News, Analysis and Opinion from Bonesville's Denny O'Brien

Pirate Notebook No. 152
Friday, October 31, 2003

By Denny O'Brien
Staff Writer and Columnist

Think about this. When Wake Forest last searched for an athletics director, the journey ended at Illinois State and little known Ron Wellman.

That was 12 years ago. Since then, Wake Forest has become one of the best all-around athletics departments in the Atlantic Coast Conference.

The Deacons are national powers in basketball, baseball, field hockey, golf, and tennis. They have become respectable in football, too, which is an accomplishment considering the program's struggling history.

Wellman has an excellent track record for hiring good coaches and keeping them in Winston-Salem when bigger schools try to woo them. Facilities and television exposure also have improved exponentially during his tenure.

The point? The best AD can be the nation's best kept secret. And Ron Wellman should be the blueprint of what makes a big-time college athletics CEO.

Like Wake Forest, East Carolina went the small-potatoes route when it hired Wellman's buddy —Mike Hamrick — but the results weren't as fruitful. Though there is no denying the Pirates made progress on several fronts, Hamrick's successes in Greenville were overshadowed by controversy.

When the search begins for Hamrick's replacement — which, according to one source close to the situation, could take up to four months — expect a few familiar names to emerge. One in particular who has put himself on the radar — perhaps inadvertently — is former N.C. State and Vanderbilt AD Todd Turner, who viewed the East Carolina-Houston game from the Dowdy-Ficklen Stadium press box.

Also expect a few with East Carolina ties to get looks, as well as some highly qualified assistant ADs from BCS schools. Clemson Senior Associate AD and ECU graduate Bill D'Andrea's name has been tossed around.

But before the search committee pulls the trigger, here are five dark horses whose résumés are worth a look:

Gene Bleymaier, AD, Boise State: Want stability? Bleymaier enters his 21st season at Boise State, which has seen quite a transformation since his appointment in 1982.

Since his return to the land of potatoes — he's a native Boiseian — the Broncos have improved their conference position twice, jumping from the Big Sky to the Big West to the Western Athletic Conference, in which they quickly have become the top football program. Much of that is due to Bleymaier's ability to hire good coaches. Does the name Dirk Koetter ring a bell?

The Broncos also are no strangers to the postseason, winning the Crucial.com Humanitarian Bowl in 1999, 2000 and 2002. Speaking of which, guess who was the driving force behind bringing the postseason game to the bright blue turf.

The question is, would Bleymaier leave his teeth-chattering homeland for sweltering summers? There's only one way to find out. Besides, how could he not like the beaches.

Greg Burke, AD, Northwestern State: Can ECU really lure the AD from Northwestern? Probably not. But the search committee might want to take a look at the guy at Northwestern State (hint: it's in Louisiana).

Burke is a star-in-the-making who has has flown under the radar since taking over in 1996. Not only do the Demons win — the football, baseball, basketball, softball, soccer, and track programs are regulars in postseason play — their athletes also make the grade. Northwestern State consistently leads the Southland Conference in graduation rates.

Fundraising is one of his fortes, as the six six-figure donations he received in an 18-month period demonsrtated. That has gone a long way toward improving facilities at NSU, not to mention the hiring and keeping of good coaches. Both the basketball and soccer coaches were Burke hires, and each guided the Demons to 1st-ever NCAA tournament bids in their respective sports.

Across the board, Northwestern State — and Burke, for that matter — is one of the nation's best kept secrets. Of 321 NCAA intercollegiate athletics programs, the Demons ranked 35th in collective winning percentage for their sponsored sports.

East Carolina certainly would be a step up the AD food chain, so Burke likely would entertain calls. If nothing else, ECU could always pitch the wardrobe factor. Yes, the Demons wear purple.

Richard Giannini, AD, Southern Miss: Few administrators understand East Carolina's challenges better than Giannini. Perhaps that is because the hills the AD at Southern Miss must climb are even steeper.

ECU and Southern Miss might as well be sister institutions. Both are viewed as redheaded stepchildren by their bigger in-state brothers, even though over the past decade the Pirates and Golden Eagles have leveled the playing field tremendously on the gridiron.

M.M. Roberts Stadium isn't exactly a football Taj Mahal, but it already has had one facelift under Giannini's watch, with more on the way. Future plans to enclose one end zone will make it one of Conference USA's prettiest castles, and it is scary to think what Eagles coach Jeff Bower can do with a more attractive home. Trips by Nebraska and Illinois could become more of a norm.

Southern Miss baseball isn't too shabby, either, but hoops could use some work. Given USM's isolation and lack of resources, however, you can't expect consistent winners in all three sports.

A former administrator at Duke, Giannini has ties to NC, and a little hardwood heritage to boot.

Joe Gottfried, AD, South Alabama: Ok, it's a long shot considering his Mobile roots, but Gottfried has a thick rolodex, something East Carolina has lacked since Dave Hart bolted for Florida State.

Though South Alabama doesn't field a gridiron program, the Gottfried name is synonymous with college football. Brother Mike is a former coach at Pittsburgh and currently is ESPN's top college football analyst. Other brother Johnnie is on staff with the GMAC Bowl.

The Gottfried name alone would be a plus for East Carolina during any conference shuffling that may persist in the future.

Since his arrival in 1984, USA has been the cream of the Sun Belt crop. The Jaguars have won 63 championships and ten of the last 15 Commissioner's Cups. His athletes go to class, too — the Jags ranked first in graduation rates in the Sun Belt from 87-93.

The challenge here would be convincing Gottfried to make a change. Wonder if he's tried the barbecue?

John Krebs, AD, Bowling Green: Krebs is one of very few ADs who oversees four revenue sports — football, men's and women's basketball, and hockey. The football program has been the muscle of the mighty MAC over the past two seasons and the Falcons won 24 games in hoops last year as well.

Krebs is another price performer, squeezing maximum results out of every dollar spent. He is a master marketer and has forged partnerships with Fox Sports Ohio, ESPN Regional Television, and CAVS/Gund Arena properties in Cleveland.

Head coaching salaries have seen a significant incline during his tenure, which is much of the reason Krebs has been able to keep basketball coach Dan Dakich dressed in orange. Though football skipper Urban Meyer bolted for Utah — word is, his wife never cared for the area anyway — Krebs seemed to find a suitable replacement in Gregg Brandon.

If BCS roots are a necessary qualification, this may be the guy. Krebs has Ohio State pedigree, serving first as the ticket director, eventually working his way up to Senior Associate AD in 1993.

Apparently Krebs knows a thing or two about putting fannies in seats. Football attendance doubled last season.