AD Wood gone

[jycww]

So I have 2 questions concerning this position: (1) What / where is the talent pool for us to pull from? Please don't even imply it is from NSU, McNeese, ULM, a Louisiana university, SFA, etc. Maybe a better way to ask it is...... would an Associate AD at a major university consider this position as a way to prove him/herself and look at it as a stepping stone? If we are doomed by salary, talent pool, etc., then we basically are screwed before we even start. (2) What would we consider (accomplishments) as a good candidate? What would we look for? I would start the input by saying they are from a major university (if we agree that we have a chance to pull someone from the associate AD ranks), with proven success in turning around their area of responsibility.

Thoughts?

[eagle2180]

So I have 2 questions concerning this position: (1) What / where is the talent pool for us to pull from? Please don't even imply it is from NSU, McNeese, ULM, a Louisiana university, SFA, etc. Maybe a better way to ask it is...... would an Associate AD at a major university consider this position as a way to prove him/herself and look at it as a stepping stone? If we are doomed by salary, talent pool, etc., then we basically are screwed before we even start. (2) What would we consider (accomplishments) as a good candidate? What would we look for? I would start the input by saying they are from a major university (if we agree that we have a chance to pull someone from the associate AD ranks), with proven success in turning around their area of responsibility.

Thoughts?

I saw the number of 350 student athletes mentioned in the Lincoln Parish Journal. Is that number accurate? If so, there are some high school AD’s in the DFW area of Texas that have that many student athletes and manage facilities that are better than current facilities at La Tech. They also know how to fundraise. I’d say look at that talent pool. A 100,000 increase in pay for one of those talented AD’s would be significant.

[eagle2180]

...which is the same thing every G5 AD had/has to deal with.

True, and it has been the same for how many AD’s now? The smart coaches and AD’s have leveraged the opportunity and moved on.

[PawDawg]

True, and it has been the same for how many AD’s now? The smart coaches and AD’s have leveraged the opportunity and moved on.

I've observed the ADs being hamstrung by their boss going back to the '80s. Reneau's focus was never on athletics. The same can be said for L.G.. Not that athletics should have taken priority, but athletics always lagged behind our peers while both were in charge. The pattern began when D.R. hired Stovall who was totally inept. Thank goodness for what Jim Oakes was able to do with no support from his boss.

L.G.s last two hires were limited, but McClelland was the worst. He did the most to tear down and destroy the grass root fan base while he should have been growing it. Wood never had a chance, but I can say for sure that he never connected or tried to connect with the average fan.

[dawg80]

Our next AD has to have some kind of Tech connection, a true love for Tech and a desire to see us be successful on the playing fields and court. And, he has to "go back to the egg." That is back to the very basics of how to build an athletic program and build a fanbase. Grassroots kind of stuff, the simple no-brainer kind of stuff. All of college sports are suffering in today's new reality of 50 games on TV every weekend and almost every night during the week. Of the destructive NIL and portal crap which acts as a revolving door. And of course, this is nothing unique to Tech, some schools/programs are doing better handling this mess, and some other fairing worse than us.

Our new AD, with hopefully the proper support from the administration, has to assume the position as if Tech is just now transitioning into Division I FBS from a lower classification. BUILD an athletics program from the ground up. Now...that said, we all know Tech is not that bad off, we have the pieces to have a successful athletic program already here, they just have to be put into place and enhanced.

This reminds me of a famous incident when Vince Lombardi was coach of the Packers. He had gotten so frustrated with the lack of fundamentals and his team's lousy performance, he called a meeting of the team. He told them they had to go back to the basics. To start he held up a ball, "Gentlemen, this is a football." To which Max McGee (Hall of Fame WR) said, "Coach, can you take it a little slower."

Tech athletics: back to the basics, "back to the egg." And assume nothing! Monitor and evaluate and tweak every detail.

[jbgood57]

Interesting read in today’s Shreveport Bossier Journal.
https://shreveportbossierjournal.com...t-simple-path/

And he has LaTech ties;

Assistant Sports Information Director
Louisiana Tech University
Full-time; Aug 1988 - May 1989

Education
Louisiana Tech University
Bachelor's degree, Journalism Aug 1988

[Amos Moses]

Interesting read in today’s Shreveport Bossier Journal.
https://shreveportbossierjournal.com...t-simple-path/

And he has LaTech ties;

Assistant Sports Information Director
Louisiana Tech University
Full-time; Aug 1988 - May 1989

Education
Louisiana Tech University
Bachelor's degree, Journalism Aug 1988

If they don't at least interview this guy, it would be a crime.

[CARTEK]

Tom Burnett named 2024 Dave Dixon Award recipient, LSHOF inductee – Louisiana Sports Hall of Fame (lasportshall.com)

[DJDAWG]

I was in the Sports Info Office at the same time with Tom (I was a statistician under Randall, not a writer). Tom would be an excellent choice. The other Tom...Murphy was the fun one...sigh...good times.

[Blue Dawg]

It's going to be someone none of us have ever heard of

[Dawgpix]

The guy's name is Stanley Wiliamson.
If we can't get him or Tom Burnett I'm clueless as to which Tech connection can come in and upright this ship.

[Rama Jama]

Sounds like Tom Burnett is the one.

By the way, has anyone invited President Henderson on to this forum? He could very well decline/abstain, but let's try and get the red phone up and running..

Referring to Dwayne's post, if Wood was being directed to the exit door, this tells me that expectations and accountability to excellence may once again be the Tech way...

[Blue Dawg]

Sounds like Tom Burnett is the one.

By the way, has anyone invited President Henderson on to this forum? He could very well decline/abstain, but let's try and get the red phone up and running..

Referring to Dwayne's post, if Wood was being directed to the exit door, this tells me that expectations and accountability to excellence may once again be the Tech way...

Are you hearing anything or just hoping?

[sportdawg]

The guy's name is Stanley Wiliamson.
If we can't get him or Tom Burnett I'm clueless as to which Tech connection can come in and upright this ship.

Stan Williamson - Deputy Athletic Director - Staff Directory - Houston Christian University Athletics (hcuhuskies.com)

[Blue Dawg]

Stan Williamson - Deputy Athletic Director - Staff Directory - Houston Christian University Athletics (hcuhuskies.com)

We have a good relationship with HCU. Their engineering department was basically built from the ground up by Tech professors. Bout time they started giving back!