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Tyra press conference...

Per Kent Spencer of WHAS11, Tyra's news conference has nothing to do with the NCAA's impending decision. I guess he's going to anoint himself Most Worshipful Grand Athletic Director Supreme.
 
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I don't want Tyra because he came in with the idiots in control and I would rather have an ATHLETIC DIRECTOR who has been working in the field for years. Him being a successful businessman for 30 years does not qualify him to run an athletic department. I want someone with strong ties to the athletic community.

I would be surprised if this press conference is about him being hired since we only have an interim President in place. However since we have amateurs running our university it is possible.
 
He gives me the impression that he can sort of finesse himself into the job. ...That it's mostly accomplished by superficial attempts to LOOK like the AD, which is the reason he shows up publicly at so many U of L games and events.

Perhaps that's worked for him in the past, and he's simply going with what has worked. Wouldn't surprise me if this event today is just putting his face in front of a camera and answering misc. questions...
 
Anytime a presser is announced anymore I get a nervous feeling.

I'm curious to hear what he has to say. I think answering questions and giving some updates is needed. It would be nice if Postel and the Board did the same. Transparency is critical for a fractured fan and donor base.
 
Anyone who doesn’t think that Tyra isn’t already the permanent AD is delusional. You don’t fire the three that he fired last week unless you’re the guy, and you’re clearing the decks for your people.
You are spot on "Ghost"!
 
Would be better news than most of late.
And he's more qualified to comment on that...

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He will announce Papa will validate his 45% off before - and not after - the Cards win.
 
Really informative press conference. Some highlights:

-no NCAA decision yet. He was “embarrassed for Dan Dakich”

- Ken Lolla signed to 5 year deal. Volleyball and women’s soccer coaches also extended

- nepotism policy is in place. Petrino went through HR for waiver

- stadium expansion was 6000, not 10000. Improvements in facility have been huge for recruiting

- Tyra reduced his pay to $850k

- looking to reduce AD budget by $1.0M

- new structure for AD staff. Features Assoc AD for athlete health

- plan is for AD hire in March. Will discuss job with Padgett after season

- grassroots effort to engage fans. Priority of getting students engaged

- meeting daily with donors. Small group of donors making a lot of noise

- very businesslike statements regarding the department restructuring and employees upset with department changes
 
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Tyra also said, about coaches salaries, that he expects to pay going rates for top coaches. We'll see.
 
The things that bothered me was cutting the athletic budget by a million. A grassroots plan to engage the fans and the donors. Sounds like because of the poor handling of the situation and the people in charge we have lost fans and donors. The fact that a small group of donors have made the most noise, these are probably the biggest donors.

The plans are to hire an AD by March does that mean we are going to hire a President to do that by the end of February? This sounds like we are going to keep this 3 Ring circus going for awhile.
 
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So Hank did you like what you heard? What are your thoughts?

I was very impressed. In a short time he has identified issues and is working to address them. I like that he is being transparent about the process.

I know one concern when TJ was forced out was that there would be a mass exodus of coaches. So hearing that he has extended three coaches and openly talks of his positive relationships with Petrino, Walz and McDonnell is very encouraging. I’m intrigued by the way he is reorganizing the department. In particular I think you’ll see other schools replicate the Associate AD for Athlete Health and Wellness that he is creating. He wants this person to have a medical background. I could see this being a great selling point for athletes and their families and for coaches as well.
 
The things that bothered me was cutting the athletic budget by a million. A grassroots plan to engage the fans and the donors. Sounds like because of the poor handling of the situation and the people in charge we have lost fans and donors. The fact that a small group of donors have made the most noise, these are probably the biggest donors.

The plans are to hire an AD by March does that mean we are going to hire a President to do that by the end of February? This sounds like we are going to keep this 3 Ring circus going for awhile.

The AD position will be hired before a President is hired. Obviously that’s not how you’d like it to go but that’s the way it is. At least the permanent AD will be hiring the b-ball coach.

To paraphrase Tyra: “there are a small, vocal group of donors that have pulled donations. Obviously you don’t want to lose any donors but on the other hand we don’t run to the press every time we cultivate a new donor”. Something to watch but I didn’t sense we were are getting crushed by donors. The grassroots part is more him talking about engaging the regular fan and especially students. Just look at the attendance at the game tonight - there definitely needs to be s reconnecting with the regular fan.
 
Tyra also said, about coaches salaries, that he expects to pay going rates for top coaches. We'll see.

Yeah, there was no indication that he had any plans to scrimp on coaches salaries. He said that he wanted to make his department is right sized to ensure that athletes and coaches get everything they need.
 
And now I eagerly await the Zipp middle of the night drive-by. Pretty safe to say Zipp didn’t like what he heard during the presser.
 
If I collected $60 million in donations to build a 10,000 Sq feet building, than delivered a 6,000 sq feet building would anyone see a problem with that?,
 
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I was wondering about that also so I started thinking about the idiots now running things. Did they cut the seating capacity to save money, if they did it is an indication of what direction we are headed.
 
The things that bothered me was cutting the athletic budget by a million...
No chance it's only gonna be a million. That number's all he's committing to.

How much of the student activity fees, gender equity payments, depreciation, student parking fees, and utilities that have been scrutinized by the clown show will continue to accrue to athletics? How hard will their appointee, Tyra, fight for those revenue items? Will he fight at all?

How much of Pitino's $7 million salary will stay within athletics? A couple million? That's the caliber of coach the clown show will be looking for, and that's another $5 million off the income statement.

How many basketball season ticket owners will re-up when people are now sitting around them who paid $5 for a ticket? How many advertisers and suite holders will renew their contracts when they run out? And if they renew, at what price/cost?

This doesn't even address the donor base. They can pull their money anytime--and already have. One million scratches the surface...
 
I was wondering about that also so I started thinking about the idiots now running things. Did they cut the seating capacity to save money, if they did it is an indication of what direction we are headed.
First of all, you don't know what the truth is. We heard a higher number before that Tyra NOW says is six thousand. The lower number takes some heat off of him.

Secondly, the suites and club seats are where all of the revenue is. The four thousand seats Tyra's talking about, even if real, mean very little financially. He's taking in a few hundred dollars per seat annually, or about a million total, if every one of those seats is sold out. And I doubt seriously that anyone was budgeting for 65K sellouts every game.

It's a non-issue again to take the heat off of the athletic department. Stadium expansions are about revenue; the guy on the street thinks they're about attendance...
 
And now I eagerly await the Zipp middle of the night drive-by. Pretty safe to say Zipp didn’t like what he heard during the presser.
Loved it because I peel back the onion. Your boy sounded a little angry beneath the surface. Poor guy isn't used to questioning and a little pushback.

I'll have more to say in this and other threads on the subject...

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Loved it because I peel back the onion. Your boy sounded a little angry beneath the surface. Poor guy isn't used to questioning and a little pushback.

I'll have more to say in this and other threads on the subject...

parade%20of%20fools%202_zpsdkfvdkfu.jpg

I didn’t detect any anger. I saw a person who had command of his thoughts and emotions and was highly prepared to give coherent thoughts. Obviously no one can say definitively how his ideas will pan out, but it looks like you’ll be there to preemptively bash him regardless.
 
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In the spirit of fair play - your softball....

What were your key takeaways from the press conference?
Thanks! I've already spilled the beans in a few places, but I'm gonna go back and listen to it again and take notes.

The most important element IMO is his vision (or lack of) for athletics. And as I suspected, it's apparently inward focused which won't get it done. Nowhere close. He casually thinks fund raising will take care of itself and, as others have remarked, that he can simply manage the existing business. That's 180 degress from Jurich who probably hoped to be at that point or close when he retired 5-10 years out.

In the end, the financials will show that--a flat to declining budget that used to be on a moonshot. And that's the kind of ability reportedly that Tyra has, rationalizing an existing operation. Of course, that evidence will take awhile to show...
 
No chance it's only gonna be a million. That number's all he's committing to.

How much of the student activity fees, gender equity payments, depreciation, student parking fees, and utilities that have been scrutinized by the clown show will continue to accrue to athletics? How hard will their appointee, Tyra, fight for those revenue items? Will he fight at all?

How much of Pitino's $7 million salary will stay within athletics? A couple million? That's the caliber of coach the clown show will be looking for, and that's another $5 million off the income statement.

How many basketball season ticket owners will re-up when people are now sitting around them who paid $5 for a ticket? How many advertisers and suite holders will renew their contracts when they run out? And if they renew, at what price/cost?

This doesn't even address the donor base. They can pull their money anytime--and already have. One million scratches the surface...

I have had three phone calls this week from The University of Louisville, They want donations to The Foundation and to buy our football tickets and my donation to Athletics early. So hell yell, there is a major cash flow problem.
 
So, Zipp, since you think Jurich > Louisville, when Tyra is hired are you going to stop being a Louisville fan? Just curious.
 
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Tyra sounded like a leader yesterday. He said he's prepared to pay Market Value for the head coach. He needs to be hired.
 
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