Mark Harlan

[hm101]

I think by this point we need a Mark Harlan thread, given that it appears to be a done deal. 

 

I have a question though: why are people against this hire? The Bruins Nation posts? Come on, have you read their blog? It's incredibly extreme and unprofessional. I read a post on their bball team and despite a solid season, the hatred and extremism is rampant. 

 

What sparked the hatred is a rearrangement of student seating in the bball arena. This clearly pissed off some spoiled freshman with a keyboard and now Harlan's image is skewed. The truth is, when you're changing things, even improving, you are going to piss SOMEONE off. In the case of a bball arena, if you have to move students, potentially to worse seating so you are increasing revenues with ticket sales, I can understand the frustration. In addition, if you go into the UCLA community - with regular UCLA folks - they are more reasonable. They say the whole administration is mixed to negative in reviews but how much of that Harlan is responsible is unknown. And the bottom line is, the guy raised a hell of a lot of money. 

 

Make no mistake, there are legit criticisms. 

1. Why did USF conduct this search so secretively?

2. Perception is reality - is he going to fix his perception?

3. Was the increase in fundraising a product of HIM? Or of a good football team?

 

But I want to hear from people who know more than just the Cracker Jack Bruins Nation article headings - what are your thoughts?

[Bull Matrix]

I think by this point we need a Mark Harlan thread, given that it appears to be a done deal. 

 

I have a question though: why are people against this hire? The Bruins Nation posts? Come on, have you read their blog? It's incredibly extreme and unprofessional. I read a post on their bball team and despite a solid season, the hatred and extremism is rampant. 

 

What sparked the hatred is a rearrangement of student seating in the bball arena. This clearly pissed off some spoiled freshman with a keyboard and now Harlan's image is skewed. The truth is, when you're changing things, even improving, you are going to piss SOMEONE off. In the case of a bball arena, if you have to move students, potentially to worse seating so you are increasing revenues with ticket sales, I can understand the frustration. In addition, if you go into the UCLA community - with regular UCLA folks - they are more reasonable. They say the whole administration is mixed to negative in reviews but how much of that Harlan is responsible is unknown. And the bottom line is, the guy raised a hell of a lot of money. 

 

Make no mistake, there are legit criticisms. 

1. Why did USF conduct this search so secretively?

2. Perception is reality - is he going to fix his perception?

3. Was the increase in fundraising a product of HIM? Or of a good football team?

 

But I want to hear from people who know more than just the Cracker Jack Bruins Nation article headings - what are your thoughts?

 

Been hearing that he will play a major part in bringing that OCS to reality. I am hyped right now. The California connections continue. I thinking smazza is working his magic to get USF where it needs to be. We love it!!! GO BULLS!!!

[Brad]

As I stated in another thread, I don't care that much for having another guy that oversees facilities.  I want a guy that is passionate about winning and excellence.   I don't know anything about this guy, nor do I trust we know how to hire...but here's his BIO from UCLA:

 

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Mark Harlan has served as UCLA's Senior Associate Athletic Director for External Relations at UCLA since July of 2010. He plays an integral role on Athletic Director Dan Guerrero’s senior management team.

 

In this role, he oversees all facets of development, marketing, promotion, branding, licensing, sports information, alumni relations, ticket sales, as well as manages third party rights holder, IMG. Under his leadership, these units have seen increased revenues, creation of new media and overall communication strategies for the department and enhanced relationships with key city and corporate partners throughout the Los Angeles Area. Harlan was a key member of the negotiation team that helped secure a new 30-year lease at the Rose Bowl and a $200 million renovation of the historic stadium. He also helped direct the final two years of the Campaign of Champions enabling the $132 million renovation of Pauley Pavilion. He is a member of the senior staff of the UCLA Foundation and has sports supervision responsibilities for the 11 time NCAA Champion men’s basketball team.

 

Prior to coming to UCLA, Harlan served as the Senior Vice President for Central Development at The University of Arizona Foundation. Working directly with the university and Foundation presidents, he oversaw university-wide annual giving, corporate relations, communication and marketing, donor services, gift planning, and scholarships.

 

Harlan served as Associate Athletic Director at San Jose State prior to Arizona, overseeing all units in external relations. There, he presided over two record-breaking revenue years as well as overseeing the sports of football, men's soccer and women's basketball. He negotiated the department's first-ever corporate rights agreement with Learfield Sports, as well as a comprehensive television deal with Comcast Sports to air Spartan football and basketball games. In 2006, the football team, under head coach **** Tomey, won nine games and the school's first bowl victory in 16 years. In 2005 and 2006, ticket sales nearly doubled.

 

In 2004, Harlan joined the athletic staff at Northern Colorado. There, in his role as an Associate Athletic Director, he helped redesign the department's fundraising efforts and played an integral role in the school's transition to Division I and successful membership into the Big Sky Conference.

 

Harlan holds a Bachelor's degree in Political Science and a Master's degree in Education from Arizona. He and his wife Carolyn have two children named Savannah and Austin.

 

 

‹ UCLA Bruin Athletics

[bullsbucsfan426]

It's not so much the Bruins Nation article, even if they aren't all that professional (I guess we're mentally comparing them to their Voodoo Five counterparts, whose opinion we sometimes have a tendency to value very highly). 

 

No, my bother is the buyout he gave to Steve Alford prior to doing NOTHING at UCLA. I mean, you're going to pay the man 10.4M USD to fire him if he fails in three years and 5.2M if they fire him before 2018. Never mind that Alford is getting paid $2.6M a year regularly. Coaches who win at UCLA don't leave UCLA. It's like Saban and Alabama-they would have to fire Saban to make him leave, he proved this year that not even the money of Texas will entice him. If you win at UCLA, you stay there and make millions of dollars. Not only that, Alford is getting paid MORE than Roy Williams and Jim Boeheim, coaches who Alford isn't even the stratosphere of in terms of coaching ability. If that doesn't reek of the height of idiocy, I don't know what does. 

 

Maybe his fund raising is good. I like that he did good fund raising at Arizona, which while a P5 program, has never been top shelf in the Pac-12. That took some talent. But that can't be the be-all end-all. Donors don't donate to losing teams, unless they're clearly getting better. At our level we are dependent on people showing up the stadium to make money. I remember reading somewhere that the 2007 WVU game made 1.3M or so (I may be low balling it) in ticket sales. We're not likely to reach that point again, but even if we have 50k a year in the stands, I'd say we have a good shot of making $8-10M a year in ticket sales, and people WILL donate if they see us winning-and the top 40 recruiting classes will keep coming, perhaps even better .Same goes for basketball. 

 

As for the secret search-I have no problem with it. This is an executive level search. It's probably fair to keep the, say, Iron Bulls informed if they ask. But who else has the level of financial committment to the university? Moreover, why do the coaches need to be in? The AD is their boss. If they win, the AD won't have a problem with them. If they lose, taht's that. 

[Bull Matrix]

 

As I stated in another thread, I don't care that much for having another guy that oversees facilities.  I want a guy that is passionate about winning and excellence.   I don't know anything about this guy, nor do I trust we know how to hire...but here's his BIO from UCLA:

 

---

 

 

Mark Harlan has served as UCLA's Senior Associate Athletic Director for External Relations at UCLA since July of 2010. He plays an integral role on Athletic Director Dan Guerrero’s senior management team.

 

In this role, he oversees all facets of development, marketing, promotion, branding, licensing, sports information, alumni relations, ticket sales, as well as manages third party rights holder, IMG. Under his leadership, these units have seen increased revenues, creation of new media and overall communication strategies for the department and enhanced relationships with key city and corporate partners throughout the Los Angeles Area. Harlan was a key member of the negotiation team that helped secure a new 30-year lease at the Rose Bowl and a $200 million renovation of the historic stadium. He also helped direct the final two years of the Campaign of Champions enabling the $132 million renovation of Pauley Pavilion. He is a member of the senior staff of the UCLA Foundation and has sports supervision responsibilities for the 11 time NCAA Champion men’s basketball team.

 

Prior to coming to UCLA, Harlan served as the Senior Vice President for Central Development at The University of Arizona Foundation. Working directly with the university and Foundation presidents, he oversaw university-wide annual giving, corporate relations, communication and marketing, donor services, gift planning, and scholarships.

 

Harlan served as Associate Athletic Director at San Jose State prior to Arizona, overseeing all units in external relations. There, he presided over two record-breaking revenue years as well as overseeing the sports of football, men's soccer and women's basketball. He negotiated the department's first-ever corporate rights agreement with Learfield Sports, as well as a comprehensive television deal with Comcast Sports to air Spartan football and basketball games. In 2006, the football team, under head coach **** Tomey, won nine games and the school's first bowl victory in 16 years. In 2005 and 2006, ticket sales nearly doubled.

 

In 2004, Harlan joined the athletic staff at Northern Colorado. There, in his role as an Associate Athletic Director, he helped redesign the department's fundraising efforts and played an integral role in the school's transition to Division I and successful membership into the Big Sky Conference.

 

Harlan holds a Bachelor's degree in Political Science and a Master's degree in Education from Arizona. He and his wife Carolyn have two children named Savannah and Austin.

 

 

‹ UCLA Bruin Athletics

 

 

His main responsibility will be to raise funds for the IPF and OCS. He wont be coaching any of the teams. He will just have to hire what the boosters appove. SImple as that. I hope USF realise that Woolard had the same responsibilities. Woolard never coached the teams. 

[Skingraft]

Time will tell

[Brad]

 

 

As I stated in another thread, I don't care that much for having another guy that oversees facilities.  I want a guy that is passionate about winning and excellence.   I don't know anything about this guy, nor do I trust we know how to hire...but here's his BIO from UCLA:

 

---

 

 

Mark Harlan has served as UCLA's Senior Associate Athletic Director for External Relations at UCLA since July of 2010. He plays an integral role on Athletic Director Dan Guerrero’s senior management team.

 

In this role, he oversees all facets of development, marketing, promotion, branding, licensing, sports information, alumni relations, ticket sales, as well as manages third party rights holder, IMG. Under his leadership, these units have seen increased revenues, creation of new media and overall communication strategies for the department and enhanced relationships with key city and corporate partners throughout the Los Angeles Area. Harlan was a key member of the negotiation team that helped secure a new 30-year lease at the Rose Bowl and a $200 million renovation of the historic stadium. He also helped direct the final two years of the Campaign of Champions enabling the $132 million renovation of Pauley Pavilion. He is a member of the senior staff of the UCLA Foundation and has sports supervision responsibilities for the 11 time NCAA Champion men’s basketball team.

 

Prior to coming to UCLA, Harlan served as the Senior Vice President for Central Development at The University of Arizona Foundation. Working directly with the university and Foundation presidents, he oversaw university-wide annual giving, corporate relations, communication and marketing, donor services, gift planning, and scholarships.

 

Harlan served as Associate Athletic Director at San Jose State prior to Arizona, overseeing all units in external relations. There, he presided over two record-breaking revenue years as well as overseeing the sports of football, men's soccer and women's basketball. He negotiated the department's first-ever corporate rights agreement with Learfield Sports, as well as a comprehensive television deal with Comcast Sports to air Spartan football and basketball games. In 2006, the football team, under head coach **** Tomey, won nine games and the school's first bowl victory in 16 years. In 2005 and 2006, ticket sales nearly doubled.

 

In 2004, Harlan joined the athletic staff at Northern Colorado. There, in his role as an Associate Athletic Director, he helped redesign the department's fundraising efforts and played an integral role in the school's transition to Division I and successful membership into the Big Sky Conference.

 

Harlan holds a Bachelor's degree in Political Science and a Master's degree in Education from Arizona. He and his wife Carolyn have two children named Savannah and Austin.

 

 

‹ UCLA Bruin Athletics

 

 

His main responsibility will be to raise funds for the IPF and OCS. He wont be coaching any of the teams. He will just have to hire what the boosters appove. SImple as that. I hope USF realise that Woolard had the same responsibilities. Woolard never coached the teams. 

 

 

Everyone knows Woolard didn't coach the teams, but that does not separate the AD from the success, or lack of success, of the program.  But no need to rehash.  Your vision of an AD is just different.

[BullFan98]

Assuming he is our AD time will only tell how he will play out here. I would have felt more comfortable win someone with greater ties to the Tampa community, but I am sure he knows how to network and quickly build relationships locally.

At least he is coming from a large athletic program.

[Skingraft]

http://tbo.com/sports/colleges/usf-bulls/reports-usf-selects-uclas-mark-harlan-as-new-ad-20140309/

[Brad]

 

TAMPA — Mark Harlan, a senior associate athletic director at UCLA, is set to become the University of South Florida’s new athletic director, according to multiple reports on the West Coast.

 

The Los Angeles Times reported that Harlan, a 44-year-old Arizona graduate known for his fundraising and marketing prowess, has accepted the job.

 

An official announcement could be made as early as Tuesday. USF spokesman Adam Freeman would not confirm the reports and said he didn’t anticipate any further information from the school on Sunday.