I will play.
Would you have convened the meeting that Dr. Gross convened regarding Fab Melo?
Not knowing all the facts, if the options related to Mr. Melo's academic issue were in accordance to those of any student at Syracuse University, I would indeed convene that meeting. Different schools have different bylaws. In my opinion, while student athletes face numerous additional responsibilities than perhaps the typical enrollee, they are not above being a student first.
Would you have agreed to petition the professor to allow for a grade change one year following the completion of the class, even if it were permitted under University academic rules?
I would need to consult the student handbook and speak to the provost on what rules and bylaws are in place for any and all students at Syracuse University.
Would you retain Herman Frazier and Renee Baumgartner?
Understanding the demands of the position as related to by the Chancellor, the Board of Directors and the trustees, my job is to get a thorough understanding of the landscape, the health and the current operations. I do not see my job as one of "cleaning house" but rather, maintain and promote the excellence of Syracuse University's reputation, brand and experience to alumni, current students and future ones.
Part of that process would be to get to know each and every person. Mr. Frazier and Ms. Baumgartner made career and personal decisions to commit to Syracuse University and we owe them the respect of their accomplishments to assess them thoroughly. I make no guarantees on anything I have not thoroughly assessed with my own eyes and ears.
However, Mr. OrangePA, if the question is to insinuate that they should or should not be retained, I would greatly respect the biases of the current administration as I factor in whether or not I may be the right fit for you an this great school.
Would you retain Sue Edson?
See answer above.
What changes, if any, would you make to the Carrier Dome?
The Dome is a unique facility. It is, quite literally, historic in it being the first branded stadium deal and it is rare that a college facility become so synonymous with the college programs that take place in it.
To properly respond to that, I would need to see the operating costs, budgeting, revenue generated and the overall P&L to identify the opportunities and areas to consider further. At (SCHOOL X), I lead the (fundraise/building of, etc. of relatable experience.)
I also need to consult with the Chancellor to properly understand the vision for the University and long-term opportunities that may lie to best determine any changes.
What the Athletic Department's most pressing infrastructure needs at this point?
I do not know the answer to that.
What I can say is that, historically, the University has an excellent reputation. As a private institution, there are numerous advantages and disadvantages that coincide, so any pressing infrastructure change must be assessed versus the needs of the overall University.
But I would offer this. The most pressing need for the department is leadership. Our "friends" in Indianapolis ushered sizable sanctions across multiple programs. The Hall of Fame men's basketball coach was singled out and pointed to. And based on what I read in those 90+ pages, while there was some thing that made me wince - and are things that absolutely are wrong - the allegations that Syracuse University men's basketball program was out of control are simply false.
And yet the media does not study the true facts. The media reports, perhaps sensationalizes, the punishments. Very few people read for the truth, and if they did, perhaps they would find more questions than answers. As I see it, the most pressing issue has nothing to do with infrastructure, but of leadership and the restoration of confidence and pride that Athletics at Syracuse University
Would you retain the present Athletic Department Compliance Director?
Would you return the name "Orangemen" to the men's teams and "Orangewomen" to the women's teams?
F**k yes.
Would you continue with the Oregon-like uniform approach in football?
We are Syracuse University. We need to be and act like Syracuse University, so I don't care what Oregon does. We need to commit to a uniform approach to how we go about outfitting our teams on the field. And while I am old school person at heart, we also live in a world where the Cleveland Browns - the Browns! - perhaps the most traditional member of the most conservative organization on earth came out with nine uniform combinations.
No one should be a chameleon, so doing what everyone else is doing is foolish. But so is doing what you've always done before without being open to change.
What must Scott Shafer do in 2015 to retain his job? What kind of extension would you give him?
Look, we all know 3-9 is not going to cut it on an annualized basis.
But I need to meet Scott Shafer the man. Get a sense of his beliefs, his passions, his approach. His plan to get Syracuse University Football as high in the rankings as they are in the graduation rate, which has been excellent.
We all know of the economic impact football has at for any P5 school. What we have to look at is, do we have the proper support in place to help Scott succeed? Does he have all the nutrients needed for a strong program to grow? It seems that while there have been recent progress to help grow football - ACC, indoor facility - we are in the lower threshold in many economic areas to support the program OTHER than absorbing the cost of a valued scholarship for 85 young men to receive a wonderful, private education at Syracuse.
As such, I am not comfortable saying Scott needs X amount of wins in 2015. I want to understand the program, the man, talk to alumni and see what great things can be accomplished on and off the field this season.
Will you honor Mike Hopkins' contract to be the next HC?
If I am the Athletic Director at any school, I would need the ability to make the decision on the coaches.
What sport would you eliminate and what sport would you add?
I don't think the discussion on what to eliminate and what to add is the way I look at Athletics. I believe in looking at the totality of the department, it's relationship and role to the Syracuse University community, understand the financial realities across the board...and then eventually perhaps get to a sport-by-sport, by gender, assessment. Do that now without doing the prior is, to me, jumping the gun.
To what extent should our athletes receive stipends or additional monetary benefits - should we match say, Ohio State dollar for dollar?
I am old school. I believe the ability to get an incredible education at a great school for free along with the academic offerings like tutoring and the opportunity to play sports at the highest level is worth a lot.
That said, I walked into Manny's earlier and saw various student-athlete jerseys for sale. Who does that benefit? Does the student-athlete benefit from a 9pm EST Monday night game on the road at Georgia Tech?
I know most of the P5 athletic directors and we all look around and say "Where does it end? How is the cost at a Tennessee 4.5x more than a Syracuse or a Boston College?" So while the reality is I would not pay student-athletes, the issue is indeed bigger than Syracuse University and we need to stay admit the conversation with the peers. Being old school in spirit, but progressive to not lose ground on the reality is one of the most challenging issues any athletic director faces.
