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Akron Names Tom Wistrcill New AD


gozips19

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My first and immediate reaction to this is that it's interesting that we hire a guy away from the only other school also opening a new football stadium this year.
It was probably a large factor. He's been involved in the process of building a stadium and planning for its opening season(s). Which would also translate well to planning/building a new arena. Of course you could say the same for Yuracheck. Rasor had a source and it seems as though he was set up. Maybe it really was Y. and something blew up at the last minute? I'd expect Y. to take the next AD job he's offered, even at a lower division.Is it pronounced like Wist(e)rcill or Wistr(a)cill? At 39 y.o. his career is on a high/fast trajectory.
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Not going to get too attached to this guy. He'll be out the door as soon as a bigger and better opportunity comes along. Not to say it is a bad hire. Right now he's probably the right guy for the job. Our facilities upgrades, with the exception of a potential new basketball arena, are all either completed, about to be completed, or late in the process of being implemented. We don't need a builder from that end of the perspective. What we need is a guy who can build on marketing the program to the general public. That seems to be Wistrcill's strong point. Good hire, just not going to get myself too amped up for his long term career at Akron.

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Not going to get too attached to this guy. He'll be out the door as soon as a bigger and better opportunity comes along. Not to say it is a bad hire. Right now he's probably the right guy for the job. Our facilities upgrades, with the exception of a potential new basketball arena, are all either completed, about to be completed, or late in the process of being implemented. We don't need a builder from that end of the perspective. What we need is a guy who can build on marketing the program to the general public. That seems to be Wistrcill's strong point. Good hire, just not going to get myself too amped up for his long term career at Akron.
Our AD's do seem to be popular with the big kids. That's actually a positive sign and is the life of a mid-major. Just hope we keep getting good ones.
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Watched the press conference... A reporter (possibly rasor? couldn't tell) asked Tom, rather directly, if he planned on staying here long-term and he answered that he is and would not be looking at another job while at this one. I give the guy 3 years, 4 if we're lucky.

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Watched the press conference... A reporter (possibly rasor? couldn't tell) asked Tom, rather directly, if he planned on staying here long-term and he answered that he is and would not be looking at another job while at this one. I give the guy 3 years, 4 if we're lucky.
I heard that answer a little differently than you I think.He said (paraphrasing) "I'm not coming into this job thinking about my next job .. it's not how I do things"
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Watched the press conference... A reporter (possibly rasor? couldn't tell) asked Tom, rather directly, if he planned on staying here long-term and he answered that he is and would not be looking at another job while at this one. I give the guy 3 years, 4 if we're lucky.
I heard that answer a little differently than you I think.He said (paraphrasing) "I'm not coming into this job thinking about my next job .. it's not how I do things"
That was also the gist of what I recall hearing him say.
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Watched the press conference... A reporter (possibly rasor? couldn't tell) asked Tom, rather directly, if he planned on staying here long-term and he answered that he is and would not be looking at another job while at this one. I give the guy 3 years, 4 if we're lucky.
I heard that answer a little differently than you I think.He said (paraphrasing) "I'm not coming into this job thinking about my next job .. it's not how I do things"
That was also the gist of what I recall hearing him say.
Well there are some people that would say "he'll leave in 3 years" even if he came in and said "i've bought a couple plats at Glenville Cemetery and I've started putting money down at the retirement village in Fairlawn, I'm here forever baby!!!"
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Watched the press conference... A reporter (possibly rasor? couldn't tell) asked Tom, rather directly, if he planned on staying here long-term and he answered that he is and would not be looking at another job while at this one. I give the guy 3 years, 4 if we're lucky.
I heard that answer a little differently than you I think.He said (paraphrasing) "I'm not coming into this job thinking about my next job .. it's not how I do things"
I couldnt remember the exact quote; sorry if I botched it. :-\ At first I thought that *maybe* there is a glimmer of hope that he's here for the long-run, but I honestly can't believe anything he says right now when, historically, we can't seem to keep an AD for much longer than half a decade. Im not knocking Tom at all and fully believe he is what our Athletic department needs to really expand its visibility in the community, but I am just not sold on the notion of a guy of his stature sticking around at a mid-major.
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Any incoming AD who is young and ambitious won't stay beyond the term required to "check the boxes" that will get him/her into consideration for bigger/better programs. Exceptions would be those who come in and are somehow tied to the local area, are much older and looking to settle in, or do a lousy enough job so as to be unable to leave. I'd rather have a young, ambitious guy come in, work like gangbusters and then leave, than one who can't leave because they have failed to distinguish themselves. If he's not from here, and we hope that he does a great job (we all do), he will leave a few years from now. GO ZIPS!STZ

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Until Akron is at the lever we want to be, there is no reason to go after a long-term guy whose job it is to maintain a program. We're still moving up and pushing forward, and so it is fitting to have an athletic director that reflects that.I think that after Tom leaves, we will have one or two more short-term guys that that work toward aggressive growth, and by that time we'll be ready for a guy to keep us where we want to be for many years.

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