Miscellaneous
After a long deliberation, the university chose to conduct a national search, rather than immediately promoting Hunter Yurachek.
Of course, Yurachek might still be a candidate if the search firm believes him worthy. A reliable source within the administration told me Tuesday that at least two other individuals from within the university have expressed their desire for the job. The administration is keeping an open mind for candidates with nontraditional backgrounds. For example, one of those internal candidates is not a member of the athletic department.
Yurachek, like every candidate, has strengths and weaknesses. He has made great impressions on those working with him. He is a hard worker, and his transition will be quick due to his familiarity. His weakness is that the athletic department has glaring problems in one of the departments he was overseeing — marketing and promotions. Men's basketball attendance is low. Football season ticket sales are woefully short of the target number.
The university typically pays the search firm between 1/3 and 1/4 of the employee's salary. If the firm does not provide a candidate that the university is happy with, the university may choose to conduct a second search. The positive aspect of a search firm is that the firm nitpicks candidates' resumes, which almost always include achievements that the candidate did not directly affect. Not to pick on Yurachek, but GoZips.com talks about him "overseeing" the MAC Championship basketball team. The search firm sifts through the rhetoric and finds out: What happened at your old job that would not have happened without you?
Believe it or not, the administration truly wants to hear what Akron fans think. Please take the time to vote below, and perhaps comment on what qualities you'd like to see in Akron's next athletic director. A high-level administrator promised me that the university will keep tabs on the results.
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{ 22 comments… read them below or add one }
I think marketing and building the fanbase are obviously the biggest issues for the incoming AD. I don't know who should or should not get the position but I do think it should be someone with new and creative marketing ideas and someone who is not afraid to think "outside the box".
Marketing is a huge deal; however wins and who you play ultimately affect how easily you can market the program. I personally think that you should have included knowledge of how to schedule 1 and 1 with recognizable programs. No one cares if football plays Morgan State. But you bring in Northwestern, South Carolina, and Colorado and people will pay attention.
Also someone who has a good reputation with existing AD's in the Big East or Big Ten would be helpful.
a national search for an outside source to join the "Proenza Plan" is what is needed
What our president has accomplished in the last 8-9-10 years is truely amazing
a WINNING FOOTBALL team will let a up and coming or experienced AD get acquainted with the University of Akron and enhance future marketing and fundraising objectives
Give mack some credit for approving and letting JD hire people with head coaching experience so JD can manage a winning season this year
a WINNING FOOTBALL team will ease the transition for a new AD and keep the ball rolling for the University
Luis Proenza and the "Proenza Plan" should draw some interesting candidates
Marketing is huge. If we want to fill the stadium, not only does the team need to play well, but the people in the area need to know about the team.
Hiring coaches is something that Rhoades did pretty well. The way I see it, Brookhart has to be on a fairly short leash, even though I suppose he technically overachieved the past couple seasons. This upcoming seasons needs to be a successful season for the players AND the head coach.
Makes ya wonder, when the basketball team is winning 20+ games per year and the JAR is still half-empty. And a new stadium "should" be the talk of Akron, yet ticket sales are woefully lacking? This might be a greater indication of Akron's complete apathy toward the Zips programs, rather than a reflection on Hunter. However, it's the job of "someone" to find new ways to fill seats. And yes, thinking outside the box is essential here, where so many jobs have been lost and there is so much competition for our entertainment dollars and time.
Marketing is huge! I remember when Fear the Roo first started and we did a terrific job marketing and then last year nobody seemed to talk about it much. Maybe has something to do with Wadell leaving since he started most of that? not sure…
Also, Marketing to the students is almost more important. The AK-Rowdies have been great, but there's still only a hundred or so per game. We have to get the students, fraternities, student groups, etc to buy into going to the games. If they have an interest in Akron athletics while they are in school, they will continue to do so after they graduate.
Akron has NEVER been an "athletic" school. Small crowds at football games, small crowds at basketball games. The economy? Apathy? No beer at the new stadium? These and other factors play a part. I agree with Brian. The fact remains that Yurachek loves UA. He covets the job and works hard. Give the man the job. There are times when the best candidate is right in front of you.
Can any internal candidate bring the "SIZZLE" to the University and NE Ohio??
the baby is coming home in the fall — where are the announcements??
maybe this is hunter's time to change or intensify current marketing plans
a national search sounds like a somewhat long process.
does this help an internal candidate's chances to open up the new stadium?
I want the best candidate in the nation that fits our budget. If that is Hunter, great. If there is someone else better qualified, I want that person.
Other than Hunter, I don't want some in-bred University "lifer." We got lucky in Dambrot. He's an Akron guy, AND he wants to be a player on the national stage. [Note - Should we really give Dambrot all the credit when apparently is was Hunter who oversaw the 2009 MAC Championship Basketball team?]
The typical UA lifer just makes excuses…"we're a commuter school"…"we can't compete against Ohio State for the local fans hearts"…"let's do $1.00 tickets because it worked in the Acme-Zip era"…yadda yadda yadda.
I want a dynamic MF'er that wants to get people excited…and if he/she doesn't, they'll die trying.
The questions I have are: IS marketing the most important thing at this time for our AD?? Would it be better to hire the best qualified AD and hire a marketing person that has a proven record developing fan support at schools similar to UA?? Marketing is unique skill…it may not lend itself to be great in other areas of administration.
Maybe Yurachek would do better once he is the top guy. I would want to hear his ideas for generating fan support. He should know what does not work…hopefully that will give him a head start.
I definitely do not have the answers but have lots of concerns. Proenza has done a great job so I trust that he will make the right hire/hires.
If you think small, you'll be small.
Brian & Fred are small thinkers.
A zebra does not change their stripes.
I agree with Barney and STB. When you hire from the inside you risk getting guys who are small time thinking. They're too used to the status quo. I'm not saying that Hunter will fall suspect to that thought process, but a national search is healthy.
Building the fan base is utmost as the unscientific results show. And a big factor in that equation is having a state-of-the-art basketball and multipurpose arena conspicuously and clearly on The University of Akron campus and not downtown. If UA does otherwise, it will be the school's waterloo.
THAT MAYOR DOES NOT RUN THIS UNIVERSITY!
To Barney:What does a zebra have to do with anything? How do we know that Yurachek is a small thinker? Do you know him? Do you know how he thinks and feels? Have you talked to him? Unfortunatley Akron and my school, Kent are in the same boat when it comes to athletic programs. Kent has made a very nice niche in D-1 athletics, partly by knowing they cannot compete with Ohio State in fan support. Does it irritate me to see the narrow minded people in Ohio believe that if you do not go to OSU, you are inferior as an athlete? Yes! All other schools play second fiddle to the Bucks. At least here in Miami, we get equal treatment with the Canes, Gators, and Seminoles. I have no problem with a national search……
but remember what the candidates backround will be. Just like Yuracheks backround.
I really believe the decision that will be announced by President Proenza will be best for Akron Athletic Department. No question in that.
However, in regard to the basketball team, here what i think how they need to look at to get crowds and national attention:
Th ebasketball team has shown us over the last 2 years that it can be more than just an "advanced team to NCAA", all what it needs is a new JAR Arena and who's better than Lebron to help the coach and Akron for a new basketball stadium. A lot of kids in the Lebron James Academy every summer are very talented and athletic but we cant keep them when they c the old basketball arena.
In conclusion, i believe Dr.Proenza needs to search in our home roots(Lebron who admires Akron and the COACH)on ways to improve our basketball team.
Who ever becomes the Athletic director need to be asked in the interview,
WHAT SHOULD WE(AKRON) DO TO LEVEL OUT THE BEASKETBALL,FOOTBALL AND SOCCER TEAMS?
His answer better be need to coordinate with our kid in our own backyard,LEBRON.
Being an "Akron guy" shouldn't have anything to do with how qualified a candidate is for the position. If there's one thing I hate, it's routine. Yurachek has been around enough that he could start to take certain things for granted that a person new to the situation might not.
What should be a requirement is an almost maniacle obsession with being the best at yout job and imparting that obsession onto your whole department. That's what Akron needs: somebody who won't stop until they have done everything they possibly can to make Akron athletics the best it can be in every category and someone who has the ability to do it as quickly as possible the right way.
Mike … It's Pat McManamon. Don't you think anyone would have trouble with marketing and promotions at Akron? I mean … marketing and promoting a MAC school in a depressed economy is going to be very difficult, no? … Just curious … pat.
Hi Pat,
I think that it will be the primary struggle, regardless of who's hired. A defeatist attitude is not the attitude of someone I'd want running my ship, though.
My personal opinion is that marketing has to start with the students — and at a grassroots level. If you have a great student atmosphere, the rest of the crowd will enjoy it more, AND you're building your future paying clientele. What do I mean by grassroots? Have assistant coaches visit the fraternities. Ask Keith Dambrot knock on dormitory doors. Tell the players to bring 10 friends each. The AK-Rowdies are a huge improvement (especially the hardcore members), but their attendance numbers could be much, much higher.
That's why this alcohol decision is such a dead loser. Get the upperclassmen in the doors — even if it means you're giving away Natty Light for $1.50 a can. Well, maybe not that.
Geez Pat, could you be any more of an apologist or shill for Yuracheck? Attendance has been down every year he has been marketing. In the real world he'd be fired, not considered for promotion.
I am not sure you can say attendance has been down every year….at least in football. Here are the figures for the last 3 years:
2006 2007 2008
Median 16,011 15,851 16,927
Mean 16,132 16,506 14,342
Record 5-7 4-8 5-7
Home Record 4-1 3-2 1-4
What I find a little disturbing is the big variations in attendance in 2008. Our first home game was played before only 9,013 fans. Our record at the time was 1-1 …playing a ranked Wisconsin competitively on the road and beating Syracuse on the road. I think attendance should have been much higher. OK…there was some rain, but 9,013 is really lame. Then after a 2 week bye, we play Toledo with a chance to win the Eastern Division and draw only 10,134. The weather was good so that was not an issue. Those 2 games really bother me…I think attendance should have been better for both games.
What does this mean?? I do not know. I do know if you are a hammer….everything looks like a nail. So I don't want to be too negative…but Yurachek would have to be really impressive in interviews and have some great ideas for me to endorse him. I do trust Dr. Proenza but I am skeptical of Yuracheck at this time based on history. Maybe it would be better to hire an aggressive, fast-track AD and match him with a marketing person who has experience with these types of situations. The problem is…someone who is a proven winner in marketing will be way too expensive.
This will be very interesting and I hope we get it right.
If Yurachek has any ideas, why didn't he say them during the past three years? Then he could take credit for them and this whole debate about whether he should have the job would be a no-brainer. I wouldn't appreciate him holding on out any great ideas for that long.