The Illinois AD Search

[Second and Chalmers]

If we end up with Tiley, a guy I was hoping would take the job when Guenther left, I'll forget a lot of what happened over the past 6-7 months and be excited to follow Illini sports again.

Any new AD is almost completely powerless to stop what the next 2-3 years are going to bring.

The most exciting part of being an Illini fan during that period is (hopefully) going to be the design, financing, and breaking ground on a football facility.

 

[Hoppy2105]

Yep. Which puts me in "Tiley or Bust" territory.

If we end up with Tiley, a guy I was hoping would take the job when Guenther left, I'll forget a lot of what happened over the past 6-7 months and be excited to follow Illini sports again.

If we don't, I'll probably speed up and complete the journey I'm currently on towards total apathy.

I'm on the same journey. Hopefully we won't ever make it.

 

[HerbertFish]

Any new AD is almost completely powerless to stop what the next 2-3 years are going to bring.

The most exciting part of being an Illini fan during that period is (hopefully) going to be the design, financing, and breaking ground on a football facility.

On the football side, yeah probably. On the basketball side there's stuff to be done that can divert our attention away.

 

[Hoppy2105]

Any new AD is almost completely powerless to stop what the next 2-3 years are going to bring.

The most exciting part of being an Illini fan during that period is (hopefully) going to be the design, financing, and breaking ground on a football facility.

And with Tiley's proven abilities at fund raising and revamping programs, I feel he will be able to do it!

 

[Second and Chalmers]

The wrong person could get lucky and hire a Barry Alvarez, just like the right person could hire the wrong person. I'd still rather have an excellent person making the decision.

The problem is, the excellence of the person making the decision is always determined ex post facto by how successful the coach turned out to be.

That part of the job is really just a crapshoot.

 

[Second and Chalmers]

And with Tiley's proven abilities at fund raising and revamping programs, I feel he will be able to do it!

He does seem well suited to that part of it.

 

[mattcoldagelli]

Any new AD is almost completely powerless to stop what the next 2-3 years are going to bring.

The most exciting part of being an Illini fan during that period is (hopefully) going to be the design, financing, and breaking ground on a football facility.

You're a Cubs fan. I don't have to explain this to you.

 

[Second and Chalmers]

You're a Cubs fan. I don't have to explain this to you.

Eh, an AD doesn't have the level of control over things to orchestrate a symphony of rebuilding like what Theo did.

I'd be flabbergasted if the hire isn't Tiley, Whitman or Michael, because the money has commanded that one of their own take charge. I see a lot less difference between the three than most here. None of them present a certainty of success or disaster, IMO.

 

[illini39]

I just don't think things have been dragged out this far if they weren't going to make a legitimate run at Tiley while still trying to lure George. TM would only be named if both these fail. I do agree he will be chosen over the other non-Illini candidates... it just seems to be gong that way.

 

[IlliniOX08]

Eh, an AD doesn't have the level of control over things to orchestrate a symphony of rebuilding like what Theo did.

I'd be flabbergasted if the hire isn't Tiley, Whitman or Michael, because the money has commanded that one of their own take charge. I see a lot less difference between the three than most here. None of them present a certainty of success or disaster, IMO.

As a hypothetical, do you think if the hire is Tiley that he brings more Illinois guys in as his right hand man etc...? Whitman, for as much as I don't want him being the guy right now, seems like a great candidate to be in a supporting role.

 

[mattcoldagelli]

Eh, an AD doesn't have the level of control over things to orchestrate a symphony of rebuilding like what Theo did.

I'd be flabbergasted if the hire isn't Tiley, Whitman or Michael, because the money has commanded that one of their own take charge. I see a lot less difference between the three than most here. None of them present a certainty of success or disaster, IMO.

Obviously there's no certainty and every hire has risk, especially for a job as messy as this one.

I just think there's one guy out of that group that is leaps and bounds ahead when it comes orchestrating turnarounds, getting people to fall in line on ambitious plans, and just generally being a leader that can galvanize the groups he needs.

 

[icengineer]

As a hypothetical, do you think if the hire is Tiley that he brings more Illinois guys in as his right hand man etc...? Whitman, for as much as I don't want him being the guy right now, seems like a great candidate to be in a supporting role.

I can dig it.

 

[Second and Chalmers]

Whitman, for as much as I don't want him being the guy right now, seems like a great candidate to be in a supporting role.

Not sure where this idea that Whitman is a green, inexperienced kid comes from. If I'm not mistaken, he has the most experience as an actual athletic director of anyone on that list of 7.

 

[Deleted member 569417]

Eh, an AD doesn't have the level of control over things to orchestrate a symphony of rebuilding like what Theo did.

I'd be flabbergasted if the hire isn't Tiley, Whitman or Michael, because the money has commanded that one of their own take charge. I see a lot less difference between the three than most here. None of them present a certainty of success or disaster, IMO.

I don't know how you can look at Tiley and see little difference between the other two. Saying Whitman and Michael are about the same - I'll get behind you on that, but Tiley has taken a Grand Slam tournament in name only and helped turned it into one of the most exciting and beloved tournaments on the circuit. 45% increase in sponsorship dollars YoY in 2015. Almost doubling of the TV deal money 14 to 15. $300M+ in revenues per year. He's managing a budget of $200M vs Whitman managing a budget of $7M and Michael managing a $13M budget. Tiley is light years ahead of the both of them in terms of accomplishments and success. It's not even the same game. It's like saying there's little difference between Pee Wee football and the NFL.

You are correct that nothing is ever a certainty, however, in my mind, Tiley is a 2 seed, Whitman a 15 seed, and Michael a 16. Nothing is a given, but if I'm charged with putting the Illinois athletic program in the best possible position, I'm taking the 2 seed every single time.

And, honestly Tiley is light years ahead of Rick George as well.

 

[Joel Goodson]

I don't know how you can look at Tiley and see little difference between the other two. Saying Whitman and Michael are about the same - I'll get behind you on that, but Tiley has taken a Grand Slam tournament in name only and helped turned it into one of the most exciting and beloved tournaments on the circuit. 45% increase in sponsorship dollars YoY in 2015. Almost doubling of the TV deal money 14 to 15. $300M+ in revenues per year. He's managing a budget of $200M vs Whitman managing a budget of $7M and Michael managing a $13M budget. Tiley is light years ahead of the both of them in terms of accomplishments and success. It's not even the same game. It's like saying there's little difference between Pee Wee football and the NFL.

You are correct that nothing is ever a certainty, however, in my mind, Tiley is a 2 seed, Whitman a 15 seed, and Michael a 16. Nothing is a given, but if I'm charged with putting the Illinois athletic program in the best possible position, I'm taking the 2 seed every single time.

And, honestly Tiley is light years ahead of Rick George as well.

Very well put. The only reason Tiley's a 2 seed, is his non-football background. FWIW, I don't think the lack of a football pedigree matters. The man is a grand slam. Hire him. Sit back, watch and enjoy.

 

[Butkuser]

Yep. Which puts me in "Tiley or Bust" territory.

If we end up with Tiley, a guy I was hoping would take the job when Guenther left, I'll forget a lot of what happened over the past 6-7 months and be excited to follow Illini sports again.

If we don't, I'll probably speed up and complete the journey I'm currently on towards total apathy.

I am right with you brother. If he was indeed there, how could you possibly let a guy go who flew in from running the Australian Open!

The second his butt hit the seat, they should have just handed him a check with no numbers on it and said "just fill that in at your leisure, and welcome aboard!"

 

[Second and Chalmers]

Tiley is light years ahead of the both of them in terms of accomplishments and success.

I agree with that. But I think that somewhat misunderstands the nature of the job. The job is to cajole and backslap the usual suspects into opening up their wallets, navigate the awful, byzantine bureaucracy of U of I to advocate for the department's interests, and operate in the coaching market both with their own expertise and in communication with agents and other coaches and the like.

Tom Michael is well-known and well liked by these donors having panhandled them for money for years, he knows where all the bodies are buried in terms of DIA's relationship with campus, and his fingerprints are all over the seemingly well-executed SFC project. If he's Ron Guenther except born after 1865 and without the Nixonian paranoia, that's a pretty nice place to start.

Whitman is also a known commodity to the donor community, and as an advocate within the University, he's basically the platonic ideal of an Illinois student-athlete. No one is going to have more credibility arguing for how to handle the academics of the football team than the Bronze Tablet undergrad, Summa Cum Laude law school grad who is also a Paul Bunyanesque former NFL player with a voice like Don Draper. He's a cold-blooded killer.

I have been convinced that Tiley is the best of the three, for the reasons you mentioned. The guy obviously has a proven "it" factor. But acting like these other two are disasters is just creating stakes and drama for its own sake, IMO.

The thing that would make Michael or Whitman so outrageous is that either guy would have walked over broken glass to take the job the day Thomas was fired. THAT'S the "we don't care" message that would be sent.

 

[Butkuser]

The scary thing about the ongoing discussion between Second and Jiro here, is that I feel they both have more compelling ideas and opinions than I credit the people making the actual decision.

With kudos to you others who have weighed in with good info and insights as well.

 

[Deleted member 569417]

Tom Michael is well-known and well liked by these donors having panhandled them for money for years, he knows where all the bodies are buried in terms of DIA's relationship with campus, and his fingerprints are all over the seemingly well-executed SFC project. If he's Ron Guenther except born after 1865 and without the Nixonian paranoia, that's a pretty nice place to start.

Whitman is also a known commodity to the donor community, and as an advocate within the University, he's basically the platonic ideal of an Illinois student-athlete. No one is going to have more credibility arguing for how to handle the academics of the football team than the Bronze Tablet undergrad, Summa Cum Laude law school grad who is also a Paul Bunyanesque former NFL player with a voice like Don Draper. He's a cold-blooded killer.

I understand your points. I don't see the words "win" or "success" anywhere in those descriptions.

If all the AD does is make the donors feel good, then yes, all three will likely work out fine.

I want the AD to be focused solely on creating a winning on field product. Period. If we win, especially in football, the donors will erect a statue for them. Win and the donors will flock to you. Attract a small cadre of donors and don't win, and we have 19 years of Ron Guenther.

Craig Tiley is a proven winner. Whitman and Micheal are not.

 

[Second and Chalmers]

I want the AD to be focused solely on creating a winning on field product.

We just fired that guy.

I know that this is the open job right now and this is the shiny new toy that we're going to have sometime in the next week (month? year?), so everyone is committed to this being THE MOMENT that everything turns around. But I think that's pretty misguided.

 

[TMC999]

Yep. Which puts me in "Tiley or Bust" territory.

If we end up with Tiley, a guy I was hoping would take the job when Guenther left, I'll forget a lot of what happened over the past 6-7 months and be excited to follow Illini sports again.

If we don't, I'll probably speed up and complete the journey I'm currently on towards total apathy.

+0.5 (becoming too uncaring to type a whole number)...

 

[TooHot4Tots]

Most folks have enough sense to realize this is not an overnight fix and that it will take time no matter who the new hire will be.

 

[IlliniOX08]

Not sure where this idea that Whitman is a green, inexperienced kid comes from. If I'm not mistaken, he has the most experience as an actual athletic director of anyone on that list of 7.

The idea is that his experience as an AD is at UW Lacrosse and Washington U. in StL. He doesn't have experience running a bigger organization where the stakes are higher.

If he was as fast of a rising star as what he's made out to be, why is he still in DIII after 7 years? Why do we seem to be the only ones giving him chase? Sorry if the notion that he's green offends some, but it doesn't appear to me that anyone else is willing to give him a shot yet. Why do we have to be the guinea pigs.. because he has Illinois ties? That's not good enough, IMO.

Again, if Tiley or someone else wants to bring him in as the Associate AD, I'm all for that. There's not much else on his resume to suggest he's ready for a B1G AD role.

 

[champaignchris]

Not sure where this idea that Whitman is a green, inexperienced kid comes from. If I'm not mistaken, he has the most experience as an actual athletic director of anyone on that list of 7.

People are looking at Whitman's experience at Div III schools and equating it to being the AD at someplace like Millikin or Illinois Weslyan.

Wisconsin Lacrosse is a school of 10,000 students that participates in 17 different intercollegiate sports. They don't offer scholarships, but otherwise in terms of number of staff, students, facilities, and so on, it's very similar to non-BCS division I public schools, like a Missouri Valley or MAC school.

Wash U is even bigger, 14,000 students, with more sports and a much bigger budget. As one of the "Hidden Ivies" they get a ton of alumni support. In Whitman's first year there, they broke ground on a $55 million multi-purpose athletics facility.

Yes, going from a year at Wash U to U of I would be a big leap. But it wouldn't be THAT big of a leap. The more standard career path would be for Whitman to transition from Wash U. to a lower tier Div. I job (like a Moutain West or AAC job) or as the top assistant in a big-big time job (Texas, Stanford, Michigan, etc.) before taking on a Big 10 school, but this wouldn't be as extreme a step up as people want to make it out to be.

The only thing that would really bother me about a Whitman hire is that it could have been done two months ago, and then we wouldn't have had to deal with the Cubit nonsense.

 

[Second and Chalmers]

If he was as fast of a rising star as what he's made out to be, why is he still in DIII after 7 years? Why do we seem to be the only ones giving him chase?

Do we know that he hasn't had other offers or other interest? How much do we know about any of this?