Chris Kingston leaving

[pdt1081]

This is that scary moment when a university president -- many of them who know little about athletic departments -- try to find a great athletic director.

I am encouraged that I saw President Mazey at the Purdue football game last fall. At a minimum, that suggests she will take this decision seriously.

She attends most home hockey games. I'd like to think she is a fan of the sports teams herself.

[threestooges]

This is that scary moment when a university president -- many of them who know little about athletic departments -- try to find a great athletic director.

I am encouraged that I saw President Mazey at the Purdue football game last fall. At a minimum, that suggests she will take this decision seriously.

She hired Kingston, so it's not like she's never done this before.

[Falconfreak90]

Man does this suck!!!! I really like CK and was hoping he'd be here a long time.

[Falcon Commander]

https://twitter.com/Thomas_Schmeltz/sta ... 3778792448" target="_blank

[TG1996]

I've heard "Talons Up" came from the students before it was pushed by the ath. dept.

Doesn't make it much more palatable, but it's better than if it came out of a brainstorming session, IMO.

[mscarn]

Chris, we hardly knew ye. Hope he does well at Learfield, which is infinitly better timing than leaving for UCF would have been earlier in the year.

Positives:
Unambiguous expectation of championships across the board.
Reorganization (ongoing) of support staff.
Student engagement.
(shudder) Hiring Dino Babers, even if he did step into a ready-made situation with another coach's players.
Enhancement of Frack donation and the respect shown toward him befitting a man of his impact.
$1 million dollar baseball donation.
$4 million for Doyt repairs.
Coach Huger hire (so far, but much to be determined)
Operating within an environment as the lowest-funded MAC athletic department.
Retaining Coach Bergeron.

Negatives:
Allowing the venerable, unimprovable "Roll Along" to yield to unoriginal, quirky substitutes.
Over reliance on buzzwords and cliches in communication.
Not addressing longstanding customer service deficiencies in game operations.
The Jans hire, either for hiring him in the first place or not supporting him when the heat came. (Take your pick depending on your perspective)
No clear, definitive plans on the future of Doyt Perry Stadium.
The process of hiring Coach Jinks by not speaking to any other candidates, although not Coach Jinks himself.
No major, significant facility upgrades generally.
Football scheduling for money, not the best interests of the team/fans.
The Roos contract extension.

The process that led to Kingston was handled abysmally the last time with a search firm that yielded two finalists besides him that were borderline unqualified to be athletic directors in the Mid-American Conference, specifically one from a school without football and one from Division III. The athletic department currently houses the best program in the highest profile MAC sport and is teeming with potential in the second-highest despite being fiscally emaciated in comparison with their competing institutions. The next candidate should be prepared to manage such a dually fortuitous/precarious position with a resume replete with fund-raising experience and an ambition to climb out of our perpetual rear position in the Reece/Jacoby standings by hiring the right coaches through a thorough process, increasing their budgets and holding them accountable for performance.

Kingston was the #2 at a major Group of 5 department. Find the next one and give them the keys or find someone qualified and interested in staying in BG for the long term a la a Coach Stud in football like factman recommended.

[BGSU33]

I gotta believe this kind of news will yet again pump the brakes on whatever motion the major work portion of the stadium renovation had going for it. It seemed to be on the front burner when GC left, the it all quieted back down, then recently started to resurface again but now CK is leaving.

[jpfalcon09]

I gotta believe this kind of news will yet again pump the brakes on whatever motion the major work portion of the stadium renovation had going for it. It seemed to be on the front burner when GC left, the it all quieted back down, then recently started to resurface again but now CK is leaving.

They've been doing renovations this year so this is not the case. While I'm sure the AD is involved, the Board and President Mazey ultimately are the ones making the decisions regarding this. They're not going to completely overhaul the stadium in one season anyways...it's fiscally irresponsible and would be an extremely tight deadline to get all the work done.

[transfer2BGSU]

I've heard "Talons Up" came from the students before it was pushed by the ath. dept. .

I believe it was the women's swimming and diving team that thought this one up.

Thanks to CK for bringing back women's diving.

[BGSU33]

I gotta believe this kind of news will yet again pump the brakes on whatever motion the major work portion of the stadium renovation had going for it. It seemed to be on the front burner when GC left, the it all quieted back down, then recently started to resurface again but now CK is leaving.

They've been doing renovations this year so this is not the case. While I'm sure the AD is involved, the Board and President Mazey ultimately are the ones making the decisions regarding this. They're not going to completely overhaul the stadium in one season anyways...it's fiscally irresponsible and would be an extremely tight deadline to get all the work done.

I'm referring to the major renovation that's been discussed over the years, which is why I used the word "major." I'm not referring to the minimal one that's being done right now.

[Falcon Commander]

http://www.toledoblade.com/DaveHackenbe ... h-gig.html" target="_blank

[jpfalcon09]

http://www.toledoblade.com/DaveHackenbe ... h-gig.html

Hack hits the nail on the head. This is a tough school to succeed at in athletics from an administrative side given the financial constraints and battle for resources with nearby schools. It's a difficult gig. I also agree that CK is taking this job because he is burnt out from being the AD at Bowling Green. He's had to hire two football and basketball coaches, has dealt with trying to get the school to meet the cost of attendance provisions, is staring at a football stadium which is in desperate need for improvements that have been ignored from years, and many of the alumni live more than two hours away from campus.

Nevertheless, instability at this position within the university is not a good sign. Universities typically don't rotate what will be three different AD's since 2013. It speaks to a larger issue that President Mazey and the trustees are going to need to address, which is a dysfunctional and disconnected department in dire need of real change and real solutions, and perhaps finally listening to the alumni and fans of the school.

Whoever is coming in is going to have their hands full.

[factman]

Geez, with all those advantages, Hack says Toledo has, you would think they would win a lot of championships! I thought the article was VERY slanted. How many of those BG AD's were asked to look for another position, and how many took GREAT jobs, not that they were frustrated? I guess if he can go back to Dick Young, he should have also mentioned the three that have retired from Bowling Green, not just moved on to "better" jobs. About the only things I agreed with , are that UT has an advantage in corporate sponsorships/giving, and have 6-10 times the population to draw from. How many football sell outs have they had in the past five years? Of course a big piece of their sponsorships, come from their very own hospital and medical school that the Ohio legislature handed to them, and still a place I wouldn't go as a patient. Matter of fact, many of their graduates don't even refer patients there.
Yes their basketball teams draw better than BG's, but if you add hockey and basketball together, that share the same season, it certainly changes the picture.
Enough rant for now, Icould go on for pages!

[Flipper]

Yep...I thought the "frustration" comments re Kingston were out of line. He admits he didn't talk to him and doesn't really know him...where does he get off projecting his perceptions of BGSU onto Kingston?

RE UT...They love and reward mediocrity.

[apollo]

The biggest challenge for BGSU is being competitive in the MAC while trying to support hockey. All of BGSU's "revenue sports" spend a lot and don't bring in a lot. At least with the MACs ESPN deal each school gets a little bit of TV money each year. Hockey's the tough one for an AD. Costs a lot, plays in a below avg league, still not winning anything of substance.