Wanted: Director of Athletics

[Dr Z]

(FSN Show) Great idea! Now promote the hell out of it so people don't miss it. The recent tours they gave of the stadium were awesome. Use the stadium to sell, it will get people to come, WINNING will get people to STAY.

[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.

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.

Looking for a Job?

[Zipsrifle]

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.

Good point, didn't see it this way. We've got to figure out how to get the community behind this team, not just the alumni and students. The Cleveland media isn't going to help us out any either.

[Zipsrifle]

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.

I'll be watching it multiple times, dragging my friends and family into watching it. If it is good, I may need to get a copy of the program. I have this odd feeling right now, don't know what it is.......oh, I just figured it out....it's being impressed.....with the Marketing of UA! I've never had that sensation before, it feels good.

[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.

Looking for a Job?

No.....Own my own business in sales and marketing.

[Zipmeister]

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.

Let's hope them corperations don't limit their marketing efforts to billboards and radio commercials. Refrigerator magnets are also an ineffective marketing possibility.

[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.

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.

Looking for a Job?

No.....Own my own business in sales and marketing.

Want a new client?

[ZachTheZip]

The hiring of Hunter is still a rumor. As we've seen with the Houston and Rutgers openings, the SOP is to release a short list of 3-5 finalists and then conduct a final set of interviews with them. This allows the search firm to shop around the guys who don't win by getting their names out there.

[RACER]

you can promote to group you want to.people are not going to come to see akron unless we start winning on a consistant basis.im sure the first year there will be a spike in attendance from the new stadium.i think the stadium buys akron some new fans for one year.if we have a losing season the following year will mean 7k for every home game.the other problem akron has is the mac conference.i don't care how many people come to the games most of the $ is made through tv.we are so far behind other conferences in tv $ it's hard to compete with other teams.if you look at the top football programsthey all spend alott more $ than any of the mac schools.i know this topic has been discussed over and over,but akron needs to get out of the mac if the opportunity presents itself.the mac as a conference does not have much going for it.we have a odd number of schools; so we don't even play all the teams in our divisons.how stupid is that.it's a one bid b-ball leauge,and no tv football $$$.the mac has done nothing for our b-ball program,and we finally will have great football facilities.i realize we are stuck in the mac for now,but akron really needs to at least start considering other options.

[ZachTheZip]

you can promote to group you want to.people are not going to come to see akron unless we start winning on a consistant basis.im sure the first year there will be a spike in attendance from the new stadium.i think the stadium buys akron some new fans for one year.if we have a losing season the following year will mean 7k for every home game.the other problem akron has is the mac conference.i don't care how many people come to the games most of the $ is made through tv.we are so far behind other conferences in tv $ it's hard to compete with other teams.if you look at the top football programsthey all spend alott more $ than any of the mac schools.i know this topic has been discussed over and over,but akron needs to get out of the mac if the opportunity presents itself.the mac as a conference does not have much going for it.we have a odd number of schools; so we don't even play all the teams in our divisons.how stupid is that.it's a one bid b-ball leauge,and no tv football $$$.the mac has done nothing for our b-ball program,and we finally will have great football facilities.i realize we are stuck in the mac for now,but akron really needs to at least start considering other options.

Words of wisdom. I hope the future AD reads this post in its entirety.

[GP1]

we have a odd number of schools; so we don't even play all the teams in our divisons.how stupid is that.it's a one bid b-ball leauge,and no tv football $$$.the mac has done nothing for our b-ball program,and we finally will have great football facilities.i realize we are stuck in the mac for now,but akron really needs to at least start considering other options.

I've been telling you guys for months now what the solution is. If the odd numbers are hurting us, get rid of one team in the MAC and the conference will be better. The solution to the MAC's problems is the eliminate three teams from the confernece as soon as possible.I can't think of one good reason for a conference to take on a MAC school. The MAC is where you go when nobody else wants you. Bringing in a MAC school actually makes your conference worse and not better. The only sport we would be halfway competitive in is soccer and we could compete in any conference in the US. Ask Marshall how their trip to CUSA is going.

[Dr Z]

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

From Rasor:I received word from an upper-level administrator that my previous report is premature, at best.The university is now looking at an early September timeline for announcing the athletic director. Hunter Yurachek remains in "serious consideration."

[UADavid]

we have a odd number of schools; so we don't even play all the teams in our divisons.how stupid is that.it's a one bid b-ball leauge,and no tv football $$$.the mac has done nothing for our b-ball program,and we finally will have great football facilities.i realize we are stuck in the mac for now,but akron really needs to at least start considering other options.

I've been telling you guys for months now what the solution is. If the odd numbers are hurting us, get rid of one team in the MAC and the conference will be better. The solution to the MAC's problems is the eliminate three teams from the confernece as soon as possible.I can't think of one good reason for a conference to take on a MAC school. The MAC is where you go when nobody else wants you. Bringing in a MAC school actually makes your conference worse and not better. The only sport we would be halfway competitive in is soccer and we could compete in any conference in the US. Ask Marshall how their trip to CUSA is going.

I would agree with dropping three schools. A few years ago this might have been Akron.

[Blue & Gold]

Yup! We need to drop Can't, BGSU & Eastern Michigan. That would leave us a leaner, meaner, tougher conference consisting of AkronBuffaloTemple (make them join all-in)OhioMiamiToledoCentral MichiganWestern MichiganNorthern Illinois &Ball State

[GP1]

Yup! We need to drop Can't, BGSU & Eastern Michigan. That would leave us a leaner, meaner, tougher conference consisting of AkronBuffaloTemple (make them join all-in)OhioMiamiToledoCentral MichiganWestern MichiganNorthern Illinois &Ball State

Wrong on all three counts. Can't is our rival and it is good for us to play them every year.BG and Toledo have a long standing rivalry that is good for the MAC so they stay.EMU is a Ohio/Michigan school and geographically makes sense.The three to go are Buffalo, Temple and NIU. I'm not sure why one MAC Championship makes Buffalo a good long term program for the MAC. As soon as the coach leaves, the winning will follow.NIU is not part of th Ohio/Michiagan group. They go. They aren't really a good fit for the MAC geographically. Sorry NIU.Temple. They don't really want to be here anyhow so they can be gone. They are an eastern school that needs to find an eastern conference to take them. The MAC takes schools that nobody else wants and Temple was one of those schools. Given the choice between A-10 BB or MAC football, they would take BB.None of these schools have a rivalry either so they can go. Then we still have the Akron vs Can't, BG vs Toledo, OU vs Miami, Michigan schools vs each other and well there's poor BSU out there, but they are a good fit for the conference.

[Blue & Gold]

<br />

Yup! We need to drop Can't, BGSU & Eastern Michigan. That would leave us a leaner, meaner, tougher conference consisting of <br /><br />Akron<br />Buffalo<br />Temple (make them join all-in)<br />Ohio<br />Miami<br />Toledo<br />Central Michigan<br />Western Michigan<br />Northern Illinois &<br />Ball State

<br />Wrong on all three counts. Can't is our rival and it is good for us to play them every year.<br /><br />BG and Toledo have a long standing rivalry that is good for the MAC so they stay.<br /><br />EMU is a Ohio/Michigan school and geographically makes sense.<br /><br />The three to go are Buffalo, Temple and NIU. <br /><br />I'm not sure why one MAC Championship makes Buffalo a good long term program for the MAC. As soon as the coach leaves, the winning will follow.<br /><br />NIU is not part of th Ohio/Michiagan group. They go. They aren't really a good fit for the MAC geographically. Sorry NIU.<br /><br />Temple. They don't really want to be here anyhow so they can be gone. They are an eastern school that needs to find an eastern conference to take them. The MAC takes schools that nobody else wants and Temple was one of those schools. Given the choice between A-10 BB or MAC football, they would take BB.<br /><br />None of these schools have a rivalry either so they can go. Then we still have the Akron vs Can't, BG vs Toledo, OU vs Miami, Michigan schools vs each other and well there's poor BSU out there, but they are a good fit for the conference.<br />

<br /><br /><br />My BlackBerry's gonna make the above quote look goofy. Sorry. GP1, you and I have very divergent opinions on which schools to drop. You like the Ohio-Michigan flavor of the MAC, but I actually think there are too many schools from Ohio and Michigan (especially Ohio.) I said to drop Can't & BGSU precisely to thin out the Ohio representation. I think 4 MAC schools from Ohio are more than enough. Akron in the NE, Toledo in the NW, Ohio in the SE and Miami in the SW. IMHO that's plenty. Then the same reasoning for EMU. Plus they are only 5 minutes from Ann Harbor - they have Mission Impossible job of drumming up much community support.I could def see dropping Temple. No qualms there. I do kinda like Buffalo simply d/t the fact they're also an urban U from a rust belt city, much like us. They've sort of also have a Big East sort of flavor, much how we fancy ourselves.

[UADavid]

I agree with this take. Not sure why anyone would list Can't as a school to drop. If they don't want to stay in D1 then that's their decision. The MAC would vote Akron out before they would put Can't on the chopping block. Other than football, they field pretty good teams. They are also a long time MAC member. NIU quit the MAC once before so they could go. Taking Temple as a football only school was a big MAC mistake and should be the first team to go. Buffalo is the first team I would keep if any MAC school would choose to drop to the lower division. We have some good competition with them in football, soccer, bball, and track.

Yup! We need to drop Can't, BGSU & Eastern Michigan. That would leave us a leaner, meaner, tougher conference consisting of AkronBuffaloTemple (make them join all-in)OhioMiamiToledoCentral MichiganWestern MichiganNorthern Illinois &Ball State

Wrong on all three counts. Can't is our rival and it is good for us to play them every year.BG and Toledo have a long standing rivalry that is good for the MAC so they stay.EMU is a Ohio/Michigan school and geographically makes sense.The three to go are Buffalo, Temple and NIU. I'm not sure why one MAC Championship makes Buffalo a good long term program for the MAC. As soon as the coach leaves, the winning will follow.NIU is not part of th Ohio/Michiagan group. They go. They aren't really a good fit for the MAC geographically. Sorry NIU.Temple. They don't really want to be here anyhow so they can be gone. They are an eastern school that needs to find an eastern conference to take them. The MAC takes schools that nobody else wants and Temple was one of those schools. Given the choice between A-10 BB or MAC football, they would take BB.None of these schools have a rivalry either so they can go. Then we still have the Akron vs Can't, BG vs Toledo, OU vs Miami, Michigan schools vs each other and well there's poor BSU out there, but they are a good fit for the conference.

[UADavid]

Can't AD expected to retire. http://www.ohio.com/news/break_news/54568572.htmlThe article claims Dix stadium is off campus. Interesting

[ZachTheZip]

Can't AD expected to retire. http://www.ohio.com/news/break_news/54568572.htmlThe article claims Dix stadium is off campus. Interesting

I wonder who replaces him on the NCAA selection committee.And Dix is off campus. It's at least a half-mile from any other building at the university.

[UADavid]

Can't AD expected to retire. http://www.ohio.com/news/break_news/54568572.htmlThe article claims Dix stadium is off campus. Interesting

I wonder who replaces him on the NCAA selection committee.And Dix is off campus. It's at least a half-mile from any other building at the university.

Been there many times. All the land between buildings is owned by Can't State.

[ZachTheZip]

Can't AD expected to retire. http://www.ohio.com/news/break_news/54568572.htmlThe article claims Dix stadium is off campus. Interesting

I wonder who replaces him on the NCAA selection committee.And Dix is off campus. It's at least a half-mile from any other building at the university.

Been there many times. All the land between buildings is owned by Can't State.

Sou you;re saying that if we owned a swath of land from Buchtel Hall to the Rubber Bowl with nothing but trees and some roads, it would have been on campus?

[UADavid]

Can't AD expected to retire. http://www.ohio.com/news/break_news/54568572.htmlThe article claims Dix stadium is off campus. Interesting

I wonder who replaces him on the NCAA selection committee.And Dix is off campus. It's at least a half-mile from any other building at the university.

Been there many times. All the land between buildings is owned by Can't State.

Sou you;re saying that if we owned a swath of land from Buchtel Hall to the Rubber Bowl with nothing but trees and some roads, it would have been on campus?

Seven miles and a quarter mile are two very different things. The parking lot at the stadium is for freshmen parking. I'm saying I would consider it on campus. It's my opinion. No need to use such a silly analogy. They're not even close to being the same.

[Zipmeister]

Can't AD expected to retire. http://www.ohio.com/news/break_news/54568572.htmlThe article claims Dix stadium is off campus. Interesting

I wonder who replaces him on the NCAA selection committee.And Dix is off campus. It's at least a half-mile from any other building at the university.

Been there many times. All the land between buildings is owned by Can't State.

Sou you;re saying that if we owned a swath of land from Buchtel Hall to the Rubber Bowl with nothing but trees and some roads, it would have been on campus?

Seven miles and a quarter mile are two very different things. The parking lot at the stadium is for freshmen parking. I'm saying I would consider it on campus. It's my opinion. No need to use such a silly analogy. They're not even close to being the same.

Come on UKid, cut him a break.

[MDZip]

Can't AD expected to retire. http://www.ohio.com/news/break_news/54568572.htmlThe article claims Dix stadium is off campus. Interesting

Maybe Hunter should go apply as a subversive move.

[UADavid]

Can't AD expected to retire. http://www.ohio.com/news/break_news/54568572.htmlThe article claims Dix stadium is off campus. Interesting

Maybe Hunter should go apply as a subversive move.

I would expect him to toss his hat in the ring.