Will Ron assist in the new AD search? Are we going to pay a search firm again?

bearsandgiants said:

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Will Ron assist in the new AD search? Are we going to pay a search
firm again?

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To the extent that they might want someone outside of traditional AD roles, there might be aspects to this that a headhunter/search firm could be useful. John Wildhack went from one of the top ESPN execs to Syracuse AD, but he was a big time alum....and obviously, getting someone from that world made a lot of sense.
It would be great if there is a Cal Alum who brings a lot to the table that steps up. Unlike any other time in Cal history, we have a guy in Lyons who knows Cal alums. But if it's not a Cal person that's fine too...

mbBear said:

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bearsandgiants said:

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Will Ron assist in the new AD search? Are we going to pay a search
firm again?

---

To the extent that they might want someone outside of traditional AD roles, there might be aspects to this that a headhunter/search firm could be useful. John Wildhack went from one of the top ESPN execs to Syracuse AD, but he was a big time alum....and obviously, getting someone from that world made a lot of sense.
It would be great if there is a Cal Alum who brings a lot to the table that steps up. Unlike any other time in Cal history, we have a guy in Lyons who knows Cal alums. But if it's not a Cal person that's fine too...

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One of the many Cal grads at high levels in professional sports management, or someone who's worked at ESPN or Fox Sports…. It can be "not a Cal person" if they hire and listen to Cal people. We (really our administrators who are not from Cal) have hired FAR too many people who are not from Cal or even California and have just applied generic marketing and hiring that has not only failed to attract fans but has alienated most of the ones we have.

Sean Marks? Cal alum, former NBA player and GM, currently working in cable TV sports media?

calumnus said:

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mbBear said:

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bearsandgiants said:

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Will Ron assist in the new AD search? Are we going to pay a search
firm again?

---

To the extent that they might want someone outside of traditional AD roles, there might be aspects to this that a headhunter/search firm could be useful. John Wildhack went from one of the top ESPN execs to Syracuse AD, but he was a big time alum....and obviously, getting someone from that world made a lot of sense.
It would be great if there is a Cal Alum who brings a lot to the table that steps up. Unlike any other time in Cal history, we have a guy in Lyons who knows Cal alums. But if it's not a Cal person that's fine too...

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One of the many Cal grads at high levels in professional sports management, or someone who's worked at ESPN or Fox Sports…. It can be "not a Cal person" if they hire and listen to Cal people. We (really our administrators who are not from Cal) have hired FAR too many people who are not from Cal or even California and have just applied generic marketing and hiring that has not only failed to attract fans but has alienated most of the ones we have.

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That's fair. I wasn't trying to say it has to be an alum. More like Syracuse got someone special and unique because he was an alum....he wasn't going to go to just any college program.

Pittstop said:

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Sean Marks? Cal alum, former NBA player and GM, currently working in cable TV sports media?

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He is no longer with the Nets?

It seems to me we need to find and hire the best possible person we can for the job. This is a critical time for Cal athletics and anything less than the best possible hire very likely will lead to the end of competitive sports at Cal.

I love that Ron Rivera came in to be the football GM and I have the upmost confidence that he will do everything in his power to try to make our football program successful. If our football program is not successful anything else we do will be moot so it is an incredibly important job at an incredibly important time.

And when it came to Knowlton who was clearly not up for the job taking the power away from an incompetent AD was without a doubt the obvious correct choice and a huge move in the right direction.

That being said, if we let the existence of Ron Rivera as football GM block us from getting the best possible AD for the job then we are cutting off our nose to spite our face.

To put it simply: Cal athletics continued existence depends on the success of Cal Football. Cal Football is what brings the money in. Cal Football's success/viability is what is going to drive where we land in the next round of re-alignment which looks to be occurring in ~5 years which means the decision will likely be made within the next ~r years. Without a successful football program there is NO athletic department and there is NO AD position.

I cannot fathom anyone who is actually qualified and in a position to help guide us to a sustainable position in a conference that has a long term future would accept being hands off on the one single sport that will determine the departments existence.

MrGPAC said:

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It seems to me we need to find and hire the best possible person we can for the job. This is a critical time for Cal athletics and anything less than the best possible hire very likely will lead to the end of competitive sports at Cal.

I love that Ron Rivera came in to be the football GM and I have the upmost confidence that he will do everything in his power to try to make our football program successful. If our football program is not successful anything else we do will be moot so it is an incredibly important job at an incredibly important time.

And when it came to Knowlton who was clearly not up for the job taking the power away from an incompetent AD was without a doubt the obvious correct choice and a huge move in the right direction.

That being said, if we let the existence of Ron Rivera as football GM block us from getting the best possible AD for the job then we are cutting off our nose to spite our face.

To put it simply: Cal athletics continued existence depends on the success of Cal Football. Cal Football is what brings the money in. Cal Football's success/viability is what is going to drive where we land in the next round of re-alignment which looks to be occurring in ~5 years which means the decision will likely be made within the next ~r years. Without a successful football program there is NO athletic department and there is NO AD position.

I cannot fathom anyone who is actually qualified and in a position to help guide us to a sustainable position in a conference that has a long term future would accept being hands off on the one single sport that will determine the departments existence.

---

I think the traditional AD role may be changing. And not just at Cal. I think you can hire somebody that can effectively do the job and work alongside Ron Rivera. I do not believe that Cal cannot be a leader in reshaping the way athletic departments operate.

New ways of thinking and operating need to be investigated. I think it is beyond possible to find a qualified candidate to help get athletics back on the right track. Even with Rivera running football.

But if you start from a point that you cannot fathom a qualified candidate will emerge then they likely won't.

6956bear said:

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MrGPAC said:

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It seems to me we need to find and hire the best possible person we can for the job. This is a critical time for Cal athletics and anything less than the best possible hire very likely will lead to the end of competitive sports at Cal.

I love that Ron Rivera came in to be the football GM and I have the upmost confidence that he will do everything in his power to try to make our football program successful. If our football program is not successful anything else we do will be moot so it is an incredibly important job at an incredibly important time.

And when it came to Knowlton who was clearly not up for the job taking the power away from an incompetent AD was without a doubt the obvious correct choice and a huge move in the right direction.

That being said, if we let the existence of Ron Rivera as football GM block us from getting the best possible AD for the job then we are cutting off our nose to spite our face.

To put it simply: Cal athletics continued existence depends on the success of Cal Football. Cal Football is what brings the money in. Cal Football's success/viability is what is going to drive where we land in the next round of re-alignment which looks to be occurring in ~5 years which means the decision will likely be made within the next ~r years. Without a successful football program there is NO athletic department and there is NO AD position.

I cannot fathom anyone who is actually qualified and in a position to help guide us to a sustainable position in a conference that has a long term future would accept being hands off on the one single sport that will determine the departments existence.

---

I think the traditional AD role may be changing. And not just at Cal. I think you can hire somebody that can effectively do the job and work alongside Ron Rivera. I do not believe that Cal cannot be a leader in reshaping the way athletic departments operate.

New ways of thinking and operating need to be investigated. I think it is beyond possible to find a qualified candidate to help get athletics back on the right track. Even with Rivera running football.

But if you start from a point that you cannot fathom a qualified candidate will emerge then they likely won't.

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It's not that I cannot fathom a qualified candidate emerging. They do exist and its not hard to believe that we would find one.

I'm just concerned that having a hard line in the sand over "you will have no say over football which controls your entire destiny" is not going to work well in wooing over the best possible candidate.

MrGPAC said:

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6956bear said:

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MrGPAC said:

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It seems to me we need to find and hire the best possible person we can for the job. This is a critical time for Cal athletics and anything less than the best possible hire very likely will lead to the end of competitive sports at Cal.

I love that Ron Rivera came in to be the football GM and I have the upmost confidence that he will do everything in his power to try to make our football program successful. If our football program is not successful anything else we do will be moot so it is an incredibly important job at an incredibly important time.

And when it came to Knowlton who was clearly not up for the job taking the power away from an incompetent AD was without a doubt the obvious correct choice and a huge move in the right direction.

That being said, if we let the existence of Ron Rivera as football GM block us from getting the best possible AD for the job then we are cutting off our nose to spite our face.

To put it simply: Cal athletics continued existence depends on the success of Cal Football. Cal Football is what brings the money in. Cal Football's success/viability is what is going to drive where we land in the next round of re-alignment which looks to be occurring in ~5 years which means the decision will likely be made within the next ~r years. Without a successful football program there is NO athletic department and there is NO AD position.

I cannot fathom anyone who is actually qualified and in a position to help guide us to a sustainable position in a conference that has a long term future would accept being hands off on the one single sport that will determine the departments existence.

---

I think the traditional AD role may be changing. And not just at Cal. I think you can hire somebody that can effectively do the job and work alongside Ron Rivera. I do not believe that Cal cannot be a leader in reshaping the way athletic departments operate.

New ways of thinking and operating need to be investigated. I think it is beyond possible to find a qualified candidate to help get athletics back on the right track. Even with Rivera running football.

But if you start from a point that you cannot fathom a qualified candidate will emerge then they likely won't.

---

It's not that I cannot fathom a qualified candidate emerging. They do exist and its not hard to believe that we would find one.

I'm just concerned that having a hard line in the sand over "you will have no say over football which controls your entire destiny" is not going to work well in wooing over the best possible candidate.

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That is why Sebastabear or another smart Cal grad with relevant business, media and marketing experience, who would be more than happy to work with and defer to Rivera on football decisions, is the ideal candidate.

A traditional, experienced AD is the wrong way to go. Their experience is not relevant to our situation or the future, they are unlikely to have the skills we need, and it just sets up a power struggle with Rivera.

Yeah, that was great. I also saw Bob Jacobsen's name and was wondering if that was the Bob Jacobsen of Physics/L&S/ faculty athletics rep fame.

(This was on the women's bball fundraiser page)

If there's ONE thing the Chancellor and any on the search committee should do, is read THIS and other Cal info./issues data-dense threads! It outlines SO MUCH of what's wrong with Cal's AD and Football. Not to say it's the "be all and end all" of the discussion, but it's valuable background to what's going on and ailing our program.

And any potential new hires should be given this (and other) threads as homework. Then quiz them on their knowledge of the issues at hand. If they can't answer correctly, they aren't the ones.

Now I'm not saying people here are the experts, nor that what we're posting is THAT important. But if you want to know the MIND AND PERSPECTIVE of Cal's most dedicated and invested fans, this is where you find them (paid board included, obviously).

It's like we're doing their homework for them!

Sebastabear, you are a Cal Sports Hero! Kudos to you and your team. Many, many thanks.

Jeff82 said:

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Sebastabear said:

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Fred Bear said:

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Sebastabear said:

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bearsandgiants said:

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Will Ron assist in the new AD search? Are we going to pay a search firm again?

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I don't think people are getting this. Vis-a-vis football at least there isn't going to be a new AD. Ron Rivera is the football AD for all intents and purposes.

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That's a sure way to make sure we get another Knowlton.

Athletic directors who have the skills to fix what's wrong with Cal's athletic department aren't coming here to play second fiddle to Ron Rivera. When there is a coach opening, they will expect to have at minimum equal say to any GM's of football and/or men's basketball. Rivera is fine for dealing with operational stuff relating to how a football team functions, but he has no meaningful expertise in negotiating with TV networks, marketing, donor outreach, fundraising, or doing the administrative stuff that goes with running an athletic program inside a university. Or the most important part, which is making sure Cal eventually gets into the Big 10, which is about the only chance they have of being able to play the top West Coast football programs on a yearly basis.

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To be fair, we got Knowlton BEFORE Ron Rivera arrived. Apparently this new Ron Rivera structure isn't the necessary pre-condition to getting less than ideal athletic department leadership.

Cal is trying something new here. And that new thing is not going. to involve installing the conventional professional AD over football. It's the same innovation Stanford is using, Will this new thing work? Who the hell knows. But what is demonstrably obvious is that the old thing wasn't working. At least here.

And you are correct that Cal does need someone who can help navigate the changing media landscape and the next round of realignment, and that someone isn't going to be Ron Rivera. Not his skill set. But there is no person we could realistically hire with all those skills and Ron's expertise in football and how to professionalize a football team. That person doesn't exist and the Chancellor chose to prioritize "fix the football team" over everything else.

Will be interested to see how the Chancellor tackles all this but I'm excited to see us at least try a different approach. It's about time.

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I agree with the idea of trying something new. I mean, the idea of getting someone "media savvy," is how the conference ended up with Kliavkoff, which turned out to be a disaster. I want someone who knows the landscape because they're young, not a grizzled vet looking for his last paycheck. We've been through that already also.

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Age doesn't matter if they know the space, but right, you want someone who is willing to do the work.
There are Cal Alums who can consult on this if they choose to use them. Larry Baer isn't a "spring chicken" but you pick his brain. As posted, this isn't Ron's skill set, but Ron definitely has a few people he knows worth calling. A few other names out there that people here don't know, but are Cal alums with strong media backgrounds...
The fact that Lyons didn't rush to make a pick(s) is trying to be put as a bad thing, and it's simply not. Syracuse is probably a good model to follow, but, they also got lucky with an alum who was in a very high media position.

Jeff82 said:

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Sebastabear said:

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Fred Bear said:

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Sebastabear said:

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bearsandgiants said:

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Will Ron assist in the new AD search? Are we going to pay a search firm again?

---

I don't think people are getting this. Vis-a-vis football at least there isn't going to be a new AD. Ron Rivera is the football AD for all intents and purposes.

---

That's a sure way to make sure we get another Knowlton.

Athletic directors who have the skills to fix what's wrong with Cal's athletic department aren't coming here to play second fiddle to Ron Rivera. When there is a coach opening, they will expect to have at minimum equal say to any GM's of football and/or men's basketball. Rivera is fine for dealing with operational stuff relating to how a football team functions, but he has no meaningful expertise in negotiating with TV networks, marketing, donor outreach, fundraising, or doing the administrative stuff that goes with running an athletic program inside a university. Or the most important part, which is making sure Cal eventually gets into the Big 10, which is about the only chance they have of being able to play the top West Coast football programs on a yearly basis.

---

To be fair, we got Knowlton BEFORE Ron Rivera arrived. Apparently this new Ron Rivera structure isn't the necessary pre-condition to getting less than ideal athletic department leadership.

Cal is trying something new here. And that new thing is not going. to involve installing the conventional professional AD over football. It's the same innovation Stanford is using, Will this new thing work? Who the hell knows. But what is demonstrably obvious is that the old thing wasn't working. At least here.

And you are correct that Cal does need someone who can help navigate the changing media landscape and the next round of realignment, and that someone isn't going to be Ron Rivera. Not his skill set. But there is no person we could realistically hire with all those skills and Ron's expertise in football and how to professionalize a football team. That person doesn't exist and the Chancellor chose to prioritize "fix the football team" over everything else.

Will be interested to see how the Chancellor tackles all this but I'm excited to see us at least try a different approach. It's about time.

---

I agree with the idea of trying something new. I mean, the idea of getting someone "media savvy," is how the conference ended up with Kliavkoff, which turned out to be a disaster. I want someone who knows the landscape because they're young, not a grizzled vet looking for his last paycheck. We've been through that already also.

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Just to add: being "media savvy" and that understanding is relevant to the landscape overall. But, as long as Cal is part of the ACC, I can't think of a scenario where the AD is negotiating significant rights deal independent for Cal. But their contributions to the conference thinking is important.

mbBear said:

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Jeff82 said:

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Sebastabear said:

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Fred Bear said:

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Sebastabear said:

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bearsandgiants said:

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Will Ron assist in the new AD search? Are we going to pay a search firm again?

---

I don't think people are getting this. Vis-a-vis football at least there isn't going to be a new AD. Ron Rivera is the football AD for all intents and purposes.

---

That's a sure way to make sure we get another Knowlton.

Athletic directors who have the skills to fix what's wrong with Cal's athletic department aren't coming here to play second fiddle to Ron Rivera. When there is a coach opening, they will expect to have at minimum equal say to any GM's of football and/or men's basketball. Rivera is fine for dealing with operational stuff relating to how a football team functions, but he has no meaningful expertise in negotiating with TV networks, marketing, donor outreach, fundraising, or doing the administrative stuff that goes with running an athletic program inside a university. Or the most important part, which is making sure Cal eventually gets into the Big 10, which is about the only chance they have of being able to play the top West Coast football programs on a yearly basis.

---

To be fair, we got Knowlton BEFORE Ron Rivera arrived. Apparently this new Ron Rivera structure isn't the necessary pre-condition to getting less than ideal athletic department leadership.

Cal is trying something new here. And that new thing is not going. to involve installing the conventional professional AD over football. It's the same innovation Stanford is using, Will this new thing work? Who the hell knows. But what is demonstrably obvious is that the old thing wasn't working. At least here.

And you are correct that Cal does need someone who can help navigate the changing media landscape and the next round of realignment, and that someone isn't going to be Ron Rivera. Not his skill set. But there is no person we could realistically hire with all those skills and Ron's expertise in football and how to professionalize a football team. That person doesn't exist and the Chancellor chose to prioritize "fix the football team" over everything else.

Will be interested to see how the Chancellor tackles all this but I'm excited to see us at least try a different approach. It's about time.

---

I agree with the idea of trying something new. I mean, the idea of getting someone "media savvy," is how the conference ended up with Kliavkoff, which turned out to be a disaster. I want someone who knows the landscape because they're young, not a grizzled vet looking for his last paycheck. We've been through that already also.

---

Just to add: being "media savvy" and that understanding is relevant to the landscape overall. But, as long as Cal is part of the ACC, I can't think of a scenario where the AD is negotiating significant rights deal independent for Cal. But their contributions to the conference thinking is important.

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What we consistently hear now revolves around "brand" and that "value". The ACC has put in place tiered revenue disbursements around "brand". You get more revenue based on your brand. That brand is related to football viewing. Clemson, FSU and Miami all will gain more revenues based on that "brand value".

Cal needs to not just win but change the narratives around the "Cal brand". Not from a school POV but regarding the revenue sports. The B1G is now also throwing around the idea of tiered revenue payments based on brand. Who does that favor? Certainly not Rutgers, Purdue or Minnesota.

Cal needs to win, but also rehabilitate the narrative. A new approach is needed. Adding Rivera as a GM shows a level of seriousness not displayed in the past. A good first step. You need to win and attract fans. Both in person and on TV. But it extends beyond that. Miami has a brand that still attracts TV viewers. They have not been the "U" for some time now. At least in performance. They do not even draw well at home. But the brand lives on. The name still seems to matter. They are still the "U" to many. Despite not living up to the moniker.

Cal is seen as dysfunctional. And unfortunately they live up that narrative often. They can change that. Rivera is a start. Who they pick as the next AD will matter. As will the next HC of football. Keeping Wilcox around hurts the brand IMO. Despite the reasons why.

Cal may be a part of the ACC but they still need to build their own brand. A better brand. This is not about academic prestige. Cal has that and it is well known and acknowledged. They need to now show excellence in athletics. Specifically football. The ACC has been a hoops powerhouse for decades. But they are in jeopardy because the football brand has suffered. This despite Clemson and FSU having won national champiuonships in the not so distant past.

Brand building has to be a major consideration when choosing the next AD IMO. The next AD may not be able to negotiate significant rights independently but they can improve the brand. Clemson and FSU used their "brands" to leverage new revenue distributions. Cal needs to be perceived as a valuable brand. If they want to be included in the next realignment the brand will be a major consideration.

6956bear said:

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mbBear said:

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Jeff82 said:

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Sebastabear said:

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Fred Bear said:

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Sebastabear said:

---

bearsandgiants said:

---

Will Ron assist in the new AD search? Are we going to pay a search firm again?

---

I don't think people are getting this. Vis-a-vis football at least there isn't going to be a new AD. Ron Rivera is the football AD for all intents and purposes.

---

That's a sure way to make sure we get another Knowlton.

Athletic directors who have the skills to fix what's wrong with Cal's athletic department aren't coming here to play second fiddle to Ron Rivera. When there is a coach opening, they will expect to have at minimum equal say to any GM's of football and/or men's basketball. Rivera is fine for dealing with operational stuff relating to how a football team functions, but he has no meaningful expertise in negotiating with TV networks, marketing, donor outreach, fundraising, or doing the administrative stuff that goes with running an athletic program inside a university. Or the most important part, which is making sure Cal eventually gets into the Big 10, which is about the only chance they have of being able to play the top West Coast football programs on a yearly basis.

---

To be fair, we got Knowlton BEFORE Ron Rivera arrived. Apparently this new Ron Rivera structure isn't the necessary pre-condition to getting less than ideal athletic department leadership.

Cal is trying something new here. And that new thing is not going. to involve installing the conventional professional AD over football. It's the same innovation Stanford is using, Will this new thing work? Who the hell knows. But what is demonstrably obvious is that the old thing wasn't working. At least here.

And you are correct that Cal does need someone who can help navigate the changing media landscape and the next round of realignment, and that someone isn't going to be Ron Rivera. Not his skill set. But there is no person we could realistically hire with all those skills and Ron's expertise in football and how to professionalize a football team. That person doesn't exist and the Chancellor chose to prioritize "fix the football team" over everything else.

Will be interested to see how the Chancellor tackles all this but I'm excited to see us at least try a different approach. It's about time.

---

I agree with the idea of trying something new. I mean, the idea of getting someone "media savvy," is how the conference ended up with Kliavkoff, which turned out to be a disaster. I want someone who knows the landscape because they're young, not a grizzled vet looking for his last paycheck. We've been through that already also.

---

Just to add: being "media savvy" and that understanding is relevant to the landscape overall. But, as long as Cal is part of the ACC, I can't think of a scenario where the AD is negotiating significant rights deal independent for Cal. But their contributions to the conference thinking is important.

---

What we consistently hear now revolves around "brand" and that "value". The ACC has put in place tiered revenue disbursements around "brand". You get more revenue based on your brand. That brand is related to football viewing. Clemson, FSU and Miami all will gain more revenues based on that "brand value".

Cal needs to not just win but change the narratives around the "Cal brand". Not from a school POV but regarding the revenue sports. The B1G is now also throwing around the idea of tiered revenue payments based on brand. Who does that favor? Certainly not Rutgers, Purdue or Minnesota.

Cal needs to win, but also rehabilitate the narrative. A new approach is needed. Adding Rivera as a GM shows a level of seriousness not displayed in the past. A good first step. You need to win and attract fans. Both in person and on TV. But it extends beyond that. Miami has a brand that still attracts TV viewers. They have not been the "U" for some time now. At least in performance. They do not even draw well at home. But the brand lives on. The name still seems to matter. They are still the "U" to many. Despite not living up to the moniker.

Cal is seen as dysfunctional. And unfortunately they live up that narrative often. They can change that. Rivera is a start. Who they pick as the next AD will matter. As will the next HC of football. Keeping Wilcox around hurts the brand IMO. Despite the reasons why.

Cal may be a part of the ACC but they still need to build their own brand. A better brand. This is not about academic prestige. Cal has that and it is well known and acknowledged. They need to now show excellence in athletics. Specifically football. The ACC has been a hoops powerhouse for decades. But they are in jeopardy because the football brand has suffered. This despite Clemson and FSU having won national champiuonships in the not so distant past.

Brand building has to be a major consideration when choosing the next AD IMO. The next AD may not be able to negotiate significant rights independently but they can improve the brand. Clemson and FSU used their "brands" to leverage new revenue distributions. Cal needs to be perceived as a valuable brand. If they want to be included in the next realignment the brand will be a major consideration.

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Having lived only outside of California since graduating Cal, my understanding of the Cal brand is certainly through very specific experiences and and lenses. I would say years back the average sports fan had more respect for Cal than maybe some realized because they were part of a well performing Pac-12. But that slipped, the conference had less success, and the SEC just kept growing more great teams. They might be seen as "dysfunctional" if people cared enough to even think about them.

The "U" works because they did win...it's a foundation that doesn't go away. The "they don't draw" thing is a bit over-done: last year, they had over 60k 3 times last year, 59k another time...yeah, "only" mid 50k for very crappy non-conference opponents, and right, that's a spring football game in the SEC....but they have a legacy, and I wish Cal was starting from that point in terms of brand building.

I don't care if the next AD is the second coming of Leo Burnett or Widen-Kennedy. The needle on the Cal football brand isn't moving without more winning, which I know you are basically saying.

CMS, with 50k-60k fans and the lights on, can be a great place for a game, but as is repeated here ad nauseum, they gotta win more games! But I see an opportunity for some focused marketing. I think Cal should pitch their night football games toward families (all those students from the Tedford era are in their 30s-40s, now) whose kids are tied up with weekend activities like soccer that make attending a 1PM Saturday game difficult. Back when my kids got their soccer game schedules, the first thing I did was compare with Cal's schedule to see how many games we could attend. We live near Sacramento, so some years the answer was "none" - there were timing conflicts for every game. But I might have tried to attend a night game if there was a reduced price ticket package that included food, etc. Or maybe offer a free food item to kids who wore their soccer/whatever team jersey to the game. Anyway, it's a group of people who remember when attending a Cal game was great fun and you're trying to lure them back which is easier than convincing them to come for the first time.

Sebastabear said:

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Fred Bear said:

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Sebastabear said:

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bearsandgiants said:

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Will Ron assist in the new AD search? Are we going to pay a search firm again?

---

I don't think people are getting this. Vis-a-vis football at least there isn't going to be a new AD. Ron Rivera is the football AD for all intents and purposes.

---

That's a sure way to make sure we get another Knowlton.

Athletic directors who have the skills to fix what's wrong with Cal's athletic department aren't coming here to play second fiddle to Ron Rivera. When there is a coach opening, they will expect to have at minimum equal say to any GM's of football and/or men's basketball. Rivera is fine for dealing with operational stuff relating to how a football team functions, but he has no meaningful expertise in negotiating with TV networks, marketing, donor outreach, fundraising, or doing the administrative stuff that goes with running an athletic program inside a university. Or the most important part, which is making sure Cal eventually gets into the Big 10, which is about the only chance they have of being able to play the top West Coast football programs on a yearly basis.

---

To be fair, we got Knowlton BEFORE Ron Rivera arrived. Apparently this new Ron Rivera structure isn't the necessary pre-condition to getting less than ideal athletic department leadership.

Cal is trying something new here. And that new thing is not going. to involve installing the conventional professional AD over football. It's the same innovation Stanford is using, Will this new thing work? Who the hell knows. But what is demonstrably obvious is that the old thing wasn't working. At least here.

And you are correct that Cal does need someone who can help navigate the changing media landscape and the next round of realignment, and that someone isn't going to be Ron Rivera. Not his skill set. But there is no person we could realistically hire with all those skills and Ron's expertise in football and how to professionalize a football team. That person doesn't exist and the Chancellor chose to prioritize "fix the football team" over everything else.

Will be interested to see how the Chancellor tackles all this but I'm excited to see us at least try a different approach. It's about time.

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In typiCAL fashion, we'd hire Larry Scott to lead us through the new world of TV-driven college football.

Cal should offer something like this for day games and promote to families

HoopDreams said:

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Cal should offer something like this for day games and promote to families

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Great idea. One Bay Area team actually has a creative marketing department

GivemTheAxe said:

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HoopDreams said:

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Cal should offer something like this for day games and promote to families

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Great idea. One Bay Area team actually has a creative marketing department

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They have Larry Baer, a 4th generation San Franciscan Cal grad with a Harvard MBA and media experience (mostly at CBS) in charge. Just one of many smart, successful Cal alums in professional sports management.

Thanks for the info

This reminds me that Cal should add a Sports Management program

Sports is a huge and growing area with unique management issues and strategies

calumnus said:

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GivemTheAxe said:

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HoopDreams said:

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Cal should offer something like this for day games and promote to families

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Great idea. One Bay Area team actually has a creative marketing department

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They have Larry Baer, a 4th generation San Franciscan Cal grad with a Harvard MBA and media experience (mostly at CBS) in charge. Just one of many smart, successful Cal alums in professional sports management.

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Here's a Larry Baer story:

2009 Presidents Cup at Harding Park. I'm standing near the first tee as the players tee off. Can't remember if it was the Sunday singles or earlier. Our own Eddie Kleinhans (PR guy for years at both CMS and Haas) is announcing the players on the tee. I turn to my left, and see that Larry is standing next to me. Tiger comes to the tee, I turn to Larry and say: "Larry, I'll give you $100 if you yell 'Stanfurd sucks' when he gets on the tee." Larry has plenty of money, so he just grins and gets away from me as quickly as possible after Tiger tees off. Larry is actually a cool guy, and true to our school.