Wanted: Director of Athletics

[ZachTheZip]

I managed to find a copy of the job posting that Eastman-Beaudine has written up for the AD job.

The University of Akron (www.uakron.edu) invites expressions of interest in, and nominations for the position of Director of Athletics. It is anticipated that the person selected will assume the position of Director of Athletics effective September 15, 2009.The University is extremely proud of its long history of hiring outstanding faculty and staff, and it seeks to recruit and hire the most talented, inspiring, and dedicated professionals available.Founded in 1870, The University of Akron is a state-assisted metropolitan university that offers 300 undergraduate majors and 35 associate programs, as well as more than 100 master's degree programs, 17 doctoral programs, and four professional programs. The University participates in Division I intercollegiate athletics in 19 sports and offers club and intramural teams in other sports. The University of Akron is one of the largest public universities in the state of Ohio with enrollment of about 26,000 students, of whom approximately 4,000 are graduate or professional students. It has a full-time faculty of 764 and a total teaching faculty of 1,754. The annual budget is $351 million, in addition to research and sponsored programs of $50 million, and an endowment of approximately $200 million. The Akron campus has 80 buildings on 217 acres located in downtown Akron. The University recently completed a capital campaign raising $606.5 million, well over the goal of $500 million. Alumni of the University number more than 107,000 throughout every state and 40 foreign countries. Further information can be found at http://www.uakron.edu/information/ad.dot.With a population of 212,000, Akron is the fifth largest city in the state of Ohio. Situated in the geographical center of Northeast Ohio, Akron is only a short drive from Detroit, Cleveland, and Pittsburgh and within about an hour's flight of Washington, D.C., Chicago, and New York. The area's vigorous and growing cultural environment includes the Akron Art Museum, Blossom Music Center, the Cleveland Museum of Art, seven regional orchestras including the Akron Symphony and the Cleveland Orchestra, and the Rock 'n Roll Hall of Fame. Only 30 miles south of the Great Lakes, Akron's Cuyahoga Valley National Park offers opportunities for all outdoor activities and sports with ski resorts, miles of nature trails, and wilderness habitat. The University of Akron's athletic program is experiencing a period of unprecedented growth that includes a new $55 million on-campus football stadium scheduled to open this fall, an indoor football practice facility and student center, and plans for basketball arena and soccer facility improvements soon to be under way. The University of Akron's athletics department has also made significant progress academically, specifically in calendar year 2008-2009, when 478 student-athletes were on the dean's list. On the field, the athletics program has produced 16 championships, including ten Mid-American Conference players of the year and nine All-Americans. The Director of Athletics is responsible for the administration and development of a comprehensive, competitive, and respected Division I intercollegiate athletic program, to include all aspects of personnel, budget, operations, facilities management, student-athlete participation, and intercollegiate team competitions. The Director of Athletics is responsible for administering the program in a manner consistent with the rules, regulations, and requirements of the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA), the Mid-American Conference, and the mission and policies of the University. A minimum of five years of progressively responsible experience in a senior athletic administrative position is required, preferably at an NCAA Division I institution. A commitment to comprehensive student success is required. The Department of Athletics' budget exceeds $19 million, inclusive of university and donor support, and thus experience with fiscal and operational duties commensurate with a budget of this size is preferred. Bachelor's degree required. Master's or advanced degree from an accredited institution preferred. Salary is negotiable. The University has retained the services of Eastman & Beaudine, Inc. to assist the search committee. Review of applications and nominations will continue until the position is filled. Applicants' names will be held in confidence until finalists are selected. Interested applicants are encouraged to submit a letter of application, resume of education, qualifications, background, and experience, along with the names, addresses, and telephone numbers of at least five professional references as soon as possible to:Katy YoungAssociateEastman & Beaudine, Inc.7201 Bishop RoadSuite 220Plano, Texas 75024Electronic submission: katy@eastman-beaudine.com

[UADavid]

Nice find. "and plans for basketball arena" I'm a bit surprised. Maybe all the arena talk we've engaged in is not premature. OOPS! "improvements". Should have read the whole article. Got too excited."Master's or advanced degree from an accredited institution preferred. " This should be a must have in my opinion.

[Hugo42]

I went to high school with Beaudine daughter. They hired Smu new Coach June Jones. I will see if i can get any inside information. I think yall need to try and get a Whataburger up here and a great BBQ place in akron as well. I think a BBQ place on exchange will be a good spot for the fball player to get some extra pounds. Sorry I just saw a Whataburger commerical and my dad is BBQ right now.

[ZachTheZip]

I think we'll know a lot more sometime next month. After observing the Rutgers and Houston hiring proccesses, they won't list any names until they have a group of about 6 finalists, and then it will be pared down from there.

[ZachTheZip]

I went to high school with Beaudine daughter. They hired Smu new Coach June Jones. I will see if i can get any inside information.

Get some hints, but don't name any names unless you find something very interesting like a terrible candidate that we need to rip on.

[zff]

BBQ place is coming this fall. Only it will not be on exchange.Old Carolina BBQ

[ZachTheZip]

BBQ place is coming this fall. Only it will not be on exchange.Old Carolina BBQ

So does this mean we're trying to attract an AD from the Carolinas? Somebody call GP1

[Dr Z]

BBQ place is coming this fall. Only it will not be on exchange.

Thanks ZFF, I love a good BBQ.Old Carolina Barbecue Company was formed in 1999 as an idea in the heads of high school friends Brian Bailey and Tim Hug. Brian was a software salesman in the newspaper industry, traveling the country sampling his favorite food, barbecue, at every outpost he could find. Tim was a manager for a fast food franchisee, supervising multiple units in Northeast Ohio. During a lunch at a barbecue joint in St. Louis, Brian had an epiphany: Canton did not have an authentic barbecue restaurant and he and Tim, two Timken Sr. High School graduates and former swim team teammates, needed to open one.Now with a total of 54 awards, a third location is slated to open in Akron in September of 2009. This 3400 sq. ft. restaurant will have 85 seats and will continue the successful format of Old Carolina’s fast casual barbecue concept. Guests order at a counter and self-serve their drinks. Friendly staffers then deliver the food to the table and buss away the empty plates when they finish.Menu looks reasonable:

[ZachTheZip]

http://www.ohio.com/sports/zips/51516967.htmlSo getting back on topic, here's an article about what the university is looking for in the new AD.This line in particular stood out to me: "In this collegiate environment, if you are maintaining, you are falling behind. We are looking for a candidate who understands that."

[ksu sucks]

This line in particular stood out to me: "In this collegiate environment, if you are maintaining, you are falling behind. We are looking for a candidate who understands that."

Haha, I had the same exact thoughts(as witnessed by the comment I just posted on the article).

[ZachTheZip]

This line in particular stood out to me: "In this collegiate environment, if you are maintaining, you are falling behind. We are looking for a candidate who understands that."

Haha, I had the same exact thoughts(as witnessed by the comment I just posted on the article).

Yep. We're in a conference that doesn't understand that concept, and so I expect the next AD to put us head and shoulders above the MAC in most sports.

[ksu sucks]

http://www.chron.com/disp/story.mpl/sports...on/6555870.htmlA leading candidate to replace Robinson could be Hunter Yurachek, the acting athletic director at the University of Akron. Yurachek is a candidate to succeed Rhoades at Akron but could become available if somebody else gets job. As the No. 2 man at Akron, Yurachek had a close relationship with Rhoades."I can't say enough great things about him," Yurachek said the day UH announced it had hired Rhoades. "I've been in this profession for 17 years. I've worked at Wake Forest, Vanderbilt and the University of Virginia. And he may be the best individual I've ever worked with."

[psc2009]

Yurachek would be a good choice. The key is to find someone who wants to keep improving facilities and working towards improving Akron's image. Not to beat a dead horse, but the whole MAC is suffering through an inferiority complex right now that it needs to get out of.

[Zipmeister]

Nice find. "and plans for basketball arena" I'm a bit surprised. Maybe all the arena talk we've engaged in is not premature. OOPS! "improvements". Should have read the whole article. Got too excited."Master's or advanced degree from an accredited institution preferred. " This should be a must have in my opinion.

If your "quotation" were correct, arena talk would only be a little premature. Unfortunately, the exact quote indicates such talk is a lot premature.the exact quote: "plans for basketball arena and soccer facility improvements soon"

[ksu sucks]

http://www.ohiomm.com/blogs/zips/Yurachek is the next man?

[Zipsrifle]

Well, Don't know if he would have been my first choice, but Dr. P seems to know what he is doing. Hope he takes a few marketing classes this year to improve things a bit.

[Dr Z]

Well, Don't know if he would have been my first choice, but Dr. P seems to know what he is doing. Hope he takes a few marketing classes this year to improve things a bit.

How about hiring a marketing guru? I would be willing to bet that a few "marketing gurus" are without jobs in this economy. I think Dr P has to show the willingness to financially support a marketing effort. I am mildly surprised about the hiring of Hunter. I say good luck to him. He has an awesome product to work with. It's a great time to be an AD for Akron!

[ZachTheZip]

Hunter did a great job of marketing... to corperations and rich alumni. The problem is that that's not who should be focused on right now. We need the support from the community, the regular people looking for something to do for cheap on a saturday afternoon. Once we get a strong community base, the companies and big donors will follow. High attendance means more people to market their companies to with billboard ads or radio commercials.The marketing right now is backwards. They're building something from the top down.

[GP1]

Well, Don't know if he would have been my first choice, but Dr. P seems to know what he is doing. Hope he takes a few marketing classes this year to improve things a bit.

Save the money on classes. Here is all the marketing they need to know.There is a thing on the desk called a "telephone". Use this magical device to make appointments to speak to every group you can possibly get in front of to promote ticket sales for football, MBB and WBB. Further, use that time to raise money for the scholarship fund and build the donor base. Speakers should include....The AD, JD, KD and Coach Kest. Selling tools should include literature (recent literature has actually been pretty good). In the past, they have counted on literature to "sell" the program for them. Literature is a tool to help sell in person. Mailers traditionally have about a 1%-2% response rate. Following literature with face to face contact should result in at least a 10%-15% response rate. Give people a reason to buy and they will. Get in front of the community and put a face on the program.Billboards don't work. They are cheap for a reason. You get what you pay for.Stick with TV and radio. Especially TV if they can afford it. If your coaches are out speaking, customers connect the person on TV with the person in the room speaking with them. The three coaches I mentioned above are all good public speakers and likeable. Use that to your advantage. Schedule the times for them as they are very busy.Class over.

[Blue & Gold]

Well, Don't know if he would have been my first choice, but Dr. P seems to know what he is doing. Hope he takes a few marketing classes this year to improve things a bit.

Save the money on classes. Here is all the marketing they need to know.There is a thing on the desk called a "telephone". Use this magical device to make appointments to speak to every group you can possibly get in front of to promote ticket sales for football, MBB and WBB. Further, use that time to raise money for the scholarship fund and build the donor base. Speakers should include....The AD, JD, KD and Coach Kest. Selling tools should include literature (recent literature has actually been pretty good). In the past, they have counted on literature to "sell" the program for them. Literature is a tool to help sell in person. Mailers traditionally have about a 1%-2% response rate. Following literature with face to face contact should result in at least a 10%-15% response rate. Give people a reason to buy and they will. Get in front of the community and put a face on the program.Billboards don't work. They are cheap for a reason. You get what you pay for.Stick with TV and radio. Especially TV is they can afford it. If your coaches are out speaking, customers connect the person on TV with the person in the room speaking with them. The three coaches I mentioned above are all good public speakers and likeable. Use that to your advantage. Schedule the times for them as they are very busy.Class over.

I agree - tv, tv and more tv! TV is still magical in our society. If we see something on tv, we still think it's a big deal (i.e., Ron Burgundy.) With the advent of the internet this does seem to be changing - not rapidly, but indeed noticeably. However, right now it still has the Ron Burgundy effect. If we see some silly little Cleveland news anchor in person we think, wow, a celebrity! Lol, but I only say that half facetiously. Parenthetically, this is why I hate Cleveland and it's dominance of the tv news media. They have a stranglehold on NEO's minds. They either ignore or poo-poo anything Akron does - and they do it purposefully. They know what they're doing. They don't want to give Akron much credence; God forbid people begin taking the city to the south more seriously.

[Zip Watcher]

Hunter did a great job of marketing... to corperations and rich alumni. The problem is that that's not who should be focused on right now. We need the support from the community, the regular people looking for something to do for cheap on a saturday afternoon. Once we get a strong community base, the companies and big donors will follow. High attendance means more people to market their companies to with billboard ads or radio commercials.The marketing right now is backwards. They're building something from the top down.

That marketing approach got the stadium built. Joe six pack wasn't going to find 61 million when the team wasn't winning. the top down approach got the yard built.Now moving forward, I think you're on to something .. build from the grassroots up. Should be interesting.

[Sergeant Zip]

Stick with TV and radio. Especially TV if they can afford it.

If you have not had the opportunity to tour InfoCision Stadium-Summa field yet, or have only visited certain parts of the stadium, FSN Ohio will broadcast a 30-minute show devoted solely to InfoCision Stadium-Summa Field. The show will debut on Aug. 27 at 9:30 and air a total of 10 times. The schedule for the 10 shows is as follows:Akron Zips: Welcome to InfoCision Stadium (broadcast on FSN Ohio) Aug. 27 - 9:30 pmAug. 28 - 10:00 pmAug. 29 - 1:30 pmAug. 31 - 10:00 pmSept. 1 - 10:00 pmSept. 2 - 7:30 pmSept. 3 - 9:30 pmSept. 4 - 2:00 pmSept. 4 - 6:30 pmSept. 5 - Noonwww.gozips.com

[Blue & Gold]

Stick with TV and radio. Especially TV if they can afford it.

If you have not had the opportunity to tour InfoCision Stadium-Summa field yet, or have only visited certain parts of the stadium, FSN Ohio will broadcast a 30-minute show devoted solely to InfoCision Stadium-Summa Field. The show will debut on Aug. 27 at 9:30 and air a total of 10 times. The schedule for the 10 shows is as follows:Akron Zips: Welcome to InfoCision Stadium (broadcast on FSN Ohio) Aug. 27 - 9:30 pmAug. 28 - 10:00 pmAug. 29 - 1:30 pmAug. 31 - 10:00 pmSept. 1 - 10:00 pmSept. 2 - 7:30 pmSept. 3 - 9:30 pmSept. 4 - 2:00 pmSept. 4 - 6:30 pmSept. 5 - Noonwww.gozips.com

That is awesome! I wonder if that is an actual show produced by FSN Ohio or if it is a paid advertisement which we are solely responsible for?

[GP1]

Stick with TV and radio. Especially TV if they can afford it.

If you have not had the opportunity to tour InfoCision Stadium-Summa field yet, or have only visited certain parts of the stadium, FSN Ohio will broadcast a 30-minute show devoted solely to InfoCision Stadium-Summa Field. The show will debut on Aug. 27 at 9:30 and air a total of 10 times. The schedule for the 10 shows is as follows:Akron Zips: Welcome to InfoCision Stadium (broadcast on FSN Ohio) Aug. 27 - 9:30 pmAug. 28 - 10:00 pmAug. 29 - 1:30 pmAug. 31 - 10:00 pmSept. 1 - 10:00 pmSept. 2 - 7:30 pmSept. 3 - 9:30 pmSept. 4 - 2:00 pmSept. 4 - 6:30 pmSept. 5 - Noonwww.gozips.com

This is freaking awesome. If it was the idea of anyone at UofA, they should get a raise. Now is the time for face to face speaking visits by the staff and coaches. KD and JK should be out speaking every day they possibly can as their seasons, believe it or not, are going to be starting soon. Time sure does go fast. JD really can't because the season has started.

[GP1]

Stick with TV and radio. Especially TV if they can afford it.

If you have not had the opportunity to tour InfoCision Stadium-Summa field yet, or have only visited certain parts of the stadium, FSN Ohio will broadcast a 30-minute show devoted solely to InfoCision Stadium-Summa Field. The show will debut on Aug. 27 at 9:30 and air a total of 10 times. The schedule for the 10 shows is as follows:Akron Zips: Welcome to InfoCision Stadium (broadcast on FSN Ohio) Aug. 27 - 9:30 pmAug. 28 - 10:00 pmAug. 29 - 1:30 pmAug. 31 - 10:00 pmSept. 1 - 10:00 pmSept. 2 - 7:30 pmSept. 3 - 9:30 pmSept. 4 - 2:00 pmSept. 4 - 6:30 pmSept. 5 - Noonwww.gozips.com

That is awesome! I wonder if that is an actual show produced by FSN Ohio or if it is a paid advertisement which we are solely responsible for?

If there are no commercials, UofA paid for it. If there are commercials, FSN Ohio sold the time.