Print |
E-mail to a friend
MARSHALL SPORTS
Chuck Landon: AD group disappoints, lacks athletic backgrounds
Disappointing.
That is the first word that comes to mind.
After perusing the 10-member search committee formed by Marshall President Steve Kopp to interview prospective new athletic director candidates, the pervading emotion was disappointment.
Not that I have anything against those 10.
John Hess (chairman), Mike Perry, Bob Bookwalter, Camilla Brammer, Shari Clarke, Bob Plymale, Larry Tweel, Sean Hornbuckle, Mark George and Steve Ellis are all fine people.
And they obviously are competent in their chosen fields.
The problem is none of those fields are collegiate athletics.
That is the crux of the matter.
It's not about who is on the search committee, it's about who isn't.
Why wasn't anyone chosen who has knowledge about the inner workings of a collegiate athletic department? Why isn't there anyone who actually has been involved in Marshall's athletic department?
Those omissions make no sense.
Marshall alumnus Frank Giardina, who was an administrator in Penn State's athletic department for 17 years, would have been a perfect choice.
He has been there, done that.
Former Marshall football coach Jack Lengyel, who is renowned as a collegiate athletics administrator, would have been a perfect choice.
He has been there, done that.
Former Herd offensive lineman Brian Reed, who spearheaded the 1996 and 1999 football team reunions, would have been a perfect choice.
He has been there, done that.
Such choices should have been no-brainers.
I mean, when Donna Spindel recently was named dean of Marshall's Graduate College was she chosen by a panel that possessed no experience with collegiate academics?
Of course not.
When Eric and Jennifer Kmiec were chosen to spearhead Marshall's Institute for Interdisciplinary Research were they selected by a committee with no knowledge of biotechnology?
Of course not.
So, why is the search for a new athletic director any different?
It shouldn't be.
But for some disappointing reason it is.
It is disappointing when Marshall coaches have no voice in the selection. Retired football coach Bobby Pruett, who informed Kopp he had no interest in the AD job, would have been a great addition to the committee.
But he wasn't asked.
Neither was retired baseball coach Jack Cook.
Both former coaches certainly know plenty about collegiate athletic departments.
It also is disappointing when Marshall athletes have no voice in the selection. Troy Brown, Mike Bartrum or Reed would have been a great addition.
After all, Marshall always talks about former athletes giving back to the university. Marshall always pays lip-service to former athletes staying involved with the athletic department.
Well, isn't that a two-way street?
But, disappointingly, Kopp wasn't interested in viewpoints, perspectives or feedback from any former Marshall athletes.
So, tell me, how can Marshall expect former athletes to reach out to the university if the school isn't reaching out to them in matters of this importance?
And, make no mistake, the selection of a new athletic director is indeed important.
In fact, it's crucial.
That's why there needed to be a few people on the search committee who understand the day-to-day difficulties of running a collegiate athletic department.
But there aren't.
And that's very disappointing.
Chuck Landon is a sports columnist for The Herald-Dispatch. Call him at 526-2827. E-mail him at clandon@herald-dispatch.com.
