AD finalists: is anyone foaming...

[bulls96go]

How many fans were excited when we hired Jim Leavitt? He like all the AD finalists have solid credentials and are from major programs.

i was and many were. this guy was co defensive coordinator and the person he was co DC with stoops goes to OU. this what i mean by a "heir apparent" this guy JL was going places and choose the challenge of usf

he brought energy and know how and a vision with him

that's the kind of candidate i was hoping for when there is a "buzz" about this job. the candidate that everyone says "huh, why is this guy giving up a sure thing" ans:

because he has a VISION of what he can accomplish here ala JL

[BULLheaded]

i was and many were. this guy was co defensive coordinator and the person he was co DC with stoops goes to OU. this what i mean by a "heir apparent" this guy JL was going places and choose the challenge of usf

he brought energy and know how and a vision with him

that's the kind of candidate i was hoping for when there is a "buzz" about this job. the candidate that everyone says "huh, why is this guy giving up a sure thing" ans:

because he has a VISION of what he can accomplish here ala JL

Unfortunately what your saying doesn't really make much sense. You had a buzz because Leavitt was an ASSISTANT coach at a BCS school (your using hindsight on stoops as nobody knew what he would be at that time) that decided to take his first head coaching job with USF

How is this different then the two ASSISTANT ADs from BCS schools that are applying to USF for their first head AD position? According to your logic you would have only been happy if it was Bill Snyder leaving K-State for USF because he had a vision instead of some lowly assistant coach like Leavitt.

On the contrary I'd say that an assistant coming from Michigan State is more prominent then an assistant from Kansas State.

Personally I think if there were any ADs coming from BCS schools we'd probably want to steer clear anyway since it would probably mean there are "issues" causing them to leave their current position anyway.

[smazza]

all finalists seem great

[Papa_Bull]

Anticlimactic, although I thought the UConn guy had already applied. I was also a little surprised the LSU guy didn't make the list, based on the little bit of information available through this board and from the Trib.

I'm sure the ath. dept has a solid set of criteria for finding a qualified AD and they will find the best person qualified for the job. Regardless of whether they're from a bordering state or anywhere else in the country.

I'm not sure if this is the LSU guy you meant, but one just applied:

Colleges

Three finalists so far for USF AD

By PETE YOUNG, Times Staff Writer

Published April 27, 2004

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Chuck Neinas has sifted through dozens of applicants and plucked a select few.

Neinas, the one-man search firm hired by South Florida to produce a list of finalists for the school's vacant athletic director position, announced three via teleconference Monday: Michigan State associate AD Mark Hollis, Virginia senior associate AD Jon Oliver and former Air Force AD Randy Spetman. Neinas said a fourth finalist will be named "in the very near future," and he could recommend as many as five. Hollis will spend Thursday on campus, likely followed by Spetman on Monday and then Oliver.

"We'll let the horses run; we'll have to see how they do," said USF vice president for advancement Michael Rierson, the co-interim athletic director and a member of the AD search committee. "We've shared a ton of information on the phone, but nothing substitutes for coming here."

The candidates will meet with the USF athletic and academic administrations, coaching staffs, alumni and booster groups and the 12-member search committee. Rierson emphasized the finalists' academic background. Hollis has an MBA, Oliver has a law degree and Spetman has two master's.

Hollis, 41, earned his degrees from Michigan State and in recent years has interviewed for the AD position there and at Pittsburgh. He was an assistant commissioner in the Western Athletic Conference and associate AD at Pitt before returning to MSU in 1995.

Hollis' responsibilities at MSU have emphasized marketing and promotions, including record-setting attendance events for ice hockey ("Cold War" vs. Michigan at Spartan Stadium) and basketball ("The BasketBowl" vs. Kentucky at Ford Field), games that drew more than 70,000 each. "It's almost a perfect situation at USF," Hollis said. "I like the synergy that appears to exist from the president (Judy Genshaft) to the athletic department and everyone in between. They've done great things, and the future is even brighter."

Oliver, 40, is a former basketball player at Boise State. He worked in the athletic department at Washington State from 1995 to 2001, rising from compliance intern to associate AD for finance and facilities development. Neinas cited Oliver's managerial skills in handling day-to-day operations at Virginia and said he received a recommendation from former Virginia AD and ACC commissioner Gene Corrigan, among others.

"The president at USF understands how athletics can be a window to the university," Oliver said. "You don't get too many situations where a unique opportunity becomes available, and I truly see this as a unique opportunity."

Spetman, 51, retired as a colonel in the Air Force on April 1, which required him to leave his post as AD after 81/2 years. Spetman's 281/2 years of experience in the Air Force includes commanding a squadron in Desert Storm. He was a defensive end in college. Spetman helped to generate $16-million annually for the AFA athletic department.

"It's a great program Lee Roy Selmon has put together," Spetman said. "I come from an institution where student-athletes have very few opportunities to play professionally. We concentrated on the graduation of student-athletes with integrity, character and discipline, and I hope to work toward that regard at South Florida."

ANOTHER APPLICANT: Former Texas State AD Greg LaFleur has applied for the USF job. LaFleur, a former NFL tight end, was an associate AD at LSU for 10 years and was at Texas State for 21/2 years before he was fired this winter.

***

This was a story concerning the firing of LaFleur:

Football Coach And AD Fired At Texas State

POSTED: 4:34 pm EST January 28, 2004

San Marcos, TX -- Texas State fired athletic director Greg LaFleur and football coach Manny Matsakis Wednesday after the school found NCAA rules violations during an internal investigation.

Some of the violations included extra hours of practice for the football team and problems with voluntary summer workouts. Management issues regarding the program's budget and personnel also raised red flags after the university launched the internal inquiry in December.

"The alleged violations, when taken each by themselves, are not of a large magnitude, but the number of reports over a short period of time is troubling," university president Denise Trauth said. "These reports and our concerns over the management of the football program call for this action."

Texas State finished 4-8 last season, its first season under Matsakis.

In addition, associate director of athletics Dana Craft was reassigned outside the athletic department.

Copyright 2004 Courtesy of SportsNetwork

[smazza]

i see

[Papa_Bull]

On reading a previous column about USF AD candidates, I noticed it mentioned Dan Radakovich of LSU, so I guess that is the guy who Markymark meant rather than Greg LaFleur.

http://sports.tbo.com/sports/MGAXWD3A2TD.html

Also, according to that article dated 4/15 Tom McElroy (Connecticut), didn't officially apply.

[bulls96go]

these three guy's are fine

my point was when there is a "buzz" the expectation is created that a stellar above avg candidate will come forward and make you say WOW! none of these guy's fit the WOW catagory,IMO, sorry.

[bulls96go]

Unfortunately what your saying doesn't really make much sense. You had a buzz because Leavitt was an ASSISTANT coach at a BCS school (your using hindsight on stoops as nobody knew what he would be at that time) that decided to take his first head coaching job with USF

How is this different then the two ASSISTANT ADs from BCS schools that are applying to USF for their first head AD position? According to your logic you would have only been happy if it was Bill Snyder leaving K-State for USF because he had a vision instead of some lowly assistant coach like Leavitt.

On the contrary I'd say that an assistant coming from Michigan State is more prominent then an assistant from Kansas State.

Personally I think if there were any ADs coming from BCS schools we'd probably want to steer clear anyway since it would probably mean there are "issues" causing them to leave their current position anyway.

so you are saying, for a co-defensive coordinator at a top big 12 school coming to start a program from nothing

at a non bcs conference is NOT a step down, not a huge reach beyond the "job" for something more challeging.

the AD coming from MSU comes in with  many things in place. we ARE going to the big east, we HAVE a very good football team that is already on tract to be great,

we have a very decent AD with some sports nationally ranked and recognized.  

whoever gets this job in NOT coming in to an empty cupboard like JL did. to me there is no comparision, JL took a leap of faith and three steps down coming here when he did. The new AD comes when the heavy lifting is done he now needs to polish and expand on a foundation that is in place.

last there was no "buzz" as i recall about this great "job" that was at usf in 1995-6 to start a football program.  who knew about USF for there to have BEEN a "buzz"?  was this on espn? was it being dicussed at the final four? did we hire a former B12 commisioner to help us search for a candidate?

[BULLheaded]

so you are saying, for a co-defensive coordinator at a top big 12 school coming to start a program from nothing

at a non bcs conference is NOT a step down, not a huge reach beyond the "job" for something more challeging.

an assistant getting his first head coach position was not a step down IMO. No more of a step down for an assistant leaving a program that only VERY recently had been anything worth a darn vs an assistant leaving such a well established and successfull program like michigan state.

Anyway, my point was basically that

1)as we have seen with leavitt an assistant from a good program can do a fantastic job and

2)I don't think it is too realistic to expect a successfull AD from another BCS program to just drop everything and come running to USF just because we have potential.

Am I running around the room screaming my head off over these candidates? No, but then I also don't expect to see the AD's from LSU, Michigan, Ohio State or any other well established programs to come rushing to Tampa. Overall I think they have come up with a good solid list of assistant candidates from some successfull programs.

[BULLO12]

I don't understand the rage of some people over interview processes and selection committees.  

Patience is not a virtue on this board Mike.  Surely you have seen that.