Question for the Board: What type of changes do you think the athletic dept. needs to make?

[mat1992 2,234]

Not joking. Just what you guys feel this athletic department needs to do to take the next step, whether it's marketing, fundraising, facilities, parking, on the field, off the field, personnel, etc. Just curious what you guys think are the biggest needs for improvement right now, on a summer day with no sports going on.

[Billy1121 4]

Drop football 

[TSU88 1,073]

I don’t want to see football 🏈 dropped. I would like to see a vast improvement in marketing football and basketball 🏀 & fundraising. I believe specific suggestions on how to improve marketing were discussed in a different thread, so I won’t belabor the point. As to fundraising, with all the TU alumni spread out throughout the region, it would be great to get a small donation from many, & larger donations from those dedicated few. How that is accomplished, I leave to those more versed in the intricacies of fundraising.

I would also like to know what, if any, long range plan is in place for football. Is the plan to stay FCS or is there any discussion as to whether going FBS has any feasibility? Obviously, it’s hard to imagine the latter, when we’re drawing 6-7K a game (at most) in the FCS, but, for lack of a better cliche, failing to plan is planning to fail

[etiger 77]

1. Marketing of the entire athletic department....We really need to put a marketing campaign together to market the hell out of Football and Basketball and Lacrosse in that order!!! Bring in someone that has a sense on how to market to a Pro sports town.

2. Try and schedule higher caliber teams to visit SECU arena. Need to consistently bring in A-10 schools. IF TU thinks we should be equal to them, need to schedule them Even if it means 2 for 1. Need to do it!

[TUTigers 119]

Not sure that even the best marketing and the teams winning would even matter. Towson has a largely apathetic fan base and sadly, aside from a UMBC type miracle, I don't see that changing anytime soon. 

 

We need a Mike waddell type back as AD. 

[sr16 158]

Yeah the school needs to do better with engaging their students. They're too scared because they dont ever wanna deal with the downsides of being a big school. Only the upsides. They wanna grow. I know students hate Deb Morarity (spelled that wrong) but she is the main reason why tailgates were booted and they dont engage with greek life. ENGAGE WITH STUDENTS. Even the community. There is no community that supports Towson, on any level.. The surrounding homes dont want to see towson grow. They take for granted the economic impact Towson and their students have on the community. 

[TuTigers2012 1,064]

23 hours ago, Billy1121 said:

Drop football 

Haha.  Though I would not mind a new football coach and staff.  Program is stale and the Ambroses have run the course in Tiger Town. 

Removal of the track at Unitas and change the color of the seats at SECU

Better marketing/promotion

Enhance the game-day experience (as stated in the basketball thread) 

Better fundraising

A Competent AD

[fblfan 3]

As Al Davis would say "Just Win Baby"......that will cure all ills.       

[El Tigre Oro 86]

I think what we need is an AD that brings the credibility to the Baltimore market. Even if just a figure head. Someone that the Baltimore media would gravitate to.

Not being on the area, I don’t know the current pulse, but here is my shortlist for the type of person that would make a perfect short term AD:

Brian Billick 

John Schuerholz

Bill Ripken

Someone like that, who wouldn’t have to fight for credibility, but would bring it to the table immediately.

 

[mat1992 2,234]

3 hours ago, El Tigre Oro said:

I think what we need is an AD that brings the credibility to the Baltimore market. Even if just a figure head. Someone that the Baltimore media would gravitate to.

Not being on the area, I don’t know the current pulse, but here is my shortlist for the type of person that would make a perfect short term AD:

Brian Billick 

John Schuerholz

Bill Ripken

Someone like that, who wouldn’t have to fight for credibility, but would bring it to the table immediately.

 

I see where you are going but I don't want a figure head. I'm not saying Bill Hunter was one but he was a baseball guy forced into a role as an AD and did the best he could.
Schuerholz would have the most credibility. He's 77 though, so I don't expect him to want to deal with the NCAA. Bill Ripken -uh no. I think nowadays, you need a college degree. Bill did not go to college as far as I know. Billick seems quite content living on the Eastern Shore. He's very intelligent-just ask him. He'd be a great quote and the media would love him. He'd certainly help us in football. I don't think Towson could pay him enough though but if there was a job opening, I would try to gauge his interest in college sports. Problem is that he's been involved in the NFL for over 30 years.

Edited June 30, 2018 by mat1992