Dickenson excells at business of sports

[MeanGreen61]

Dickenson excels at business of sports

Candidate for Isles AD position knows fundraising

By Lee Goddard Caller-Times

June 5, 2006

It is tough for people at North Texas to fathom Hank Dickenson as the athletic director at Texas A&M-Corpus Christi.

It's not that they think Dickenson is incapable of doing the job. Far from it. But, to many in Denton, Dickenson has become emblematic of North Texas athletics.

Dickenson, who arrives in Corpus Christi today as the first of four candidates scheduled to interview for the Islanders' athletic director position, is the longest serving athletic administrator at North Texas.

Need to know what it was like when all the programs were struggling for victories and fans? Ask Hank. Want to know how the school's image is in the community? Talk to Hank. Feeling a little beat up by a down season? Hank will stop by for a visit.

"To be honest, if it wasn't for Hank, I probably wouldn't be here," said Mean Green head coach Darrell Dickey, who has been at North Texas since 1998. "He was selling tickets when we couldn't hardly give them away. He was lining up sponsors when we weren't winning.

"And he's a good guy to have around the office. There were times when I was lower than can be imagined, and he would be the first to come into the office and tell me to keep my head up."

Dickenson, who asked not to comment until he has interviewed at A&M-Corpus Christi, has been the face of Mean Green athletics for years. He arrived at North Texas in 1995. For the past seven years, Dickenson has been the senior associate athletic director for external affairs, his wide range of responsibilities going from corporate fundraising to on-air athletic color commentator.

He also is active in the community, a member of the Denton Chamber of Commerce, a vice-chairman for economic development and a member of Kiwanis. A local news outlet named him Denton's "Business Person of the Year" in 2004.

That has elevated his profile, even above that of a Texas football coach.

"Everybody here loves him and knows him," Dickey said. "Some people in the community don't know me to see me - and I don't really mind - but everybody recognizes Hank."

Dickenson thrives on the financial side where the Islanders - or any athletic program, for that matter - place prime importance.

"Fundraising is important in my role, and it's important for the athletic director as well," A&M-Corpus Christi president Flavius Killebrew said. "It's obvious we need to improve ticket sales. I said when I came here if we're going to have an athletic program, we need to build support.

"He's had several years of experience at a program that is a little larger. Certainly, he came with some very good recommendations from a variety of quarters."

Marty Rivers of First State Bank is a member of the Mean Green Club. He works with Dickenson in the community and knows that, as Dickey said, to an extent Dickenson is the face of North Texas athletics.

"If he leaves, it would be the University of North Texas' loss, and a tremendous loss for the Denton community as well," Rivers said. "He's the go-to guy on campus if you have any questions.

"He's the one every organization in town calls to emcee their events. And the staff really likes him. In athletics, it's difficult because everything that goes on isn't always positive, but he's very diplomatic with fans and Mean Green Club members alike.

"If it works out for Hank, I can't imagine (the Islanders) getting a better person."

Rivers said that Dickenson always has had a strong link with the business community. That's not lost on Dickey, who compares Dickenson's ability to generate interest with the automatic interest that follows bigger schools such as Texas.

"Fundraising here is different than at, say, the University of Texas," Dickey said. "At Texas, they just count the checks as they come in. Here, you have to get out and tell people it's a good thing to be a part of."

As such, Dickey knows that, while people have supported the football team after its string of Sun Belt Conference titles, there were those who were already in place because of Dickenson's work.

"He has a way of getting people excited to be a part of something without making them feeling obligated about it," Dickey said. "We have a lot of people with us because we played in four straight New Orleans Bowls. But many people were on board with us already because of Hank. He provided great leadership in tough times.

"I would hate to see him leave, but I don't want to be selfish. He deserves an opportunity somewhere."

ARTICLE

http://www.caller.com/ccct/islanders/artic...4751233,00.html

[Huff]

Oh, my goodness....... The loss of Hank Dickenson would be a huge one. It would not be like losing Norval Pohl, but boy it woud hurt. He is a good guy and a tramendous asset to our program. I hope Rick V has enough sense to scrape together a compensation package that makes it really hard for Hank to leave us.

[MeanGreen61]

Oh, my goodness.......   The loss of Hank Dickenson would be a huge one.  It would not be like losing Norval Pohl, but boy it woud hurt.     He is a good guy and a tramendous asset to our program.  I hope Rick V has enough sense to scrape together a compensation package that makes it really hard for Hank to leave us.

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TAMU-CC is a school on the move, so it's a great opportunity that would be hard to pass up. Wish Hank the best !

Texas A&M University-Corpus Christi

Islander athletics has grown significantly in the last several years, now with seven women's sports and five men's sports.

Texas A&M University-Corpus Christi is one of the state's fastest growing four-year universities and the only university in America located on its very own island. Its palm tree-lined campus is surrounded by natural wetlands and the newly restored beach across from campus provides a "live" on-site laboratory for measuring coastal processes. A&M-Corpus Christi's 240-acre island campus is just minutes from downtown Corpus Christi, the eighth-largest city in Texas and a major port and tourist destination.

ISLAND VIEWS

http://www.tamucc.edu/islnviews/index.html

Edited June 6, 2006 by MeanGreen61

[EagleMBA]

I've been on that campus several times, but it was back when it was UCC (University of Corpus Christi). My former business school Dean and mentor, Dr. Bob McMichael, went there when he was passed over for the presidency of Pan American University (now UT-PanAm). Bob got their business program shaped up and accredited.

With the influx of the A&M money, I suspect the campus is much more impressive than it used to be. Great location if you don't mind the annual hurricane threat!

[LoveMG]

"To be honest, if it wasn't for Hank, I probably wouldn't be here," said Mean Green head coach Darrell Dickey

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it's hank's fault!

[DeepGreen]

With the influx of the A&M money, I suspect the campus is much more impressive than it used to be.  Great location if you don't mind the annual hurricane threat!

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And about those natural wetlands. They breed mighty big mesquitos. Some so big they actually have "red zeroes" on their wings!

[PlummMeanGreen]

I've been on that campus several times, but it was back when it was UCC (University of Corpus Christi).  My former business school Dean and mentor, Dr. Bob McMichael, went there when he was passed over for the presidency of Pan American University (now UT-PanAm).  Bob got their business program shaped up and accredited.

With the influx of the A&M money, I suspect the campus is much more impressive than it used to be.  Great location if you don't mind the annual hurricane threat!

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Wasn't UCC a Southern Baptist sponsored school (a la Baylor) at one time? Real nice surroundings at UCC. Could be a very difficult opportunity to turn down for anyone offered the job, but come hurricane season one would want to heed all warnings in that neck of the Texas woods. Many of us Texas Gulf Coasters (present or former) have seen some bad storms down there and Hurricane Carla (1961) was one I will never forget even at age 10.

And to Deep Green in the above post, Phil, when our 2-a-days started in August at my high school we fought the un-holy trinity down there, ie, Texas-sized mosquitos, Texas sweltering heat and Gulf Coast humidity so thick you could cut it with a butter's knife. We couldn't wait for the first "blue norther" to come blowin' through and that was for darn sure.

Edited June 7, 2006 by PlummMeanGreen

[MeanMag]

I bet game day traffic is a bitch.

They better hope they don't grow too much, or build a stadium on the mainland.

[MeanGreen61]

I bet game day traffic is a bitch. 

They better hope they don't grow too much, or build a stadium on the mainland.

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The home of Islander basketball is the modern American Bank Center on the bayfront downtown about 15 minutes from the campus. Seats 8,000 for basketball.

Over half of the Islander baseball games (14 of 24)last season were played at the new city-owned Whataburger Field, remainder at Islander Field (on campus).On the bayfront, Whataburger Stadium seats 5,400 , has 19 luxury boxes & 2 outfield berms that seat an additiona 2,000. The field is also the home of the AA Corpus Christi Hooks.

No room for a football stadium on campus, but the Islanders will have a home if they do install a program. Maybe Bucaneer Stadium would be enlarged or I wouldn't be surprised if the city built didn't become involved in building one.

Edited June 7, 2006 by MeanGreen61

[untgirl04]

Wow, those are some beautiful facilities. Don't really like the ultra modern design on the basketball arena, but it's still very nice.

[MeanGreen61]

Wow, those are some beautiful facilities. Don't really like the ultra modern design on the basketball arena, but it's still very nice.

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It's a multi-purpose facility & convention center. Also the home of the CC-Rayz (minor league hockey) and CC-Hammerheads (arena football).