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Brian Mann Named Chief Development Officer for Cal Athletics

January 15, 2019
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BERKELEY – Brian Mann, a former football student-athlete who has held senior fundraising positions at Rice and Dartmouth, has been named Senior Associate Athletic Director and Chief Development Officer for Cal Athletics, Director of Athletics Jim Knowlton announced Tuesday.

In addition, Knowlton promoted Beth Voetsch, who has served as Cal's Interim Chief Development Officer the past 18 months, to Associate Athletic Director for Development.

"I am thrilled to have Brian join our department to lead our development staff as part of our increased commitment to growing philanthropy for Cal Athletics," Knowlton said. "Brian has led fundraising at two high academic institutions, and he has significant major-gift experience both in athletics and at the central campus level, which will be critical as we move into our upcoming comprehensive campaign. We have set ambitious goals for our department, and I am confident with Brian, Beth and the team we have in place that we are well positioned to achieve them."

Mann comes to Berkeley after spending the past four years at Rice, where he served in a variety of fundraising roles of increasing responsibility, including as Senior Associate AD/CDO since October 2017. In that capacity, Mann was a member of the Rice athletic department's senior management team and oversaw all development-related activities within the department, including major gifts, annual giving, stewardship, events and premium areas. He also led the formation of a business case for the athletics portion of the Rice University capital campaign.

In addition, Mann oversaw several areas outside of the development office, serving as sports supervisor for the men's basketball program and acting as the primary point of contact between the athletic department and the office of admissions for all 16 Rice sports.

Mann joined Rice Athletics in November of 2014 as Director of Development, and he was elevated to Associate Athletic Director for Development in July 2015.

"I'm excited to join the Cal Athletics family and am grateful to Jim Knowlton, as well as to everyone who was a part of the interview process, for this incredible opportunity," Mann said. "To be a part of the top public institution in the country and to have the chance to compete for a national championship in every sport, all while working to increase resources for student-athletes who represent the very best of college athletics, is truly an honor. I look forward to partnering with all those who support our student-athletes to help build upon the levels of success that have become synonymous with Cal Athletics."

Prior to his time at Rice, Mann spent five years at his alma mater, Dartmouth, starting as director of football operations from 2009-11. He became the Assistant Athletic Director for External Relations in 2011, overseeing the Friends of Dartmouth Football annual fundraising and supporting fundraising efforts for 15 additional teams and 33 club sport programs. From 2013-14, Mann was the Managing Director for Leadership Giving in the Dartmouth Office of Advancement, where he was tasked with securing major gifts for the university.

Mann's additional experience includes being the Associate Director of Marketing & Business Development for the Advisory Board Company in Washington, D.C., from 2008-09 and Manager of Business Development at Tefen, USA in New York from 2007-08. During this period, he remained connected to football, working for the New England Sports Network (NESN) as a broadcaster at FCS football games in 2007 and 2008, ranging from sideline reporter to analyst in the booth.

As an undergraduate at Dartmouth, Mann played quarterback and set the school record for passing yards in a season with 2,913 in 2002 when he completed nearly 60 percent of his passes and tossed 19 touchdowns. His 5,912 career passing yards are second on the Big Green's all-time list.

Mann earned his bachelor's degree in history in 2002 and a master's degree in liberal studies in 2013, both from Dartmouth. Following his undergraduate years, he embarked on a professional career as quarterback for the Los Angeles Avengers of the Arena Football League from 2003-06. He was voted the Avenger Man of the Year in 2003 for his community service efforts.

While in Los Angeles, Mann also acted as a stunt double in several films, including for Adam Sandler in The Longest Yard (2004), as well as the films Invincible (2005) and The Game Plan (2006).

Mann will begin his duties at Cal on Feb. 21.

As Interim Chief Development Officer, Voetsch oversaw a Cal fundraising effort that exceeded $30 million in gifts for the fiscal year that closed on June 30, 2018 – the athletic department's highest contribution total in five years. She also led efforts to develop the comprehensive campaign plan for Cal Athletics and continued the momentum of positional endowments. Voetsch began her tenure at Cal in 2009 with the Athletic Ticket Office, first as Associate Director and later as Director of Ticket Operations.

Voetsch moved to Stanford as Director of Ticket Operations and Services for the entire university from 2013-15 before returning to Cal in April 2015 as Assistant Athletic Director, Annual Giving and Alumni Relations.

Voetsch previously worked as Assistant Director of Ticket Operations at the University of Miami from 2007-08 and was a graduate assistant in the ticket office at Marshall University from 2006-07. A competitive swimmer and team captain at Wingate University, she earned her bachelor's degree in sports administration in 2006 and received a master's in sports administration from Marshall in 2007.

"I want to thank Beth for the job she has done as our interim Chief Development Officer, and I am delighted that she has accepted our offer of a promotion to Associate Athletic Director," Knowlton said. "She is a valuable member of our department and will play an essential role in growing our development operations. Together with Brian and Beth, we have two people with an impactful combination of skills that will help us move into the next chapter of Cal Athletics and be exceptional in our philanthropic efforts."

Discussion from...

Brian Mann Named Chief Development Officer for Cal Athletics

17,255 Views | 35 Replies | Last: 5 yr ago by TheFiatLux
Sebastabear
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Bet none of us saw the "Adam Sandler stunt double" angle coming.

Good stuff. Rice is apparently very unhappy to see him go. Always a good sign.
Bear19
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Great. Someone from an Ivy League school.

Why in the world can't we get folks who've graduated from Cal to fill these positions?

This is why we have "white out" football promotions (news flash: our colors are blue & gold), why we can't get quotes right on The Play bobblehead box, etc. People who've not gone to Cal usually just don't "get it."

This guy knows nothing about Cal's football history, what going to Cal is like, what going to the Rose Bowl really means to Cal alums.

Yes, Knowlton is doing well.

I'm sure this guy interviews well, is a good person etc.

But continuing to recruit outside the Cal community is not acceptable imho.
Sebastabear
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Bear19 said:

Great. Someone from an Ivy League school.

Why in the world can't we get folks who've graduated from Cal to fill these positions?

This is why we have "white out" football promotions (news flash: our colors are blue & gold), why we can't get quotes right on The Play bobblehead box, etc. People who've not gone to Cal usually just don't "get it."

This guy knows nothing about Cal's football history, what going to Cal is like, what going to the Rose Bowl really means to Cal alums.

Yes, Knowlton is doing well.

I'm sure this guy interviews well, is a good person etc.

But continuing to recruit outside the Cal community is not acceptable imho.
On the bright side Andrea Campos is back in Development and she knows more about Cal and our traditions than all of us.
petalumabear
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Bear19 said:

Great. Someone from an Ivy League school.

Why in the world can't we get folks who've graduated from Cal to fill these positions?

This is why we have "white out" football promotions (news flash: our colors are blue & gold), why we can't get quotes right on The Play bobblehead box, etc. People who've not gone to Cal usually just don't "get it."

This guy knows nothing about Cal's football history, what going to Cal is like, what going to the Rose Bowl really means to Cal alums.

Yes, Knowlton is doing well.

I'm sure this guy interviews well, is a good person etc.

But continuing to recruit outside the Cal community is not acceptable imho.
In the real world you hire the best person for the job. But, by all means, carry on.....
wifeisafurd
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petalumabear said:

Bear19 said:

Great. Someone from an Ivy League school.

Why in the world can't we get folks who've graduated from Cal to fill these positions?

This is why we have "white out" football promotions (news flash: our colors are blue & gold), why we can't get quotes right on The Play bobblehead box, etc. People who've not gone to Cal usually just don't "get it."

This guy knows nothing about Cal's football history, what going to Cal is like, what going to the Rose Bowl really means to Cal alums.

Yes, Knowlton is doing well.

I'm sure this guy interviews well, is a good person etc.

But continuing to recruit outside the Cal community is not acceptable imho.
In the real world you hire the best person for the job. But, by all means, carry on.....
I hope this stops the revolving door at Development. In that regard, glad that Beth was promoted and retained. She did a good job under difficult conditions.
TheFiatLux
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petalumabear said:

Bear19 said:

Great. Someone from an Ivy League school.

Why in the world can't we get folks who've graduated from Cal to fill these positions?

This is why we have "white out" football promotions (news flash: our colors are blue & gold), why we can't get quotes right on The Play bobblehead box, etc. People who've not gone to Cal usually just don't "get it."

This guy knows nothing about Cal's football history, what going to Cal is like, what going to the Rose Bowl really means to Cal alums.

Yes, Knowlton is doing well.

I'm sure this guy interviews well, is a good person etc.

But continuing to recruit outside the Cal community is not acceptable imho.
In the real world you hire the best person for the job. But, by all means, carry on.....
By that logic, since we hired him, Andy Buh must have been the best person for the job. And Baldwin. And Wyking. And for that matter Dirks... and, well you get the point. I don't know anything about this guy, or in the ins and outs of development. He may be awesome. He may not be. But Bear19's point isn't without merit.

Edit: actually my experience is that people in development who can relate with their constiuency, who have a shared experience, etc... tend to do better. There is a certain intangible that is missing when the person is more of a mercenary. While I'm sure he didn't write it, his quote reeks of disingenuousness.
calumnus
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TheFiatLux said:

petalumabear said:

Bear19 said:

Great. Someone from an Ivy League school.

Why in the world can't we get folks who've graduated from Cal to fill these positions?

This is why we have "white out" football promotions (news flash: our colors are blue & gold), why we can't get quotes right on The Play bobblehead box, etc. People who've not gone to Cal usually just don't "get it."

This guy knows nothing about Cal's football history, what going to Cal is like, what going to the Rose Bowl really means to Cal alums.

Yes, Knowlton is doing well.

I'm sure this guy interviews well, is a good person etc.

But continuing to recruit outside the Cal community is not acceptable imho.
In the real world you hire the best person for the job. But, by all means, carry on.....
By that logic, since we hired him, Andy Buh must have been the best person for the job. And Baldwin. And Wyking. And for that matter Dirks... and, well you get the point. I don't know anything about this guy, or in the ins and outs of development. He may be awesome. He may not be. But Bear19's point isn't without merit.

Edit: actually my experience is that people in development who can relate with their constiuency, who have a shared experience, etc... tend to do better. There is a certain intangible that is missing when the person is more of a mercenary. While I'm sure he didn't write it, his quote reeks of disingenuousness.


Yes, I think you ask potential donners about their Cal experience, what dorm they were in, classes, what experiences they had at games and find common experiences, build rapport with you and more importantantly, for the university and athletics. If they ask you, what dorm did you live in? And you say, I went to Dartmouth, but "Go Bears!"?
okaydo
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Is he related to the Mann's Chinese Theaters?
packawana
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calumnus said:

TheFiatLux said:

petalumabear said:

Bear19 said:

Great. Someone from an Ivy League school.

Why in the world can't we get folks who've graduated from Cal to fill these positions?

This is why we have "white out" football promotions (news flash: our colors are blue & gold), why we can't get quotes right on The Play bobblehead box, etc. People who've not gone to Cal usually just don't "get it."

This guy knows nothing about Cal's football history, what going to Cal is like, what going to the Rose Bowl really means to Cal alums.

Yes, Knowlton is doing well.

I'm sure this guy interviews well, is a good person etc.

But continuing to recruit outside the Cal community is not acceptable imho.
In the real world you hire the best person for the job. But, by all means, carry on.....
By that logic, since we hired him, Andy Buh must have been the best person for the job. And Baldwin. And Wyking. And for that matter Dirks... and, well you get the point. I don't know anything about this guy, or in the ins and outs of development. He may be awesome. He may not be. But Bear19's point isn't without merit.

Edit: actually my experience is that people in development who can relate with their constiuency, who have a shared experience, etc... tend to do better. There is a certain intangible that is missing when the person is more of a mercenary. While I'm sure he didn't write it, his quote reeks of disingenuousness.


Yes, I think you ask potential donners about their Cal experience, what dorm they were in, classes, what experiences they had at games and find common experiences, build rapport with you and more importantantly, for the university and athletics. If they ask you, what dorm did you live in? And you say, I went to Dartmouth, but "Go Bears!"?
I feel like the alums who contribute through those relationships are inclined to donate because they already feel some sentimental connection to the school. I have no data to back this up, but I imagine that they're trying hard to tap into the donor base that didn't care all that much because there's still a lot of money there.
HearstMining
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TheFiatLux said:

petalumabear said:

Bear19 said:

Great. Someone from an Ivy League school.

Why in the world can't we get folks who've graduated from Cal to fill these positions?

This is why we have "white out" football promotions (news flash: our colors are blue & gold), why we can't get quotes right on The Play bobblehead box, etc. People who've not gone to Cal usually just don't "get it."

This guy knows nothing about Cal's football history, what going to Cal is like, what going to the Rose Bowl really means to Cal alums.

Yes, Knowlton is doing well.

I'm sure this guy interviews well, is a good person etc.

But continuing to recruit outside the Cal community is not acceptable imho.
In the real world you hire the best person for the job. But, by all means, carry on.....
By that logic, since we hired him, Andy Buh must have been the best person for the job. And Baldwin. And Wyking. And for that matter Dirks... and, well you get the point. I don't know anything about this guy, or in the ins and outs of development. He may be awesome. He may not be. But Bear19's point isn't without merit.

Edit: actually my experience is that people in development who can relate with their constiuency, who have a shared experience, etc... tend to do better. There is a certain intangible that is missing when the person is more of a mercenary. While I'm sure he didn't write it, his quote reeks of disingenuousness.
Of course, all we see is a resume and his quote (which is smarmy). Maybe he had great results at previous jobs but I see two additional points where we could question the fit:
1. As others have stated, lack of a Cal connection. But also, lack of a public university connection. Private universities like Dartmouth and Rice start cultivating that school loyalty the minute you step on campus as a freshman. Cal doesn't do that. Can this guy chat up alumni who possibly had a less intimate relationship with Cal when they were students (and who may be thinking, "Yep the Cal bureaucracy screwed with me when I was a student and they're still screwing up the athletic program!)?
2. Lack of a West Coast connection. People on the West Coast have a wide range of personal recreation interests that compete as far as mindshare and $ investment. Can this fellow pitch Cal athletics to these people in a way that it gets on their short-list?

But, since he's on the team, I hope he does a great job!
BALIZLYF
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The challenge is not Cal-alum vs. non-alum; it's whether the department hires someone prepared to deal with the wild and preposterous (but adventurous) bureaucracy at the University. When they hire out of large, public institutions, they hire coaches and staff who are prepared for how challenging it can be to get things done in the grey area of the institution. Private schools are a much easier landscape to navigate and the constituency base is smaller. This guy is in for a bit of a culture shock.

That said, his experience in the Ivy setting certainly indicates he's intellectually prepared to engage with Cal alumni.
tigertim
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Dude played football at Dartmouth (which is second-to-none in building relationships with its alumni) and has a track record of success at elite academic institutions. Seems like a good hire.

For those saying "why didn't we hire a Cal person" - I mean sure, that's always a plus, but maybe...there just weren't any good ones available?
Bear19
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tigertim said:

Dude played football at Dartmouth (which is second-to-none in building relationships with its alumni) and has a track record of success at elite academic institutions. Seems like a good hire.

For those saying "why didn't we hire a Cal person" - I mean sure, that's always a plus, but maybe...there just weren't any good ones available?
Currently 42,000 students are taking courses at U.C. Berkeley.

No qualified candidates in the hundreds of thousands of Cal grads? Did Knowlton even look? People tend to hire people like themselves. An "outsider" hiring an "outsider" in this case.
MoragaBear
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Staff
Cal's made the mistake of hiring Cal guys far too often who weren't the right answer.

They needed to hire the best person for the job. If that person was a Cal grad, all the better, but it's certainly not the most important characteristic
Yogi58
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Bear19 said:

Great. Someone from an Ivy League school.

Why in the world can't we get folks who've graduated from Cal to fill these positions?

This is why we have "white out" football promotions (news flash: our colors are blue & gold), why we can't get quotes right on The Play bobblehead box, etc. People who've not gone to Cal usually just don't "get it."

This guy knows nothing about Cal's football history, what going to Cal is like, what going to the Rose Bowl really means to Cal alums.

Yes, Knowlton is doing well.

I'm sure this guy interviews well, is a good person etc.

But continuing to recruit outside the Cal community is not acceptable imho.
If you want to hire someone who knows how to raise money, hiring someone with a Cal background is the last thing you want to do. Frankly, hiring someone from a private school that depends on donations makes far more sense.
71Bear
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MoragaBear said:

Cal's made the mistake of hiring Cal guys far too often who weren't the right answer.

They needed to hire the best person for the job. If that person was a Cal grad, all the better, but it's certainly not the most important characteristic
I agree. In this instance, it was about looking outside to gain a fresh perspective on a seemingly intractable problem. Had they selected a Cal grad for the job, I'm afraid it would have been more of the same and we know that doesn't work....

I remember when I was hired from the outside at UCSF. After I started working there, I was told that one of the primary reasons I was hired was they needed someone who could look at the job without an internal bias.

I like the idea of bringing in a Dartmouth guy. He certainly will have some new ideas.....
petalumabear
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TheFiatLux said:

petalumabear said:

Bear19 said:

Great. Someone from an Ivy League school.

Why in the world can't we get folks who've graduated from Cal to fill these positions?

This is why we have "white out" football promotions (news flash: our colors are blue & gold), why we can't get quotes right on The Play bobblehead box, etc. People who've not gone to Cal usually just don't "get it."

This guy knows nothing about Cal's football history, what going to Cal is like, what going to the Rose Bowl really means to Cal alums.

Yes, Knowlton is doing well.

I'm sure this guy interviews well, is a good person etc.

But continuing to recruit outside the Cal community is not acceptable imho.
In the real world you hire the best person for the job. But, by all means, carry on.....
By that logic, since we hired him, Andy Buh must have been the best person for the job. And Baldwin. And Wyking. And for that matter Dirks... and, well you get the point. I don't know anything about this guy, or in the ins and outs of development. He may be awesome. He may not be. But Bear19's point isn't without merit.

Edit: actually my experience is that people in development who can relate with their constiuency, who have a shared experience, etc... tend to do better. There is a certain intangible that is missing when the person is more of a mercenary. While I'm sure he didn't write it, his quote reeks of disingenuousness.
People who are good at their job(s), which in this case is selling the university to wealthy alums who should believe in the mission already, should have the ability to connect, sell the university and shouldn't be lame examples of bad sports coaches. If you REALLY and truly believed that each of the men you listed above (w)are the best man for the job then I would suggest you find another line of work.
TheFiatLux
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MoragaBear said:

Cal's made the mistake of hiring Cal guys far too often who weren't the right answer.

They needed to hire the best person for the job. If that person was a Cal grad, all the better, but it's certainly not the most important characteristic

Really, who? Seriously, who are the Cal people we've hired.

OK, Mike Williams.

But let's see none of the people in leadershpi positions recently have had Cal background. Oh,the one person in leadership position with a Cal background seems to be kicking ass, that would be the chancellor.

But who are these people with Cal backgrounds of whom you speak?
TheFiatLux
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petalumabear said:

TheFiatLux said:

petalumabear said:

Bear19 said:

Great. Someone from an Ivy League school.

Why in the world can't we get folks who've graduated from Cal to fill these positions?

This is why we have "white out" football promotions (news flash: our colors are blue & gold), why we can't get quotes right on The Play bobblehead box, etc. People who've not gone to Cal usually just don't "get it."

This guy knows nothing about Cal's football history, what going to Cal is like, what going to the Rose Bowl really means to Cal alums.

Yes, Knowlton is doing well.

I'm sure this guy interviews well, is a good person etc.

But continuing to recruit outside the Cal community is not acceptable imho.
In the real world you hire the best person for the job. But, by all means, carry on.....
By that logic, since we hired him, Andy Buh must have been the best person for the job. And Baldwin. And Wyking. And for that matter Dirks... and, well you get the point. I don't know anything about this guy, or in the ins and outs of development. He may be awesome. He may not be. But Bear19's point isn't without merit.

Edit: actually my experience is that people in development who can relate with their constiuency, who have a shared experience, etc... tend to do better. There is a certain intangible that is missing when the person is more of a mercenary. While I'm sure he didn't write it, his quote reeks of disingenuousness.
People who are good at their job(s), which in this case is selling the university to wealthy alums who should believe in the mission already, should have the ability to connect, sell the university and shouldn't be lame examples of bad sports coaches. If you REALLY and truly believed that each of the men you listed above (w)are the best man for the job then I would suggest you find another line of work.
Thank you for completely missing the point. YOU SAID, in the real world you hire the best person for the job, in defense of this hire. IE the fact we hired him discounted Bear19's issues. All the people I Listed sucked at their job, but you'd argue with someone that people hire the best person for the job, so they must have been the best person... they weren't. we'll see if this guy is. I hope he's great.
beeasyed
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Bear19 said:

Great. Someone from an Ivy League school.

Why in the world can't we get folks who've graduated from Cal to fill these positions?

This is why we have "white out" football promotions (news flash: our colors are blue & gold), why we can't get quotes right on The Play bobblehead box, etc. People who've not gone to Cal usually just don't "get it."

This guy knows nothing about Cal's football history, what going to Cal is like, what going to the Rose Bowl really means to Cal alums.

Yes, Knowlton is doing well.

I'm sure this guy interviews well, is a good person etc.

But continuing to recruit outside the Cal community is not acceptable imho.
A few implied fallacies here:

1) Only "Cal people" can understand what Cal alums value. Surely it can't be learned.

Quite literally, the only thing an external hire needs to do to understand what Cal alums value is do a few stakeholder interviews. You don't need to have been at Cal to know how obsessed we are with The Play and our other traditions.

You're conflating external hires with incompetent hires. They're not synonymous.


2) Only people who have been raised around our failures can fix our failures.

Pass. Companies hire externally to get away from the recycled ideas and entrenched beliefs within their ranks. Change is probably the best thing for Cal. Not more of the same, and certainly not rearranging the deck chairs.
socaliganbear
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100% fine with not hiring a Cal person. Not sure why anyone would be upset about this unless there was some obvious Cal grad in the wings. None that I'm aware of. Jim seems to be working out fine, and I didn't see Berkeley on his resume. I'm all for getting away from the people who've been around the AD.
Sebastabear
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The bottom line is we've hired Cal and non Cal people in these roles with mixed success. Some Cal folks have washed out and some non Cal folks have as well.

The real problem is we have under invested in the area. We aren't paying enough so we lose some great "all Cal" folks (Megan Glasson) and we don't have enough of them. Not nearly enough. Every study ever done has pointed to our criminal under investment in development.

It's like we have some of the most fertile farmland in the world and we are refusing to buy seeds (and are then surprised when our crops suck).

Time to change the script here. Hopefully Knowlton and Brian can help do that.
Cal_79
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TheFiatLux said:

MoragaBear said:

Cal's made the mistake of hiring Cal guys far too often who weren't the right answer.

They needed to hire the best person for the job. If that person was a Cal grad, all the better, but it's certainly not the most important characteristic

Really, who? Seriously, who are the Cal people we've hired.

OK, Mike Williams.

But let's see none of the people in leadershpi positions recently have had Cal background. Oh,the one person in leadership position with a Cal background seems to be kicking ass, that would be the chancellor.

But who are these people with Cal backgrounds of whom you speak?


And which school did the chancellor attend as an undergrad?
northendbear
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Cal_79 said:

TheFiatLux said:

MoragaBear said:

Cal's made the mistake of hiring Cal guys far too often who weren't the right answer.

They needed to hire the best person for the job. If that person was a Cal grad, all the better, but it's certainly not the most important characteristic

Really, who? Seriously, who are the Cal people we've hired.

OK, Mike Williams.

But let's see none of the people in leadershpi positions recently have had Cal background. Oh,the one person in leadership position with a Cal background seems to be kicking ass, that would be the chancellor.

But who are these people with Cal backgrounds of whom you speak?


And which school did the chancellor attend as an undergrad?


I recall Tosh recruited her out of Douglass College - not sure if Starbucks was involved or not, though
boredom
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is Knowlton going to hire someone who can do basic data entry and addition? I was in my account and noticed that they haven't updated priority points at all in 1.5 years and the consecutive seasons tickets piece in 5 years. Largely irrelevant in and of itself - priority points are mostly worthless - but just makes the department look incompetent and lazy. Apparently someone left with the department abacus a few years ago (not even getting into why this isn't automated).
Sebastabear
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boredom said:

is Knowlton going to hire someone who can do basic data entry and addition? I was in my account and noticed that they haven't updated priority points at all in 1.5 years and the consecutive seasons tickets piece in 5 years. Largely irrelevant in and of itself - priority points are mostly worthless - but just makes the department look incompetent and lazy. Apparently someone left with the department abacus a few years ago (not even getting into why this isn't automated).
The priority point thing is maddening. Have mentioned this to Cal several times. You have a bunch of fans who are by definition obsessed with keeping score and you have a perfect way to get them to "compete" through donations and you don't even do the most basic stuff. Why isn't there a quarterly or semi-annual email saying "Here are your priority points, here's what percentile that puts you in and here's a donation link."? Would pay for itself 100 times over. And yet we hide the points from the users (I personally have to struggle every time to find mine) and we never update them.

We allegedly hired someone about a year ago who was going to fix the whole system but then that went nowhere.

I am willing to accept Cal trying and failing but I highly object to us being dumb. This is dumb.
TheFiatLux
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Cal_79 said:

TheFiatLux said:

MoragaBear said:

Cal's made the mistake of hiring Cal guys far too often who weren't the right answer.

They needed to hire the best person for the job. If that person was a Cal grad, all the better, but it's certainly not the most important characteristic

Really, who? Seriously, who are the Cal people we've hired.

OK, Mike Williams.

But let's see none of the people in leadershpi positions recently have had Cal background. Oh,the one person in leadership position with a Cal background seems to be kicking ass, that would be the chancellor.

But who are these people with Cal backgrounds of whom you speak?

And which school did the chancellor attend as an undergrad?
The 24 years she spent at Cal certainly qualifies her as having Cal background. And it's showing in the results she is delivering. I don't want to seem like I'm digging in my heals here... There are plenty of times it's GREAT to have an outside perspective. I also think there are certain positions where it might REALLY help to have an inside perspecttive, a good feel, a shared insight with the people you'll be approaching. And what I was originally objecting to is the notion that just by dint of being hired by us, that makes that person most qualified.
Yogi58
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TheFiatLux said:

Cal_79 said:


And which school did the chancellor attend as an undergrad?
The 24 years she spent at Cal certainly qualifies her as having Cal background. And it's showing in the results she is delivering. I don't want to seem like I'm digging in my heals here
Yeah. That would be so out of character for you.
socaliganbear
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Yogi Bear said:

TheFiatLux said:

Cal_79 said:


And which school did the chancellor attend as an undergrad?
The 24 years she spent at Cal certainly qualifies her as having Cal background. And it's showing in the results she is delivering. I don't want to seem like I'm digging in my heals here
Yeah. That would be so out of character for you.


Lmfao
Bear19
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beeasyed said:

Quite literally, the only thing an external hire needs to do to understand what Cal alums value is do a few stakeholder interviews. You don't need to have been at Cal to know how obsessed we are with The Play and our other traditions.

You're conflating external hires with incompetent hires. They're not synonymous.


Companies hire externally to get away from the recycled ideas and entrenched beliefs within their ranks. Change is probably the best thing for Cal. Not more of the same, and certainly not rearranging the deck chairs.
Agree the interviewing stakeholders will speed Brian Mann's understanding of the issues he'll be facing. By now maybe someone has explained that the Big Game isn't Yale vs. Harvard (or Michigan vs. Ohio State or Alabama vs. Auburn).

Also agree that hiring someone with literally no Cal background & experience is not, by itself, automatically dooming Brian Mann to failure.

Disagree that changing personnel to "outsiders", by itself, often results in improvement. Often it results in exactly the phenomenon you want to avoid (Titanic deck chair arranging) since it is easier & much less expensive to change one or two staff positions than face the real issues and deal with them.

In Brian's case, I venture that he is coming to Cal to advance in his career. Thus, ironically, one or two years of success at Cal will likely trigger a move to a more prestigious job. I think Knowlton is at an age where job hopping to improve his career is largely behind him.

Brian is young enough that I give him two, maybe three years tops before we will bid him adieu.
rkt88edmo
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Does rallycom have some kind of boot camp for new frosh members? Maybe they can do a two day intensive for Brian.
petalumabear
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TheFiatLux said:

petalumabear said:

TheFiatLux said:

petalumabear said:

Bear19 said:

Great. Someone from an Ivy League school.

Why in the world can't we get folks who've graduated from Cal to fill these positions?

This is why we have "white out" football promotions (news flash: our colors are blue & gold), why we can't get quotes right on The Play bobblehead box, etc. People who've not gone to Cal usually just don't "get it."

This guy knows nothing about Cal's football history, what going to Cal is like, what going to the Rose Bowl really means to Cal alums.

Yes, Knowlton is doing well.

I'm sure this guy interviews well, is a good person etc.

But continuing to recruit outside the Cal community is not acceptable imho.
In the real world you hire the best person for the job. But, by all means, carry on.....
By that logic, since we hired him, Andy Buh must have been the best person for the job. And Baldwin. And Wyking. And for that matter Dirks... and, well you get the point. I don't know anything about this guy, or in the ins and outs of development. He may be awesome. He may not be. But Bear19's point isn't without merit.

Edit: actually my experience is that people in development who can relate with their constiuency, who have a shared experience, etc... tend to do better. There is a certain intangible that is missing when the person is more of a mercenary. While I'm sure he didn't write it, his quote reeks of disingenuousness.
People who are good at their job(s), which in this case is selling the university to wealthy alums who should believe in the mission already, should have the ability to connect, sell the university and shouldn't be lame examples of bad sports coaches. If you REALLY and truly believed that each of the men you listed above (w)are the best man for the job then I would suggest you find another line of work.
Thank you for completely missing the point. YOU SAID, in the real world you hire the best person for the job, in defense of this hire. IE the fact we hired him discounted Bear19's issues. All the people I Listed sucked at their job, but you'd argue with someone that people hire the best person for the job, so they must have been the best person... they weren't. we'll see if this guy is. I hope he's great.
My point is that too often folks on Cal boards argue to hire a Cal grad (or previously Cal affiliated Person) for these jobs as if they have some special skills from their time @ Cal. I feel that each hire should be made with the intent of hiring the best person you can each and every time. Settling for someone because they went to Cal or worked at Cal in their past is a data point and not a qualification. I like Knowlton and Christ and am suitably impressed. The hiring of Brian Mann will ultimately be determined to be excellent or terrible or somewhere in between based on the results he delivers. My only point above was to hire the best person you can - period end of discussion...
calumnus
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TheFiatLux said:

Cal_79 said:

TheFiatLux said:

MoragaBear said:

Cal's made the mistake of hiring Cal guys far too often who weren't the right answer.

They needed to hire the best person for the job. If that person was a Cal grad, all the better, but it's certainly not the most important characteristic

Really, who? Seriously, who are the Cal people we've hired.

OK, Mike Williams.

But let's see none of the people in leadershpi positions recently have had Cal background. Oh,the one person in leadership position with a Cal background seems to be kicking ass, that would be the chancellor.

But who are these people with Cal backgrounds of whom you speak?

And which school did the chancellor attend as an undergrad?
The 24 years she spent at Cal certainly qualifies her as having Cal background. And it's showing in the results she is delivering. I don't want to seem like I'm digging in my heals here... There are plenty of times it's GREAT to have an outside perspective. I also think there are certain positions where it might REALLY help to have an inside perspecttive, a good feel, a shared insight with the people you'll be approaching. And what I was originally objecting to is the notion that just by dint of being hired by us, that makes that person most qualified.


I think you and other former mic people would be naturals. Former athletes too. I think Kate Scott would be perfect, maybe as a side gig?
Bear19
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calumnus said:

I think you and other former mic people would be naturals. Former athletes too. I think Kate Scott would be perfect, maybe as a side gig?
I guarantee that with the passion, love of Cal, professional accomplishment (hinted at) displayed here there are several folks on this board who would excel far more than just about anyone. Whether they'd want the job is another topic. But could they excel at it? Without a doubt.
TheFiatLux
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calumnus said:

TheFiatLux said:

Cal_79 said:

TheFiatLux said:

MoragaBear said:

Cal's made the mistake of hiring Cal guys far too often who weren't the right answer.

They needed to hire the best person for the job. If that person was a Cal grad, all the better, but it's certainly not the most important characteristic

Really, who? Seriously, who are the Cal people we've hired.

OK, Mike Williams.

But let's see none of the people in leadershpi positions recently have had Cal background. Oh,the one person in leadership position with a Cal background seems to be kicking ass, that would be the chancellor.

But who are these people with Cal backgrounds of whom you speak?

And which school did the chancellor attend as an undergrad?
The 24 years she spent at Cal certainly qualifies her as having Cal background. And it's showing in the results she is delivering. I don't want to seem like I'm digging in my heals here... There are plenty of times it's GREAT to have an outside perspective. I also think there are certain positions where it might REALLY help to have an inside perspecttive, a good feel, a shared insight with the people you'll be approaching. And what I was originally objecting to is the notion that just by dint of being hired by us, that makes that person most qualified.


I think you and other former mic people would be naturals. Former athletes too. I think Kate Scott would be perfect, maybe as a side gig?
One of the things you need on this, like in sales, is understanding what people want to do, and then really getting them to do it. You need people to close the deal. I read somewhere that if a donor says yes to what you first propose, you didn't ask for enough. I have no interest in doing this, tbh.
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