WestWYOPoke said:
McPeachy, I'm curious what type of small-time thinking you think needs correcting. I know most would advocate elite-level pay to bring in elite-level coaches (and assistants), but I'm curious what other type of changes you think need to be made. Not attacking in any way, just curious as to your thoughts.
The short version.
This is a sore point. I realize you are not attacking, and hopefully most will look at this post as just my opinion. My resume is long...I have lived in some awesome university communities in my life, and traveled to see UW athletic events from Gainesville to Pullman, and a hundred places between.
I believe we need a visionary at the helm...or maybe 3 visionaries (as I have kind of changed my target):
1. UW President - Check so far
2. Wyoming Governor - NOT a check, and until the election, won't be a check
3. UW AD - NOT a check, and never will be a check
I am using the term "We" loosely here - as "We" is mostly the AD department (top - down) but you have to also look at the Wyoming governor's office and UW presidents office as well.
Athletically speaking - which to me, IS certainly the front porch to the university (see Utah example above):
We are a small-time thinking University. We do just as much as we need to, to get the job done. When we talk about getting the job done, we often are directed to the bag of excuses, instead of striving to be the best. We pride ourselves with "doing the most with the least". We are satisfied playing down, and are satisfied if we just "compete". We are happy that our athletic budget fits within the parameters of our MWC peers - instead of striving to grow it to a level that exceeds those direct competitors (MWC).
We don't think outside of the box. Nor do we have that ability, given who is who in the state right now. We built barely decent football stadium suites, and appear to be headed to do the same in the AA - if that gets done. We used to be the Joneses - hell even ASU modeled Sun Devil Stadium after the War. Nowadays, we don't even try to keep up anymore. We had forced change - and thankfully the Rochelles & Joe Glenn (and Gary Barta), but those days have even slipped by.
When it comes to MWC sports - we don't win, and we don't bring home championships. Further example: Women's hoops. Who would have thought that Wyoming would embrace women's hoops 10 years ago? Probably nobody, seriously. But Wyoming wants a winner so damn bad, they have become the Wyomingite favorite - and deservedly so.
TBC