Internal AD Promotions

[Dmills]

Illinois State University names new COO, promote eight others to senior positions

Nine Illinois State University athletic staff employees received a senior staff promotion.

www.wjbc.com

 

[isuquinndog]

Congrats to Leanna and all the others.

But now you definitely know who is in charge of in game atmosphere at basketball games.

 

[Birdswin]

Titles are cheap - Results matter. Time will tell.......

 

[ChiRedbirdfan]

Phantom and Hulka's post in the Bradley game thread along with many other RBF post regarding poor ticket operations, poor game experience, poor attendance got me wondering about these promotions. We have an interim AD (whom is a marketing prof!) promoting AD staff that the new AD may or may not want as part of the team.... all the while our AD department is struggling with meaningful success in our 2 major sports and there appears to be general fan discontent. Further our athletic department coach/staff expenses are already, by far, the highest of the MVC public schools. They likely just got higher with these promotions. WTF is going on?

Edit...providing data to compare ISU Redbirds vs peer MVC public universities (source Illinois State Revenue and Finances - USA TODAY , Missouri State Revenue and Finances - USA TODAY, Northern Iowa Revenue and Finances - USA TODAY, Southern Illinois Revenue and Finances - USA TODAY, Indiana State Revenue and Finances - USA TODAY )

definition of coaching staff expenses from USA Today data sheet:
Coaching/staff: All salaries, bonuses and benefits reported on the university’s tax forms for coaches and staff, as well as amounts to coaches and staff from third parties that are guaranteed by the institution.

I am providing 5 most recent years (2018 thru 2022) available athletic department expense data (vs a one year comparison) to help smooth out comparison in case there are one time buyouts, one time expenses for any university:

ISU Redbirds. $50,841,000
Mo State Bears: $39,494,000
UNI Panthers: 35,033,000
SIU Salukis: $32,610,000
ISU Sycamores: $27,553,000

If ISU had chosen to be a prudent, such as the SIU Salukis were forced to be expense prudent,think of how ISU athletics could have built and paid for a much more robust/state of the art football practice facility with the +18,000,000 in salary/staff expense we had over SIU in the 5 year period.

Something is radically wrong at ISU Athletics, IMO. I could understand the difference if we had the results and notable facility advantage but we do not have either. ISU athletics appears to be horribly mismanaged from an expense/operational perspective. Again with these promotions things likely are growing more expensive than our peers.

I am very interested to hear others RBF posters perspective and insight.

 

[Reggie Redbird]

Phantom and Hulka's post in the Bradley game thread along with many other RBF post regarding poor ticket operations, poor game experience, poor attendance got me wondering about these promotions. We have an interim AD (whom is a marketing prof!) promoting AD staff that the new AD may or may not want as part of the team.... all the while our AD department is struggling with meaningful success in our 2 major sports and there appears to be general fan discontent. Further our athletic department coach/staff expenses are already, by far, the highest of the MVC public schools. They likely just got higher with these promotions. WTF is going on?

Edit...providing data to compare ISU Redbirds vs peer MVC public universities (source Illinois State Revenue and Finances - USA TODAY , Missouri State Revenue and Finances - USA TODAY, Northern Iowa Revenue and Finances - USA TODAY, Southern Illinois Revenue and Finances - USA TODAY, Indiana State Revenue and Finances - USA TODAY )

definition of coaching staff expenses from USA Today data sheet:
Coaching/staff: All salaries, bonuses and benefits reported on the university’s tax forms for coaches and staff, as well as amounts to coaches and staff from third parties that are guaranteed by the institution.

I am providing 5 most recent years (2018 thru 2022) available athletic department expense data (vs a one year comparison) to help smooth out comparison in case there are one time buyouts, one time expenses for any university:

ISU Redbirds. $50,841,000
Mo State Bears: $39,494,000
UNI Panthers: 35,033,000
SIU Salukis: $32,610,000
ISU Sycamores: $27,553,000

If ISU had chosen to be a prudent, such as the SIU Salukis were forced to be expense prudent,think of how ISU athletics could have built and paid for a much more robust/state of the art football practice facility with the +18,000,000 in salary/staff expense we had over SIU in the 5 year period.

Something is radically wrong at ISU Athletics, IMO. I could understand the difference if we had the results and notable facility advantage but we do not have either. ISU athletics appears to be horribly mismanaged from an expense/operational perspective. Again with these promotions things likely are growing more expensive than our peers.

I am very interested to hear others RBF posters perspective and insight.

1.) This does nothing to prevent a new AD from making changes.

2.). If you have ever worked with Mike Williams, you would know this is well-deserved for him. Same with Alex Cain, especially if you look at all the work on all the IHSA events we host/manage. I don’t know him, but I would guess Joe Klausner could argue record GPAs in most sports.

3.) 7 of the 8 promotions have nothing to do with what people are talking about as concerns: the sports themselves, marketing. fundraising, and strength/conditioning.

We’re talking people in facilities, compliance, academics. A lot of these people have been here a while and grossly underpaid vs people doing the same job (and often less work) than at bigger schools. My guess is to get some of these people into pay ranges where we can attempt to keep them.

 

[ChiRedbirdfan]

1.) This does nothing to prevent a new AD from making changes.

2.). If you have ever worked with Mike Williams, you would know this is well-deserved for him. Same with Alex Cain, especially if you look at all the work on all the IHSA events we host/manage. I don’t know him, but I would guess Joe Klausner could argue record GPAs in most sports.

3.) 7 of the 8 promotions have nothing to do with what people are talking about as concerns: the sports themselves, marketing. fundraising, and strength/conditioning.

We’re talking people in facilities, compliance, academics. A lot of these people have been here a while and grossly underpaid vs people doing the same job (and often less work) than at bigger schools. My guess is to get some of these people into pay ranges where we can attempt to keep them.

thanks for the feedback....Grossly underpaid based upon what data? that is a big statement given how expenses at ISU Athletics are already much higher than conference peers. ISU people doing the same job and more work than at bigger schools?....what "bigger schools"...are we not an mvc school with fcs football? why compare ISU to bigger schools?

To your point, the individual promotions may be deserved but timing is questionable IMO given new leadership on the way but we can agree to disagree. it is common in the private sector for promotion/hiring freezes when companies are going through changes or reorganizing. btw to your #1 do the promotions not make it more expensive to make changes..ie more expensive severance if necessary?

Reggie, take a look at the big picture of ISU athletic expenses which is where i was focused. Why is ISU such an adverse outlier from an expense perspective to its conference peers?

 

[Hamdonger]

Phantom and Hulka's post in the Bradley game thread along with many other RBF post regarding poor ticket operations, poor game experience, poor attendance got me wondering about these promotions. We have an interim AD (whom is a marketing prof!) promoting AD staff that the new AD may or may not want as part of the team.... all the while our AD department is struggling with meaningful success in our 2 major sports and there appears to be general fan discontent. Further our athletic department coach/staff expenses are already, by far, the highest of the MVC public schools. They likely just got higher with these promotions. WTF is going on?

Edit...providing data to compare ISU Redbirds vs peer MVC public universities (source Illinois State Revenue and Finances - USA TODAY , Missouri State Revenue and Finances - USA TODAY, Northern Iowa Revenue and Finances - USA TODAY, Southern Illinois Revenue and Finances - USA TODAY, Indiana State Revenue and Finances - USA TODAY )

definition of coaching staff expenses from USA Today data sheet:
Coaching/staff: All salaries, bonuses and benefits reported on the university’s tax forms for coaches and staff, as well as amounts to coaches and staff from third parties that are guaranteed by the institution.

I am providing 5 most recent years (2018 thru 2022) available athletic department expense data (vs a one year comparison) to help smooth out comparison in case there are one time buyouts, one time expenses for any university:

ISU Redbirds. $50,841,000
Mo State Bears: $39,494,000
UNI Panthers: 35,033,000
SIU Salukis: $32,610,000
ISU Sycamores: $27,553,000

If ISU had chosen to be a prudent, such as the SIU Salukis were forced to be expense prudent,think of how ISU athletics could have built and paid for a much more robust/state of the art football practice facility with the +18,000,000 in salary/staff expense we had over SIU in the 5 year period.

Something is radically wrong at ISU Athletics, IMO. I could understand the difference if we had the results and notable facility advantage but we do not have either. ISU athletics appears to be horribly mismanaged from an expense/operational perspective. Again with these promotions things likely are growing more expensive than our peers.

I am very interested to hear others RBF posters perspective and insight.

If we were winning in the men's revenue sports...this perhaps would be a moot point. But, we're not. So the question: Why are we not winning, given our budgets and facilities in comparison to other MVC(F) programs?

 

[MadBird]

Good read here from recent past that might help explain why AD Beggs did some hiring and promoting. She mentions something that I "translate" as trying to build a staff and a competence that might help ATTRACT a new AD to ISU. In other words, you're not coming in to start from scratch with a bare-bones operation that isn't doing jack - but coming in to take over a group of competent, active professionals that have already picked up the pieces from the little "glitch" presided over by the previous administration. Makes some sense to me. Beggs isn't new to the organization. She knows the problems, understands the needs, knows who it would be good to keep "happy" and engaged. Etc. Sure, a new AD might come in a blow up the operation and re-stock the personnel. But it seems like Beggs doesn't want to make that necessary for the new person.

Interim ISU Athletics Director Jeri Beggs wants to be more than a 'placeholder'

Illinois State University’s interim athletics director Jeri Beggs said Monday that she does not want to be “just a placeholder” and that she plans to proactively help the department plan for the future.

www.wglt.org

 

[Reggie Redbird]

thanks for the feedback....Grossly underpaid based upon what data? that is a big statement given how expenses at ISU Athletics are already much higher than conference peers. ISU people doing the same job and more work than at bigger schools?....what "bigger schools"...are we not an mvc school with fcs football? why compare ISU to bigger schools?

To your point, the individual promotions may be deserved but timing is questionable IMO given new leadership on the way but we can agree to disagree. it is common in the private sector for promotion/hiring freezes when companies are going through changes or reorganizing. btw to your #1 do the promotions not make it more expensive to make changes..ie more expensive severance if necessary?

Reggie, take a look at the big picture of ISU athletic expenses which is where i was focused. Why is ISU such an adverse outlier from an expense perspective to its conference peers?

I get it. You have a focus and nothing justifies those expenses if a few sports are not winning. You may not like my responses or disagree with Beggs’ moves, but I’ll try to provide additional insight. I also have a couple questions for you.

To #1, yes, but likely marginal. ISU could choose not to renew contracts. There might even be an opportunity to just end their employment. These are generally positions that a new AD would not clear house on, especially not when they begin their tenure. They wait for contracts to come up. It’s tough for an AD to come in and face 10 fires vs 2.

However, if a new AD is dumb enough to come in and immediately fire all of these people, racking up severance, I’m guessing that lighting an additional $30k (if that? over 8 people) on fire is the least of our worries.

I would also venture considering that we are paying a lot less in salaries considering the staff as it is today versus a few years back. A lot of experience was driven out by Brennan.

Besides 2, none have any real impact over the “money” sports as compared to supporting all sports. However, losing competent people with experience can lead to significant problems that do impact all operations. For example, the people who know about our facilities, their projects, etc.

We have people in these positions. They may not want to go to a bigger school, but it’s tough to turn down more money for less work. The person that Alex replaced went to a P5 school for more money and less work. You may say that we should let these people go to save money, but you don’t seem to give any credence the problems that would then occur without experienced people to handle them. A new AD may not want to come in to gaping holes in every area versus focusing on improving fundraising and marketing.

In terms of overall spend, I believe I addressed that in another thread comparing the number of sports/teams. Having several more sports is probably going to increase the number of staff people we have.

None of this is to say the last 6-7 years have been acceptable in our marquis/money sports. We have made some big blunders and bad hires. However to focus on the areas of the budget that are the furthest from that and likely are areas we are succeeding, I have to wonder if you have done much research. Feel free to share the work you did to dive into this!

Just a hypothetical: if KG makes the Sweet 16 and wants $25k more in pay to stay vs go elsewhere, would you support that raise?

 

[cubird]

Beggs still busy hiring AD for internal operations.

 

[Bird Friend]

I get it. You have a focus and nothing justifies those expenses if a few sports are not winning. You may not like my responses or disagree with Beggs’ moves, but I’ll try to provide additional insight. I also have a couple questions for you.

To #1, yes, but likely marginal. ISU could choose not to renew contracts. There might even be an opportunity to just end their employment. These are generally positions that a new AD would not clear house on, especially not when they begin their tenure. They wait for contracts to come up. It’s tough for an AD to come in and face 10 fires vs 2.

However, if a new AD is dumb enough to come in and immediately fire all of these people, racking up severance, I’m guessing that lighting an additional $30k (if that? over 8 people) on fire is the least of our worries.

I would also venture considering that we are paying a lot less in salaries considering the staff as it is today versus a few years back. A lot of experience was driven out by Brennan.

Besides 2, none have any real impact over the “money” sports as compared to supporting all sports. However, losing competent people with experience can lead to significant problems that do impact all operations. For example, the people who know about our facilities, their projects, etc.

We have people in these positions. They may not want to go to a bigger school, but it’s tough to turn down more money for less work. The person that Alex replaced went to a P5 school for more money and less work. You may say that we should let these people go to save money, but you don’t seem to give any credence the problems that would then occur without experienced people to handle them. A new AD may not want to come in to gaping holes in every area versus focusing on improving fundraising and marketing.

In terms of overall spend, I believe I addressed that in another thread comparing the number of sports/teams. Having several more sports is probably going to increase the number of staff people we have.

None of this is to say the last 6-7 years have been acceptable in our marquis/money sports. We have made some big blunders and bad hires. However to focus on the areas of the budget that are the furthest from that and likely are areas we are succeeding, I have to wonder if you have done much research. Feel free to share the work you did to dive into this!

Just a hypothetical: if KG makes the Sweet 16 and wants $25k more in pay to stay vs go elsewhere, would you support that raise?

If KG made a Sweet 16 and ONLY wanted another $25k/year . . . you'd deserve every bit of ridicule to be found if you didn't sign her to a long as extension.

 

[Reggie Redbird]

If KG made a Sweet 16 and ONLY wanted another $25k/year . . . you'd deserve every bit of ridicule to be found if you didn't sign her to a long as extension.

It was to make a point, considering that WBB is one of the biggest financial losses in the department. Personally, I love our WBB team and what they are building. Using ChiRedbirdfan’s argument above, he would be against any efforts to retain a successful coach not in MBB. His logic would say it is a bad move because it increases expenses.

 

[Bird Friend]

It was to make a point, considering that WBB is one of the biggest financial losses in the department. Personally, I love our WBB team and what they are building. Using ChiRedbirdfan’s argument above, he would be against any efforts to retain a successful coach not in MBB. His logic would say it is a bad move because it increases expenses.

I was just agreeing with your point . . . and my point still stands . . . so there!

 

[Reggie1857]

Titles are cheap - Results matter. Time will tell.......

It’s Illinois State, there’s no consequences for poor results in athletics administration.

 

[SlackBooDom]

It’s Illinois State, there’s no consequences for poor results in athletics administration.

I've asked you this before, but are there concrete facts and evidence of poor performance you'd like to see and what are the consequences you wanted? It seems you just post vague accusatory unhappy statements without much backing.

 

[Reggie1857]

are there concrete facts and evidence of poor performance you'd like to see

No, not really, I’ve think we’ve already seen too much of that at Illinois State.

what are the consequences you wanted?

To see poor performance met with pink slips, not retention/promotion. Why is this such a controversial take for you?

 

[SlackBooDom]

No, not really, I’ve think we’ve already seen too much of that at Illinois State.

To see poor performance net with pink slips, not retention/promotion. Why is this such a controversial take for you?

Not controversial. I just think you’re soft.