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If they bring in a stretch four I’m done with KSU Athletics.

(01-16-2021 06:25 PM)fallsdog Wrote:  If they bring in a stretch four I’m done with KSU Athletics.

Back-to-the-basket AD?

Old school is ok by me!

I don’t have enough info to have an opinion but either way the process was poor. It took three Presidents to finally figure out Nielsen had to go and that was only after a public effort to oust him. Even then for all we know he was only let go to cut costs. I have lost quite a bit of faith in how this University is run. It will be interesting to see if we now start to hear some details in the media. I’m afraid that if they were scared to cover it before it happened that they will be just as afraid now. Maybe the USA Today reporters won’t care but I doubt it. I hear Kent has a committee discussing how to paint a rock. I wonder how much salary is in the room when they discuss that?

https://www.record-courier.com/story/spo...KciJa6Xn-U

(01-17-2021 04:36 PM)AlphaFlash Wrote:  https://www.record-courier.com/story/spo...KciJa6Xn-U

That's an interesting list Allen Moff put together in this story on potential candidates to replace Nielsen.

Mike Waddell is the candidate I was referring to in my post yesterday.

From Moff's list, I have worked with on the same staff at KSU with Casey, Devin, Greg, and Randale, and Justin Phelps is a very close friend. The only person I don't know is Mike Hermann.

But, even with a close friend and others I respect listed as names to watch, the home run would be Waddell.

And, I have a feeling he'll be in the mix. Waddell checks every box. He has experience as an AD at this level. He has experience at multiple Power-5 schools. He knows the MAC and this area from his time at Akron. He has a marketing background and experience in sports (NASCAR, minor-league hockey, an upstart pro football league) that need to be creative storytellers to get people excited and grow fan bases.

He checks off every box in what an AD needs to succeed at Kent State. He knows the region from his time at Akron. While he isn't technically a "Kent State" guy in that he never worked here, he's been close enough and knows all of the key pieces and players to understand the pitfalls that can get in the way of succeeding at a place like KSU.

More important than anything else, to me, is he brings an ethic that Kent State has been missing since Laing Kennedy retired. In fact, while Waddell might not be a direct disciple of Laing, he is a longtime admirer of the way Laing built KSU Athletics.

I remember back in 2010, before Nielsen was hired, Waddell called Kent State his dream job. He wanted to be the person to build on Laing Kennedy's legacy. Instead, he ended up becoming AD at Towson that same year. And, interestingly, Carr Sports Consulting led the search that recommended Waddell for that Towson job.

That's the same Carr Sports that has been hired by Kent State to do the legwork in the current AD search. Bill Carr is known to hold Waddell in high regard. And since that 2010 search, Carr Sports has brought in Mike Thomas as its managing partner.

Thomas was AD at Akron when Waddell was the Zips' senior associate AD. Waddell took over as interim AD at Akron when Thomas became AD at Cincinnati. He then was hired by Thomas at Cincinnati. After Waddell left Towson, he became senior associate AD at Arkansas before being hired again by Thomas when he became AD at Illinois.

You can bet Thomas and Carr already have Waddell on their radar for this job. They know what Waddell can do, and they know KSU was his dream job.

If it is still Waddell's dream job, he would come to KSU with a very different mentality than Nielsen. Waddell would treat the position as if he were in charge of a trust.

I hope he still wants the job as much as he did in 2010! I think if he gets an interview and shows the same vision he had for KSU Athletics and desire for the position that I saw when I was a reporter covering KSU in 2010, he'll wow the committee and Diacon. He gets what athletics can and should be at this level.

I'm a loyal guy, so it is hard for me to recommend someone for a job over a close friend or over talented people with whom I have worked, but I can't think of a better choice out there than Waddell. Like I said earlier. Total home run.

Casey, Devin, Greg, and Randale are all great people. I served with all of them on Senior Staff in Kent State Athletics. I know they are are all capable of doing the job and doing it well. I'd add Matt Geis as another former member of KSU's staff who is worthy of being considered. I think the current university administration will likely hire someone without ties to Nielsen, though.

Justin Phelps is one of the best people I know. Just a fantastic person. He is a creative and successful businessman who knows college basketball and would be great for continuing to grow the MBB and WBB programs at KSU. I don't question that he is capable of doing the job as AD, but it'll be hard for him to get into the mix because of his lack of experience as a DI administration... However, I would love to see someone like Waddell bring Phelps in as a deputy AD with oversight over men's and women's basketball. Like Waddell, being AD at KSU is Justin's dream.

To have people who care about KSU leading the athletic department and want to be there because it is more than just a good job and to advance their own careers would be a wonderful thing.

From this write-up I like Perry. He's a KSU alum and was around the department before Neilson started sucking the life out of things. I will admit my knowledge about any of these guys ends with this article and Google. I hope the new president and administration know what they're doing.

If my role on this thread is designated whipping bou for not destroying Joel so be it. My yearly contributions are so small i'd maybe get naming rights to a urinal in the southeast corner bathroom so trust me Jim Joel wasnt kissing my butt because i'm a big donor.

The landscape of sports have changed tremendously in the last decade and the covid era will be felt for decades. As someone mentioned we dont know Joel could have been removed solely based on his 400K salary. I'd suspect new salary will be in the 200-250 range and dont expect those monies saved to get reinvested (see cleveland Indians). The #1,2 and 3 priorities for this new AD is going to be managing a budget and fundraising, fundraising fundraising. Guaranteed big money football games probably ok for a 1-2 years as contracts are signed but i'm skeptical whether the big boys are going to pay 1-2M for W's going forward. They are hurting just like we are.

And Dave probably not a good look for an actively sitting AD to file a libel suit against you or a group so just because you didn't get sued doesnt automatically validate everything you've said on your website.

(01-18-2021 08:44 AM)ksu315 Wrote:  If my role on this thread is designated whipping bou for not destroying Joel so be it. My yearly contributions are so small i'd maybe get naming rights to a urinal in the southeast corner bathroom so trust me Jim Joel wasnt kissing my butt because i'm a big donor.

The landscape of sports have changed tremendously in the last decade and the covid era will be felt for decades. As someone mentioned we dont know Joel could have been removed solely based on his 400K salary. I'd suspect new salary will be in the 200-250 range and dont expect those monies saved to get reinvested (see cleveland Indians). The #1,2 and 3 priorities for this new AD is going to be managing a budget and fundraising, fundraising fundraising. Guaranteed big money football games probably ok for a 1-2 years as contracts are signed but i'm skeptical whether the big boys are going to pay 1-2M for W's going forward. They are hurting just like we are.

And Dave probably not a good look for an actively sitting AD to file a libel suit against you or a group so just because you didn't get sued doesnt automatically validate everything you've said on your website.

Everything we've said has been validated either through first-hand information, or it is documented.

Again, truth is an absolute defense against libel. If Joel was to bring a libel suit even now that he is no longer a sitting AD, he knows people would come out of the woodwork to tell their stories under oath... A ton of incidents that have never been told because many of us know them only second or third-hand would finally come out... Joel knows everything we said is true. And the last thing he would want is for even more to come out from head coaches past and present. It would put his ability to find another job in serious jeopardy.

Maybe a libel suit from a sitting AD isn't a good look... but if Joel or KSU believed we were not being truthful, issuing a cease and desist order probably would have been the right thing to do. Every story we shared and every document we shared is real... If you don't think those documents or incidents are a big deal, you absolutely have a right to your opinion. You appear to have your mind made up, but if not, and if you have any relationships in the athletic department, you might be surprised if you reach out to those people and ask them to tell you about Joel now that they don't have to fear repercussions. I can tell you that I have never known a coach at Kent State, past or present, head coach or assistant, who liked or had any real respect for Joel. That doesn't mean some coach, somewhere doesn't like Joel and think he did a good job. I just never knew that person, and I either worked at KSU, served on athletics senior staff, or covered KSU Athletics for all but the last two and a half years of Joel's tenure.

And again, Joel never did anything to me. I came forward strictly because of the way I witnessed others being treated. I quit my job at KSU because I was fed up with seeing the way the department was being managed. I didn't believe in it, and I didn't want to be a part of it any longer. Other than that, I have no other axe to grind.

In none of my messages did i ever downplay any incidents. Any sexism or racism should never be tolerated. i merely said Joel treated me nicely, its a tough gig and i dont love killing a guy (and his family) on a website or a forum.

Nothing good can continue to hash this out. I respect your work and beliefs. Let's move on and hope the new AD can navigate the land mines he or she is going to have to deal with. Go Flashes.

(01-18-2021 09:53 AM)ksu315 Wrote:  In none of my messages did i ever downplay any incidents. Any sexism or racism should never be tolerated. i merely said Joel treated me nicely, its a tough gig and i dont love killing a guy (and his family) on a website or a forum.

Nothing good can continue to hash this out. I respect your work and beliefs. Let's move on and hope the new AD can navigate the land mines he or she is going to have to deal with. Go Flashes.

That's fair. I would like to say one last thing...our hope was not to kill a guy on a website or a forum. Our hope was to bring about change so that sexism and racism, and other issues we brought up, would come to an end. Several of us tried multiple ways to do this out of the public eye, but universities are built in a way that is designed to protect leadership and keep things quiet to protect the status quo. After being stonewalled again and again, and seeing things get only worse after the first climate study, we reached the point where we thought the website was the only path we could take that might get someone to listen.

I'm glad it is over. And I am 100 percent with you on your wishes for the next A.D. Go Flashes!!!

Y'all are doing a great job of rehashing the past. Only time will tell whether Joel is a not-so-bad guy or if he's a POS. I don't care what some of you here feel.
He's gone. It's final.
Let's keep perspective on what we have to offer a new AD and some challenges they will have. How does Kent State fare compared to other mid-majors or MAC? What other schools are we competing with in finding a new AD? Are we a stepping-stone for a new AD? We have a good football program, which is relative when you look at our level. Is that to our advantage?
Also, where Dr. Khamansense? I had a feeling he'd chime in soon after JN flew the coop.

(01-17-2021 06:50 PM)DavidCarducci Wrote:  

(01-17-2021 04:36 PM)AlphaFlash Wrote:  https://www.record-courier.com/story/spo...KciJa6Xn-U

That's an interesting list Allen Moff put together in this story on potential candidates to replace Nielsen.

Mike Waddell is the candidate I was referring to in my post yesterday.

From Moff's list, I have worked with on the same staff at KSU with Casey, Devin, Greg, and Randale, and Justin Phelps is a very close friend. The only person I don't know is Mike Hermann.

But, even with a close friend and others I respect listed as names to watch, the home run would be Waddell.

And, I have a feeling he'll be in the mix. Waddell checks every box. He has experience as an AD at this level. He has experience at multiple Power-5 schools. He knows the MAC and this area from his time at Akron. He has a marketing background and experience in sports (NASCAR, minor-league hockey, an upstart pro football league) that need to be creative storytellers to get people excited and grow fan bases.

He checks off every box in what an AD needs to succeed at Kent State. He knows the region from his time at Akron. While he isn't technically a "Kent State" guy in that he never worked here, he's been close enough and knows all of the key pieces and players to understand the pitfalls that can get in the way of succeeding at a place like KSU.

More important than anything else, to me, is he brings an ethic that Kent State has been missing since Laing Kennedy retired. In fact, while Waddell might not be a direct disciple of Laing, he is a longtime admirer of the way Laing built KSU Athletics.

I remember back in 2010, before Nielsen was hired, Waddell called Kent State his dream job. He wanted to be the person to build on Laing Kennedy's legacy. Instead, he ended up becoming AD at Towson that same year. And, interestingly, Carr Sports Consulting led the search that recommended Waddell for that Towson job.

That's the same Carr Sports that has been hired by Kent State to do the legwork in the current AD search. Bill Carr is known to hold Waddell in high regard. And since that 2010 search, Carr Sports has brought in Mike Thomas as its managing partner.

Thomas was AD at Akron when Waddell was the Zips' senior associate AD. Waddell took over as interim AD at Akron when Thomas became AD at Cincinnati. He then was hired by Thomas at Cincinnati. After Waddell left Towson, he became senior associate AD at Arkansas before being hired again by Thomas when he became AD at Illinois.

You can bet Thomas and Carr already have Waddell on their radar for this job. They know what Waddell can do, and they know KSU was his dream job.

If it is still Waddell's dream job, he would come to KSU with a very different mentality than Nielsen. Waddell would treat the position as if he were in charge of a trust.

I hope he still wants the job as much as he did in 2010! I think if he gets an interview and shows the same vision he had for KSU Athletics and desire for the position that I saw when I was a reporter covering KSU in 2010, he'll wow the committee and Diacon. He gets what athletics can and should be at this level.

I'm a loyal guy, so it is hard for me to recommend someone for a job over a close friend or over talented people with whom I have worked, but I can't think of a better choice out there than Waddell. Like I said earlier. Total home run.

Casey, Devin, Greg, and Randale are all great people. I served with all of them on Senior Staff in Kent State Athletics. I know they are are all capable of doing the job and doing it well. I'd add Matt Geis as another former member of KSU's staff who is worthy of being considered. I think the current university administration will likely hire someone without ties to Nielsen, though.

Justin Phelps is one of the best people I know. Just a fantastic person. He is a creative and successful businessman who knows college basketball and would be great for continuing to grow the MBB and WBB programs at KSU. I don't question that he is capable of doing the job as AD, but it'll be hard for him to get into the mix because of his lack of experience as a DI administration... However, I would love to see someone like Waddell bring Phelps in as a deputy AD with oversight over men's and women's basketball. Like Waddell, being AD at KSU is Justin's dream.

To have people who care about KSU leading the athletic department and want to be there because it is more than just a good job and to advance their own careers would be a wonderful thing.

No way in the world Justin Phelps is a real candidate. That is funny. Devin Crosby would be my pick, but I don't have a vote.

(01-20-2021 12:25 AM)dannyb73 Wrote:  No way in the world Justin Phelps is a real candidate. That is funny. Devin Crosby would be my pick, but I don't have a vote.

I agree. He won’t be a candidate. He would make a good assistant supervising men’s and women’s basketball, though.

Devin could have a difficult time getting into the mix because he is perceived as being tied to Joel, which probably isn’t fair. He certainly wasn’t a “Joel guy,” especially by the end of his time at Kent State. He seems to be doing an excellent job at Lynn. He could be one of those people who is better at being “the guy” rather than the guy behind the guy.

On a personal note, Devin and I butted heads a lot, and I was probably a total pain in the butt for him to manage... I regret a lot of the way I handled some of those disagreements now, and have always thought he is a really good person. I hope he does get an interview.

I would say that the serious candidates are Devin Crosby, Mike Hermann, Mike Waddell, & possibly Randale Richmond. I worked with Randale & a close friend played college football. Just a hard working and level headed guy.

I wonder what timeline the KSU admin/search firm has put on this opening? I know Nielsens contract expires on June 30th, 2021, but he is basically gone.

I just tried to look up the salary range of MAC athletic directors currently, but I could only find data from the 2017-2018 school year.

Joel Nielsen was @ $436,560, with all other AD's in the MAC being somewhere between $249,000 - $299,999. Not sure what the new candidate will be offered/get because of COVID and new President?

Any news anyone?

(01-24-2021 11:02 PM)thanksjim Wrote:  Any news anyone?

Amy Folan recently hired by CMU as AD came
From Texas. Heavy background in Fundraising.
Her salary to start at CMU $290,000 per
Several printed news reports.

(01-25-2021 07:34 PM)Older and Older Wrote:  

(01-24-2021 11:02 PM)thanksjim Wrote:  Any news anyone?

Amy Folan recently hired by CMU as AD came
From Texas. Heavy background in Fundraising.
Her salary to start at CMU $290,000 per
Several printed news reports.

Judging from afar, Crosby would be a short list candidate, but family seems entrenched in Florida lifestyle ... careful with Waddell, he's had a lot of baggage at several stops. Doesn't stay anywhere long ... Jen Kulics name is one to keep in mind. Probably won't get it, but whoever does would do well to bring her back as No. 1 assistant. She knows where ALL the graveyards are at Kent. Might be interesting to check some AD shortlists from around the league. Kent may not be at the top of the food chain in the MAC, but far from the bottom.

https://www.baltimoresun.com/opinion/rea...story.html

I'm far from inspired by the list of names on the AD search committee.

https://www.kent.edu/NODE/944040

Maybe two or three names on this list already understand the pitfalls inherent in this position and are likely to recognize what is and isn't already working in the department, and what the department needs to move forward.

Disappointed not to see Herb Page on this list. This committee is missing someone with his deep understanding of Kent State Athletics. Hopefully Trent Stratton can help to educate some of the others.

I wonder if Jerry Snodgrass would be:

interested
qualified
considered