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Eternally Optimistic
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September 12, 2003
Last Tuesday, in an unprecedented move, Vanderbilt University dissolved its athletic department and opted for a restructuring plan.
The new structure moves athletics, now the Office of Student Athletics, Recreation and Wellness, entirely under the Division of Student Life and University Affairs.
Under the new organization, there will be no need for an athletic director, said Vice Chancellor for Public Affairs Michael Schoenfeld. Former AD Todd Turner has been relieved of his duties and been asked to serve as special assistant to the chancellor for athletic/academic reform. As of press time, Turner had not accepted the new position.
According to a Sept. 11 article in The Tennessean, Turner's dismissal may have been linked to the financial state of the Athletic Department, which had to trim it's budget by $1.5 million this year.
By combining and integrating operations, the University could potentially realize cost savings, Schoenfeld said.
But there were other motives at hand.
"In order for us to be successful in the SEC, in order for us to be successful as a Division I-A school we've got to do it differently," said Chancellor E. Gordon Gee. "We've got to do it in a way that provides the opportunity for all of our students to be part of the athletic program."
This places all of student services under the auspices of one organization, not two separate groups, according to the statement. Internal operations will be directly overseen by Assistant Vice Chancellor Brock Williams on a day-to-day basis.
Vice Chancellor Williams said he would not be available for comment until next Friday.
OSARW will now oversee the 14 varsity sports, 37 club sports and intramural activities, according to the release.
David Williams, vice chancellor for student life and university affairs, will be at the forefront of the reconstruction, putting together the new department while continuing his role as a professor and general counsel for the University.
He said that he felt the restructuring would reincorporate student-athletes with the rest of student body in a positive way.
"I would say our goal is that we feel very strongly that what we've been seeing throughout the country is drifting away from a central mission," David Williams said.
"I was a student-athlete. I remember the few students who did not want to go to class, and they were not there very long," he said. "I don't know how many student-athletes write for The Vanderbilt Hustler. I don't know how many athletes have been involved in student government or as officers in other organizations. I don't know why not."
"Don't we owe it to ourselves to try and figure out why not?"
In other changes in line with the restructuring, Associate Vice Chancellor for Student Life Steve Caldwell will take on the management of the athletic facilities, according to the statement.
Caldwell could not be reached for comment.
Schoenfeld will assume control of media relations, broadcasting, publications and Web sites, while Robert Early, executive vice chancellor for development and alumni relations, will run the National Commodore Club, the athletic booster group.
Patricia Marett, associate vice chancellor and chief of staff for the division of student life and university affairs, will run the financial and administrative operations.
Associate Provost Lucius Outlaw will help with the academic aspects of the new organization.
The changes in the athletic department will first and foremost give the teams the full resources of the University, Schoenfeld said. It will also put the University and athletes under one banner, bonding the student body and student-athletes.
David Williams cited the corrupt practices at the athletic departments of Baylor, Ohio State, Fresno State and others as reasons necessitating the change.
"The truth of the matter is it is disheartening to see all of that happening," David Williams said. "Somebody is going to have to step up here and take a lead. The situation in college athletics is getting crazy.
"We will succeed both on the field and off."
Vanderbilt has a clean record and is not under any investigation by the NCAA at this time.
When the news was announced, coaches, many of whom were hired by Turner, were caught off guard and are continuing to scramble to figure out what this new athletic entity means for them.
"I don't know all the ins and outs," said Head Men's Soccer Coach Tim McClements. "I haven't really taken a real strong look at it. Time will tell. It was just a bit of a surprise."
Some coaches said that they thought the reorganization was a pre-cursor to Vanderbilt dropping out of the SEC.
"The first thing I thought of was that Vanderbilt had finally given up on athletics," said Head Men's Tennis Coach Ken Flach. "They had just thrown in the towel and that (they) were going D-III. But (Gee) assured us that he answers to the board of trust and that they're main objective was to stay in the SEC and win in the SEC."
Gee was also quick to dispel such rumors.
"Does this mean we're thinking about leaving the SEC? Absolutely not," Gee said. "I think we can win in the SEC, but we can only win if we develop a new model to allow us to be successful."
Athletes were perplexed as to what this could mean for them.
"I was surprised at first," said sophomore football quarterback Jay Cutler. "If it helps us out, I'm for it I guess."
"I don't really understand a whole lot," said senior women's basketball forward Jenni Benningfield. "We're all trying to figure out what is going on."
Junior third baseman Tony Mansolino agreed with the state of confusion expressed by others.
"From an athlete's point of view, we have to trust the coaches," he said. "It sounds like the coaches are trusting the administrators. They're telling us all the positive things. It would be nice if someone beside our coach and an administrator sat everybody down."
Still, David Williams said that a reform was necessary if Vanderbilt was committed to integrating athletics and academics.
"The idea was started when we made the switch to athletics in student life," he said. "We realized we had to do more than just change reporting lines. We have to do something more significant. We're different. We know we're different. We have to find what our values are."
After a day for the news to sink in, some coaches said they are starting to see the potential positives that the new athletic department may bring.
"I'm for the athletes being part of the University," Head Football Coach Bobby Johnson. "We don't think we need to be separated and don't want to be separated."
Head Women's Soccer Coach Ronnie Hill said she agreed with Johnson's sentiments.
"We have to trust in the chancellor and his vision, and believe that he has the best interest of our athletic department."
The restructuring has been greeted with cautious optimism around McGugin at best, but the fact remains that many of the coaches were hired by Turner who was himself hired in 1996, and looked to him for help, guidance and support.
"Todd did a fine job," Johnson said. "He helped me a great deal and ended up being a very good friend."
Turner and Gee conducted a nation-wide search of coached resulting in Johnson's hiring in 2001.
With the termination of Turner's position comes the increased roles of aforementioned, vice-chancellors, deans and professors which could lead to difficulty in divvying up certain tasks to an overworked organization.
"All the people who are involved have been active and have expertise and experience in these areas," Schoenfeld said. "I think that in the area of marketing and broadcasting we're going to take something that's very good and make it even better."
And Gee stands firm behind his statement that the restructuring is not an attempt to create better athletes, but to better the greater college athletic spectrum as a whole.
"This is not in reaction to (any) single incidences," Gee said. "This is an attempt to get it right."
Last Tuesday, in an unprecedented move, Vanderbilt University dissolved its athletic department and opted for a restructuring plan.
The new structure moves athletics, now the Office of Student Athletics, Recreation and Wellness, entirely under the Division of Student Life and University Affairs.
Under the new organization, there will be no need for an athletic director, said Vice Chancellor for Public Affairs Michael Schoenfeld. Former AD Todd Turner has been relieved of his duties and been asked to serve as special assistant to the chancellor for athletic/academic reform. As of press time, Turner had not accepted the new position.
According to a Sept. 11 article in The Tennessean, Turner's dismissal may have been linked to the financial state of the Athletic Department, which had to trim it's budget by $1.5 million this year.
By combining and integrating operations, the University could potentially realize cost savings, Schoenfeld said.
But there were other motives at hand.
"In order for us to be successful in the SEC, in order for us to be successful as a Division I-A school we've got to do it differently," said Chancellor E. Gordon Gee. "We've got to do it in a way that provides the opportunity for all of our students to be part of the athletic program."
This places all of student services under the auspices of one organization, not two separate groups, according to the statement. Internal operations will be directly overseen by Assistant Vice Chancellor Brock Williams on a day-to-day basis.
Vice Chancellor Williams said he would not be available for comment until next Friday.
OSARW will now oversee the 14 varsity sports, 37 club sports and intramural activities, according to the release.
David Williams, vice chancellor for student life and university affairs, will be at the forefront of the reconstruction, putting together the new department while continuing his role as a professor and general counsel for the University.
He said that he felt the restructuring would reincorporate student-athletes with the rest of student body in a positive way.
"I would say our goal is that we feel very strongly that what we've been seeing throughout the country is drifting away from a central mission," David Williams said.
"I was a student-athlete. I remember the few students who did not want to go to class, and they were not there very long," he said. "I don't know how many student-athletes write for The Vanderbilt Hustler. I don't know how many athletes have been involved in student government or as officers in other organizations. I don't know why not."
"Don't we owe it to ourselves to try and figure out why not?"
In other changes in line with the restructuring, Associate Vice Chancellor for Student Life Steve Caldwell will take on the management of the athletic facilities, according to the statement.
Caldwell could not be reached for comment.
Schoenfeld will assume control of media relations, broadcasting, publications and Web sites, while Robert Early, executive vice chancellor for development and alumni relations, will run the National Commodore Club, the athletic booster group.
Patricia Marett, associate vice chancellor and chief of staff for the division of student life and university affairs, will run the financial and administrative operations.
Associate Provost Lucius Outlaw will help with the academic aspects of the new organization.
The changes in the athletic department will first and foremost give the teams the full resources of the University, Schoenfeld said. It will also put the University and athletes under one banner, bonding the student body and student-athletes.
David Williams cited the corrupt practices at the athletic departments of Baylor, Ohio State, Fresno State and others as reasons necessitating the change.
"The truth of the matter is it is disheartening to see all of that happening," David Williams said. "Somebody is going to have to step up here and take a lead. The situation in college athletics is getting crazy.
"We will succeed both on the field and off."
Vanderbilt has a clean record and is not under any investigation by the NCAA at this time.
When the news was announced, coaches, many of whom were hired by Turner, were caught off guard and are continuing to scramble to figure out what this new athletic entity means for them.
"I don't know all the ins and outs," said Head Men's Soccer Coach Tim McClements. "I haven't really taken a real strong look at it. Time will tell. It was just a bit of a surprise."
Some coaches said that they thought the reorganization was a pre-cursor to Vanderbilt dropping out of the SEC.
"The first thing I thought of was that Vanderbilt had finally given up on athletics," said Head Men's Tennis Coach Ken Flach. "They had just thrown in the towel and that (they) were going D-III. But (Gee) assured us that he answers to the board of trust and that they're main objective was to stay in the SEC and win in the SEC."
Gee was also quick to dispel such rumors.
"Does this mean we're thinking about leaving the SEC? Absolutely not," Gee said. "I think we can win in the SEC, but we can only win if we develop a new model to allow us to be successful."
Athletes were perplexed as to what this could mean for them.
"I was surprised at first," said sophomore football quarterback Jay Cutler. "If it helps us out, I'm for it I guess."
"I don't really understand a whole lot," said senior women's basketball forward Jenni Benningfield. "We're all trying to figure out what is going on."
Junior third baseman Tony Mansolino agreed with the state of confusion expressed by others.
"From an athlete's point of view, we have to trust the coaches," he said. "It sounds like the coaches are trusting the administrators. They're telling us all the positive things. It would be nice if someone beside our coach and an administrator sat everybody down."
Still, David Williams said that a reform was necessary if Vanderbilt was committed to integrating athletics and academics.
"The idea was started when we made the switch to athletics in student life," he said. "We realized we had to do more than just change reporting lines. We have to do something more significant. We're different. We know we're different. We have to find what our values are."
After a day for the news to sink in, some coaches said they are starting to see the potential positives that the new athletic department may bring.
"I'm for the athletes being part of the University," Head Football Coach Bobby Johnson. "We don't think we need to be separated and don't want to be separated."
Head Women's Soccer Coach Ronnie Hill said she agreed with Johnson's sentiments.
"We have to trust in the chancellor and his vision, and believe that he has the best interest of our athletic department."
The restructuring has been greeted with cautious optimism around McGugin at best, but the fact remains that many of the coaches were hired by Turner who was himself hired in 1996, and looked to him for help, guidance and support.
"Todd did a fine job," Johnson said. "He helped me a great deal and ended up being a very good friend."
Turner and Gee conducted a nation-wide search of coached resulting in Johnson's hiring in 2001.
With the termination of Turner's position comes the increased roles of aforementioned, vice-chancellors, deans and professors which could lead to difficulty in divvying up certain tasks to an overworked organization.
"All the people who are involved have been active and have expertise and experience in these areas," Schoenfeld said. "I think that in the area of marketing and broadcasting we're going to take something that's very good and make it even better."
And Gee stands firm behind his statement that the restructuring is not an attempt to create better athletes, but to better the greater college athletic spectrum as a whole.
"This is not in reaction to (any) single incidences," Gee said. "This is an attempt to get it right."
