Athletic Director Announcement

[Ricky the Bull]

After listening to his speech at the press conference, I must say that I am impressed with his demeanor and enthusiasm for our athletic program.  He definately seems like a 'character' guy who exudes a business-like confidence that fits the job of AD very well.

Looking at his resume', I was very impressed with his stress on academics and the overall soundness he leaves the Billikens with.

I mean, if Bob Costas says he's the man, what more do you need?  

[Papa_Bull]

After listening to his speech at the press conference, I must say that I am impressed with his demeanor and enthusiasm for our athletic program.  He definately seems like a 'character' guy who exudes a business-like confidence that fits the job of AD very well.

Looking at his resume', I was very impressed with his stress on academics and the overall soundness he leaves the Billikens with.

I mean, if Bob Costas says he's the man, what more do you need?  

My thoughts exactly.

I think Bob Costas headed up the St Louis search committee that hired Woolard, so it's no real surprise he would now say he was the man for USF.

[Papa_Bull]

Woolard Eager To Set USF's Course

By FRED GOODALL The Associated Press

Published: May 12, 2004

TAMPA - South Florida is confident it found the right man to lead the Bulls into the Big East Conference.

Doug Woolard was introduced today as the new athletic director at USF, accepting a challenge similar to one he inherited 10 years ago when St. Louis University was on the verge of joining Conference USA.

He replaces pro football Hall of Famer Lee Roy Selmon, who resigned in February because of a private health matter.

``I respectfully accept the baton from Lee Roy to carry this great program on the next leg of this historic vision,'' Woolard said.

``We want to make USF the best athletic department in the Big East as quickly as we possibly can. I say that with the full realization that there are challenges that are ahead of us.''

Selmon was instrumental in raising money and presiding over the launching of South Florida's football program from scratch in the mid-1990s. Although USF is a charter member of Conference USA, the Bulls didn't join the league in football until last season.

Next year, they will jump to the Big East - a move coaches and school officials feel will enhance USF's effort to build a program capable of competing for national championships and attention.

``This is the opportunity of a lifetime. We are going to move in and make a difference in the Big East. We're going to show everybody what USF can do,'' university president Judy Genshaft said.

Woolard was an associate athletic director at Washington State before moving to St. Louis and leading the Billikens' transition into C-USA. He oversaw projects to improve on-campus facilities, and St. Louis has won the league's institutional academic excellence award every year since C-USA began eight years ago.

``He has vision, he has leadership, he's the right person at the right time for USF,'' Genshaft said. ``He has proven experience as an athletic director.''

Woolard believes his experience with football at Washington State, as well as the decade he spent at St. Louis, has prepared him for his new job. The other finalist was Jon Oliver, a senior associate athletic director at Virginia.

Among the people calling Genshaft in support of Woolard were former NCAA president Cedric Dempsey and broadcaster Bob Costas, who led the athletic director search at St. Louis when Woolard was hired there.

Genshaft read a statement from Selmon, who has accepted a newly created position as a fundraiser for athletics at South Florida.

``He is an excellent fit for USF ... He is an outstanding person, and he will lead with great integrity and character. I look forward to teaming up with him to build a top-caliber national championship program,'' Selmon said

[Cubanbull]

im willing to see what he can do before making my decsion,. The fact is that he was the only one that was an ACTIVE AD,Hollis and Oliver sounded good but they are both asst AD's. Sure they are in a BCS conference but Woolard has already done that part at Washington ST.

Obviously we went with more experience in leading us thru this change. By the way i hear he is pretty close with the ND AD. Not that it means anything but a trip to ND would be awesome.

[jfcohio]

Quick, name the AD's at Oklahoma, Miami, LSU, UConn, USC, and Kentucky.

 

[GarySJ]

This is all I'll say about the Woolard hire...

While I liked Hollis and Oliver, as most people here did, I support USF's decision to go with Woolard. President Genshaft et al have more information than we do, met with the candidates personally, and had a highly respected consulting firm assisting them. I trust their judgment.

[Papa_Bull]

Woolard's reviews glow

By PETE YOUNG, Times Staff Writer

Published May 13, 2004

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

TAMPA - If Doug Woolard's performance as South Florida athletic director is a fraction as good as his rave reviews, then USF has hired the AD of the century.

Numerous big names in college athletics weighed in Wednesday on USF's new acquisition. Arizona AD Jim Livengood, who brought Woolard from the high school to college ranks at Washington State in 1988, gushed about his former protege.

"I know what he's all about, and I couldn't talk in any more glowing terms about someone than I do Doug," Livengood said. "He's one of those rare people that's too good to be true. And I don't just talk this way about everybody.

"He's a tremendous people person and extremely smart. His enthusiasm, his ideas - he's bright and articulate. Nobody I know is as good to people every day."

Big East commissioner Mike Tranghese was among the many USF president Judy Genshaft consulted before she chose Woolard over the other finalist, Virginia senior associate AD Jon Oliver. The Bulls joins the Big East in 2005.

"I don't know Doug personally, but I know five or six people who I have unbelievable respect for who have had nothing but the best things to say," Tranghese said. "Our conference is really looking forward to working with him."

Southeastern Conference commissioner Mike Slive, the former commissioner of Conference USA, worked with Woolard from the inception of C-USA.

"Doug helped us work through some very difficult and complex issues," Slive said. "There were many cases where I had sensitive issues that had to be resolved and called on Doug to chair groups and help us through, which he invariably did."

Woolard's predecessor, Lee Roy Selmon, was absent Wednesday from the announcement because of a bank board meeting. However, he and Woolard dined at Selmon's restaurant Wednesday night, and Selmon issued a statement.

"I have enjoyed a good relationship with him in Conference USA," said Selmon, who was AD for nearly three years before resigning in February to take a newly created athletics fundraising position. "He is an outstanding person, and he will lead with great integrity and character."

USF baseball coach Eddie Cardieri and men's soccer coach George Kiefer said they were impressed by Woolard when he came to campus to interview, and Michael Rierson, vice president for advancement and interim AD, said Woolard's leadership skills are exceptional.

"He has what I refer to as a "leadership personality,"' Rierson said. "He understands how to identify the critical issues and how to resolve them."

Football coach Jim Leavitt had an appendectomy Saturday and was not at Wednesday's announcement. He said he has heard favorable things about Woolard, whose previous school does not have a football program but who worked with the football team as an associate AD at Washington State in the early 1990s.

"I've met Doug before at different C-USA meetings, but I don't really know him," Leavitt said. "He did an outstanding job at Saint Louis, and I'm sure he'll do a great job here. He's already been an AD and been very successful at a very good university."

DOUG WOOLARD

AGE: 54 (Feb.10, 1950).

MOST RECENT POSITION: AD, Saint Louis.

RELATED EXPERIENCE: Associate AD, Washington State, 1988-94; AD, Carbondale (Ill.) Community High, 1978-88; basketball coach, Carbondale, 1975-78; teacher/coach, Murphysboro (Ill.) High, 1973-75.

EDUCATION: Carbondale, 1968; B.S. in education, Southern Illinois, 1973; graduate work in secondary education, SIU, 1985.

[Last modified May 13, 2004, 02:20:18]

[dabull80]

OMG it is a complete disaster.  This hire is so bad Coach Leavitt went to the hospital, Leroy wouldn't even attend making up some lame excuse about a bank Board Meeting and numerous posters here don't like it.  Spin it how you want but I like this hire after reading that we got the the thumbs up from Trangease.  Judy calls Mike to get the Ok and he checks his sources and off we go.  This was by far the most important endorsement we got on the hire and if you guys don't think so you really missed the boat.

[smazza]

good hire

[Flowers4Heisman]

This is like when you are a little kid wanting cool shoes for the start of school, maybe a pair of Air Nikes...

And then something happens on the way to the store: the car pulls into Payless.

Words are exchanged and you end up with new shoes and they are okay, but they ain't Nikes ---they are Kangaroos.

 

And it's 2014. We still have Kangaroos but we are paying wayyyy to much. How do we pay more than FSU?