Shakin The Southland - Clemson AD Terry Don Phillips Expected to Announce RetirementOrange And White Without The Goggleshttps://cdn.vox-cdn.com/community_logos/52538/shakin_fav.png2012-10-29T19:53:20-04:00http://www.shakinthesouthland.com/rss/stream/31840492012-10-29T19:53:20-04:002012-10-29T19:53:20-04:00Clemson announces Dan Radakovich as next AD
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<p>You can watch the press conference for yourself, I find that is better than the press release. Barker mentioned that other prospective Athletic Directors who would not mind being named were Charlie Cobb of App State, Billy D, and Carla Williams at UGA. We know that Jamey Rootes of the Houston Texans was contacted, and that <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="#">Mike Hill</a> at Florida was interviewed for the position. I do know from a reliable source that Danny Morrison of the Carolina Panthers was a top choice for the position, but did not wish to leave Charlotte. There was rumor that former Clemson player Kendall Alley was a candidate, but I haven't heard anything concrete on his front.</p>
<p>We were going to run a profile on Cobb if this search continued beyond football season, because I had heard very good compliments about his activities at App State. We did not intend to write anything on Morrison because we knew Clemson could not match his financial package for the Panthers, and it is unlikely we could've matched what Kendall Alley currently makes at BB&T. We were not going to write anything on Billy D either, because God help us if he had gotten this job. It would also certainly guarantee that <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="http://www.sbnation.com/ncaa-football/players/16409/kyle-young">Kyle Young</a> would eventually become AD, which I think is an even worse outcome. The word from the BOT was that they would vehemently oppose any internal hire, so we saw no need to run any profile on Bill D'Andrea.</p>
<p>We've run our profile on Radakovich, and the reactions I see from most have been overwhelmingly negative. I do not see this hire as a negative. I see Radakovich's credentials as similar to Hill's without the head AD experience, yet everyone wants to crucify him for hiring <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="http://www.sbnation.com/ncaa-football/players/14242/paul-johnson">Paul Johnson</a>, and then giving him a buyout that essentially guarantees him his full sum of the contract.</p>
<p>Well Paul Johnson can coach football. Saying he was a bad hire in the same sentence where you complain about the option identifies you as a moron who knows jack shit about football. I'm sorry to break it to people who are complete idiots and still think the triple option is a gimmick offense, but its a successful system and Clemson's offense incorporates many of the same principles. I don't see you complaining that <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="http://www.sbnation.com/ncaa-football/players/75473/tajh-boyd">Tajh Boyd</a> ran a Speed Option for a TD against BC and pitched on a Speed Option Thursday night that resulted in a TD, or that we use the same misdirection that the Wing-T uses, albeit from different formations. Johnson won an ACC Championship for Georgia Tech quite quickly after his hire, and had a great track record at Georgia Southern and Navy. He knows how to coach and given that GT football is a stagnant program with a fanbase that cares very little for football and a local paper that doesn't even care about any of the school's sports, I don't see any issue with his hire.</p>
<p>The only valid complaint about Johnson is that his personality does not resonate with young people and he has few recruiters on his staff. If it was merely that his offense is hard to sell, he would at least be able to recruit good defensive players. He has not, and by all means you should blame him for that. I personally think it will end up getting Paul Johnson fired unless he hires a very strong DC and replacement defensive staff this offseason.</p>
<p>His contract buyout is laughable in anyone's book. I fail to see the reasoning why he was offered so much because I don't see who would come after him. His system is fine and can win anywhere, but I believe other fanbases are just as naive about option football and it would not generate tremendous excitement in any case. Once you mention that your offense is Wing-T, it does not put people in seats.</p>
<p>Meanwhile, Sleepy Don Phillips hired a WR Coach who appealed to the visceral nature of the Clemson fanbase, and who has identified himself as someone who could not X&O himself out of a cardboard box. The only thing he has proven that he can do extremely well is recruit, and recruit some good assistants to coach underneath him. Most who follow us closely know that we will support Dabo if he continues to recruit and win, and the only way he's going to win is to keep his hands off the playcalling sheet. Sleepy made two good basketball hires, which were both his second choices for the job. We could've ended up with Rick Stansbury if we had ponied up the cash, and that would've been a disaster.</p>
<p>Back to Radakovich...and I'll reiterate that our main criteria for the next AD were that he be able to formulate a vision for Clemson athletics, be able to raise funds to compete with UGA and SC's TV contracts and marketing deals, improve our facilities, and bring the focus back to winning championships. These are areas where Phillips has been asleep at the wheel, and these are the areas where I will end up making my decision on whether Radakovich is a good director several years from now.</p>
<p>My thoughts on the hire is that it is obviously not a home run, and it is unlikely that I would get very excited about any AD hire we made, because they are so difficult to evaluate individually. The financial figures of various athletic departments are not all readily available, and it is not like we can hear all the candidates speaking and selling their programs. This is why I have such a difficult time believing that anyone would come and tell me that Hill or Rootes or any others would be a home run hire. You don't have any access to any more facts than I do. All I hear is that "<i>oh he's from Clemson!</i>", well I'm not going to jump on board with anyone just because they are from here. I'm not going to look at it from an emotional perspective like that.</p>
<p>When I see Radakovich I look at his previous stops and what happened while he was there. I was at LSU when he served under Bertmann, and I know the revamp in facilities that took place in that time under Saban and then Miles. I recall hearing that Saban completely revamped everything and demanded as much upon accepting the job at LSU, and their fundraising initiatives while I was there were far superior to anything IPTAY had done in the lost decade. That period is a definite plus for him in my book.</p>
<p>We all know the facilities changes that have taken place at SC, where he served under Mike McGee from 1994-2000, prior to the LSU job. That time could be viewed more as laying the groundwork for what Eric Hyman did to follow them, so I don't see it as any more than push.</p>
<p>With the NCAA investigation and forfeiture of the 2009 ACC Title (which means jack because we all know that they won it on the field, which is all that matters), he found out about the NCAA inquiry and told Paul Johnson instead of declaring the player ineligible. He sided with his coach instead of the NCAA. Good for him. I don't consider this a negative for Radakovich, but I am surprised Barker got past it.</p>
<p>I do know that he was mentioned as a possible replacement as soon as Hyman took the A&M job, and may have been offered the position if Ray Tanner had decided to remain in the dugout. He was also mentioned as a candidate for the A&M job that Hyman took. He was a candidate at Tennessee before they managed to talk Dave Hart out of his AD-in-waiting job at Alabama. Incidentally, if TDP had been fired two years ago like I wanted, it was Dave Hart that we would've pushed hardest for here.</p>
<p>I do speak to some HS coaches in the state of Georgia, and some people who have gone to hear this guy speak. The reactions have been mixed. They do all agree that he is articulate and has a plan for Georgia Tech. They all say he can sell the program, and has had a facilities plan from Day 1, but agree that the results on the field have not shown it every year in the two major sports. He has totally revamped the basketball facilities in Atlanta. He led the way for an indoor facility, and was quoted to me as saying "<i>I'm always looking for something else to build to prove that football is important at Georgia Tech.</i>" He has upgraded the facilities in the Olympic sports like golf, tennis, and softball. He has secured funding for them all despite the serious financial problems left for him by the previous AD. He has butted heads with the new GT President when it comes to academic restrictions on recruiting players, which is a big plus in my book. TDP just did what his boss told him to do. I know he went to bat on the technology GT used in their facilities with the previous President, when GT is a technological school. We do now know that Clemson is bringing out some revamped curricula and majors that would allow us to recruit JUCO players next year, which you can thank the BOT for having a hand in, and give yourself a pat on the back if you spammed their inboxes two years ago.</p>
<p>I do not think his hire of Gregory in basketball was a particularly impressive hire however, and GT baseball blows it in the postseason just as quickly as Jack Leggett's squads do, and no big change has been made there. I do not have a feel for whether he would eventually make a change in Tiger baseball, but I do believe he will find a way to market the baseball program so it stops bleeding money, and if Jack Leggett wants to buy new equipment or hire a top-notch pitching coach, he would not let someone like Katie Hill stand in the way.</p>
<p>If there is a perceived barrier to success, I think that Radakovich will push for a change. That is not something I can say about Phillips or D'Andrea. I could not readily say that about the other candidates based on the profiles we have done here thus far.</p>
<p>But would I have interviewed Baylor's, TCU's or Utah's AD? Absolutely. Am I 100% sold on Radakovich? No. I will take a wait-and-see approach. I want to see his imprint on the new basketball practice facility for Brownell and the new boxes at Tiger Field. I want to hear him tell us, more often than once every 2-4 years, what his plan is for our facilities at Clemson.</p>
<p>What Clemson needs is a guy who will think outside-the-box right now and who is committed to the fans. I think we have found that much, but I will pull no punches when it comes to the results I see on the fields of play. If I do not think the whole Clemson athletic program is elevated in a few years time, I'll be the first one to call for his head.</p>
<p>We will see.</p>
https://www.shakinthesouthland.com/2012/10/29/3573556/clemson-announces-dan-radakovich-as-next-athletics-directorDrB2012-10-28T23:00:06-04:002012-10-28T23:00:06-04:00Better Know an AD: Dan Radakovich
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<p>We have another candidate in the mix for Clemson's Athletic Director position, and all indications point to this one getting the job with Hill removing his name from consideration after finding out he was not the top choice. Dan Radakovich comes to us from Georgia Tech. He has been the current AD in Atlanta for the past six years, and he is from just outside of Pittsburgh, PA.</p>
<p>Radakovich went to Indiana University of Pennsylvania where he graduated with a degree in finance as well as spending some time playing for the football team along with doing a bit of student coaching. He also earned an MBA from Miami University in Ohio.</p>
<p>After earning his MBA, Dan was hired by Miami (OH) to be their Athletics Business Manager. Following 2 years at that position he moved to Long Beach State where he was an Associate AD and did some work with media agreements.</p>
<p>From Long Beach Mr. Radakovich moved over to our nemesis the 'Cocks as an Associate AD. While in the city that shall not be named, he was responsible for managing over 30 million dollars in facilities improvements, including the construction of the Colonial Center Arena, home to USC basketball and other sports. Radakovich was mentioned as a potential candidate this year at Sakerlina should Ray Tanner have decided to remain as Head Baseball Coach. He was also a finalist for the Texas A&M position that Eric Hyman accepted.</p>
<p>America University came calling with an offer to be their AD, and Dan accepted the offer but only stayed for a year. While there he was responsible for helping to get American into the Patriot League, but bigger schools came calling.</p>
<p>LSU decided to bring Dan in as a Senior Associate AD in 2001, working under Skip Bertmann, and his work at LSU was exemplary. He managed a $90 million dollar renovation to Tiger Stadium, as well as instituting a ticket donation program.</p>
<p>Finally in 2006, Georgia Tech hired him to be their AD. We can thank him for bringing in <a href="http://www.sbnation.com/ncaa-football/players/14242/paul-johnson" class="sbn-auto-link">Paul Johnson</a> as the football coach, as well as fixing some of the messes of the previous AD Dave Braine. Braine was the idiot who gave Paul Hewitt a ridiculous buyout. Between that stupid choice and renovating their basketball gymnasium, GT has been hemorrhaging cash. We don't fault Radakovich for having to fire Hewitt by any means, but it has handicapped the department financially. The CPJ buyout is very high as well, but we knew he was going nowhere this year anyway. Still, it is highly questionable, as has been their contract with MTSU on the football schedule.</p>
<p>By all accounts Radakovich is well thought of in the AD world and has a dynamic personality. He has a lot of experience working in college athletics, and is not afraid to make tough decisions on coaching. He thinks outside the box when it comes to fundraising and Dan is also experienced at managing facilities improvements, and with the work Clemson has done and has left to do that can only be a bonus.</p>
<p>Another positive is he has experience in both the SEC and ACC. Even though we will still get screwed by Swofford, it is nice to bring in someone who understands the ACC. His SEC experience only helps as we want the Clemson AD to operate at the level of the top programs in the country in all sports.</p>
<p>I also like the work he did at Tech with ticket sales. It is important to maximize revenue in the ACC, and ticket sales are always an easy one.</p>
<p>In terms of downside I'm not seeing a whole lot. Yes, he did work for USC for a few years and comes from GT, but looking at the work he is done it shouldn't matter. We are not sure what influence he may have had with the ACCCG forfeit due to some compliance decisions within the GT Athletic Department.</p>
<p><b>Doc</b>: I suspected Radakovich would be in the discussion before now, but it appears he may be the guy they want. I have heard both good and bad about him. Some people on the flats hate this guy, and some think he's such a great businessman and salesman that he'd be a great AD somewhere, but maybe not at GT with their problems. Its very mixed.</p>
<p>Those who have heard him speak at TD Clubs and fundraisers all praise him though as a salesman, and that is what Clemson needs here. We don't need someone who can hire/fire so much as we need someone who can bring in cash to compete with the local schools who make a lot more money. They have told me that his vision for GT athletics was well-communicated, a main complaint of mine about TDP, but that his execution may be a little lacking in results on the field. You'll remember that GT has to renovate the basketball gym, the IPF, and tennis facilities. He acquired donors to foot the bills even though GT is losing money. They moved into a new basketball practice facility in 2009, a new softball facility, and the main basketball facility was scheduled to be completed.</p>
<p>My question is why we didn't go after a bigger fish than Radakovich...</p>
https://www.shakinthesouthland.com/2012/10/28/3569002/better-know-an-ad-dan-radakovichBrian_Goodison2012-10-27T14:00:23-04:002012-10-27T14:00:23-04:00Better Know an AD: Mike Hill
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<figcaption>Jeremy Brevard-US PRESSWIRE</figcaption>
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<p>We have learned that there is another candidate showing up on Clemson's radar as they continue the search for TDP's replacement.</p> <p class="MsoNormal">Another week has passed, and another AD candidate has popped up on our radar. Sources indicate that University of Florida Executive Associate Athletic Director <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="#">Mike Hill</a> is in the mix to replace the retiring Terry Don Phillips. <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="http://www.sbnation.com/ncaa-football/players/6374/larry-williams">Larry Williams</a> over at Tiger Illustrated also tweeted that Mr. Hill is, "very much on the radar". Privately, we have heard that the Clemson brass is impressed with Hill and he is a top candidate for the position.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Mike Hill is a graduate of UNC, feel free to start your moaning here, but some reports suggest that he is a Clemson native and graduated from Daniel High School. While at UNC he appears to have double majored in Political Science and Radio, TV, and Motion Pictures.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Mr. Hill started out at working for the Blockbuster Bowl as Director of Marketing for 2 years before heading to Ball State as an assistant to the AD. Following a year at Ball State he was hired on at UF as the Athletics Marketing Coordinator in 1993. For 19 years now he has been involved with the UF athletic department in some capacity.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Following his stint in marketing and promotions, Mike moved to a position dealing with external affairs. During this time is when he began to get more involved with scheduling, particularly with UF’s basketball program. He was responsible for working with head coach Billy Donovan to create several extremely tough non-conference schedules. One of his recent successes is the scheduling of Navy/Marine Corp Classic game against Georgetown. For those of who you don’t care about college basketball, this is one of those games that will take place on an aircraft carrier.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Obviously this willingness to schedule tough games is great. Clemson needs an AD who is willing to go out and make sure we play games against teams like Georgia, Auburn, and other teams that are usually near the top of their conference. <span> </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">By all accounts he is well thought of at Florida. He has shown a willingness to reach out to Blogs and other websites that cover the school, and <a target="_blank" href="http://www.gatorcountry.com/basketball/article/gcs_interview_with_associate_ad_mike_hill/14838">this interview</a> gives some great insight to his approach. Having an AD who understands the changing media landscape is certainly not a bad thing.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Mike is also responsible for corporate sponsorship and ticket sales, these are two of our biggest criteria here for selecting the next AD. Clemson needs a big fundraiser, and TDP takes a nap when you mention fundraising. While it is UF, this probably means Hill knows how schmooze with the donors and other bigwigs, always a plus when you need to raise cash.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Another part of his current duties that I wish would matter is his responsibility for negotiating media rights agreements as well as serving as the point of contact for these media rights holders. If Clemson ever had the ability to negotiate Tier 3 rights, this experience would be invaluable.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal">One potential downside to Hill’s resume is that he does not appear to be involved with coach hires/firing according to Columbia radio host Heath Cline. Those duties are handled by Jeremy Foley at Florida, but it is hard to imagine that Hill has never been involved in the hiring/firing of coaches during his tenure at UF. This seems like a relatively small problem, but I’d rather have the search committee look at all the upsides and downsides rather than closing their eyes and pointing at the first guy they see.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal">A big question that has to be asked is just how willing would Mr. Hill be to leave UF? He has now been there for 19 years and it appears unusual that he hasn’t had an offer to become AD at a smaller school. Maybe he is waiting for the UF job to open up, as some thought Dave Hart would at Alabama (and he ended up at Tennessee) or maybe he doesn’t really want to be an AD. Either way I don’t know how great it would be for Clemson to take a shot in the dark with a career athletic department employee. Although at least this hire would get away from the traditional nepotism at Clemson.</p>
https://www.shakinthesouthland.com/2012/10/27/3561092/better-know-an-ad-mike-hillBrian_Goodison2012-10-16T14:00:19-04:002012-10-16T14:00:19-04:00Better Know an AD: Jamey Rootes
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<figcaption>Greg M. Cooper-US PRESSWIRE - Presswire</figcaption>
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<p>Jamey Rootes is a new name that has emerged as a candidate for the AD position at Clemson University. Rootes is a bit of unknown candidate, but as a student enjoyed some success at Clemson University.</p> <p>We've heard very little on the AD search, but after some digging we uncovered Jamey Rootes, currently president of the Houston Texans.</p>
<p>Rootes is a native of Stone Mountain, GA, and attended Clemson University in the 1980's. He played soccer for the Tigers and was part of both national title winning teams during the decade. He knows what it takes to win national titles and after 20 plus years of underachievement, it could be just what Clemson needs. While at Clemson he was also Student Body President .</p>
<p>Rootes also spent some time in the corporate world with jobs at IBM and Proctor and Gamble and earning his MBA from Indiana University in between.</p>
<p>Jamey then moved into the sports world when he became president of the Columbus Crew when Major League Soccer began play. Under his leadership the Crew built the first soccer-specific stadium in the US, and was in the top 2 of MLS in terms of operating performance. The Crew were also successful on the field where they made the playoffs each year and reached the U.S. Open Cup final.</p>
<p>Following 5 years with the club he moved to the NFL as a vice president of the Houston Texans for marketing and sales. Rootes was responsible for <a target="_blank" href="http://houston.culturemap.com/newsdetail/07-01-10-a-winning-profile-houston-texans-president-jamey-rootes-shows-off-the-teams-crib/">securing the naming rights to Reliant Stadium</a>, as well as overseeing all the normal aspects of ticket sales and marketing that are unique to a new franchise. After his stellar performance, he was made president of the Texans.</p>
<p>Every article about Rootes indicates he is a driven executive who expects everyone below him to work hard. He is well respected both inside and outside of the Texans organization. Jamey was twice listed on Sports Business Journals 40 under 40 executive lists and is still young enough that he could settle into the job for the long haul.</p>
<p>Our biggest concern with Rootes is his lack of experience in college athletics. Things have changed since the 1980's, and even then Rootes' only experience was as a student athlete, not as an administrator. His youth would probably concern some at Clemson, but hopefully his success at various levels of professional athletics would help temper that concern.</p>
<p>One of the nice things about Rootes is that he does have experience in the business world as well as professional athletics. Sometimes people can get tunnel vision when spending all their time in one area, but Rootes will have a number of different experiences to draw on as Clemson's AD.</p>
<p>It is also nice to see that Rootes does have experience in sales with an athletic team. One of TDP's biggest drawbacks was his lack of fundraising prowess. Mr. Rootes would probably get many boosters to part with some more of their hard-earned cash which is sorely needed with the growing gap between us and top-tier athletic programs. Note that our biggest criteria for selection of the next AD are in the fundraising and marketing areas: we must make more money if we are to compete. We need a salesman at Athletic Director.</p>
<p>Jamey Rootes would also be unlikely to suffer under coaches who perform poorly or play off past success into season after season of mediocrity. I think he would move quickly to bring in talented coaches who can ensure athletic programs at Clemson return to their lofty heights, however we have little evidence to suggest that he would make major changes in the Big 3.</p>
<p>Perhaps the biggest key to his chances of getting the job is that he is a Clemson alum, but he is not necessarily a "Clemson" person. By that I mean he has been out of the bubble of Clemson ever since graduating. He would not be beholden to the nepotism that can run rampant at Clemson, and would be able to bring a fresh take to the athletic department while still respecting the traditions we all hold dear.</p>
<p>Out of all the potential candidates named, Jamey Rootes may be the best option by combining his love and knowledge of Clemson with his experience working in professional athletics.</p>
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https://www.shakinthesouthland.com/2012/10/16/3509624/better-know-an-ad-candidate-jamey-rootesBrian_Goodison2012-10-10T19:23:21-04:002012-10-10T19:23:21-04:00AD Search: Clemson hiring from within?
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<p>Greenville News has interesting information about the search.</p> <blockquote>The support of coaches and their personal visits to President Barker’s office to back him has to be encouraging to Bill D’Andrea, who has been involved in practically every aspect of the Clemson athletic department during the last 25 years.<br>“He would be great,” football coach Dabo Swinney said Tuesday. “Everybody respects him. I have not talked to anyone (about the AD hire) since before the Auburn game, but I know they’ll make a great hire.<br>“All the coaches have offered support for Billy D if they hire from within,” Swinney said. “The committee met with all the head coaches for input and feedback.”</blockquote>
<blockquote>“He’s a good man. We all support Billy D,” said men’s basketball coach Brad Brownell. “I’m certainly supportive because Bill was involved in my search (when Brownell was hired). I really respected the way he conducted himself and he’s been supportive of me ever since I got here.<br>“Dabo and I went to President Barker to let him know we support Billy D,” Brownell said, “but at the end of the day, they’ll know who they want and they’ll hire accordingly.”</blockquote>
The problem with Billy D being hired is that Billy D is basically our AD right now. He's doing all the day-to-day stuff that Phillips should be doing. He's the one going out to fundraise instead of TDP. I've never heard about a bad word about Billy, but he's not the man for this job, in no shape, form, or fashion.
The most "Clemson" thing to do here is to hire from within, and so its the last thing we need to allow. This good ol boy network running through our Athletic Department has to go.
https://www.shakinthesouthland.com/2012/10/10/3485982/ad-search-clemson-hiring-from-withinDrB2012-08-25T21:27:50-04:002012-08-25T21:27:50-04:00AD Candidates: Chris Del Conte
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<p>In this edition of dissecting possible AD candidates, we'll take a look at TCU Athletic Director Chris Del Conte.</p>
<p>First his resume:</p>
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<ul>
<li><span style="font-size: 12px; line-height: 9px;">Received a bachelor's of arts degree in sociology from UC Santa Barbara and a master's of education, administration and supervision from Washington State.</span></li>
<li><span style="font-size: 12px; line-height: 9px;">Served as an assistant athletics director for external operations at both Washington State (1998-99) and Cal Poly (1994-98).</span></li>
<li><span style="font-size: 12px; line-height: 9px;">AD at Rice from 2006-2009</span></li>
<li><span style="font-size: 12px; line-height: 9px;">Took over as AD at TCU in 2009</span></li>
<li><span style="font-size: 12px; line-height: 9px;">Oversaw a fundraising campaign that made it possible for TCU to undergo a $164 million renovation of Amon G. Carter Stadium, its longtime football home. </span></li>
<li><span style="font-size: 12px; line-height: 9px;">Recipient of the 2010 Bobby Dodd Division I-A Athletic Director's Award</span></li>
<li><span style="font-size: 12px; line-height: 9px;">Led TCU's July 1, 2012 entrance into the Big 12 Conference</span></li>
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<div>On paper, Del Conte fits the bill. While Gary Patterson has been building TCU's football program on the field, Del Conte has played an integral role behind the scenes. The two have brought TCU from football irrelevancy in the national spotlight and now into a conference that takes its football mighty seriously. TCU's stadium renovations have been quite impressive, and Del Conte has been at the forefront of it, spearheading the effort. Fundraising is critical, and it would have to be intriguing to Clemson that Del Conte has been so successful doing it at a small private school that until this year has been in the Mountain West Conference.</div>
<div><br></div>
<div>TCU has also had strong success in baseball under Del Conte's watch. How much this success can be chalked up to Del Conte's efforts is hard to determine. TCU's baseball coach Jim Schlossnagle was hired in 2003, six years before Del Conte came on the scene. The baseball program has made the NCAA tournament every year since Schlossnagle was hired including a trip to the College World Series in 2010. Del Conte did help fundraise a 2010 expansion of the Horned Frogs' baseball stadium.</div>
<div><br></div>
<div>In basketball, Del Conte was able to lure away LSU's Trent Johnson to Fort Worth. Johnson, who had stops at Nevada, Stanford, and then LSU, has two Sweet 16 appearances under his belt. This was considered a strong pull for TCU, a basketball program that has been largely irrelevant, having not been to the NCAA Tournament since 1998.</div>
<div><br></div>
</div>
<p> </p>
<div>Del Conte's biggest achievement at TCU is certainly his successful move of the Horned Frogs to the Big XII. With a football slate that will now include games against West Virginia, Oklahoma, and Texas every year, the ticket and tv revenue that will follow from that will be huge for his program. It's a colossal step from the Mountain West.</div>
<div><br></div>
<div>Del Conte would be an interesting hire at Clemson. If Clemson wants a proactive AD that has a reputation and history of putting his coaches in excellent positions to win, Del Conte could be the guy. While Del Conte has gained a reputation as being outspoken at times, particularly with the media, perhaps that's wouldn't be such a bad thing. Del Conte helped propel TCU into football and baseball prominence, and his blueprint at TCU could help Clemson take the critical next step it needs.</div>
https://www.shakinthesouthland.com/2012/8/25/3268594/ad-candidates-chris-del-contePJ_G2012-08-20T08:00:05-04:002012-08-20T08:00:05-04:00Scouting Potential AD Candidates: Dwight Clark
<figure>
<img alt="" src="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/LppuM9D7EsahKHSPl0Ou0NlXx5I=/0x4:1000x671/1310x873/cdn.vox-cdn.com/photo_images/4921396/134858290.jpg" />
<figcaption>Getty Images</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>Most Clemson fans have Dwight Clark listed near the top of their wish list to replace retiring Terry Don Phillips.<span> </span>We included him in our initial and need to discuss Clark as a candidate for the Clemson Athletics Director job. This will be the only Clemson-related suggestion we investigate as STS thinks that Clemson must look outside the upstate and its alumni to find its future athletics leader.</p>
<p>Clark Quick Facts:</p>
<ul>
<li>Born: Kinston, NC—1957</li>
<li>Clemson Connection: 1979 Alumni (1976-78 football letterman)</li>
<li>Professional Football (Playing): Wide Receiver, San Francisco 49ers (1979-1988)</li>
<li>Professional Football (Admin): San Francisco 49ers Front Office (1988-1998), Cleveland Browns (1998-2002)</li>
</ul>
<p></p>
<p><b><u>Background:</u></b></p>
<p>Clark was born in Kinston, NC in early 1957 and came to Clemson in 1975. Clark was a receiver at Clemson. I'll note that his receiving numbers during his playing days were not particularly impressive. As most point out, Jerry Butler was Steve Fuller's main target, Clemson was more of a running oriented team then-placing more emphasis on perimeter blocking by the receivers instead of pass catching, and Clark had some nagging injuries in his final year at CU. Clark was drafted in the 10<sup>th</sup> round of the 1979 NFL draft by the San Francisco 49ers following his time in Pickens County. See below for his collegiate playing stats.</p>
<table class="text11" align="center" border="1" cellpadding="1" cellspacing="1"><tbody>
<tr>
<td colspan="5" nowrap width="179" valign="bottom">
<p align="center">Clemson</p>
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td nowrap width="41" valign="bottom">
<p>Year</p>
</td>
<td nowrap width="35" valign="bottom">
<p>Rec.</p>
</td>
<td nowrap width="44" valign="bottom">
<p>Yards</p>
</td>
<td nowrap width="36" valign="bottom">
<p>Avg.</p>
</td>
<td nowrap width="23" valign="bottom">
<p>TD</p>
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td nowrap width="41" valign="bottom">
<p align="right">1976</p>
</td>
<td nowrap width="35" valign="bottom">
<p align="right">5</p>
</td>
<td nowrap width="44" valign="bottom">
<p align="right">99</p>
</td>
<td nowrap width="36" valign="bottom">
<p align="right">19.8</p>
</td>
<td nowrap width="23" valign="bottom">
<p align="right">0</p>
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td nowrap width="41" valign="bottom">
<p align="right">1977</p>
</td>
<td nowrap width="35" valign="bottom">
<p align="right">17</p>
</td>
<td nowrap width="44" valign="bottom">
<p align="right">265</p>
</td>
<td nowrap width="36" valign="bottom">
<p align="right">15.6</p>
</td>
<td nowrap width="23" valign="bottom">
<p align="right">1</p>
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td nowrap width="41" valign="bottom">
<p align="right">1978</p>
</td>
<td nowrap width="35" valign="bottom">
<p align="right">11</p>
</td>
<td nowrap width="44" valign="bottom">
<p align="right">207</p>
</td>
<td nowrap width="36" valign="bottom">
<p align="right">18.8</p>
</td>
<td nowrap width="23" valign="bottom">
<p align="right">2</p>
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td nowrap width="41" valign="bottom">
<p>Tot.</p>
</td>
<td nowrap width="35" valign="bottom">
<p align="right">33</p>
</td>
<td nowrap width="44" valign="bottom">
<p align="right">571</p>
</td>
<td nowrap width="36" valign="bottom">
<p align="right">17.3</p>
</td>
<td nowrap width="23" valign="bottom">
<p align="right">3</p>
</td>
</tr>
</tbody></table>
<p>DC was a playing standout in the professional game, playing nine seasons in the Bay area, two of which ('81 and '82) he was an All-Pro selection. Clark was a member of the 1981 and 1984 World Champions following victories in Super Bowl XVI and Super Bowl XIX, respectively. His most famous moment as a professional, most of you know, was a play forever known in professional sports as "The Catch." Clark snagged a ball in the back of the end-zone from Joe Montana near game's completion to help lift the Forty Niners over the Dallas Cowboys in the 1982 NFC Championship game. This play is repeated over and over again, particularly during the playoffs or whenever the Boys and Niners play one another. Pro stats are shown below.</p>
<table class="text11" align="center" border="1" cellpadding="1" cellspacing="1"><tbody>
<tr>
<td colspan="5" nowrap width="179" valign="bottom">
<p align="center">San Francisco</p>
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td nowrap width="41" valign="bottom">
<p>Year</p>
</td>
<td nowrap width="35" valign="bottom">
<p>Rec.</p>
</td>
<td nowrap width="44" valign="bottom">
<p>Yards</p>
</td>
<td nowrap width="36" valign="bottom">
<p>Avg.</p>
</td>
<td nowrap width="23" valign="bottom">
<p>TD</p>
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td nowrap width="41" valign="bottom">
<p align="right">1979</p>
</td>
<td nowrap width="35" valign="bottom">
<p align="right">18</p>
</td>
<td nowrap width="44" valign="bottom">
<p align="right">232</p>
</td>
<td nowrap width="36" valign="bottom">
<p align="right">12.9</p>
</td>
<td nowrap width="23" valign="bottom">
<p align="right">0</p>
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td nowrap width="41" valign="bottom">
<p align="right">1980</p>
</td>
<td nowrap width="35" valign="bottom">
<p align="right">82</p>
</td>
<td nowrap width="44" valign="bottom">
<p align="right">991</p>
</td>
<td nowrap width="36" valign="bottom">
<p align="right">12.1</p>
</td>
<td nowrap width="23" valign="bottom">
<p align="right">8</p>
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td nowrap width="41" valign="bottom">
<p align="right">1981</p>
</td>
<td nowrap width="35" valign="bottom">
<p align="right">85</p>
</td>
<td nowrap width="44" valign="bottom">
<p align="right">1105</p>
</td>
<td nowrap width="36" valign="bottom">
<p align="right">13</p>
</td>
<td nowrap width="23" valign="bottom">
<p align="right">4</p>
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td nowrap width="41" valign="bottom">
<p align="right">1982</p>
</td>
<td nowrap width="35" valign="bottom">
<p align="right">60</p>
</td>
<td nowrap width="44" valign="bottom">
<p align="right">913</p>
</td>
<td nowrap width="36" valign="bottom">
<p align="right">15.2</p>
</td>
<td nowrap width="23" valign="bottom">
<p align="right">5</p>
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td nowrap width="41" valign="bottom">
<p align="right">1983</p>
</td>
<td nowrap width="35" valign="bottom">
<p align="right">70</p>
</td>
<td nowrap width="44" valign="bottom">
<p align="right">840</p>
</td>
<td nowrap width="36" valign="bottom">
<p align="right">12</p>
</td>
<td nowrap width="23" valign="bottom">
<p align="right">8</p>
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td nowrap width="41" valign="bottom">
<p align="right">1984</p>
</td>
<td nowrap width="35" valign="bottom">
<p align="right">52</p>
</td>
<td nowrap width="44" valign="bottom">
<p align="right">880</p>
</td>
<td nowrap width="36" valign="bottom">
<p align="right">16.9</p>
</td>
<td nowrap width="23" valign="bottom">
<p align="right">6</p>
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td nowrap width="41" valign="bottom">
<p align="right">1985</p>
</td>
<td nowrap width="35" valign="bottom">
<p align="right">54</p>
</td>
<td nowrap width="44" valign="bottom">
<p align="right">705</p>
</td>
<td nowrap width="36" valign="bottom">
<p align="right">13.1</p>
</td>
<td nowrap width="23" valign="bottom">
<p align="right">10</p>
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td nowrap width="41" valign="bottom">
<p align="right">1986</p>
</td>
<td nowrap width="35" valign="bottom">
<p align="right">61</p>
</td>
<td nowrap width="44" valign="bottom">
<p align="right">794</p>
</td>
<td nowrap width="36" valign="bottom">
<p align="right">13</p>
</td>
<td nowrap width="23" valign="bottom">
<p align="right">2</p>
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td nowrap width="41" valign="bottom">
<p align="right">1987</p>
</td>
<td nowrap width="35" valign="bottom">
<p align="right">24</p>
</td>
<td nowrap width="44" valign="bottom">
<p align="right">290</p>
</td>
<td nowrap width="36" valign="bottom">
<p align="right">12.1</p>
</td>
<td nowrap width="23" valign="bottom">
<p align="right">5</p>
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td nowrap width="41" valign="bottom">
<p>Tot.</p>
</td>
<td nowrap width="35" valign="bottom">
<p align="right">506</p>
</td>
<td nowrap width="44" valign="bottom">
<p align="right">6750</p>
</td>
<td nowrap width="36" valign="bottom">
<p align="right">13.3</p>
</td>
<td nowrap width="23" valign="bottom">
<p align="right">48</p>
</td>
</tr>
</tbody></table>
<p>For Dwight's on-the-field successes, his number was retired by San Francisco and he was inducted into the Clemson University Athletics Hall of Fame. Following his playing career, Clark served 10 years in the San Francisco front office, eventually reaching the position of General Manager after stints as organizational Vice President and Coordinator of Football Operations. During his time on the administrative team, the Forty Niners won the Super Bowl three more times, giving DC five total rings.</p>
<p>Clark followed Carmen Policy to Cleveland in 1998-Policy Team President and Clark General manager. This was an especially difficult task as the Browns were an expansion team at this point, playing their first games since Art Modell moved the original club to Baltimore. His time in Cleveland is best remembered for some questionable personnel/draft decisions and a power struggle with Butch Davis that eventually resulted in Clark's resignation and Davis/Pete Garcia ascending to control this spot.</p>
<p><b><u>Why would Clark potentially be a good choice to replace Terry Don Phillips?</u></b></p>
<p>First and foremost, Dwight Clark is a winner and Dwight has made the most of opportunities that popped up over his life. His entry into the professional football ranks is a prime example. As a senior, he played a very limited role in the Clemson passing attack. It was only after Bill Walsh and the San Francisco coaches/scouts came to Clemson to work out Steve Fuller that they noticed Clark. Fuller needed someone to throw routes to and Clark was that man-impressing Walsh enough to take a chance on him in the late rounds of the '79 draft. DC jumped on that opportunity and the rest is, as they say, history.</p>
<p>Additionally, Clark was in the middle of college and professional sports for several decades. He understands the plight of the athlete and also understands how the management side of things works. Knowing both sides of the coin gives him better insight of the whole process and allows him to better relate to both parties.</p>
<p>Specifically, Clark fans will point to his time in NFL front offices and his experience as general manager both in San Fran and in Cleveland. This role requires one to accurately evaluate talent/situations and best allocate resources to put the right people in the right situations to assure success. One would assume that if Clark could run a professional football program, he is more than apt to lead Clemson's athletics programs.</p>
<p>Since Clark's departure from professional football, he has also had his hands in various other ventures and businesses. Clark is active in merchandising, makes promotional appearances, is a motivational speaker, and is involved in various businesses including insurance and real estate. Clearly, the man understands how to appropriate his time and is motivated to keep on trudging along from football player to football manager to a career completely outside the game.</p>
<p>Clark almost certainly could excite the fanbase. He is a Clemson man, Clemson Alumnus, and Clemson football player. He played on the teams that turned Clemson from a little known group into the team that retired Woody Hayes while winning 11 football games in the process. The fanbase would eat that up and, almost certainly, would give him lenience, respect, and-very important-donations from day 1.</p>
<p>In a nutshell, Clark is a Clemson man, he played sports at the world's highest level, managed professional sporting teams, and asserted himself as an able businessman. The combination of these attributes clearly draws interest from the Clemson faithful.</p>
<p><b><u>Why would Dwight Clark potentially not be a good fit at Clemson?</u></b></p>
<p>Clark, as presented above, has his hands in various other ventures. It is possible that he has no interest in a job that would require so much of his time outside of current undertakings. To keep with that theme, the location could play a factor. Clark currently lives in California and apparently enjoys life out on the West Coast. A job as CU's AD would mean a move across country and out of a region that has embraced him for over thirty years.</p>
<p>Dwight has been out of the day to day football business for the better part of a decade. If he wanted to get back into the groove of running a sporting program, it surely would take a readjustment period. Additionally, Clark has never run an athletics department. I understand he is a successful business man and had success on the business side of pro football but there are differences in being a pro general manager and being a collegiate GM. In addition to the day to day operations, the AD must be out soliciting donations. He must marry together the staff, alumni, Board of Trustees, and fans. He must present a vision for the program-including facilities upgrades and personnel moves.</p>
<p><b><u>Overall</u></b></p>
<p>Clearly, Clark is someone the University will at least want to approach and gauge interest. Clark has many positives on his resume and would fit in well in Pickens County. If there is interest, the search committee will need to evaluate how long a transition into the college game would take and if running a collegiate program meshes with past pro success.</p>
https://www.shakinthesouthland.com/2012/8/20/3248122/scouting-potential-ad-candidates-dwight-clarkFIGUREFOUR2012-08-14T03:00:18-04:002012-08-14T03:00:18-04:00Better Know an AD Candidate: Utah's Chris Hill
<figure>
<img alt="" src="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/zn-Nc2SMqFMKWR8xR8gwoPoCN3c=/0x206:430x493/1310x873/cdn.vox-cdn.com/photo_images/819376/GYI0060783449.jpg" />
<figcaption>Getty Images</figcaption>
</figure>
<p><br>This post is the continuation in a series (see Peter_G's fine post on <a href="http://www.shakinthesouthland.com/2012/8/11/3235943/ad-candidates-baylors-ian-mccaw#storyjump" target="_blank">Baylor's Ian McCaw here</a>) exploring possibilities for the new AD position at Clemson. Dr. Chris Hill is an impressive potential candidate for Clemson's AD position. I'm not sure if he is a candidate or if he would even be interested but I think he should absolutely be on the search list (especially if this is a truly nation-wide search). His entire career has been spent at this one place, however, so we need to keep that in mind when looking at his credentials.</p>
<ul>
<li>Hired at the age of 37 as AD for the University of Utah in 1987. He has also been the Assistant to the President since 1998. He is 52 now. He played basketball at Rutgers and was a high school coach in Utah before working his way up in their athletic department.</li>
<li>One of five 2011 finalists for the prestigious Sports Business Award for Athletic Director of the Year by SportsBusiness Journal and SportsBusiness Daily. He was also the 2011 National Association of Collegiate Directors of Athletics (NACDA) Under Armour West Region Athletic Director of the Year. </li>
<li>He has hired three coaches who became a National Coach of the Year in their sport: football coaches Urban Meyer (2004) and Kyle Whittingham (2008), and men's basketball coach Rick Majerus (1998). Meyer was certainly a great hire and Whittingham was a great follow-up. He has hired some duds in basketball over the years, however. <br>
</li>
<li>Has been at the helm for two BCS bowl wins, nine NCAA team championships (four by the gymnastics team and five by the ski team) and NCAA runner-up finishes in men's basketball (1998), football (2008) , gymnastics (2000, 2006, 2007, 2008) and skiing (seven total). The 11-4 bowl record and 2 BCS wins are especially impressive.</li>
</ul>
<p>The other big achievement is obviously getting Utah into the Pac-12. He deserves a lot of credit for jumping at the opportunity, as Utah was one of the major winners in the most recent round of expansion. I like an AD who isn't afraid to make the big decisions on conference expansion. He has hired a bunch of great coaches over the years, especially when you are in the Mountain West, and he seems to be a good evaluator of coaching talent. Its frustrating to think that a school like Utah has more BCS bowl berths and wins (2) than Clemson.</p>
<p>Another big decision that has ruffled some feathers at Utah is Hill's decision to suspend their rivalry with BYU for two years in favor of playing Michigan. While none of us wants to see our rivalry with South Carolina suspended for anything, Hill will make decisions that he thinks will move the program forward. He is getting a lot of heat for this decision and may be feeling a bit under-valued right now. This could be an opportunity for a change of scenery for him after 25 years (there is no evidence to support this, pure wishful speculation). The one bonus that Clemson can offer is a substantial pay increase. Hill currently gets paid 400,000 at Utah and TDP gets 600,000 (<a href="https://go.redirectingat.com?id=66960X1516590&xs=1&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.usatoday.com%2Fsports%2Fcollege%2Fstory%2F2011-athletics-director-salaries-database%2F50669958%2F1&referrer=sbnation.com&sref=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.shakinthesouthland.com%2F2012%2F8%2F14%2F3238899%2Fbetter-know-an-ad-candidate-utahs-chris-hill" rel="sponsored nofollow noopener" target="_blank">USAToday</a>) so we can throw that at him.</p>
<p>What are some potential red flags or drawbacks? Dr. Hill has been at Utah his whole career so we don't really know how he might adapt to a new environment. It would be nice if he had at least one more stop on the resume where he has been able to lead a program. It is hard to get a beat on his prowess as a fundraiser. One of the important criteria for this job is someone who can get after it in fundraising and I'm not sure we have enough evidence to say much right now. He has built facilities during his tenure and recently announced building a new Football center and sports medicine area that is described in the video below but, again, tough to say how much credit he actually should get. He is certainly competent, articulate, and deserves to be in the conversation.</p>
<p><iframe src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/eAcvs59LqHY" frameborder="0" height="315" width="560"></iframe></p>
https://www.shakinthesouthland.com/2012/8/14/3238899/better-know-an-ad-candidate-utahs-chris-hillQuackingTiger