2020 Athletic Director Candidates Thread

[Dick Rosenthal]

I talked to Frank this afternoon, he isn’t interested, thinks the country club scene in Massachusetts is pitiful and that the Country Club in Brookline sucks balls as a course and he is not wrong. He is happy being the power behind the throne as Fordham basketball returns itself to the glory days of Frank’s old boss, Richard “Digger” Phelps.

As such, Frank is throwing his support behind Christopher Logitano. The gig as Dean of the Diploma Mill didn’t work out, but honestly, the BC AD job is an even less prestigious position so perhaps Logi has a shot.

[Logitano]

I talked to Frank this afternoon, he isn’t interested, thinks the country club scene in Massachusetts is pitiful and that the Country Club in Brookline sucks balls as a course and he is not wrong. He is happy being the power behind the throne as Fordham basketball returns itself to the glory days of Frank’s old boss, Richard “Digger” Phelps.

As such, Frank is throwing his support behind Christopher Logitano. The gig as Dean of the Diploma Mill didn’t work out, but honestly, the BC AD job is an even less prestigious position so perhaps Logi has a shot.

This.

[claver2010]

https://t.co/dLNHhocPun

[HJS]

Makes total sense as Kraft is the only doctor on that list.

[eagle33]

can this man save bc athletics.



i don't think so.

[HJS]

Quick question... why do folks hate Blake James so much. When he was hired, it was an immediate "If he isn't good enough for The U, he hate good enough for us" response. But, I kinda always found that to be a bizarre reaction given the nature of the job is wildly different from that of a head coach. I haven't met James. Never met Kraft, but after hearing him talk a few times, I thought he was a clown in the mode of Addazio. Met Jarmond a few times, always thought he was a good guy. Mainly because he was authentic in his openness in embracing his role as a salesman who would leave as soon as he could.

[Thornton Melon]

Because we don't trust the guy who hired him and assume if he was what Fr Leahy wanted, it's someone who won't work in the best interest of say, winning games.

I know at this point I don't trust a word that comes out of anything the athletic department produces. They've proven time and time and time again they don't act in the best interest of university athletics - it's all face saving nonsense.

I don't expect the guy to be ripping coaches left and right, but there is just no feeling at all that anyone in the administration even knows we actually play games anymore, or that winning them is better than losing them.

Thus, the assumption he's not good at what he does.

[HJS]

I hear you. And I think, from an athletics perspective, there is a foundational/structural issue that makes it impossible for any coach to succeed. I blame that on Leahy. It is the reason why I say I never want to do another coaching change while he is still President. That said, his last AD is the wealthiest sports administrator in the country and his predecessor just piloted UCLA to the B10. I’d suggest that most would view Kraft and Jarmond as home run hires for BC. So, I have a hard time blaming James for the malaise that Kraft and Jarmond delivered (even though they are both considered elite).

[DomingoOrtiz]

I hear you. And I think, from an athletics perspective, there is a foundational/structural issue that makes it impossible for any coach to succeed. I blame that on Leahy. It is the reason why I say I never want to do another coaching change while he is still President. That said, his last AD is the wealthiest sports administrator in the country and his predecessor just piloted UCLA to the B10. I’d suggest that most would view Kraft and Jarmond as home run hires for BC. So, I have a hard time blaming James for the malaise that Kraft and Jarmond delivered (even though they are both considered elite).

1. Kraft is the highest paid AD in the country? I only met him once, tailgate prior to the 2021 VTech game and came away impressed.
B. Jarmond was a salesman but he also understood college athletics better than anyone else BC has had. He knew it was all about recruiting and he did what ever he could to get fannies in the seats. He was also a very good, and tireless fund raiser. He even hosted an event at his house. He was also honest about BC being a stepping stone for him. He delayed make needed changes (firing Daz and JC) because he knew there was little upside and huge downside in the hires. That said Leahy liked him, alot of the VPs did not.
III. Bates was one of the worst hires in BC's history.
4. DeFalacio was a dishonest POS. He ran TOB and fired Skinner.
V. New guy has not impressed.

[HJS]

Agreed with everything but Kraft (with the caveat that I never met him). But, as shown above, DOCTOR Kraft leads the nation with his $3.5mm per salary. As for James not impressing in his brief tenure… sure. But, the knives were out for him the second he was hired and my original question was… Why?

As for the current state of BC athletics… it ain’t the fault of James. These aren’t his coaches. He was hired in June. Whatever problems that exist are the fault of the aforementioned, richly-compensated Kraft and Jarmond. It is James’ responsibility to clean up the mess he played no role in creating. But, I find it weird that posters on all of the boards treat him like he’s Bates in his final year at BC.

James, as I understand it, was a well-thought-of administrator throughout the industry. This was evidenced by the roles he played on various committees. I was under the impression that the reason he was hired was not because BC was looking for the best day-to-day steward of ticket sales and free shirts. But, because he was someone who was well-informed with the market structure that is rapidly changing in college sports. Also, it was my impression, that there is concern about the conference shifts and BC wanted someone who could be a Rep in the room that carried some gravitas among the other admins. I guess what I’m saying is… I never got the impression that Blake James was hired to pick items for the nutrition table in Yawkey or shake hands at tailgates. I thought he was hired to handle the impossible task of keeping a school terrible in all sports (due to 15 years of neglect) in a relevant conference getting paid for membership instead of performance. But… I could be wrong (and perhaps I am since no one else sees it that way).

[OCs_Inner_Eagle]

Agreed with everything but Kraft (with the caveat that I never met him). But, as shown above, DOCTOR Kraft leads the nation with his $3.5mm per salary. As for James not impressing in his brief tenure… sure. But, the knives were out for him the second he was hired and my original question was… Why?

As for the current state of BC athletics… it ain’t the fault of James. These aren’t his coaches. He was hired in June. Whatever problems that exist are the fault of the aforementioned, richly-compensated Kraft and Jarmond. It is James’ responsibility to clean up the mess he played no role in creating. But, I find it weird that posters on all of the boards treat him like he’s Bates in his final year at BC.

James, as I understand it, was a well-thought-of administrator throughout the industry. This was evidenced by the roles he played on various committees. I was under the impression that the reason he was hired was not because BC was looking for the best day-to-day steward of ticket sales and free shirts. But, because he was someone who was well-informed with the market structure that is rapidly changing in college sports. Also, it was my impression, that there is concern about the conference shifts and BC wanted someone who could be a Rep in the room that carried some gravitas among the other admins. I guess what I’m saying is… I never got the impression that Blake James was hired to pick items for the nutrition table in Yawkey or shake hands at tailgates. I thought he was hired to handle the impossible task of keeping a school terrible in all sports (due to 15 years of neglect) in a relevant conference getting paid for membership instead of performance. But… I could be wrong (and perhaps I am since no one else sees it that way).

HJS I'm glad you posed this question. Upon his hire BCI reviewed his record on coaching decisions and on finances, facilities and politics. James seems to be a loyalist to whoever he reports, and will carry out their wishes as he has no particular philosophy that would preclude him from doing so. If Fr. Leahy has little interest in encouragement of NIL collectives, then James will express little interest save for Federal regulation of said entities so that there's predictability. If a more proactive President comes along, I'm sure James will note the lack of Federal intervention and change his tune. If he can avoid having to go through the turmoil of a coaching change, that would be his preference. If he has to make a change, he's no visionary but he'll have as good a chance as the average AD in making a successful hire. He'd prefer to hire someone outside with a decent record of experience as an HC (Richt, Grant), or elevate someone in-house who has shown some level of predictability (Diaz).

I can see why someone unemotional, functional, low-key and passive would be popular on various conference and NCAA committees. Perhaps a good word to describe James is[urlhttps://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/stolid] "stolid", which Merriam-Webster describes as[/url]:

: having or expressing little or no sensibility : unemotional

He'll do what he's told. That seems to be the perfect fit for Fr. Leahy, but also someone who won't resist a Monanesque replacement.

[claver2010]

someone who interacted with james while at the U many times told me he's fine as an ad. he's a good fundraiser, will keep the boat going in the right direction and play the political game but won't be someone who moves the needle of a program. where he fell short is miami has aspirations of competing for national championships (we call discuss how realistic those visions are) and he wasn't forceful enough to get things done to align with that goal.

[HJS]

There isn't an AD in this world who doesn't serve at the whim of his employer. Fans at U didn't think James did what was necessary to win a National Championship, it is likely because Donna Shalala didn't want to do it. If BC is institutionally incapable of athletic success, it is likely more the fault of Leahy than Jarmon, Kraft or James. No AD was ever going to walk into Yawkey and change the focus of the school. It is quite naive to think otherwise. The best part of these responses seems to be that James could be decent if the University decided to give a crap about sports. That clearly is a regime change (either via a new President or the Board doing something beyond cocktails in 2101 Comm Ave). But, is a regime change is what would be needed to have either Kraft or Jarmond be successful (as the this year shows that the fruits of their labor was anything but).

[TobaccoRoadEagle]

Agreed with everything but Kraft (with the caveat that I never met him). But, as shown above, DOCTOR Kraft leads the nation with his $3.5mm per salary. As for James not impressing in his brief tenure… sure. But, the knives were out for him the second he was hired and my original question was… Why?

As for the current state of BC athletics… it ain’t the fault of James. These aren’t his coaches. He was hired in June. Whatever problems that exist are the fault of the aforementioned, richly-compensated Kraft and Jarmond. It is James’ responsibility to clean up the mess he played no role in creating. But, I find it weird that posters on all of the boards treat him like he’s Bates in his final year at BC.

James, as I understand it, was a well-thought-of administrator throughout the industry. This was evidenced by the roles he played on various committees. I was under the impression that the reason he was hired was not because BC was looking for the best day-to-day steward of ticket sales and free shirts. But, because he was someone who was well-informed with the market structure that is rapidly changing in college sports. Also, it was my impression, that there is concern about the conference shifts and BC wanted someone who could be a Rep in the room that carried some gravitas among the other admins. I guess what I’m saying is… I never got the impression that Blake James was hired to pick items for the nutrition table in Yawkey or shake hands at tailgates. I thought he was hired to handle the impossible task of keeping a school terrible in all sports (due to 15 years of neglect) in a relevant conference getting paid for membership instead of performance. But… I could be wrong (and perhaps I am since no one else sees it that way).

HJS I'm glad you posed this question. Upon his hire BCI reviewed his record on coaching decisions and on finances, facilities and politics. James seems to be a loyalist to whoever he reports, and will carry out their wishes as he has no particular philosophy that would preclude him from doing so. If Fr. Leahy has little interest in encouragement of NIL collectives, then James will express little interest save for Federal regulation of said entities so that there's predictability. If a more proactive President comes along, I'm sure James will note the lack of Federal intervention and change his tune. If he can avoid having to go through the turmoil of a coaching change, that would be his preference. If he has to make a change, he's no visionary but he'll have as good a chance as the average AD in making a successful hire. He'd prefer to hire someone outside with a decent record of experience as an HC (Richt, Grant), or elevate someone in-house who has shown some level of predictability (Diaz).

I can see why someone unemotional, functional, low-key and passive would be popular on various conference and NCAA committees. Perhaps a good word to describe James is"stolid", which Merriam-Webster describes as:

: having or expressing little or no sensibility : unemotional

He'll do what he's told. That seems to be the perfect fit for Fr. Leahy, but also someone who won't resist a Monanesque replacement.

you'll never make it as a meatbomber, observer college.

fixed your link to stoid. no meatbomb

appreciate you doing the homework to show that james has been just as milquetoast as his picture makes him appear. that's just what we need to lead us to new heights (and by heights i mean charting new lows and exceeding the expectations of terrible we've grown to know and ignore)

[DomingoOrtiz]

There isn't an AD in this world who doesn't serve at the whim of his employer. Fans at U didn't think James did what was necessary to win a National Championship, it is likely because Donna Shalala didn't want to do it. If BC is institutionally incapable of athletic success, it is likely more the fault of Leahy than Jarmon, Kraft or James. No AD was ever going to walk into Yawkey and change the focus of the school. It is quite naive to think otherwise. The best part of these responses seems to be that James could be decent if the University decided to give a crap about sports. That clearly is a regime change (either via a new President or the Board doing something beyond cocktails in 2101 Comm Ave). But, is a regime change is what would be needed to have either Kraft or Jarmond be successful (as the this year shows that the fruits of their labor was anything but).

Also available for weddings: https://www.bc.edu/bc-web/offices/auxil ... ealth.html

[BostonCollege1]

There isn't an AD in this world who doesn't serve at the whim of his employer. Fans at U didn't think James did what was necessary to win a National Championship, it is likely because Donna Shalala didn't want to do it. If BC is institutionally incapable of athletic success, it is likely more the fault of Leahy than Jarmon, Kraft or James. No AD was ever going to walk into Yawkey and change the focus of the school. It is quite naive to think otherwise. The best part of these responses seems to be that James could be decent if the University decided to give a crap about sports. That clearly is a regime change (either via a new President or the Board doing something beyond cocktails in 2101 Comm Ave). But, is a regime change is what would be needed to have either Kraft or Jarmond be successful (as the this year shows that the fruits of their labor was anything but).

Also available for weddings: https://www.bc.edu/bc-web/offices/auxil ... ealth.html

Everything about that page is terrible, including the "team," which is one person who left to work at BU two months ago.

[StratEagle]

Has anyone seen or heard from Blake James since his hiring? The guy is completely invisible at a time when the athletic building is basically engulfed in flames. Teams all suck, the coaches suck, e-commerce site is a complete joke, and Baum has not been replaced. Even much of the social content team has now been poached.

It's not his fault we're at rock bottom, but where the fuck is he?

[BostonCollege1]

Has anyone seen or heard from Blake James since his hiring? The guy is completely invisible at a time when the athletic building is basically engulfed in flames. Teams all suck, the coaches suck, e-commerce site is a complete joke, and Baum has not been replaced. Even much of the social content team has now been poached.

It's not his fault we're at rock bottom, but where the fuck is he?

He was just at the ceremony honoring Jerry York. And called us “Boston College University” on semi-national television (ESPNews).

[claver2010]

the boos for him came across pretty clearly on tv

[BostonCollege1]

the boos for him came across pretty clearly on tv

He started talking the second he was introduced, because he knew the boos were coming. Can’t think of the last time our AD was booed - maybe Gene at the end?

[HJS]

the boos for him came across pretty clearly on tv

He started talking the second he was introduced, because he knew the boos were coming. Can’t think of the last time our AD was booed - maybe Gene at the end?

And that was exactly the reason for my initial question. The guy has been here a couple of months and has kept a low profile. Why in the fuck do people hate him so much???

[ATLeagle]

Has anyone seen or heard from Blake James since his hiring? The guy is completely invisible at a time when the athletic building is basically engulfed in flames. Teams all suck, the coaches suck, e-commerce site is a complete joke, and Baum has not been replaced. Even much of the social content team has now been poached.

It's not his fault we're at rock bottom, but where the fuck is he?

He was just at the ceremony honoring Jerry York. And called us “Boston College University” on semi-national television (ESPNews).

Please tell me this is a joke. The man worked at Maine, Providence and Miami.

[JesuitIvy]

Maybe we can convince ourselves this is top-level trolling of BU – that every kid from outside New England assumes BC is the one school with Boston in its name and he was tossing that at them. Blake James you evil genius!

[eagle33]

maybe this is why he's not allowed to go out often.

[Uptown Eagle]

the boos for him came across pretty clearly on tv

He started talking the second he was introduced, because he knew the boos were coming. Can’t think of the last time our AD was booed - maybe Gene at the end?

And that was exactly the reason for my initial question. The guy has been here a couple of months and has kept a low profile. Why in the fuck do people hate him so much???

I think the reason is pretty simple: the product on the field/court stinks.

To most casual observers, the blame for that has to fall on the figureheads of the athletic program, including the AD. Whether that's fair or not is a different question.

[BostonCollege1]

Has anyone seen or heard from Blake James since his hiring? The guy is completely invisible at a time when the athletic building is basically engulfed in flames. Teams all suck, the coaches suck, e-commerce site is a complete joke, and Baum has not been replaced. Even much of the social content team has now been poached.

It's not his fault we're at rock bottom, but where the fuck is he?

He was just at the ceremony honoring Jerry York. And called us “Boston College University” on semi-national television (ESPNews).

Please tell me this is a joke. The man worked at Maine, Providence and Miami.

https://twitter.com/mmccunney/status/1601565254668161024

[BostonCollege1]

the boos for him came across pretty clearly on tv

He started talking the second he was introduced, because he knew the boos were coming. Can’t think of the last time our AD was booed - maybe Gene at the end?

And that was exactly the reason for my initial question. The guy has been here a couple of months and has kept a low profile. Why in the fuck do people hate him so much???

I think the reason is pretty simple: the product on the field/court stinks.

To most casual observers, the blame for that has to fall on the figureheads of the athletic program, including the AD. Whether that's fair or not is a different question.

I think it's more that he hasn't been visible while the product on the field/court has been stinking. Or even talking about the entire athletic department in general. He doesn't have to make himself the center of attention, but he's been a near-complete no-show.

[Thornton Melon]

So amongst my social and professional groups - I am known as the BC fan, the guy who can tell you Jags' winning percentage or that Ivan Boyd caught the pass to set up David Gordon's kick, etc. Everyone knows BC sports suck in every way.

So who do you boo? It's not like Leahy is out there much, you don't really want to boo the kids, it's not their fault - who the hell do you let know that you're repulsed by the program and everything it stands for?

Thus, boo Blake James.

[HJS]

So amongst my social and professional groups - I am known as the BC fan, the guy who can tell you Jags' winning percentage or that Ivan Boyd caught the pass to set up David Gordon's kick, etc. Everyone knows BC sports suck in every way.

So who do you boo? It's not like Leahy is out there much, you don't really want to boo the kids, it's not their fault - who the hell do you let know that you're repulsed by the program and everything it stands for?

Thus, boo Blake James.

As long as it is irrational catharsism, I am all for it. He is basically paid to be the fall guy. I don't care one way or the other as to whether he likes it or not. He is essentially being paid to deal with the PR mess created by Jarmond and Kraft. That's fine. It also means that replacing him does nothing. It isn't like the next AD is going to do anything different than the one we hired a few months ago. We ain't firing anyone this year. And, I hope we don't have to make a coaching hire so long as Leahy is the President (as it will just be bad and delay any chance athletics have to move forward).

[claver2010]

shoutout to gene for another outstanding find:

https://theathletic.com/4552124/2023/05 ... incinnati/

Swann resigned in September 2019 after his own embattled, three-year term as AD. USC hired Turnkey Search, which said more than 80 candidates were considered for the AD position.

“Mike Bohn was selected because of his integrity, his NCAA student-athlete focus and his people skills,” Turnkey’s Len Perna said then. “President Folt was looking for a people person with strong interpersonal skills for building engagement, followership and galvanizing the USC community.”