So I should have done an article on this going into the Christmas holiday... Anyways, missed opportunity... What is on your list of wants for MT sports in 2021? Could be Womens hoops, men's hoops, football, baseball, whatever
2021 Wish list for MTSU athletics?
- Thread starter Matt Dossett
- Start date
An athletic department that wants something better than mediocrity. Anyone with a pulse and a personality that can fund raise. I mean anyone......
I honestly think MTSU Athletics is beyond help or repair no matter how many wishes are granted. Today has been a real eye opener for me as to how bad things really are. I was told over a week ago that Franklin was gone but I had no idea it would end like this. Stock and CM had to have some indication of what might be coming.
We need more Dwight Dashers than Johnny Cobras.
We need more Dwight Dashers than Johnny Cobras.
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A new AD that actually has aspirations of growing the athletic programs and image of the school. Someone that thinks like a winner and has a relentless pursuit of excellence. Raise the profile, not watching it decline year after year and doing the same things.
That would be the opposite from what we currently have.
That would be the opposite from what we currently have.
A board of Trustees with spines.
A new ambitious President, unafraid to kick ass where needed.
A new AD, demanding excellence and championships, ruthless with coaches that need to go.
A new football coach, that can recruit and energize a program and fan base.
A new ambitious President, unafraid to kick ass where needed.
A new AD, demanding excellence and championships, ruthless with coaches that need to go.
A new football coach, that can recruit and energize a program and fan base.
My top 10 wish list for 2021 and thereafter:
1. Greater leadership credibility from our esteemed Board of Trustees and our University President. This comes in the form of strategic mission and vision and tactical dissemination of our core values of excellence. Being “True Blue” is beginning to sound cliche if we don’t commit to excellence in EVERY facet of our university and its image. If this means reorganization of the executive leadership team with a combination of resignations, firings, retirements, or new hiring by all means it should happen to make our university first class.
2. At least one new professional program such as law, dentistry, veterinary, etc. Continue to focus on NCAA APR but achieve greater opportunities in graduate programs.
3. Greater emphasis on corporate giving and sponsorships as well as building our endowment to at least $1.0 billion. We need to see $500 million yesterday. Must think beyond the $100, $250, and $1,200 gifts (but we still need those smaller gifts too).
4. New football coaches and athletics department leadership that want to be champions of our conference (at a minimum) and relevant nationally. We need to be more like Boise, Memphis, UCF, or University of Cincinnati and not emulate universities such as Louisiana Monroe or New Mexico State where budgets are low and quality of coaching and recruiting is likewise lower tier.
5. Stadium and facilities improvements: need a major overhaul in Murphy Center and Floyd Stadium. Our videoboards are woefully dated. Even Tennessee Tech has a larger and better board these days. Meanwhile, our stadium has a lot of rust and painting should be done yesterday to correct deferred maintenance.
6. Football needs an outright C-USA championship. Preferably a 12-0 season and at least a ranking of #19 in AP poll.
7. Return to the NCAAs in basketball, men’s and women’s. Women to reach Sweet 16 and men’s to win a first round game for starters. By 2023, both basketball programs should be ranked in AP and playing for single digit seeds in NCAA as a goal.
8. Baseball and softball should win a C-USA championship.
9. Golf and Olympic Sports should be or continue to be nationally competitive. Track continues to be our best sport in this area.
10. Greater visibility of our games in multiple broadcast platforms. Our presentation looks and sounds more like a D-2 university instead of FBS level. Improved branding and perhaps another look at our mascot logo should be considered.
1. Greater leadership credibility from our esteemed Board of Trustees and our University President. This comes in the form of strategic mission and vision and tactical dissemination of our core values of excellence. Being “True Blue” is beginning to sound cliche if we don’t commit to excellence in EVERY facet of our university and its image. If this means reorganization of the executive leadership team with a combination of resignations, firings, retirements, or new hiring by all means it should happen to make our university first class.
2. At least one new professional program such as law, dentistry, veterinary, etc. Continue to focus on NCAA APR but achieve greater opportunities in graduate programs.
3. Greater emphasis on corporate giving and sponsorships as well as building our endowment to at least $1.0 billion. We need to see $500 million yesterday. Must think beyond the $100, $250, and $1,200 gifts (but we still need those smaller gifts too).
4. New football coaches and athletics department leadership that want to be champions of our conference (at a minimum) and relevant nationally. We need to be more like Boise, Memphis, UCF, or University of Cincinnati and not emulate universities such as Louisiana Monroe or New Mexico State where budgets are low and quality of coaching and recruiting is likewise lower tier.
5. Stadium and facilities improvements: need a major overhaul in Murphy Center and Floyd Stadium. Our videoboards are woefully dated. Even Tennessee Tech has a larger and better board these days. Meanwhile, our stadium has a lot of rust and painting should be done yesterday to correct deferred maintenance.
6. Football needs an outright C-USA championship. Preferably a 12-0 season and at least a ranking of #19 in AP poll.
7. Return to the NCAAs in basketball, men’s and women’s. Women to reach Sweet 16 and men’s to win a first round game for starters. By 2023, both basketball programs should be ranked in AP and playing for single digit seeds in NCAA as a goal.
8. Baseball and softball should win a C-USA championship.
9. Golf and Olympic Sports should be or continue to be nationally competitive. Track continues to be our best sport in this area.
10. Greater visibility of our games in multiple broadcast platforms. Our presentation looks and sounds more like a D-2 university instead of FBS level. Improved branding and perhaps another look at our mascot logo should be considered.
Honestly, I fear you are correct. Times when we have had rare momentum have not been capitalized on. With the ever changing landscape of college sports, we are falling further behind. Not only can we not compete nationally, we have trouble in our area footprint. We are quickly becoming irrelevant and we have no leadership willing to fight for us.
I was actually told that Franklin had sold his house months ago and was living in a apartment until the season was over. So apparently this has been planned for a while.
Tony Franklin was probably living in a cabin in the woods. He's nuttier than a Planter's factory. He's looked like a homeless dude for years. Just looking at the sky for no reason.
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Lots of good thoughts in this thread with which I agree and given enough time I could come up with a list at least as long as Raiderclyde's, but I'll keep it short.
As for the university as a whole I would hope to see a reversal of the trend (not exclusively found at MT) toward being a "trade" school as opposed to what was universally seen as the purpose of a college/university 75 to 100 years ago.
Specifically regarding the focus of this board: I would just like to see an explicit indication that we will see improvement in the athletic program, or even that we will still have an athletic program 5 years from now.
As for the university as a whole I would hope to see a reversal of the trend (not exclusively found at MT) toward being a "trade" school as opposed to what was universally seen as the purpose of a college/university 75 to 100 years ago.
Specifically regarding the focus of this board: I would just like to see an explicit indication that we will see improvement in the athletic program, or even that we will still have an athletic program 5 years from now.
Adding to @Raiderclyde
#5 Athletic Facilities, MTSU will not improve (long term) without an immediate commitment to the football upgrades that were proposed three years ago. This ties into #3 & #4, meaning a new HC would help with corporate giving and you probably don't want the old coaching regime picking out the design choices for the new facilities..it would be a recruiting tool to hire a new HC and might keep him around (like Bill Clark of UAB) if he was getting capital improvements done which would help build their resume.
#5 Athletic Facilities, MTSU will not improve (long term) without an immediate commitment to the football upgrades that were proposed three years ago. This ties into #3 & #4, meaning a new HC would help with corporate giving and you probably don't want the old coaching regime picking out the design choices for the new facilities..it would be a recruiting tool to hire a new HC and might keep him around (like Bill Clark of UAB) if he was getting capital improvements done which would help build their resume.
As someone so accurately described in another thread as “cringe worthy” video evidence, our current HC can’t even give away free t-shirts in the KUC. Would you write a check if he called you today?
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