DRC: Wren Baker a year into tenure: UNT AD has enjoyed remarkable rise

[Brett Vito]

DRC: Chance meeting with professor in college changed Baker's life set him on course for career in athletics

http://www.dentonrc.com/news/news/2017/07/15/unlikely-path-bakers-rise-unt-athletic-directororiginated-chance-encounter-professor

[Mean Green 93-98]

Good, in-depth article.  Thanks, Brett.

[GreenGonzo]

Very nice article, Mr. Vito.

[southsideguy]

should have not listed his salary, now we will hear that money could be used elsewhere. 

[UNT Mean Green]

13 hours ago, Brett Vito said:

DRC: Chance meeting with professor in college changed Baker's life set him on course for career in athletics

http://www.dentonrc.com/news/news/2017/07/15/unlikely-path-bakers-rise-unt-athletic-directororiginated-chance-encounter-professor

Great article, Brett. We are very fortunate at UNT to have leadership like Wren Baker. He will do great things here.

[akriesman]

My favorite part of the article.... 

"Did you know?: Baker has a reputation in college athletics for being meticulous and is considered a go-to source for information on potential head coaches. Baker keeps a spreadsheet with potential coaching candidates, their teams' yearly record, conference record, playoff record and scores on the NCAA's Academic Progress Rate report in addition to their Rating Percentage Index (RPI) scores, which measure a team's overall strength based on its record and strength of schedule. Baker updates a spreadsheet with the information regularly."

[UNTLifer]

Also liked: "Wren has absolutely helped us and is doing great things," UNT head football coach Seth Littrell said. "He is going to give you everything you need to be successful. That's all you can ask for. You haven't seen even close to what is going to happen."

 

[@UNTSportsFan]

Parking pass secured 

[BTG_Fan1]

On 7/17/2017 at 8:58 AM, UNTLifer said:

Also liked: "Wren has absolutely helped us and is doing great things," UNT head football coach Seth Littrell said. "He is going to give you everything you need to be successful. That's all you can ask for. You haven't seen even close to what is going to happen."

This is exciting to hear. 

 

[Ben Gooding]

We can talk about initiatives and projects all day, everyday, 365 days of the year. 

I don't care about percentages either. That's the same bull Rick tried to pull. Put out concrete numbers with concrete goals while tying concrete solutions to them. Otherwise, it's literally more of the same. I'm not going to stand for an ovation until improvement actually takes place. 

Oh, and I'm not going to get giddy about track and/or women's soccer..not never. 

 

 

 

[Wag Tag]

12 hours ago, Ben Gooding said:

We can talk about initiatives and projects all day, everyday, 365 days of the year. 

I don't care about percentages either. That's the same bull Rick tried to pull. Put out concrete numbers with concrete goals while tying concrete solutions to them. Otherwise, it's literally more of the same. I'm not going to stand for an ovation until improvement actually takes place. 

Oh, and I'm not going to get giddy about track and/or women's soccer..not never. 

 

 

 

To compare Wren to Rick as similar is asinine!

Edited July 19, 2017 by Wag Tag

[GreenMachine]

13 hours ago, Ben Gooding said:

We can talk about initiatives and projects all day, everyday, 365 days of the year. 

I don't care about percentages either. That's the same bull Rick tried to pull. Put out concrete numbers with concrete goals while tying concrete solutions to them. Otherwise, it's literally more of the same. I'm not going to stand for an ovation until improvement actually takes place. 

Oh, and I'm not going to get giddy about track and/or women's soccer..not never. 

 

 

 

What do you do for a living?

[Ben Gooding]

17 minutes ago, GreenMachine said:

What do you do for a living?

That is absolutely none of your business. Creep. 

Let's not make everything about me. You like doing that. Let's make it about concrete goals for North Texas athletics. Anyone can word anything in their favor. Especially talking in percentages when referring to athletic department improvements given our history. Talk in hard numbers or don't talk about it at all. It creates 0 accountability from the top all the way to the bottom. That is where the Rick reference steps in. Outside of some hard numbered goals that were put out very early in his tenure, he exclusively talked in percentages from there on out. WB, to my knowledge, has put out 0 hard goals. Does he need 2 years to evaluate before this happens?  

[UNTFan23]

1 minute ago, Ben Gooding said:

That is absolutely none of your business. Creep. 

Let's not make everything about me. You like doing that. Let's make it about concrete goals for North Texas athletics. Anyone can word anything in their favor. Especially talking in percentages when referring to athletic department improvements given our history. Talk in hard numbers or don't talk about it at all. It creates 0 accountability from the top all the way to the bottom. That is where the Rick reference steps in. Outside of some hard numbered goals that were put out very early in his tenure, he exclusively talked in percentages from there on out. WB, to my knowledge, has put out 0 hard goals. Does he need 2 years to evaluate before this happens?  

People are just trying to understand where your colorful outlook on things comes from is all.

[Ben Gooding]

Just now, UNTFan23 said:

People are just trying to understand where your colorful outlook on things comes from is all.

How is this colorful? 

For someone that has some skin in the game, is it too much to ask for current numbers, attainable goals, and solutions to meet goals? I know that isn't blatantly kissing ass like seems to be the trendy thing for people to do in here. Just give me goals, realistic one's. Attach a timeline to it with measures to meet goals and I'll stfreakup. 

Hate to be suuuuch a downer (or colorful) for asking for this craazzzzy information. 

[GreenMachine]

48 minutes ago, Ben Gooding said:

That is absolutely none of your business. Creep. 

Let's not make everything about me. You like doing that. Let's make it about concrete goals for North Texas athletics. Anyone can word anything in their favor. Especially talking in percentages when referring to athletic department improvements given our history. Talk in hard numbers or don't talk about it at all. It creates 0 accountability from the top all the way to the bottom. That is where the Rick reference steps in. Outside of some hard numbered goals that were put out very early in his tenure, he exclusively talked in percentages from there on out. WB, to my knowledge, has put out 0 hard goals. Does he need 2 years to evaluate before this happens?  

I was asking because you don't seem to have a grasp at all for the business world. Hope you never decide to talk to a financial advisor, you will be sorely disappointed. Plus personally, I don't give a rats ass about your loud mouth and silly antics.

Edited July 19, 2017 by GreenMachine

[MeanGreenTexan]

Only one way to settle this argument @Ben Gooding & @GreenMachine: 

A post-game boxing match, followed by a post-game-post-match hobo drumline concert funded by yours truly.

Wren, are you listening?

[GreenMachine]

2 minutes ago, MeanGreenTexan said:

Only one way to settle this argument @Ben Gooding & @GreenMachine: 

A post-game boxing match, followed by a post-game-post-match hobo drumline concert funded by yours truly.

Wren, are you listening?

I'm in. I'll even bring the beer to celebrate the post ass whipping I dish out.

[MeanGreenTexan]

3 minutes ago, GreenMachine said:

I'm in. I'll even bring the beer to celebrate the post ass whipping I dish out.

Uh, I may need to confiscate that in case any of the hobos hold out for more than just a 6 pack.

[BTG_Fan1]

40 minutes ago, Ben Gooding said:

How is this colorful? 

For someone that has some skin in the game, is it too much to ask for current numbers, attainable goals, and solutions to meet goals? I know that isn't blatantly kissing ass like seems to be the trendy thing for people to do in here. Just give me goals, realistic one's. Attach a timeline to it with measures to meet goals and I'll stfreakup. 

Hate to be suuuuch a downer (or colorful) for asking for this craazzzzy information. 

He came in drinking from a damn firehouse starting 2-3 weeks before the start of school and the football season. The man wasn't even able to review everything before the seasons start for each sport and the budget had no input from himself! RV left this place as a dumpster fire with him keeping around TB, and apparently having the lack of confidence as well by the President as well.

How can we say that he has not he doesn't have goals? 

How is that WB in his first 11 months has been given the OK to spend 500k on a buy out for HIS basketball coach, Increase the staffing budget of the football staff, seen multiple new positions created in the AD Office and new spots as well on different staffs (Digital Content, Recruiting Coord, etc), heck WB even redid the contract of our Soccer coach... they even announced the building of a new soccer/track stadium, which we can debate if its worthy or not but soccer has been the most successful and track is in having to practice at High Schools. Yes the roll out of the stadium was terrible because they told recruits and players it would be started and finished by xyz date and it has not. The IPF will be a huge thing for this department, program, and this entire university as well, and RV was here for how long and our facilities went to crap (outside of Apogee). I have been on the side of disappointed as well when it comes to the process of announcing the IPF because it something that has taken many months for this to happen (it was brought up during the football season last year, with them visiting other campus earlier this year as well) but they need to learn from the Soccer/Track Stadium and get this right. Get every single detail perfect and not something that a year or 2 after its built that we are doing updating for. 

We can ask for current numbers when it comes to things yes, but he has given multiple different solutions. Free Season Tickets to recent grads, yes we can debate if it smart but hell we have 8k in recent grads and over 10k in open seats, if ever grad shows up that had free tickets we would still have openings. 

 

[GrandGreen]

Every organization must have goals or objectives, the athletic department is no different.  Releasing them to the public is an entirely different thing.  It doesn't take a genius to figure out that NT is about last in donations and support organization membership.  Not statistics that NT should want plastered everywhere to use as a negative against the college.  Hopefully, the administration does have stringent goals for the AD, although that is not supported by RV's long tenure 

When Baker and NT start to enjoy some success, you can be assured that the masses will hear about it. 

[untjim1995]

4 hours ago, Ben Gooding said:

How is this colorful? 

For someone that has some skin in the game, is it too much to ask for current numbers, attainable goals, and solutions to meet goals? I know that isn't blatantly kissing ass like seems to be the trendy thing for people to do in here. Just give me goals, realistic one's. Attach a timeline to it with measures to meet goals and I'll stfreakup. 

Hate to be suuuuch a downer (or colorful) for asking for this craazzzzy information. 

I think part of the reason this things you want aren't ever announced is due tot he crazy fact--that you are already seeing, as we told you would happen--is that having a huge alumni base, student body, faculty, and citizenry that almost in its entirety don't give a rat's ass about UNT Sports doesn't really add up to reaching goals unless they are curb-level high. That's not who we are here.

Maybe, and I do mean maybe, the music and arts here could set those goals high for fundraising and attending their concerts/shows. That's what the UNT Family cares a lot more about, both on campus and in town. They will never care about athletics like you want them to--its not what the UNT Family wants...only the 2% that care about athletics. Its why most people do what UNT90 did--try to care, try to follow the program, go insane hoping it becomes what he wants it to become, realize it won't, then leaves. As a matter of fact, most students and alums don't even get that far--the culture tells them not to care almost immediately on campus.

For those of us who have been around for more than 25 years supporting this place, this bit of advice is all I can offer to you. Go to the games, follow the program, watch them on TV, and just enjoy it for that. Yes, we are old and the sanity begins to wane after 15 years or so, but I still follow them because they are my alma mater, not because they will ever care about winning more than I do. Because if they did, the stadium we play in would be about 20 years older than it is today and we would have had a winner more years than not since 1995, instead of the 4 we have enjoyed out of 22 we have played as a FBS program. If you can do that, you'll be a fan for life here. If you can't, well join the other 98% and know that some other Power school will become your t-shirt school and you'll probably never come back to Denton again for anything UNT related.

[VideoEagle]

2 hours ago, GrandGreen said:

Every organization must have goals or objectives, the athletic department is no different.  Releasing them to the public is an entirely different thing.

Exactly true! For those wanting a public release, have you ever seen a successful sales organization that released the salespeople's individual quotas to the public? Of course not. It it DID happen, that salesperson wouldn't be able to sell anything as his customers, knowing that he MUST sell X number by Y date would just wait into the end of the timeline and try to force the salesman into making terrible deals for the organization. A number of sales organization make quotas available to other sales people within the organization, but never EVER to the public. 

[GMG24]

8 minutes ago, untjim1995 said:

I think part of the reason this things you want aren't ever announced is due tot he crazy fact--that you are already seeing, as we told you would happen--is that having a huge alumni base, student body, faculty, and citizenry that almost in its entirety don't give a rat's ass about UNT Sports doesn't really add up to reaching goals unless they are curb-level high. That's not who we are here.

Maybe, and I do mean maybe, the music and arts here could set those goals high for fundraising and attending their concerts/shows. That's what the UNT Family cares a lot more about, both on campus and in town. They will never care about athletics like you want them to--its not what the UNT Family wants...only the 2% that care about athletics. Its why most people do what UNT90 did--try to care, try to follow the program, go insane hoping it becomes what he wants it to become, realize it won't, then leaves. As a matter of fact, most students and alums don't even get that far--the culture tells them not to care almost immediately on campus.

For those of us who have been around for more than 25 years supporting this place, this bit of advice is all I can offer to you. Go to the games, follow the program, watch them on TV, and just enjoy it for that. Yes, we are old and the sanity begins to wane after 15 years or so, but I still follow them because they are my alma mater, not because they will ever care about winning more than I do. Because if they did, the stadium we play in would be about 20 years older than it is today and we would have had a winner more years than not since 1995, instead of the 4 we have enjoyed out of 22 we have played as a FBS program. If you can do that, you'll be a fan for life here. If you can't, well join the other 98% and know that some other Power school will become your t-shirt school and you'll probably never come back to Denton again for anything UNT related.

I get so tired of hearing this, but understand why people say it.  Just look at what's going on, you can't tell me they don't care.  The university doesn't care.  They're giving tickets away to recent grads as in this past year 2 of them to be precise.  Then if you graduated from 2013-2016 you can buy them for 50 bucks a piece instead of normal cost.  I don't see how you can look at the social media (twitter) hiring of graphics guy, new admin in AD, all the facilities planned and give me that answer.  I just don't agree. 

[Ben Gooding]

4 hours ago, GreenMachine said:

I was asking because you don't seem to have a grasp at all for the business world. Hope you never decide to talk to a financial advisor, you will be sorely disappointed. Plus personally, I don't give a rats ass about your loud mouth and silly antics.

Then, uh...uh...block. me.