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<blockquote data-quote="Second and Chalmers" data-source="post: 1385869" data-attributes="member: 527609"><p>I would actually agree, and that just reveals how little of an AD's job is properly measured by looking at a broad-based measure of the coaches he hired.</p><p></p><p>The fundamental duty of an Athletic Director is to manage the brand of the University's sports program. The first thing that flows from that is that football and men's basketball are the only things that matter, weighted slightly toward football. Burning a successful football program to ashes makes an AD a failure on that alone. But it goes deeper than just wins and losses. Illinois basketball was largely excellent under Guenther, and the football team did not lack for good years and exciting moments. But between 1992 and 2011, RG's tenure, Illinois absolutely sprinted backwards relative to its peer schools as a recruiting destination, an entity of local and national media interest, a merchandising operation, a box-office draw, a game experience and atmosphere, in every measure that looks beyond W/L record to the health of the business, Illini sports atrophied away to nothing under RG's leadership.</p><p></p><p>Empty tailgate lots on fall Saturdays. That's Ron Guenther's legacy.</p></blockquote><p></p>
[QUOTE="Second and Chalmers, post: 1385869, member: 527609"] I would actually agree, and that just reveals how little of an AD's job is properly measured by looking at a broad-based measure of the coaches he hired. The fundamental duty of an Athletic Director is to manage the brand of the University's sports program. The first thing that flows from that is that football and men's basketball are the only things that matter, weighted slightly toward football. Burning a successful football program to ashes makes an AD a failure on that alone. But it goes deeper than just wins and losses. Illinois basketball was largely excellent under Guenther, and the football team did not lack for good years and exciting moments. But between 1992 and 2011, RG's tenure, Illinois absolutely sprinted backwards relative to its peer schools as a recruiting destination, an entity of local and national media interest, a merchandising operation, a box-office draw, a game experience and atmosphere, in every measure that looks beyond W/L record to the health of the business, Illini sports atrophied away to nothing under RG's leadership. Empty tailgate lots on fall Saturdays. That's Ron Guenther's legacy. [/QUOTE]
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