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Post by bringbackcaro on Aug 31, 2021 15:36:54 GMT -5
From the Creighton release announcing the hire: (a bit of hyperbole) "Holy Cross' on-field success under Blossom's leadership has been equally impressive. Despite a pandemic-shortened season last year, the men's basketball team saw tremendous growth with an incredibly bright future under a new head coach. The Crusader football team won consecutive Patriot League championships, and following several impressive coaching hires, many other women's and men's sports saw ascension up the conference standings during his tenure." If by hyperbole, you mean bull s&$#. It's amazing what guys like Pine and Blossom can get away with, blatantly lying about their results and impact.
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Post by KY Crusader 75 on Aug 31, 2021 15:41:11 GMT -5
I'm guessing you are not in the middle of a sales career.....
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Post by HC92 on Aug 31, 2021 15:51:38 GMT -5
Significantly higher. The fact that it wasn't Alabama etc, does not diminish the significance of the jump. He was not hired because of a lack of accomplishments, but because of what he accomplished. I wonder if the Creighton board is moaning because the choice wasn't an alum. Such as? What are the really good things that have happened for HC Athletics in the last two years that would not have happened if I was AD? I like Marcus. Seems like a good guy. I appreciate 81’s story about his handlng of the women’s crew tragedy. But his accomplishments as our AD are limited and certainly not a reason for a promotion.
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Post by bringbackcaro on Aug 31, 2021 16:09:33 GMT -5
I'm guessing you are not in the middle of a sales career..... Virtually anyone in private business can fudge results on their resume, as there is no way to really validate whether info is true or not. All it takes is a couple minutes of fact checking on good ol' goholycross.com to see that these guys are full of $*%&.
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Post by alum on Aug 31, 2021 16:21:59 GMT -5
Significantly higher. The fact that it wasn't Alabama etc, does not diminish the significance of the jump. He was not hired because of a lack of accomplishments, but because of what he accomplished. I wonder if the Creighton board is moaning because the choice wasn't an alum. Such as? What are the really good things that have happened for HC Athletics in the last two years that would not have happened if I was AD? I like Marcus. Seems like a good guy. I appreciate 81’s story about his handlng of the women’s crew tragedy. But his accomplishments as our AD are limited and certainly not a reason for a promotion. I think he more likely got the promotion on the basis of his work at BC than anything else although I also believe that a college president and BOT would have liked the master plan thing he generated at HC. It is also possible that the folks at Creighton decided that nobody could win at HC as long as it tries to be big time in hoops, football, and ice hockey at the same time and therefore didn't hold it against him.
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Post by bringbackcaro on Aug 31, 2021 16:49:37 GMT -5
Such as? What are the really good things that have happened for HC Athletics in the last two years that would not have happened if I was AD? I like Marcus. Seems like a good guy. I appreciate 81’s story about his handlng of the women’s crew tragedy. But his accomplishments as our AD are limited and certainly not a reason for a promotion. I think he more likely got the promotion on the basis of his work at BC than anything else although I also believe that a college president and BOT would have liked the master plan thing he generated at HC. It is also possible that the folks at Creighton decided that nobody could win at HC as long as it tries to be big time in hoops, football, and ice hockey at the same time and therefore didn't hold it against him. Creighton’s big sport is basketball. I don’t really understand how Blossom’s background at BC (one of the worst Power 5 basketball schools) and HC (a dreadful pL program for the last 10+ years) makes him a good fit for them.
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Post by purple1 on Aug 31, 2021 16:59:55 GMT -5
Blossom checked the correct boxes, especially after Creighton's head basketball coach's comments this Spring.
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Post by longsuffering on Aug 31, 2021 17:00:10 GMT -5
My recollection of the Master Plan is it is what any sensible person would come up with if he had millions of OPM (Other People's Money) to spend. I believe it defines BB as our signature sport, but now challenging for a national championship in football, although still extremely unlikely, is easier to imagine than doing so in basketball. Does the Master Plan address that situation which is our current reality?
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Post by bfoley82 on Aug 31, 2021 17:29:13 GMT -5
I think he more likely got the promotion on the basis of his work at BC than anything else although I also believe that a college president and BOT would have liked the master plan thing he generated at HC. It is also possible that the folks at Creighton decided that nobody could win at HC as long as it tries to be big time in hoops, football, and ice hockey at the same time and therefore didn't hold it against him. Creighton’s big sport is basketball. I don’t really understand how Blossom’s background at BC (one of the worst Power 5 basketball schools) and HC (a dreadful pL program for the last 10+ years) makes him a good fit for them. The argument is HE PLAYED basketball so he must know the sport....
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Post by dadominate on Aug 31, 2021 17:44:24 GMT -5
disruptive to the athletic department, but no big loss.
hope we hire the best person for the job for the long term this time around.
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Post by hchoops on Aug 31, 2021 17:51:53 GMT -5
That probably was the goal when Blossom was hired. Hard to figure who wants to stay when most want to leave for more $$ and prestige
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Post by longsuffering on Aug 31, 2021 17:59:42 GMT -5
Give Rose a shot. She's been at HC since she was a student. Probably does not have an interest in job hopping. She's seen how the few successful HC coaches have succeeded in the Patriot League. We wouldn't have to pay for two years of on the job training for our unique small lac/D-1 Institution. Would break the glass ceiling in the Athletic Dept. Compliance is well understood as she had that post with no major scandals.
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Post by KY Crusader 75 on Aug 31, 2021 18:05:24 GMT -5
You make a good case for her, someone I don't know at all. Can she raise $$$?
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Post by longsuffering on Aug 31, 2021 19:11:41 GMT -5
You make a good case for her, someone I don't know at all. Can she raise $$$? I don't know but I also don't know if MB could or did raise money any more than a different new AD would have. It seems the fundraising infrastructure, of which athletics is well integrated, is dug into the hill already. I'm sure the AD is given a role but I don't think the college is willing to hand it's major industry off to an AD alone, even for athletic fundraising. Once Development has identified the targeted donor, the AD is given his or her role to play and most professional people could play it well I suspect. Were any good donors on the board personally contacted by MB and then decide to give more because of his personality? And he seems to have a fine personality, so I'm not picking on him. But did he reach out and personally bring in the money for the video boards or the $100,000 biometric body monitors the football team uses at practice?
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Post by Pakachoag Phreek on Aug 31, 2021 19:32:53 GMT -5
I suspect Rosemary is not adept at shaking the money tree. Women's sports have suffered from low donation levels for years. Also, she may have been the compliance officer when the Feds came knocking regarding Title IX and softball.
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Post by Pakachoag Phreek on Aug 31, 2021 19:39:57 GMT -5
You make a good case for her, someone I don't know at all. Can she raise $$$? I don't know but I also don't know if MB could or did raise money any more than a different new AD would have. It seems the fundraising infrastructure, of which athletics is well integrated, is dug into the hill already. I'm sure the AD is given a role but I don't think the college is willing to hand it's major industry off to an AD alone, even for athletic fundraising. Once Development has identified the targeted donor, the AD is given his or her role to play and most professional people could play it well I suspect. Were any good donors on the board personally contacted by MB and then decide to give more because of his personality? And he seems to have a fine personality, so I'm not picking on him. But did he reach out and personally bring in the money for the video boards or the $100,000 biometric body monitors the football team uses at practice? You don't understand how the college raises money for athletics. ADNP would have cocktails at receptions with wealthy prospective donors in swank apartments overlooking Central Park. If you look at the naming rights to various areas in the Luth, these were all secured by gifts from male donors; e.g., Duffner's football players, Doran's auditorium.
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Post by longsuffering on Aug 31, 2021 19:53:10 GMT -5
I don't know but I also don't know if MB could or did raise money any more than a different new AD would have. It seems the fundraising infrastructure, of which athletics is well integrated, is dug into the hill already. I'm sure the AD is given a role but I don't think the college is willing to hand it's major industry off to an AD alone, even for athletic fundraising. Once Development has identified the targeted donor, the AD is given his or her role to play and most professional people could play it well I suspect. Were any good donors on the board personally contacted by MB and then decide to give more because of his personality? And he seems to have a fine personality, so I'm not picking on him. But did he reach out and personally bring in the money for the video boards or the $100,000 biometric body monitors the football team uses at practice? You don't understand how the college raises money for athletics. ADNP would have cocktails at receptions with wealthy prospective donors in swank apartments overlooking Central Park. If you look at the naming rights to various areas in the Luth, these were all secured by gifts from male donors; e.g., Duffner's football players, Doran's auditorium. That's how I assume major donors are courted but I also assume that development assigned NP the people to call on and probably made the arrangements. At that point isn't it position over personality? In other words the motivation to give comes from the love of the college and whoever has the position of AD or President and is representing the college gets their credibility from their position not because they could talk a dog off a bone. And who would be more knowledgeable and credible talking about the strengths of Holy Cross and Holy Cross Athletics, a Lifer in the Department or a Blow-in with a Y chromosome?
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Post by Crucis#1 on Aug 31, 2021 20:17:17 GMT -5
The problem with a lifer is they often do not recognize or are motivated to correct the issues in the department that must be remedied.
Fresh eyes are needed to remove the inertia that is beset in an environment that believes life is fine and dandy behind the gates. That was extremely obvious in several departments on Mt. St. James. Unfortunately they were led by Alums who had limited experience working any place else and did not keep up with changes occurring in the industry with our competitors. When many have sought to help them with the innovations that were occurring. They strongly resisted, hung up the phone or turned around not willing to engage in discussion. For the last 25 years those competitors have been eating our lunch and dinner.
A D1 Athletic Departments in the 21st Century is a Multispecialty and Complex organization that is much more than ordering busses and tying the laces on a basketball (snark) 🙄. Just as Academic departments require faculty with terminal and specialized degrees, Athletic departments now must require administrators who have specialized in Sports Management, Business Administration, Videography, Telecommunications, Facilities Management, and Human Performance.
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Post by longsuffering on Aug 31, 2021 20:20:24 GMT -5
The problem with a lifer is they often do not recognize or are motivated to correct the issues in the department that must be remedied. Fresh eyes are needed to remove the inertia that is beset in an environment that believes life is fine and dandy behind the gates. That was extremely obvious in several departments on Mt. St. James. Unfortunately they were led by Alums who had limited experience working any place else and did not keep up with changes occurring in the industry with our competitors. When many have sought to help them with the innovations that were occurring. They strongly resisted, hung up the phone or turned around not willing to engage in discussion. For the last 25 years those competitors have been eating our lunch and dinner. That is a valid point. What I don't think is valid is that men are inherently better at fundraising for Athletics or any other cause.
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Post by bfoley82 on Aug 31, 2021 20:28:56 GMT -5
The problem with a lifer is they often do not recognize or are motivated to correct the issues in the department that must be remedied. Fresh eyes are needed to remove the inertia that is beset in an environment that believes life is fine and dandy behind the gates. That was extremely obvious in several departments on Mt. St. James. Unfortunately they were led by Alums who had limited experience working any place else and did not keep up with changes occurring in the industry with our competitors. When many have sought to help them with the innovations that were occurring. They strongly resisted, hung up the phone or turned around not willing to engage in discussion. For the last 25 years those competitors have been eating our lunch and dinner. That is a valid point. What I don't think is valid is that men are inherently better at fundraising for Athletics or any other cause. Yale has no problem with a female AD and two deputies being female.
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Post by Crucis#1 on Aug 31, 2021 20:59:51 GMT -5
I certainly do not have an issue with a female AD. Ms Chun has done an admirable job at Colgate and Yale, as well as Ms Marcoux at Princeton (who recently resigned to become LPGA Commissioner) and Ms Calhoun at Penn, now at Brown. I have followed the career of Renee Bostic, a HC Alumna, who has been an AD at several institutions. She recently started a new job as AD as of July 1, at SUNY New Paltz. Too bad she probably is not available now for the HC opening.
Regarding fund raising, Cara Abraham has been successful and credible in leading the Crusader Athletic Fund. Tracy Barlok has been successful in shaking the money tree to fund the recent building spree atop Mt.St.James.
Regardless of gender, the next HC AD must continue to be an agent of change to a department that was too long stuck in the 1970’s or 1980’s in running a multi million dollar organization.
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Post by longsuffering on Aug 31, 2021 22:04:07 GMT -5
I certainly do not have an issue with a female AD. Ms Chun has done an admirable job at Colgate and Yale, as well as Ms Marcoux at Princeton (who recently resigned to become LPGA Commissioner) and Ms Calhoun at Penn, now at Brown. I have followed the career of Renee Bostic, a HC Alumna, who has been an AD at several institutions. She recently started a new job as AD as of July 1, at SUNY New Paltz. Too bad she probably is not available now for the HC opening. Regarding fund raising, Cara Abraham has been successful and credible in leading the Crusader Athletic Fund. Tracy Barlok has been successful in shaking the money tree to fund the recent building spree atop Mt.St.James. Regardless of gender, the next HC AD must continue to be an agent of change to a department that was too long stuck in the 1970’s or 1980’s in running a multi million dollar organization. The irony is HC teams performed better in the 70s and 80s than in the present.
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Post by alum on Sept 1, 2021 7:45:52 GMT -5
Give Rose a shot. She's been at HC since she was a student. Probably does not have an interest in job hopping. She's seen how the few successful HC coaches have succeeded in the Patriot League. We wouldn't have to pay for two years of on the job training for our unique small lac/D-1 Institution. Would break the glass ceiling in the Athletic Dept. Compliance is well understood as she had that post with no major scandals. Seems like she should be the interim and given the opportunity to apply for the permanent position.
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woorat
Climbing Mt. St. James
Posts: 75
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Post by woorat on Sept 1, 2021 7:54:37 GMT -5
Nick Smith would be the top choice for an interim AD. He certainly has the skill set. The next AD needs to have a special passion for Holy Cross, ie an alum. I will throw a name out there, most people will not know: Rob Godfrey '07. One of our best defensemen during the most successful periods of HC Hockey. He is currently the AD at Mt. Royal in Calgary. He checks all the boxes: Alum, former coach at HC, knows how to hire coached, deals with the same student problems. While he is not a baby kisser like Pine, he can also be an effective fundraiser. And talk about someone who could put a plan in place to join Hockeyeast, he is your man! Probably will not get a sniff, but would be my choice.
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Post by Tom on Sept 1, 2021 8:12:02 GMT -5
Assuming the interim AD is someone currently inside the department, it almost has to be either Shea or Smith as the only two senior associate AD's. One has a lot more seniority in the department. The other one has been an athletic director at a college.
Another factor could be what happens a year from now. Is it hard to be acting head honcho for a year and then go back to a lesser role once an outsider comes in? Frank Vellaccio pulled it off, but I don't think it's common. Whoever gets the interim job might have their days numbered at the school if they don't eventually get the actual job
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