Ark State reassigns AD for lack of fundraising.

[EGL66]

http://www.arkansass...n-talking-point

To boil down the end of Lee’s tenure in its simplest form — and these moves are rarely as simple as they appear on the surface — Arkansas State saw an influx of quality coaches under Lee, but no influx of cash....

While Lee is headed into a fundraising role with the university, it was bringing in new money to the athletic department that likely hurt him as much as any other shortcoming.

Red Wolf Club Revenue was at $1.57 million in 2001. A decade later it was at $2.1 million. That’s an increase of only $500,000 during a decade in which attendance figures doubled for football.

Apparantly there is a level of accountability at ASU and they expect everyone to raise the bar. Good for them for that.

Edited August 9, 2012 by EGL66

[Harry]

Good for them. Clearly the guy wasnt getting the job done.

[DeepGreen]

It would be interesting to know how much the Mean Green Club brought in during 2001 vs 2011 numbers.

[oldguystudent]

Oh the fun that must ensue when that little rogue board gets their hands on this!

[FirefightnRick]

It would be interesting to know how much the Mean Green Club brought in during 2001 vs 2011 numbers.

You could decipher the the rest of the Kryptos Monument before you get an answer to that.

Rick

[Harry]

What I don't get is didn't this guy get Malzahn on board? It seems odd to let him loose to close to Gus getting hired. Arkstfan?

[PlummMeanGreen]

http://www.arkansass...n-talking-point

Quote

To boil down the end of Lee’s tenure in its simplest form — and these moves are rarely as simple as they appear on the surface — Arkansas State saw an influx of quality coaches under Lee, but no influx of cash....

While Lee is headed into a fundraising role with the university, it was bringing in new money to the athletic department that likely hurt him as much as any other shortcoming.

Red Wolf Club Revenue was at $1.57 million in 2001. A decade later it was at $2.1 million. That’s an increase of only $500,000 during a decade in which attendance figures doubled for football.

Apparantly there is a level of accountability at ASU and they expect everyone to raise the bar. Good for them for that.

______________________________________________________

Of course we don't know all the details but it's even more interesting that an AD who could not effecively raise ample funds for athletics has been "re-cycled" and kept on the state teat to raise monies for their university? Is he expected to turn over a new leaf and suddenly become an effective fund-raiser because of that lateral move? Are the leaders of these state tax assisted outfits (universities) fearful of firing outright an obvious non-productive employee and if so...............why? Firings and hiring fresh new (eager to please) talent who insist on being customer service savy employees happens every day in America's normal business community but I suppose normal is the key word here?

I'm sorry, but I just don't understand the business workings or M.O.'s of so many of our public universities. They sound more & more like how our federal

goverment runs its business which as of today has our country trillions in debt with more expected credit rating losses on our national horizon.

And then do some public university officials have a real fear of terminating those multi-years on the state payroll employees yet obvious non-productive employees?

CUSA will be a godsend for North Texas--and thank you SMU for leaving for the Big East which all but made this possible for our school, but it is surely going to put a high powered microscope on our own UNT officials who will soon enough have to answer questions from higher echeldon UNT officials and BOR's one of which I'd wager would be :

"We're getting more & more feedback from our alums concerned with what our ultimate competition level will be in CUSA (compared to our present Sun Belt Conference status which has not set the woods on fire in football of late) and with more and more alums/fans asking: Why aren't we competing with all the other new CUSA schools (especially all those presently in CUSA) in fundraising and ticket sales?" NOTE: Would it be easy to predict that the blame game will run rampant in Mean Green Country in the next 12 or so months?

Yet if all goes according to Hoyle, North Texas will typically need another 10 years to come up with an answer to the above question, but in those 10 years we could also find ourselves in the same position competition-wise in CUSA where we've been in the Sun Belt Conference the last 8 or so years with our #1 revenue producing varsity sport, ie, NCAA FBS colllege football. Looking at past M.O.'s at UNT, our higher echelon leaders could very well run a few "inside" studies or maybe even hire and pay a nice sum to an outside consultant to find answers the UNT community really thought our higher echelons had been hired to make.

GMG!

Edited August 9, 2012 by PlummMeanGreen

[emmitt01]

An AD who potentially suffered for having an unresponsive staff perhaps? Hmmm

[DeepGreen]

An AD who potentially suffered for having an unresponsive staff perhaps? Hmmm

Like I've always said, "the speed of the Captain, the speed of the crew".

[meangreendork]

______________________________________________________

Looking at past M.O.'s at UNT, our higher echelon leaders could very well run a few "inside" studies or maybe even hire and pay a nice sum to an outside consultant to find answers the UNT community really thought our higher echelons had been hired to make.

GMG!

Yeah, but that would make sense, and we can't do that.

[tylermeangreen]

Like I've always said, "the speed of the Captain, the speed of the crew".

Here we go again..........

[KRAM1]

AND....I wonder how many Ark State fans actively drive away donors and potential donors through their constant negativity and complain about everything that is Ark State Athletics and it's Athletic Director? I wonder what the history of giving is at Ark State and the size of their ACTIVE and dues paying alumni base? I wonder what history of past support the administration at Ark Styate has been to the athletic department and its AD in the area of fund-raising? I wonder if so-called fans at Ark State talk a good game but when it comes time to either put their money or talent where their mouths are they run for the hills and make as many different excuses why they don't give or join their Athletic Booster Club as they can think of and proclaim loudly why "it's not my fault". I wonder if Ark State and its fan base has the same "let someone else do it" and "if I don't get at least $150 worth of tangible items and perks for my $100 donation I am not going to donate at all" attitude that so many of UNT's fans and alums seem to have? How many alums and fans does Ark State have that if someone does something at any time ever and no matter how long ago it happened that someone doesn't/didn't agree with then they hold off on joining the booster club or donating forever and bring up the ancient slight time and time again?

Come on folks...I doubt anyone here has any real knowledge of the back-story that led to this reassignment. Don't you too find it strange that a guy who they are now saying can't raise donations has been reassigned to a position that is a development/fund-raising position?

It's Ark State, not UNT...some similarities but many more differences. Even when the AD and his staff raise funds some folks here say the guy and his staff had absolutely nothing to do with it...like they have a clue. I find it odd and more than a little disheartening that we have this sort of "stuff" come up every time the opportunity presents itself to some folks. Can we not find ways to help move the program forward and to bring new donors and supporters to the Mean Green instead of wanting to insinuate that things are not good and won't ever get better?

Some folks like to say "it's not my job" and "isn't it sad and embarrassing that some fans had to do this or that"...as it's the AD's job....well, those saying that might just want to look around and get out a tad more...there are legions of fan volunteers doing all sorts of volunteer work for their various athletic departments all across this nation...not just at UNT. I, myself, have been asked to help volunteer for OSU...another of my alma maters...too bad it was on a day I was already out helping put up UNT football posters around town or I probably would have said yes. Gee...the athletic dept. folks should have been doing that....UNT has way too many who feel "it's not their job", feel "it's embarrassing" or like to belittle and demean those who do try to do what they can to help. Funny how folks who say they want nothing but the best for UNT seem to find fault with others who are just trying to do what they can.

As I often say...these Mean Green folks are a funny lot...got to love 'em all though as "it's family"! I fully believe that some day this great Mean green nation of ours will come together and start pulling together as one. When that happens, the sky is no limit!

[emmitt01]

Kram, you know I love you...so this is said in love.

Whilst questioning the credentials of those who want better time and time again have you eve pondered THIS question? What's the explanation for the piss poor reception that those who DO give faithfully of their time and money receive? Where's the indignation on behalf of those who set up friends and acquaintances to give and ask only that an AD staffer give them a call...only to see them too given the brush off? The times of the emperor and his men sitting comfortably in that castle, all the while free to call any/all dissenters "malcontents" should be long over.

[oldguystudent]

I've been here for four years. Here's what I've seen in that time.

2008: It looks like 6th grade recess, everybody go long, in a broken down stadium that looks like it was built by Soviet concrete design team rejects.

2012: The stadium is built, and essentially paid for between student fees, donors, and Apogee. We have a BCS caliber coach, a new conference, and a competitive team that actually wins every few years.

2008: We had a good men's basketball team with an up and coming coach and 89 feet of stink on the women's side.

2012: We have a men's coach from Marquette, a women's coach from Wake forest, and a lottery pick roaming the floor of the super pit.

2008: Karl Benson was begging us to join his crappy WAC conference so we could travel to the Kibbie Dome to play the exciting Vandals.

2012: Karl Benson is crying in his cheerios as we head off to play Rice, Tulsa, Tulane, UTEP and LA Tech in CUSA.

2008: My only diamond fix was drinking Miller Lite behind the outfield wall at Lovelace Field. (OK, that was pretty awesome)

2012: Baseball is on the horizon in one of the truly premiere baseball conferences in the nation. Seriously. CUSA is to baseball what the ACC is to football.

Yeah, Rick can't raise money or get things done for shit. Undefeated seasons and national championships with BJs at the door for all season ticket holders or he's gone!

[Graddean]

If I am not mistaken, Dean Lee once worked for the Razorback Foundation (the money raising arm for the Univ. of Arkansas). He was AD at Arkansas Tech (DII) for a short time for a short time. When he left there, he was asst. AD at Okie State before landing at ASU. You think it is tough to raise money for UNT, try ASU where the Hogs have almost all of the big money guys tied up. Many grads of other Arkansas colleges will give money to UA before they give to their own schools, or they will give more to the UA. Raising money may have been part of the problem, but I would be willing to bet there is more going on than that.

[greenminer]

I've been here for four years. Here's what I've seen in that time.

2008: It looks like 6th grade recess, everybody go long, in a broken down stadium that looks like it was built by Soviet concrete design team rejects.

2012: The stadium is built, and essentially paid for between student fees, donors, and Apogee. We have a BCS caliber coach, a new conference, and a competitive team that actually wins every few years.

2008: We had a good men's basketball team with an up and coming coach and 89 feet of stink on the women's side.

2012: We have a men's coach from Marquette, a women's coach from Wake forest, and a lottery pick roaming the floor of the super pit.

2008: Karl Benson was begging us to join his crappy WAC conference so we could travel to the Kibbie Dome to play the exciting Vandals.

2012: Karl Benson is crying in his cheerios as we head off to play Rice, Tulsa, Tulane, UTEP and LA Tech in CUSA.

2008: My only diamond fix was drinking Miller Lite behind the outfield wall at Lovelace Field. (OK, that was pretty awesome)

2012: Baseball is on the horizon in one of the truly premiere baseball conferences in the nation. Seriously. CUSA is to baseball what the ACC is to football.

Yeah, Rick can't raise money or get things done for shit. Undefeated seasons and national championships with BJs at the door for all season ticket holders or he's gone!

2001 - 2008 was a wild ride. You came in after some serious hit-and-miss stuff.

Edited August 10, 2012 by greenminer

[KRAM1]

Kram, you know I love you...so this is said in love.

Whilst questioning the credentials of those who want better time and time again have you eve pondered THIS question? What's the explanation for the piss poor reception that those who DO give faithfully of their time and money receive? Where's the indignation on behalf of those who set up friends and acquaintances to give and ask only that an AD staffer give them a call...only to see them too given the brush off? The times of the emperor and his men sitting comfortably in that castle, all the while free to call any/all dissenters "malcontents" should be long over.

Emmitt...no problem. I'll be more than happy to give you an answer to your question...in private and IN person...just you and me. Just let me know when you have time for a beer sometime. I never question the credentials of those who want better...I often, however, question the manner in which they go about expressing their "want for better". There is a time and a place for everything and there is a way to get folks "on your side" and a way to "not".....harshly criticizing every move made on a public forum is NOT the way to get a warm reception...anywhere! There is a way to be seen as part of the solution and a way to be seen by all as part of the problem. Everyone gets to pick...each way has it's rewards and consequences. Simple fact of life in every walk of life and in every relationship. Everyone is free to choose the way they want to go...they just need to understand the consequences of their actions.

Anyway...beer time...just let me know. And, indeed...I have absolutely ZERO problem with your question. It's a fair one.....

[Stan R]

I can see both sides of this argument because I get that Emmitt is wary that we may fall back into our "old ways" of settling for good enough. Having been here since 1995 however, the thing that amazed me the most from this past 12 years was the fact that after the stadium was built, we almost immediately sold out the luxury boxes and a huge portion of the box seats for 3K a pop. That was a shocker to me after realizing that for all this time we've had people willing and ready to put down that sort of money once Apogee was built. Maybe even more impressive was inking the naming rights for Apogee. Are you kidding me? We just had to build a new stadium and we had people willing to throw 20 friggin million dollars at us? wow. just wow.

Again- I'm just coming from a layperson's point of view, but someone who - like our friend Mr. FFRick, sat in crowds of literally 400 fans at a game and thought: This is it! We're doomed. We should drop football, this is just embarrassing. I could not have been more certain that football would NEVER make it at North Texas. It just makes CUSA, baseball!?!?! all of this the more crazy to realize it is happening.

[Harry]

Kram, you know I love you...so this is said in love.

[TheTastyGreek]

the thing that amazed me the most from this past 12 years was the fact that after the stadium was built, we almost immediately sold out the luxury boxes and a huge portion of the box seats for 3K a pop. That was a shocker to me after realizing that for all this time we've had people willing and ready to put down that sort of money once Apogee was built.

+1. Agreed. I had my concerns on that front, but the pricing seems to have been pretty well in line with the interest level.

[UNT 90 Grad]

That was funny until I noticed the bulge. Now it's just disturbing.

[PlummMeanGreen]

Since 1981 per this link North Texas has had few winning football seasons. http://football.stas...eam=North_Texas

We can piss this little pissing contest right into the next decade and on GMG.com personalities will eventually be isolated and demonized (per Saul Allinsky's tactics and from his now famous book on how to screw up a democracy) and this will happen when the non-stop Kool-ade drinkers have no real or viable answers (least of all solutions) to our athletic department's overall performance as it relates to our #1 revenue producing sport (football). (Kool-ade drinking? Nothing wrong with green kool-ade drinking (we've all done our share) but at times you just have to sit back, look at the situation, take the alcohol out of that green kool-ade and start thinking soberly on some very important or crucial matters). First of all, allow me to diffuse the first (probable) Alinsky'esque isolation and demonization of one UNT alum.

I was very involved with UNT athletics as a student (Fry Era) and then as an alum in my 20's, my 30's, my 40's and my early 50's.

Then health concerns (which few would ever advertise because most of us prefer privacy on such) became an issue, is still an issue and with no health insurance my med bills now are right under $30,000. Unless an unexpected inheritance comes through or I win the Texas lottery, most of the rest of my life will be spent working (like most other Baby Boomers now realize they will have to do) and paying off as much of my health bills as I can. (Hey, shit happens in one's life and I've had a steaming pile share of it in mine--some deserved and some not deserved and you just deal with it).

Yet what would any objective observer not connected to North Texas or on a first name basis with North Texas employees ask and maybe beginning with these questions or thoughts?

(1) How do North Texas officials justify the perserverence with pay raises to multi-year employees who have been part of this so few football winning seasons programs since 1981 effort? (Obviously, there have been several regimes since 1981 and the present one represents most of the last 10 or so years).

(2) And UNT's new stadium? The UNT students made this happen (after the 2'nd referendum as I recall). No New Stadium--No Program? If UNT would have had to stay in Fouts Field another year or 2 with today's NCAA FBS climate we would have had the choice of dropping football, moving down to the NCAA FCS division or worse, NCAA D2 (or whatever they call it now).

As we all know none of those were ever an option but continuing at Fouts Field would have created an enormous problem for us. It did last time CUSA was looking for a new member.

(3) Why does North Texas seem to be a retirement center for those who keep persevering this kind of overall performance per the above link and with our higher echelon leaders seemingly

rubber-stamping it annually and apparently believing there are no fresh, new vibrant talents out there who could dramatically change our direction in football season ticket sales and booste club

memberships?

Check out how UTSA, Texas State, Old Dominion, UNC-Charlotte and others in the SBC and CUSA as far as how they are performing in the 2 biggest barometers of any athletic department, ie, football/basketball season ticket sales and booster club memberships. By now, I would think most of our elect know why our present athletic officials have annually avoided revealing season ticket sales numbers. For those of you who give whether it be truly sacrificially because of your own tight household budgets or because you have the extra funds or means to do so, I can only say how much you are truly admired. For most of my adult life I was part of that group.

Others of our 209,000 DFW alumnus base will adopt the "no way I will throw good money after bad" attitude with our present crowd on payroll and when that becomes even more epidemic it will only be then that North Texas officials (beginning with Dr. Rawlins and the Board of Regents) will be forced to start seriously looking at new resumes of those who have actual NCAA FBS level credentials and success at other outposts to strengthen the 2 main areas that North Texas must improve to succeed and be successful in CUSA, ie, season ticket sales and increased booster club membership (which usually translates to larger donations). UNT's CUSA membership beginning in 2013 will automatically cause a much greater focus on what we have than any time in our school's athletic history and for now, the numbers are just not supportive for our #1 revenue producing program and haven't been for a very long time truth be told. I'm just sayin' (what I know many of you have been thinkin').

So swing away to you who have no problem with what we've been getting for 3 plus decades, specifically the last 10 or so years. Apogee Stadium has already proven to us all even for its "non sellout" first game that it's obviously going to be more than just about a new stadium.

Put your microscopic vision on this link once again--it is very telling of what we have even now. http://football.stas...eam=North_Texas

GMG!

PS: None of the above has anything to do with our present coaching staffs in football and basketball but they cannot do all the other ancillary things needed to complement

their (winning or soon to be winning) programs.

Edited August 11, 2012 by PlummMeanGreen