In defense of AD Baker.

ipd054 · August 11, 2017

Let me start by saying that I have not been in charge of an Athletic Department. However, I have led change for large companies from the C-suite.

We have asked AD Baker to do the following (not a complete list, I know)

Change the culture.

Change the Strategy for the Department.

Improve communications.

Let’s start with the culture. While this is a top of the list item this will take the longest without a doubt. Culture is a crazy thing that many leaders talk about but few understand. As the CEO I can talk about the culture and provide the vision for the company, but it takes the leader with-in the company to make it happen. Leaders like Coach Hedlund and his staff who have an amazing winning culture with Women’s soccer (22 Straight winning seasons). Leaders like Coach Littrell and his staff who started last season with the goal for the team “to win our bowl game” in the first meeting. Fans and sports writers say stuff like the team has “bought in” the coaches philosophy. All this means is that the culture is starting to take hold. The Leaders need early wins to get the team to follow, this is easy. (New drills the team likes, new uniforms, new locker rooms, better food, ect…) the tipping point will come 2-3 years later when the wins are on the field and it is a result of the leaderships constant pressure to adhere to the new culture. I will argue to the end that the Leaders both Coaches and Players own the job of creating the culture, not the AD. The AD sets and communicates the vision.

One cannot change strategy overnight. First you must understand the organization and goals of the ownership. I have it easy in that I have a small group of partners that I must understand, AD Baker must understand the goals of the Administration, BOD, and Donors all of whom have different opinions and agendas. It takes so long for several reasons. 1) Before I can say what needs to change I need to understand what is happening now. Seems easy if you have been following the Mean Green, but to someone who has not been around, one must look at the reasons behind where you are today. 2) I have to find out who is willing to change, this leads to the decision of who needs to be trained up and who is going to be managed out. 3) I have to listen to the team. If the team is not on board with the strategy then they will ensure it will fail. 4) I must keep the company running while working on the plan. It took me over a year to complete my 5-year plan and long-term strategy. I have been working on ensuring that my team understands it and has all of their questions answered before I go public because they will be the ones who make this work and communicate it to their team and public. ---- As far as strategic plans for facilities there are thousands of variables that all contribute to delays in the process. From assemblage (buying and combining plots of land) to permitting, to funding, to code changes that cause things get delayed. Personally I have seen it take over 2 years to get a plan approved.

As far as improving communication, the Athletic Department is improving. I have been involved with North Texas since the 1990’s and the improvements in the last year are a step in the right direction. Is it perfect, NO, but compared to anything in the past we are flooded with information about the teams. I know this year for the first time that soccer camp has started and I further know that they took a pretty good run yesterday afternoon. I knew the same day that English broke his foot and will be out, I know the back story on Wilson, I know Arikawe set a personal best squat of 345 lbs, I even know who was elected to the hall of fame. There is still a long wat to go on our marketing and communication game but we are for once in my 25+ years improving our game instead of status quo.

AD Baker is going about change in the correct way, even if some do not agree. Change is not easy in the real world. In fact it is what ends many promising careers. I am not saying that he should get 19 years of poor leadership and communication. But as one who has had to fight the battle I see him doing it correctly. Good leadership influences change, bad leadership forces it. AD Baker should be given time to create and execute his plan. While I know some what AD Baker to come on this site and lay it all out because you want to know, I can assure you AD Baker has communicated his vision clearly with the Coaches and Administration, and honestly that is what is important.

Tyler Maryak · August 11, 2017

If this thread is locked now, it can serve as antithesis to what mine has become.

UNTLifer · August 11, 2017

Thank you, although a few posters will never understand that change is not the equivalent of throwing a switch.

Excellent post from someone that gets it.

Wag Tag · August 11, 2017

One guys opinion on a topic does not make it mob just because he post 20 times on one topic. Still just one uniformed guy! Thanks Wren! GMG

NM Green · August 11, 2017

Great post indeed. A lot has happened and I just finished a book called Cold Calls to Closing where it highlighted the Drip Marketing approach to sales. I love the concept because it is constant communication, frequent surprises, invitations to be part of it and genuine care shown by the Seller. I think Wren & Co. are making headway here. Positives I see: 1. The graphics make me want to plaster my wall with Mean Green collateral 2. The luncheon is a great idea to get everyone ready for Lamar (and we need to drive attendance) 3. Player updates - I don't get into this as much but I love the player profile segments - I would love to read even more humanitarian stories about the players on and joining our team. UNLV does this very well every time a basketball player joins their squad. I get an update and learn his vitals but I also learn a bit about him as a human - it connects me to the Runnin Rebels again and again. 4. The scheduling - this must remain a work in process and get us more regional games with fans who will add atmosphere to the Apogee experience 5. The Battle Flag vote and decision (His doing or not it feels like an AD effort) 6. Season ticket packaging - first class - even traditional P5 program fans impressed.

I posted earlier in the week about the need to get Mean Green helmets and flags into the top bars in the DFW metro. I feel comfortable that a request like that was at least heard. Perhaps and effort will even be made for 2018. I hope to always feel like as a fan I can share real to ridiculous ideas with this regime. So far so good.

I will never be able to tap down my Urgency button desire because we have much to catch up on from a program/fan building perspective. But I am down with doing it right instead of fast and where we can do it right and fast, floor it.

Culture building means attacking it from hundreds of directions constantly, and we are inside the fish bowl. Se we are not going to see or feel it fast enough. But from the outside culture change signals are occurring. Never lose our intensity and keep the press on. We are all going to ultimately win. GMG

Harry · August 11, 2017

Great post! Thank you for the breath of fresh air. GMG!

KRAM1 · August 11, 2017

YEP...well stated.

Ben Gooding · August 11, 2017

I mean it's a good post, and one eerily similar was probably posted in 2001 or 2002 or whenever it was that Rick took over. But, I don't do well with whispers of great things happening. I think time is on his side, because we are UNT after all. But there are some things that are impossible to look over even in his short tenure here. But I will leave it at that. He will need time and there is no debating the premise of this post.

GrandGreen · August 11, 2017

Yes, lots of people make a lot of money promising to change the culture of an organization. Pure BS, if not backed up with solid objectives and measurable goals.

UNTFan23 · August 11, 2017

14 minutes ago, GrandGreen said:

Yes, lots of people make a lot of money promising to change the culture of an organization. Pure BS, if not backed up with solid objectives and measurable goals.

The message starts at the top but it's up to everyone to make the needed changes, which takes time.

MeanGreenTexan · August 11, 2017

3 minutes ago, UNTFan23 said:

The message starts at the top but it's up to everyone to make the needed changes, which takes time.

Haven't you seen the footage of USS Gerald Ford doing doughnuts in the water? I mean, fighter jets flying off the deck and everything. Crazy!!

Cerebus · August 11, 2017

10 minutes ago, UNTFan23 said:

The message starts at the top but it's up to everyone to make the needed changes, which takes time.

You gotta get the message out first...

UNTFan23 · August 11, 2017

Just now, Cerebus said:

You gotta get the message out first...

I feel like the message is being broadcast out to both the employees of the athletics department and to the fanbase at large. The message sent out by Wren at the Coaches' Caravan I attended was different. There seemed to be a different focus on trying to make our teams better.

Cerebus · August 11, 2017

Just now, UNTFan23 said:

I feel like the message is being broadcast out to both the employees of the athletics department and to the fanbase at large. The message sent out by Wren at the Coaches' Caravan I attended was different. There seemed to be a different focus on trying to make our teams better.

I know there is a new message, in the form of a new strategic plan. A really good strategic plan. Whoever is holding that message up, and I understand that may be at the University level instead of the AD level, needs to get the new message out.

The fan base was just subjected to leadership that relied on the "we're not telling you, we're working on it, don't worry about it" model, and guess what... it didn't work out. Changing the culture/message/expectation/whatever you want to call it starts by releasing information instead of holding it close to the vest.

Expecting people, who have been subjected to ^that^ culture for over a decade, to just sit there an trust the people telling them to wait... it isn't going to work out well.

I know people in the AD read this board, I know people at the university administration level read this board. Get the roadblocks out of the way, get the new message out, even if it isn't polished to "perfection", and let the new culture actually start taking root.

Ben Gooding · August 11, 2017

4 minutes ago, Cerebus said:

I know there is a new message, in the form of a new strategic plan. A really good strategic plan. Whoever is holding that message up, and I understand that may be at the University level instead of the AD level, needs to get the new message out.

The fan base was just subjected to leadership that relied on the "we're not telling you, we're working on it, don't worry about it" model, and guess what... it didn't work out. Changing the culture/message/expectation/whatever you want to call it starts by releasing information instead of holding it close to the vest.

Expecting people, who have been subjected to ^that^ culture for over a decade, to just sit there an trust the people telling them to wait... it isn't going to work out well.

I know people in the AD read this board, I know people at the university administration level read this board. Get the roadblocks out of the way, get the new message out, even if it isn't polished to "perfection", and let the new culture actually start taking root.

Kablam. This ^^^^ right here.

MGNation92 · August 11, 2017

5 minutes ago, Cerebus said:

I know there is a new message, in the form of a new strategic plan. A really good strategic plan. Whoever is holding that message up, and I understand that may be at the University level instead of the AD level, needs to get the new message out.

The fan base was just subjected to leadership that relied on the "we're not telling you, we're working on it, don't worry about it" model, and guess what... it didn't work out. Changing the culture/message/expectation/whatever you want to call it starts by releasing information instead of holding it close to the vest.

Expecting people, who have been subjected to ^that^ culture for over a decade, to just sit there an trust the people telling them to wait... it isn't going to work out well.

I know people in the AD read this board, I know people at the university administration level read this board. Get the roadblocks out of the way, get the new message out, even if it isn't polished to "perfection", and let the new culture actually start taking root.

Just gotta wait for that $500k check to clear and you'll have access to all the information you want! Until then just be patient, it's definitely coming! Great things that we can't tell you about will definitely be here, eventually.

KRAM1 · August 11, 2017

4 hours ago, GrandGreen said:

Yes, lots of people make a lot of money promising to change the culture of an organization. Pure BS, if not backed up with solid objectives and measurable goals.

True. However, if people do not see the many many changes the President has made since arriving...and that includes athletics...they just are not looking or refuse to see. This guy gets it and he is dead set in moving UNT forward.

Harry · August 11, 2017

4 hours ago, Cerebus said:

I know there is a new message, in the form of a new strategic plan. A really good strategic plan. Whoever is holding that message up, and I understand that may be at the University level instead of the AD level, needs to get the new message out.

The fan base was just subjected to leadership that relied on the "we're not telling you, we're working on it, don't worry about it" model, and guess what... it didn't work out. Changing the culture/message/expectation/whatever you want to call it starts by releasing information instead of holding it close to the vest.

Expecting people, who have been subjected to ^that^ culture for over a decade, to just sit there an trust the people telling them to wait... it isn't going to work out well.

I know people in the AD read this board, I know people at the university administration level read this board. Get the roadblocks out of the way, get the new message out, even if it isn't polished to "perfection", and let the new culture actually start taking root.

^^^^What he said^^^^

greenminer · August 12, 2017

6 hours ago, Cerebus said:

The fan base was just subjected to leadership that relied on the "we're not telling you, we're working on it, don't worry about it" model, and guess what... it didn't work out. Changing the culture/message/expectation/whatever you want to call it starts by releasing information instead of holding it close to the vest.

Just playing devil's advocate here, but 1st and foremost what didn't work out was his hires.

How would the perception of Rick's administrative methods be different if we were looking back on coaches that won shit tons of games?

I'm actually on your side for the most part. Like DD's mouth, we would probably have been biting our lip about the other things as long as the wins were coming. I just think being completely "open source" about everything - in regards to business models - sits on this ledge. A ledge where you want people to feel informed, but you don't want them thinking they can dictate everything. Reading this thread, some of you (not you YOU) sound like you want control.

Unless you do want the fanbase thinking they should dictate everything. Then that takes this business model into a different realm.

meanrob · August 12, 2017

Sounds like a bunch of Tony Robbins word salad. If I had a nickle for every time I've heard "I can assure you...." in relation to UNT Athletics I could pay off Apogee.

I'll base my opinion of WB on actions and results, not assurances. See the last fifteen years.

Ben Gooding · August 12, 2017

1 hour ago, greenminer said:

Just playing devil's advocate here, but 1st and foremost what didn't work out was his hires.

How would the perception of Rick's administrative methods be different if we were looking back on coaches that won shit tons of games?

I'm actually on your side for the most part. Like DD's mouth, we would probably have been biting our lip about the other things as long as the wins were coming. I just think being completely "open source" about everything - in regards to business models - sits on this ledge. A ledge where you want people to feel informed, but you don't want them thinking they can dictate everything. Reading this thread, some of you (not you YOU) sound like you want control.

Unless you do want the fanbase thinking they should dictate everything. Then that takes this business model into a different realm.

1st and foremost, that is priority #1 as an AD in collegiate athletics. That isn't up for debate. He failed at the first and biggest priority. Everything else trickled down from that colossal failure.

I cannot fathom how people will still openly defend that man's garbage, devils advocate or not.