, staffing and programming while increasing the number of student-athletes from 450 to 530. He spearheaded the improvement of athletic facilities and tripled the number of full-time head coaches.
The hiring of football coach Bob Chesney was among the highlights of Smith’s Assumption tenure.
Assumption ranked among the top 15 in the nation in Academic Success Rate every year Smith has been there.
“The future is bright for that athletic department, especially because of the people who are there, the coaches, the student-athletes and the staff,” Smith said. “They work so hard, and I’m fortunate to get this opportunity at Holy Cross because of the group we have at Assumption and the success that we’ve had and I’m very, very proud of what we’ve been able to accomplish.”
In addition to the football team, which has won the Northeast-10 Conference title two of the last three years and made three straight NCAA appearances, women’s cross-country has also been on the rise as an NCAA contender each of the last two years, and women’s swimming and diving has won three straight NE-10 titles.
Last season, the women’s basketball team made its sixth NCAA Regional Tournament appearance, while men’s basketball, historically Assumption’s marquee team, has struggled with four straight losing seasons.
Smith has served on the NE-10 executive committee since 2013 and is a member of the Division 2 national football committee.
At Holy Cross, Smith’s primary responsibilities will be leading all revenue generation and extending the brand and messaging of Holy Cross athletics through private philanthropy, corporate support, ticket sales, marketing efforts and strategic communications. Smith will also assume sport supervision duties of five varsity programs.
Prior to arriving at Assumption, Smith spent nine years at Stonehill and served in a variety of roles, including assistant and associate director of athletics.
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Post by hcpride on Dec 15, 2018 10:01:36 GMT -5
HC needs to have the guts to hire someone who isn’t afraid to stir the pot and blow the roof off of HC athletics as we know it. Emphasize the bread and butter sports, demote the minor sports to club level, upgrade conferences, raise funding for higher coaches salaries, figure out better venues for FB, BB, and IH, and have a 5 year plan for conference re-alignment virtually across the board, except for women’s IH. I’m sick of the Ivy comparisons. We should be destroying the Ivy League in all sports. If we can’t in 5 years, drop the sport. Anything short of this equals status quo. I’ll take the job. And for free. If all this fails, go to D3, have the math and classics teachers be coaches, and give everyone a trophy and cookie. IMHO we don't have the schollie cash to compete at the minor sports so we are far more participatory than competitive across the D-1 board. Of course here and there with one team or another or one game or another we will see an exception (as is always the case in life). Of course if we wanted to be competitive in all/most of our sports we would take the route you suggest. I think our prez and board are content with the participatory D-1 model we currently have. In other words, our constructed brand is as a progressive and smallish liberal arts Catholic college that participates in a large number of D-1 sports. In their mind, it works to differentiate us.
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Post by hchoops on Dec 15, 2018 10:26:44 GMT -5
Thank you
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Post by joe on Dec 15, 2018 12:21:26 GMT -5
Joe, with all due respect, you know that none of this is going to happen. So, time for me to again nominate td128 for the job if he can tear himself away from Congressional hearings.😂 Probably, but I see this as the only path forward if we want to be competitive. Otherwise, it doesn’t mattter who takes the job, the status quo will remain. I agree with TD being AD as well, but that’s another story.
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Post by longsuffering on Dec 15, 2018 19:52:59 GMT -5
Well put HC Pride. The participatory Division One model isn't without some merit even as it can frustrate us fans.
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Post by DiMarz on Dec 15, 2018 20:55:49 GMT -5
Whoever that gets hired has to have experience as an administrator in D-! sports..There is so much paper to push as an AD that someone with no experience would be lost..RPJR has no experience nor does Gordie..Look for HC to hire either somebody who has been and Assistant AD at the D-1 level, or somebody from a D-2 school who was an AD...HC is not going to be a step up for most D-1 AD's, but perhaps there is that person out there who wants to move back to this region of the country..Are there any Alums out there who are currently AD's at the college level?
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Post by sader1970 on Dec 15, 2018 22:01:03 GMT -5
Did an alumni search. Slim pickens if we want an alum but here's a name that sounds like might be a good match:
Joanne Maldari '90 is listed as currently the assistant AD at UNH. She was psychology major at HC. Got masters in counseling/athletic counseling at Springfield College. She has been at UNH for over 24 years - she's obviously found a "home" there in Durham. LinkedIn has her job listed as: Associate Athletic Director, Academic Services. So, looks like she's involved in the academic side of athletics and not sure either she or Holy Cross would be mutually interested in each other.
Others: Frank Mastrandrea '88 still listed as assistant AD at Holy Cross but believe he has health issues.
Former classmate, Tom Lamb ex-70, '71 was AD at Natick H.S. but assume his age eliminates him
A couple are ADs at high schools.
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