G. Auman's D. Woolard interview

[S p e n c e]

Bulls AD eagerly awaits Year 2

By GREG AUMAN, Times Staff Writer

Published June 12, 2005

Come Tuesday, Doug Woolard will celebrate his one-year anniversary as USF's athletic director. Times staff writer Greg Auman caught up with him last week to talk about his first year with the Bulls and USF's future in the Big East.

GA: You've lived in the Midwest most of your life with the first 38 years in Carbondale, Ill., five years at Washington State and the past 10 as athletic director at Saint Louis. How do you like living in Florida?

DW: I've always enjoyed the water. I had a boat when I was in high school, with a lot of lakes in southern Illinois. We always took family vacations in Florida, to the Keys or Clearwater. My wife, Cherrie, told me when we got married that she wouldn't mind living in Florida. I told her last June that I didn't forget. It just took me 33 years.

GA: You've had a busy year in joining the Big East, opening a new athletic facility and unveiling a plan to renovate the Sun Dome and build new stadiums for sports such as baseball, softball and soccer. What has been your favorite moment?

DW: The weekend we brought the Big East here, when (commissioner Mike Tranghese and his staff) came down. That really seemed to solidify it, said we're really part of this group. The reception from the community has really stood out to me, how excited people are about the potential, for what can happen to the university and the athletic department as we go into the Big East.

GA: Before you joined the college ranks, you got your start as a high school basketball coach in Carbondale. You got into coaching pretty early, didn't you?

DW: When I was in college, I coached a youth basketball team for the parks district in Carbondale, and we played in a regional tournament in Gary, Ind. We had a good time, and we won like an eight-team tournament. When we went up to get the trophy, the guy said, "Good luck in Puerto Rico." I thought, "What is he talking about?" Turns out if you won, you advanced to the nationals in Puerto Rico. We went down. I think we finished second, and that was the start for me.

GA: What's your favorite restaurant in town? You can't say Lee Roy Selmon's.

DW: I really like the Columbia Restaurant and Carrabba's. They're consistently good.

GA: Last book you read?

DW: Good to Great. It's a leadership book, a bestseller for a while by Jim Collins. What I'm reading now is the book by Tom Brokaw, The Greatest Generation.

GA: When you had the "Around the Horns" booster gathering at Tampa Palms last week, the longest drive competition was won by none other than Wade Boggs, whose son, Brett, will be a freshman on USF's baseball team next year.

DW: I had a chance to say hi to him. The longest drive before his was like 285 yards, and they said he just crushed the ball. I'm also going to try to hook up next week with Tony La Russa when the Cardinals play here. He's a USF grad.

GA: Time to get personal. What's your breakfast cereal of choice?

DW: Shredded Wheat.

GA: With the frosting?

DW: No, I'm a plain guy. The small ones, though.

GA: Another very telling question: Which of the Hershey's Miniature chocolates is best?

DW: Krackel. GA: Good answer. Okay, quick word association. Lee Roy Selmon.

DW: Class act.

GA: Jim Leavitt?

DW: Intense.

GA: Robert McCullum?

DW: Total package.

GA: Mike Tranghese?

DW: National leader.

GA: After consecutive trips to the NCAA Tournament, the men's basketball team at Saint Louis averaged better than 17,000 fans in a market that had pro football, baseball and hockey teams. Can you see that kind of presence for the Bulls here in Tampa?

DW: As we continue to become increasingly competitive and because of the caliber of the teams we're going to play, I envision a time when all the better seats at Raymond James Stadium are sold out. If it can happen at Florida and Florida State, why can't it happen here? People have responded very well here. We're appreciative that our fan base continues to grow, and I think the same thing can happen in basketball.

http://www.sptimes.com/2005/06/12/Sports/Bulls_AD_eagerly_awai.shtml

[NormalBull]

What kind of herseys bar is best?  Geez.  I want to know about future football schedules.  What's gonna happen with marketing?  Does he have plans to do annual reviews of each program?  When can we expect to see the athletic village started?  How are season ticket sales going for football?  basketball?  We've heard that the upper deck will be opened for FAMU.  Is that true?

Gawd....forget the fluff Greg.  Get the stories that matter.

Normal

[CoolBull1]

hey...at least he's writing instead of the freakin' Tribune.  I am due for renewal with them...don't think it's going to happen.

[No_Willie_Jokes_Yet]

I've seen better questions from High School newspaper projects.

[bulls96go]

will we play notre freaking dame?

is miami coming here next year?

bush interview! but i hope he does this twice a year!

[Unintelligibull]

Any ink is good ink.

[The_Reaper]

didn't see a lot of you on the chat> Could have asked Auman those questions yourself!    

[bullwark]

Fluff piece filled with "softball" questions, I concur with you Leavittation, a High School newspaper could have done a better job.  Due to work obligations I was unable to participate in the chat with Aumen.

[TripleB]

In his chat, Greg did say that it was a "fun" interview with DW on his anniversary.

This was also from the chat:

Best thing you can do -- as is the case any time you like or dislike any part of our coverage -- is send an e-mail to sptsnews@sptimes.com

Anytime you have a story I should be writing, please, e-mail me, IM me, and tell me. aumanac1@aol.com.

If you feel you must ***** about it, at least ***** to someone who can do something about it.

[No_Willie_Jokes_Yet]

didn't see a lot of you on the chat> Could have asked Auman those questions yourself!    

Why ask Aumen questions in a chat? If his knowledge of our insiders is based on groundball questions like these, why do I want to know him or about him.  I havent even taken the time to read the transcripts becuase I dont care about what he has to say...

Now D. Woolard, that's another situation.