Possible Impact on BB if Knowlton leaves

6,833 Views | 52 Replies | Last: 3 yr ago by stu
TilWeWobble
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I just posted on the Insider board that, although I think Knowlton had done a decent job as AD, the fact that he has interviewed for a lateral position elsewhere means he is not committed here and so his leaving might be in everyone's best interest. If he goes, what might that mean for BB.
I don't think Fox is a bad coach, but he hasn't shown he can recruit at a level needed for real success in the Pac 12. Most believe we will need to wait another year for a change though no one expects significant program improvement.
Maybe a new AD changes that; perhaps he decides to start his tenure with a splashy hire (J Kidd?) Probably too late to impact 2022 recruiting but but maybe a chance to start a real turn-around.
helltopay1
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Dear Wobble: I somehow don't find it comforting that the person tasked with hiring a new AD is a female with no athletic background , who, because of her age, also has one foot out the door. I strongly doubt she will make the choice.
dimitrig
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stu
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helltopay1 said:

Dear Wobble: I somehow don't find it comforting that the person tasked with hiring a new AD is a female with no athletic background , who, because of her age, also has one foot out the door. I strongly doubt she will make the choice.
At my most recent job I was hired by a female with no background in my field and near retirement age. It's worked out well, I'll be working there until I'm ready to retire.
philbert
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helltopay1 said:

Dear Wobble: I somehow don't find it comforting that the person tasked with hiring a new AD is a female with no athletic background , who, because of her age, also has one foot out the door. I strongly doubt she will make the choice.
who hired knowlton originally? hint: the same person you don't trust to make the hire now
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stu
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Stanford Jonah said:

stu said:

helltopay1 said:

Dear Wobble: I somehow don't find it comforting that the person tasked with hiring a new AD is a female with no athletic background , who, because of her age, also has one foot out the door. I strongly doubt she will make the choice.
At my most recent job I was hired by a female with no background in my field and near retirement age. It's worked out well, I'll be working there until I'm ready to retire.
Does that make you the Jim Knowlton of your field?
I said "It's worked out well".

BTW I don't do hiring and zero donors have complained about me.
helltopay1
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Stu: I'm happy for you. My statement stands.
TilWeWobble
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Philbert
I don't get bashing of Carol Crist because she's female; you might argue she made a bad hire in Knowlton because he hired Fox (I'm not agreeing with that) but the female in question has made clear she values athletics and demonstrated it by doing more for Cal sports and football in particular than any prior Chancellor by her handling of the stadium financing situation and her support of Cal athletic programs.
helltopay1
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wobble....happy to hear it..
philbert
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TilWeWobble said:

Philbert
I don't get bashing of Carol Crist because she's female; you might argue she made a bad hire in Knowlton because he hired Fox (I'm not agreeing with that) but the female in question has made clear she values athletics and demonstrated it by doing more for Cal sports and football in particular than any prior Chancellor by her handling of the stadium financing situation and her support of Cal athletic programs.
What makes you think I was bashing her? Unless I misunderstood htp, he felt no confidence in her hiring Knowlton's replacement. I was pointing out that she hired him in the first place.
calumnus
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TilWeWobble said:

Philbert
I don't get bashing of Carol Crist because she's female; you might argue she made a bad hire in Knowlton because he hired Fox (I'm not agreeing with that) but the female in question has made clear she values athletics and demonstrated it by doing more for Cal sports and football in particular than any prior Chancellor by her handling of the stadium financing situation and her support of Cal athletic programs.


Knowlton was a bad fit because he lacks the necessary background, experience, charisma, knowledge, vision and imagination. He is a 61 year old Republican career Army officer/hockey player from the East Coast with brief (two years?) experience as AD of a Federally funded military acadamy in relatively rural Colorado. He had zero media experience. Zero business experience, zero experience in a major conference. He has no connection to our school or our big donors or potential new donors in Silicon Valley, LA or beyond.

My only hope was that Christ hired him because she personally had a vision for Cal athletics and just wanted a competent Army bureaucrat to implement her vision. Although, even that would be short sighted.

He is not a bad fit because he hired Fox, but hiring Fox and the way he went about it only demonstrated that he was a bad fit.

I will say he seems earnest and is trying to adapt to the alien culture he finds himself in, but he really seems like an awkward fish out of water. At this time in our history, with all the changes going on in college athletics we really need someone out ahead of the curve, not someone trying to get up to speed.
calumnus
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Speaking of women, Cal alum and former Raider CEO and CBS analyst Amy Trask might be a good candidate. The endorsements from Mike White and Jim Harbaugh are notable.
https://famouspeopletoday.com/amy-trask/
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helltopay1
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Calalumnus: OMG.......he's a 'republican'?????Why isn't he in jail along with the other 80 million citizens who identify either as republicans or as conservatives????OMG....start the construction on about 500,000 jails in this "tolerant" country to house all the republicans masquerading as ordinary American citizens exercising such silly rights as freedom of thought and speech. And. what can be said of Carol Christ????If she knowingly hired a "republican." she should be sent to a maximum security prison where only lepers and HIV positive females are held. if, on the other hand, she had no knowledge of the anti-American propensities exhibited by republicans, she should be nevertheless sent to an institution where she should be given electric-shock treatment to set her on the right path. Oh....the horrors....lock up your children and pets...
oskidunker
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Well I don't hate Republicans although it is puzzling why so many don't want the vaccine. It is strange that Cal would hire a conservative AD.He is a nice guy trying to do the best he can given all the constraints of Cal.I agree hiring Fox was rushed and poorly thought out. Very puzzling.

Sometimes a new AD wants his or her own football and basketball coaches, aka, Bockrath. We can only hopea critical review of Fox happens , if there is a change in the AD.
Go Bears!
calumnus
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helltopay1 said:

Calalumnus: OMG.......he's a 'republican'?????Why isn't he in jail along with the other 80 million citizens who identify either as republicans or as conservatives????OMG....start the construction on about 500,000 jails in this "tolerant" country to house all the republicans masquerading as ordinary American citizens exercising such silly rights as freedom of thought and speech. And. what can be said of Carol Christ????If she knowingly hired a "republican." she should be sent to a maximum security prison where only lepers and HIV positive females are held. if, on the other hand, she had no knowledge of the anti-American propensities exhibited by republicans, she should be nevertheless sent to an institution where she should be given electric-shock treatment to set her on the right path. Oh....the horrors....lock up your children and pets...


I am not criticizing him as a person, I am referring to his fit as head of the Cal AD. I will say, that after some early fumbling and PR gaffs his comments on race and gender equality have improved. The new universal locker room at the RSF is being implemented under his watch. He seems earnest and seems to want to learn which is more than I can say for some people.
calumnus
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oskidunker said:

Well I don't hate Republicans although it is puzzling why so many don't want the vaccine. It is strange that Cal would hire a conservative AD.He is a nice guy trying to do the best he can given all the constraints of Cal.I agree hiring Fox was rushed and poorly thought out. Very puzzling.

Sometimes a new AD wants his or her own football and basketball coaches, aka, Bockrath. We can only hopea critical review of Fox happens , if there is a change in the AD.


Yes, he seems like a nice guy. Earnest, and I am sure he is very organized and a competent bureaucrat. Just a fish out of water and a very puzzling choice to head the Cal AD at this point in time.
mbBear
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calumnus said:

oskidunker said:

Well I don't hate Republicans although it is puzzling why so many don't want the vaccine. It is strange that Cal would hire a conservative AD.He is a nice guy trying to do the best he can given all the constraints of Cal.I agree hiring Fox was rushed and poorly thought out. Very puzzling.

Sometimes a new AD wants his or her own football and basketball coaches, aka, Bockrath. We can only hopea critical review of Fox happens , if there is a change in the AD.


Yes, he seems like a nice guy. Earnest, and I am sure he is very organized and a competent bureaucrat. Just a fish out of water and a very puzzling choice to head the Cal AD at this point in time.
And yet, accomplished more with the administration (so far) than no one who comes to mind? The grad program was whined about in how many threads here but than glossed over when the right guy comes along and gets it done.
Maybe we have had too many who were comfortable as fish in the water....And who is your fav AD who also got millions for the Field Hockey team along with getting our most famous husband/wife alums to donate so we can reach the finish line with the softball field?
stu
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I'm fine with Cal field hockey and softball but I'd also like to see Cal win a basketball game now and then. I think our women can manage that but I'm afraid our men are going to need better decisions from the AD.
calumnus
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mbBear said:

calumnus said:

oskidunker said:

Well I don't hate Republicans although it is puzzling why so many don't want the vaccine. It is strange that Cal would hire a conservative AD.He is a nice guy trying to do the best he can given all the constraints of Cal.I agree hiring Fox was rushed and poorly thought out. Very puzzling.

Sometimes a new AD wants his or her own football and basketball coaches, aka, Bockrath. We can only hopea critical review of Fox happens , if there is a change in the AD.


Yes, he seems like a nice guy. Earnest, and I am sure he is very organized and a competent bureaucrat. Just a fish out of water and a very puzzling choice to head the Cal AD at this point in time.
And yet, accomplished more with the administration (so far) than no one who comes to mind? The grad program was whined about in how many threads here but than glossed over when the right guy comes along and gets it done.
Maybe we have had too many who were comfortable as fish in the water....And who is your fav AD who also got millions for the Field Hockey team along with getting our most famous husband/wife alums to donate so we can reach the finish line with the softball field?


The graduate program is an accomplishment of the bureaucracy. Knowlton had no authority to implement it, only Christ could. Knowlton does not oversee any academic programs. Does it exist because he effectively lobbied Christ and the academic side for it? Sure, I'll buy that.

However, if comparing him to prior ADs lobbying their respective Chancellors, I think you have to take into the receptivity of the audience.

From all accounts Christ is very receptive to promoting Cal athletics and has made a number of budget moves that have greatly benefited the AD's finances even at a time when declining attendance and revenues and declining donations (despite a booming tech stock market and unprecedented wealth among Cal alums) would have otherwise put it deep in the red. The amount the university (and tax payers) subsidizes the Cal AD has increased greatly under Knowlton. That can be seen as both a positive for Knowlton and a negative for Knowlton. She made the biggest change (the CMS debt) before she even hired Knowlton.

I have no doubt Knowlton is a competent, hard working bureaucrat. The grad program is good. It can help keep 5th year seniors at Cal and help recruit 5th year seniors from other schools as grad transfers. It is definitely an accomplishment.

However, I think the long term strength of Cal athletics is going to be based on generating revenues from winning revenue sports programs and marketing them effectively, including through new media deals, apparel deals and innovation. It requires a vision for the Cal brand which requires a knowledge and love for what makes Cal unique and hiring coaches who fit that vision. Then generating the excitement around what you are doing to allow you to approach the many wealthy Cal alums who have never donated before and have them buy in to that vision and make the donations necessary to implement that vision.
helltopay1
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Some folks might say that thge problem with Cal is that it is too unique..when Keith Gilbertson was asked about Cal, he rolled his eyes...lots of other folks roll their eyes too...
helltopay1
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Also---Calumnus..
1) Please cite the "early fumbling and PR gaffes."
Please cite the 'race & gender equality gaffes which caught your attention
3) Please cite how his " race & gender equality statements have improved.
2)
mbBear
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stu said:

I'm fine with Cal field hockey and softball but I'd also like to see Cal win a basketball game now and then. I think our women can manage that but I'm afraid our men are going to need better decisions from the AD.
Yep, if it turns out he missed on Fox, then he goes and hires a new one. I think that's one aspect of an AD's job. In general, unless you are covering up a Coach's transgression, you don't get fired because of a hoop coach not making it even the best AD's have make hires that hit and misses.
Honestly, I am looking more for how he figures out how to keep as many sports as Cal has, and is that the right decision. .
mbBear
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calumnus said:

mbBear said:

calumnus said:

oskidunker said:

Well I don't hate Republicans although it is puzzling why so many don't want the vaccine. It is strange that Cal would hire a conservative AD.He is a nice guy trying to do the best he can given all the constraints of Cal.I agree hiring Fox was rushed and poorly thought out. Very puzzling.

Sometimes a new AD wants his or her own football and basketball coaches, aka, Bockrath. We can only hopea critical review of Fox happens , if there is a change in the AD.


Yes, he seems like a nice guy. Earnest, and I am sure he is very organized and a competent bureaucrat. Just a fish out of water and a very puzzling choice to head the Cal AD at this point in time.
And yet, accomplished more with the administration (so far) than no one who comes to mind? The grad program was whined about in how many threads here but than glossed over when the right guy comes along and gets it done.
Maybe we have had too many who were comfortable as fish in the water....And who is your fav AD who also got millions for the Field Hockey team along with getting our most famous husband/wife alums to donate so we can reach the finish line with the softball field?


The graduate program is an accomplishment of the bureaucracy. Knowlton had no authority to implement it, only Christ could. Knowlton does not oversee any academic programs. Does it exist because he effectively lobbied Christ and the academic side for it? Sure, I'll buy that.

However, if comparing him to prior ADs lobbying their respective Chancellors, I think you have to take into the receptivity of the audience.

From all accounts Christ is very receptive to promoting Cal athletics and has made a number of budget moves that have greatly benefited the AD's finances even at a time when declining attendance and revenues and declining donations (despite a booming tech stock market and unprecedented wealth among Cal alums) would have otherwise put it deep in the red. The amount the university (and tax payers) subsidizes the Cal AD has increased greatly under Knowlton. That can be seen as both a positive for Knowlton and a negative for Knowlton. She made the biggest change (the CMS debt) before she even hired Knowlton.

I have no doubt Knowlton is a competent, hard working bureaucrat. The grad program is good. It can help keep 5th year seniors at Cal and help recruit 5th year seniors from other schools as grad transfers. It is definitely an accomplishment.

However, I think the long term strength of Cal athletics is going to be based on generating revenues from winning revenue sports programs and marketing them effectively, including through new media deals, apparel deals and innovation. It requires a vision for the Cal brand which requires a knowledge and love for what makes Cal unique and hiring coaches who fit that vision. Then generating the excitement around what you are doing to allow you to approach the many wealthy Cal alums who have never donated before and have them buy in to that vision and make the donations necessary to implement that vision.
You can be hung up on the implementation of the grad program all you want, but it's a fact that it doesn't come to pass without Knowlton's hard work.
Of course the revenue sports are always going to be the key to driving the dollars, but how the books get balanced vs. the number of sports is going to be the key. This is going to be even trickier if they are forced to drop a woman's sport, which could happen in the short term.
. I don't think any Cal media deals are going to move the needle vs. what the conference brings to bear. And yes, of course the hope that there is an increase to the UA deal, but winning in football, and yes, basketball certainly would help with the brand.
helltopay1
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Stanford has just dropped 11 sports. The stated reason??' We just don't have the money." The real reason??Thge administrators just don't like sports that much..
calumnus
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helltopay1 said:

Stanford has just dropped 11 sports. The stated reason??' We just don't have the money." The real reason??Thge administrators just don't like sports that much..


I think the biggest issue is all the slots for yachting, fencing and other country club sports just begged for abuse with coaches selling admission slots and more generally was affirmative action for otherwise unqualified rich white people. The CEO of the company I used to work for made $millions in salary and stock options and got both of his otherwise average kids into Stanford on full fencing scholarships. A great return on the investment he made in private coaching lessons, equipment and a dedicated practice room in his house in Piedmont.
helltopay1
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"rich white people". God must have been suffering from some disease when he made white folks....rich or otherwise...On the other hand, he also made Concord....so, that's two serious errors..
stu
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I'd say God made a universe in which both rich white people and Concord are possible. That's what I call omnipotence.
calumnus
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helltopay1 said:

"rich white people". God must have been suffering from some disease when he made white folks....rich or otherwise...On the other hand, he also made Concord....so, that's two serious errors..


I knew that would trigger you.

Stanford is actually a small school. The freshman class size of 1,600 is not that much bigger than my junior high class size (about 1,000). Guaranteed admission slots and full scholarships for yachting skills out of high school? What is the pool of eligible recruits? You must see how absurd that is.
dimitrig
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stu said:

I'd say God made a universe in which both rich white people and Concord are possible. That's what I call omnipotence.

There must be some Bay Area humor here I don't understand, because Concord is full of upper middle class white people.



stu
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I feel different hanging out in downtown Concord than I do in downtown Palo Alto. But neither is my preference - the center of my universe is Berkeley and Oakland.
Big C
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dimitrig said:

stu said:

I'd say God made a universe in which both rich white people and Concord are possible. That's what I call omnipotence.

There must be some Bay Area humor here I don't understand, because Concord is full of upper middle class white people.





I lived in Concord from 1991-2007 and I can assure you that, while there are thousands of upper middle class white people to be found (out of about 130,000 total), they do not constitute a majority. Just for starters, Concord is about 30% Latino nowadays.
wifeisafurd
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helltopay1 said:

Stanford has just dropped 11 sports. The stated reason??' We just don't have the money." The real reason??Thge administrators just don't like sports that much..
that would be a no. The school President is a huge football fan.

There were very specific reasons for the cuts. It started with Furd had the largest subsidy to any Pac 12 school, and people like the football coach (and the AD) were wondering why they were subsidizing different countries' Olympics teams player development. 1 out of 7.5 undergrads were on a team, many of who were preferred walk-ons, and they wanted more spaces for non-athletes with their 4% acceptance rate. Speaking of preferred walk-ons, there was little sailing team embarrassment thing, which got everyone wondering why they had so many fringe teams?
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