Napa, within the context of departmental/university budget, you are correct.

But we have to look at that discussion from another vantage point. Although alumni giving for athletics has probably never been overwhelming, I suspect it has plummeted since Amodio's disgraceful handling of the Everhart firing. Amodio had announced the formation of some kind of billionaires club for athletics, but since we haven't seen the fruits of this wooing of deep-pocketed benefactors, I imagine it was simply another ill-conceived Amodio idea. Among its other flaws, I think it drove another wedge between the University & athletic department and the small and mid-sized donors. The season ticket holders, for example.

Mr. Harper has an impressive fundraising background, to which I also hope he has expertise in bridge-building. I see on other internet sites that certain folks brag about meeting with Mr. Harper to offer him advice on a number of topics (these are the same folks who had Amodio's ear), and while they may be able to offer insight as to what has kept them involved (hint: what's in it for them), they don't represent the larger population that's gone away quietly into the night. This is where the bridge building must begin.

I commend Tejas Duke (he doesn't like me either) for reaching out to Mr. Harper and having an on-going conversation with him. Tejas is a fellow sufferer, has major frustrations even WRT trying to give the school money it didn't seem to want to take. Tejas, like me, is a long-distance fan, so guys like Tejas and me don't get to glad-hand with the AD, so what he did, IMHO, was important.

I plan to reach out shortly to Mr. Harper myself, simply to provide one of those little donations to WBB. I don't want "gimmes" or "tchotchkes" or bragging rights about an audience while crushing posters on this board elsewhere on the internet, having disappeared from this board when the 10-game losing streak started.

But I digress. I simply want to say thank you in a small way for the enjoyment I got watching one of the top WBB teams in the nation, and knowing that they wore red and blue.

I hope everyone who reads and posts here will follow Tejas' lead. I think if Mr. Harper is going to have any chance to fix this mess, there are people here who can help him understand context behind the exodus of fans, alumni and support, and perhaps start the process of bringing the faithful back. What he hears from those who were closest to Amodio is only half of the story, or less.

Otherwise, the hoity toity that have fed off our misery as fans and alumni will continue to have their way. And the program will sink further into oblivion, if that's possible.

Now, don't misunderstand me. I think we all have to work together. But we have to get a representative seat at the table, first. And there are PLENTY of posters on this board I think could take the lead on this. You folks know who you are (it's not me, I've been persona non grata for years). Talk to Mr. Harper, let him know how Amodio screwed this up, and help him fix things.

I think the future depends on it.


 

ElDuque wrote:

Napa, within the context of departmental/university budget, you are correct.

But we have to look at that discussion from another vantage point. Although alumni giving for athletics has probably never been overwhelming, I suspect it has plummeted since Amodio's disgraceful handling of the Everhart firing. Amodio had announced the formation of some kind of billionaires club for athletics, but since we haven't seen the fruits of this wooing of deep-pocketed benefactors, I imagine it was simply another ill-conceived Amodio idea. Among its other flaws, I think it drove another wedge between the University & athletic department and the small and mid-sized donors. The season ticket holders, for example.

Mr. Harper has an impressive fundraising background, to which I also hope he has expertise in bridge-building. I see on other internet sites that certain folks brag about meeting with Mr. Harper to offer him advice on a number of topics (these are the same folks who had Amodio's ear), and while they may be able to offer insight as to what has kept them involved (hint: what's in it for them), they don't represent the larger population that's gone away quietly into the night. This is where the bridge building must begin.

I commend Tejas Duke (he doesn't like me either) for reaching out to Mr. Harper and having an on-going conversation with him. Tejas is a fellow sufferer, has major frustrations even WRT trying to give the school money it didn't seem to want to take. Tejas, like me, is a long-distance fan, so guys like Tejas and me don't get to glad-hand with the AD, so what he did, IMHO, was important.

I plan to reach out shortly to Mr. Harper myself, simply to provide one of those little donations to WBB. I don't want "gimmes" or "tchotchkes" or bragging rights about an audience while crushing posters on this board elsewhere on the internet, having disappeared from this board when the 10-game losing streak started.

But I digress. I simply want to say thank you in a small way for the enjoyment I got watching one of the top WBB teams in the nation, and knowing that they wore red and blue.

I hope everyone who reads and posts here will follow Tejas' lead. I think if Mr. Harper is going to have any chance to fix this mess, there are people here who can help him understand context behind the exodus of fans, alumni and support, and perhaps start the process of bringing the faithful back. What he hears from those who were closest to Amodio is only half of the story, or less.

Otherwise, the hoity toity that have fed off our misery as fans and alumni will continue to have their way. And the program will sink further into oblivion, if that's possible.

Now, don't misunderstand me. I think we all have to work together. But we have to get a representative seat at the table, first. And there are PLENTY of posters on this board I think could take the lead on this. You folks know who you are (it's not me, I've been persona non grata for years). Talk to Mr. Harper, let him know how Amodio screwed this up, and help him fix things.

I think the future depends on it.


 

Good post, I think we can all agree, we would like to win more often than lose, but seem to have  40 years of just the  opposite.  If the admin. needs to analyse anything to win, it' to find a coach. And one that has those  traits that the young coach  at Butler possessed a couple of years ago.Go out there and find an assist. coach from a TOP LEVEL  program that comes in here in an interview and explains his knowledge of defenses, of  scouting the opponents, of  game time court strategy, and  half time adjustments, and  his knowledge of player development, and for that matter, his ability to develop within the team a team concept of winning. And even when we find that coach, and he can win, we had better have a plan inplace to be scouting his replacement, because, when they are that successful, they leave for better jobs. Even Xavier goes thru coaches every 5 or 6 years for the same reason. That coach from Butler left. Calipari, moved up with every chance he could get.  A long term strategy involves understanding that the coach is the key and not just anybody from a lower league. We recruit offense, but coaches teach defense once they are here.  Right now, we are in a very bad spot. Ferry can recruit, can make excuses, but is not a defensive wizzard to say the least.  His biggest responsibility and impact on this team in the game is defense.  Watch the recruits highlight videos, great offense, but no one is coming from HS showing off his defensive skills?? Wonder why?  Because they don't actually exist in HS. Defense on winning teams is a team effort, that is learned once you get here, or you don't get it at all.  Worst thing is, if the coach don't actually know how to  teach defense, ( I mean winning defense)  then we are just piling on more years of losing.     

I know many don't want to speak of potential new coaches for our program but someone spoke of this idea in an earlier post and I completely agree.

I'd rather get an assistant from a P5 school than a successful head coach from a terrible conference (ferry).

I just think due to their experiences in "the big leagues" they know what needs to be done. Even if they weren't the #1 leader they were still out there every practice bringing the best skills to the best players in the country.

They come from where we want to be

Just food for thought. 

Rant? That was a dadblasted good post.

Hilltopper wrote:

Napa, expect we don't agree on many of the particulars on how to get there but heart and mind and DU basketball is not one.  

If you will allow me to make a point.  Chuck Noll came here to coach a joke of a franchise of the old NFL. How bad was it? Art Rooney, the loved owner, went from being known as sort of helpless "Old Art Rooney" to become plain "Old Fart Rooney." After Forbes was torn down by Pitt to expand campus the awful Steelers moved to then Pitt Stadium where your DU ID card and 50 cents would get you in any Sunday.  That's how bad.  His first year here Chuck won just one game.  Yet, there was an unmistakable air about him around town of expectation. Pittsburgh sports writers were the first to notice, the Steelers may be losing on the scoreboard but something was noticably different in the game box scores that first year.  It was time of possession - even while losing more than 10 games, the Steelers were close to or mostly winning "time of possession."  This was before Mean Joe, Lambert, Bradshaw, Franco and on. Interestingly, coach Noll who never played D in the NFL, had played college at fellow A-10 Dayton, not exactly OSU, then joined the Browns as undersized Offensive Guard -  yet became the originator of a ball control, in your face, smash mouth storied Defense pro franchise for nearly 2 decades, as we all know.

We can all agree Ferry will talk defense -"we talk about it all the time" - but so far seems not to be in his DNA to make it the priority. It starts and ends with him.  
 

Joe Greene was here from day one of Chuck Noll's tenure. He was the first player Noll drafted, and he suffered through the 1-13 season. The Steelers have lost more than 10 games once since then (5-11 in 1988).

IronDuke81, I'm hoping you'll be among the first to get to know Mr. Harper. You, PistolPete, others in the 'burgh who can be a better voice in his ear than the Amodio cronies who have spent the past four years tearing the fan base apart and supporting the "gather the driftwood and try to make something out of it" approach. Wet wood doesn't replace bricks.

Mulder, VBS, young guys, old guys ... Get involved.