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Phil Dubois!!

4

49ers!!

Member
hey ya'll.

I am a current student at Charlotte. I know that Phil Dubois our chancellor was ya'lls former president. Of recent phil has recommeded football for our school, that was approved by our trustees. that was in nov. of 08. Well recently i have been reading troubling threads on our sports forum calling for his resignation. I think this is crazy to try and fire the guy that just gave us football just over six months ago. We are not scheduled to begin football till 2013 and i feel like there is a lot of time before we need to make any rash decisions like that. Though i do recognize we are in the south and we all know college football is King. The reason for me posting on your board is i have heard he had a major affect on your sports program espicially football. i was wondering if there is any truth to this and if ya'll could give me any insight on how he approached athletics at ya'lls institution.

Thank you
concerned 49er
 
HI 49ers,

I am not sure I can give you a great answer but I will try. In terms of athletics, during Phil's tenure we saw our football program completely fall apart, while our basketball program had some great years before becoming mediocre (somewhat similar to what you have guys have experienced). However, I am not sure that Dubois really deserves much blame for the Football program, the elements that led to its downfall were in place prior to his tenure.

One of the positives that I am sure you will see listed is that the University of Wyoming raised funds for and/or completed significant capital improvements during his tenure. Several of those were athletics related, included the Rochelle Athletics Center (training facilities, etc.), an Indoor Practice Facility (important in our climate at 7200') and other improvements. During part of this time, it was not exactly a big accomplishment to raise funds from both private and public sources as the state was running annual surpluses in the billions of dollars (very significant considering our state population is only 500k).

Overall, I think it is fair to say that Dubois was generally supportive of athletics, which is not always the case for a school president, and I think that would bode well for fans of 49er athletics. However, I wouldn't say there is anything in his record at Wyoming that indicates he is a visionary when it comes to athletics. I don't think he made a great hire when he hired Gary Barta to become our AD (but what do I know, Iowa thought enough of Gary to hire him away from us), but overall I don't think you can subscribe too much to the University President, beyond the hiring of the Athletic Director and some other key functions, when it comes to athletic success of a University.

I am curious as to what you have heard about him, or what your concerns are? I know you guys are running into some hurdles (current economic conditions) in getting the football program off the ground, do you think it will still happen?
 
Nowhere put it pretty good. Phil was single handidly responsible for a color change for athletics, that ruffled some feathers (and some folks are still pissed off about it). It cost the Univesity hundreds of thousands of dollars when it was all said and done, and changed back. We UW fans can banter that topic all day...either way, he probably should have left the marketing of athletics...up to athletics.

The AD Phil hired, Gary Barta, had a support staff that was incredible. Gary ran a pretty good department, but he was handed a staff (and group of coaches) that was exceptional (Barbara Burke, John Stark, etc.). Had Gary had the current staff, he probably couldn't make it happen. A bunch of UW fans would maybe say Gary had no balls, and avoided conflict, but who really knows. Phil did hire him though...for what it's worth. Gary isn't hitting homeruns at Iowa right now...so we will see in a few short years what transpires.
 
my concerns are that people are saying he isn't pushing our program to raise the capital needed to start it. They said if we don't sell 5,000 FSL (football seat licenses) by october that it is possible they would revoke football. I think this is a way to scare people to start purchasing fsl's. Otherwise, they wouldn't have spent 2 years on a study to get it to happen. Not only that Mike Minter former Panther saftey says he is intrested in the head coaching job. The program is also backed by former panther great Mike Rucker. So i was wondering if he pushed hard for your athletic program so i decided to come to the source. i heard that when he came to ya'lls campus your school lacked spirit. This would be similar to us due to the fact we are located in the heart of ACC country. i heard he instilled programs that helped your athletics grow and recieve strong support. So i was hoping to hear that he did.

I didn't hear anything about him changing ya'lls colors. That is interesting because another major issue for us is the name of our school. We are currently called UNC charlotte, which i am sure you have heard of the UNC Chapel hill(tarholes). They overshadow us and get the credit in magazine and newsarticles for our work because we are not as readily known round these parts. There has been a grass root push for the name to be changed the current popular names are U of Charlotte or Charlotte U. The negative affect he recieved to the color change could be why he is hesitant/resistant to the name change

Now since 2005 when he came here we have no less then 6 buildings in construction at a time and there are plans to start on another next month.

if you are intrested in reading more our site is

http://www.ninernation.net

here are some links the threads

phil resignation call

http://www.ninernation.net/forum/showthread.php?t=23989

name change

http://www.ninernation.net/forum/showthread.php?t=14909
 
49ers!! said:
So i was wondering if he pushed hard for your athletic program so i decided to come to the source. i heard that when he came to ya'lls campus your school lacked spirit. This would be similar to us due to the fact we are located in the heart of ACC country. i heard he instilled programs that helped your athletics grow and recieve strong support. So i was hoping to hear that he did.
Click to expand...

Well, I do believe he pushed for and was supportive of intercollegiate athletics. So in that context, I believe he has a strong track record to bring forward as someone that could help get your FB program started. However, the part about our school lacking spirit at that time is way off. We have plenty of problems, but that hasn't been one of them. We have been playing at the D-1A level for over 70 years with many conference titles, rankings, etc. We are also the only gig in the state. There are no other universities and no professional teams (well, not significant anyway), so the Pokes are it. You will see the UW logo and merchandise everywhere around the state. It is often synonymous with pride in the State of Wyoming.

I would say that school spirit is what we have/had the most of. What we lack is everything else. We have such a small population (very little local talent) and a remote location that may not appeal to athletes (small town, cold and windy climate, remote, etc.). I would say that Dubois was successful in helping to achieve some of the steps necessary to compete at this level in terms of facility investments, etc. That was an area that we had fallen significantly behind on (and contributed to the decline in our program).
 
NowherePoke said:
You will see the UW logo and merchandise everywhere around the state. It is often synonymous with pride in the State of Wyoming.
Click to expand...

Technically that's because the logo is the State of Wyoming's logo, and the athletics department has an agreement with the state to use it. But indeed in either event us Wyomingites are proud of where we come from and of our sports teams!
 
Snowman_55 said:
NowherePoke said:
You will see the UW logo and merchandise everywhere around the state. It is often synonymous with pride in the State of Wyoming.
Click to expand...

Technically that's because the logo is the State of Wyoming's logo, and the athletics department has an agreement with the state to use it. But indeed in either event us Wyomingites are proud of where we come from and of our sports teams!
Click to expand...

Good point about the bucking horse logo, and I think that really illustrates how tied in the University of Wyoming is with the state and its residents. Very different from a semi-commuter school like Charlotte that lives in the shadow of ACC programs in-state.

I was also just kind of thinking about all of the merchandise you see around the state. No matter where you travel around the state, there is no doubt who the local university and team of choice is.

I was mostly just a little ticked at the concept that we needed help from Dubois, of all people, to establish spirit in the University and its athletic programs. Couldn't be further from reality.
 
I think you'd be looking at more than 3-4 years unless Charlotte plans on being the Idaho of FBS. Takes a long time to build a strong program, strong enough to sustain in FBS, as a move to the Sun Belt would be a fairly lateral move from FCS, and a move to CUSA would seem more reasonable, but that's a pretty good conference. Does Charlotte have a football stadium already or would one have to be constructed? I suspect some games against Appalachian St and Wofford would be some nice games to see.
 
MrTitleist said:
I think you'd be looking at more than 3-4 years unless Charlotte plans on being the Idaho of FBS. Takes a long time to build a strong program, strong enough to sustain in FBS, as a move to the Sun Belt would be a fairly lateral move from FCS, and a move to CUSA would seem more reasonable, but that's a pretty good conference. Does Charlotte have a football stadium already or would one have to be constructed? I suspect some games against Appalachian St and Wofford would be some nice games to see.
Click to expand...

i wouldn't be suprised if was longer than four years but i wouldn't be suprised if it was less. i think as time gets closer people will start jumping on the bandwagon. there are an estimated 75,000 alumni in the charlotte area and growing. there are about 25k students here currently that is projected to grow to 35k by 2020 and to be the largest univ. in the state. So the alumni base is only going to grow which means more donor money. I can only hope we are the next USF who has only been playing football for only ten years. as far as stadium, they are going to construct one on campus itself. it is going to start out at 15k-20k expandable to 45k. they are in the planning stages right now. i suspect they will have it done before the first kickoff after watching how fast the build here. the reason they are constucting a staduim on campus rather than using the panther's staduim like USF uses Tampa bays stadium is because, phil wants people to come see campus when we play which, i concur
 
Sounds like you guys are going to do it the right way. A campus stadium is very important, and adds to the overall feel to the game. You wouldn't want to share a stadium with an NFL team anyways, it'd make the stadium look empty and take the crowd out of the game. A campus stadium you can definitely call your own. I didn't realize UNC-C was such a big school, seems like football would do well. What conference would you join in FCS? Southern? CAA?
 
Sorry for the long post, but I was a freshman in Laramie the year Dubois started, and he left a year after I completed my graduate school at Wyoming. I was there during almost his entire tenure, so feel like I have a pretty good handle on his track record at Wyoming.

Things started pretty well for Phil as I remember. He seemed to be well liked and was on the road to good things. He reached out to students, staff, the governor's administration, and the rest of the state, and seemed to be received well. I personally met him twice during my freshman year alone.

As for athletics, things were pretty good in Laramie in 97-98 (Phils first year). I remember a football program that was at least winning games, and had been to a bowl game the year before. Basketball wasn't necessarily a winner, but we had what seemed to be a promising new coach (Shyatt), and at least the games were fun. I remember Phil supporting the coaches well, providing neccessary funds, and UW put together a lot of events that got students excited about Athletics. There weren't many students left in the dorms when a game was going on, and I credit a lot of that to Phil's support from an administration level. Nothing really competed with the games, and I think that was by design.

The color change was a big deal, and one which I was supportive of and remember most of my fellow students being supportive of, but it pissed off a lot of alumni and supporters. Phil stuck to his guns and the change was made, and I truly believe he thought it was in the University's best interest. I remember him saying that it made the logo and gear more "marketable" and would appeal to a wider audience. Basically, he thought that UW was on the upswing (and we were, at least in basketball) and he wanted more folks to be ok wearing UW's colors. Not a lot of people dig bright gold, or at least that's what Phil thought. but he thought it was the right thing for UW, and the change was made.

I think that the color change decision led Phil down a poor road later though. Our football coach left in 99, and though the change hadn't been made yet (wasn't official until 2000 I think), the rumors were swirling and the backlash was being felt. I think because of that, Phil and the AD (who shall remain nameless, since most of us believe he was the real downfall of UW football) made a relatively rash decision to hire from the inside, and we ended up with Vic. Vic proceeded to win 5 games over the next three years.

Even so, I believe Phil was very supportive of athletics, and especially the "money makers" of football and basketball. But what Phil really did for the University was so much more than that. Since I started at UW in 1997, there's been construction almost non-stop. Phil laid the groundwork for most of that, and I believe set the tone for UW for years to come. Phil's capital construction plan brought a lot of UW's academic facilities up to date and gave many students at UW access to top-notch facilities. And he didn't forget about athletics when it came to facilities. Though most of the work was done after he left, Phil was instrumental in getting plans set and funds in place for things like the Rochelle Athletic Center, the Indoor Practice Facility, the Soccer and Tennis facility, and the new rodeo facility west of town. Phil was also instrumental in getting the new Mountain West Conference off the ground, and I believe that was one of the best decisions he ever made, especially for football.

In short, Phil brought UW into the 21st century, he laid a solid groundwork for UW's future, and I really believe we wouldn't be in the position we are in had he not been here and done the jobe he did. He was highly supportive of all of our athletic programs, especially during our football program's down years. Our current president is doing a fantastic job as well, but I think his job was made much easier by Dubois.

Phil understands how important athletics are to a University, and I doubt your program will have anything to worry about with him. Starting from scratch, so to speak, I think he'll be able to build a good program from the ground up, and I'll be curious to see how it goes.

GO POKES!
 
wellpoke said:
Sorry for the long post, but I was a freshman in Laramie the year Dubois started, and he left a year after I completed my graduate school at Wyoming. I was there during almost his entire tenure, so feel like I have a pretty good handle on his track record at Wyoming.

Things started pretty well for Phil as I remember. He seemed to be well liked and was on the road to good things. He reached out to students, staff, the governor's administration, and the rest of the state, and seemed to be received well. I personally met him twice during my freshman year alone.

As for athletics, things were pretty good in Laramie in 97-98 (Phils first year). I remember a football program that was at least winning games, and had been to a bowl game the year before. Basketball wasn't necessarily a winner, but we had what seemed to be a promising new coach (Shyatt), and at least the games were fun. I remember Phil supporting the coaches well, providing neccessary funds, and UW put together a lot of events that got students excited about Athletics. There weren't many students left in the dorms when a game was going on, and I credit a lot of that to Phil's support from an administration level. Nothing really competed with the games, and I think that was by design.

The color change was a big deal, and one which I was supportive of and remember most of my fellow students being supportive of, but it pissed off a lot of alumni and supporters. Phil stuck to his guns and the change was made, and I truly believe he thought it was in the University's best interest. I remember him saying that it made the logo and gear more "marketable" and would appeal to a wider audience. Basically, he thought that UW was on the upswing (and we were, at least in basketball) and he wanted more folks to be ok wearing UW's colors. Not a lot of people dig bright gold, or at least that's what Phil thought. but he thought it was the right thing for UW, and the change was made.

I think that the color change decision led Phil down a poor road later though. Our football coach left in 99, and though the change hadn't been made yet (wasn't official until 2000 I think), the rumors were swirling and the backlash was being felt. I think because of that, Phil and the AD (who shall remain nameless, since most of us believe he was the real downfall of UW football) made a relatively rash decision to hire from the inside, and we ended up with Vic. Vic proceeded to win 5 games over the next three years.

Even so, I believe Phil was very supportive of athletics, and especially the "money makers" of football and basketball. But what Phil really did for the University was so much more than that. Since I started at UW in 1997, there's been construction almost non-stop. Phil laid the groundwork for most of that, and I believe set the tone for UW for years to come. Phil's capital construction plan brought a lot of UW's academic facilities up to date and gave many students at UW access to top-notch facilities. And he didn't forget about athletics when it came to facilities. Though most of the work was done after he left, Phil was instrumental in getting plans set and funds in place for things like the Rochelle Athletic Center, the Indoor Practice Facility, the Soccer and Tennis facility, and the new rodeo facility west of town. Phil was also instrumental in getting the new Mountain West Conference off the ground, and I believe that was one of the best decisions he ever made, especially for football.

In short, Phil brought UW into the 21st century, he laid a solid groundwork for UW's future, and I really believe we wouldn't be in the position we are in had he not been here and done the jobe he did. He was highly supportive of all of our athletic programs, especially during our football program's down years. Our current president is doing a fantastic job as well, but I think his job was made much easier by Dubois.

Phil understands how important athletics are to a University, and I doubt your program will have anything to worry about with him. Starting from scratch, so to speak, I think he'll be able to build a good program from the ground up, and I'll be curious to see how it goes.

GO POKES!
Click to expand...

You have some good points Wellpoke. Yet, UW didn't go to a bowl in 1996. Check out the link, it will make you sick all over again.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/1996_Wyoming_Cowboys_football_team
 
That's right Peachy, but you can't blame a guy for not remembering exactly what happened a dozen years ago! And the general consensus was that we got screwed and should have had a bowl game, right? Anyway, the point remains... Dubois, even though he is a "frenchy-style wanker," did some great things for UW.

GO POKES!
 
wellpoke said:
That's right Peachy, but you can't blame a guy for not remembering exactly what happened a dozen years ago! And the general consensus was that we got screwed and should have had a bowl game, right? Anyway, the point remains... Dubois, even though he is a "frenchy-style wanker," did some great things for UW.

GO POKES!
Click to expand...

No blame, whatsoever. Just a dark spot, that I have as a UW football fan, that I will never forget. Had we not lost to SDSU that year (24 - 28), we would have headed into the first ever WAC championship game against most-hated bWHYu in Vegas, undefeated and ranked in the top 10 (we were ranked #20 at the time because of the SDSU loss). I remember like it was yesterday...with time remaining of just a few minutes left in the game, Tiller takes a safety, then our punter shanks one (as he didn't realize the fricking clock was running)...and ultimately we lose the WAC championship to those pricks. The result...a 10 & 2 record, a final AP ranking of #22, and a bowl snub. I won't ever forget that. Son of a bitch, I hate even thinking about it all over again.
 
About the 1996 bowl snub, I have a theory......

BLAME TEXAS!!!!!!!!!

Had they not pulled off the upset against Nebraska in the first-ever Big 12 title game later that same night, I'm convinced Nebraska would've gone on to the National Championship game (I believe the Orange Bowl), BYU would've gone on to the Fiesta Bowl, and due to the WAC/Cotton/Holiday Bowl contract, Wyoming would've gone to eother the Cotton Bowl to play K-State (again :roll: , 3 years after they bloew us out in the Copper Bowl) or the Holiday Bowl against Washington. Utah was already locked into the Copper Bowl against Wisconsin.
 
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