UPenn AD Search

[Lehigh Football Nation]

A great article on the state of Penn athletics... and their relative decline since 2004.

http://www.thedp.com/article/2014/03/penn-athletics-overseers-weigh-in-on-athletic-director-situation

Quote of the article from Penn's president Amy Guttman (and one that Lafayette fans will find funny):


“The real deep and important purpose of our athletics is not to win more than everybody else,” Gutmann said in August. “It’s the experience of teamwork, of strong competition, of discipline. It’s the education and creating of character as well.”

This should sound familiar. "Win, but not too much." xlolx

[Mr. C]

Steve Bilsky was not at all popular with a big chunk of his coaches, including some of the more prominent ones. This is a chance for Penn to get some things right with a good hire. This should be an attractive job.

[Go Green]

The guys on the Ivy basketball board have been begging the outgoing Bilsky to fire Jerome Allen after the season, and not leave the decision to his successor. We will see whether he does it

If Bilsky passes the buck to his successor, it will probably be too late to find a quality bb coach for the 2014-15 season.

[Pard4Life]

Ivytalk must be shedding a few tears...

I don't know; Princeton has an identical statement and they include "of strong competition" at least. I don't know much about Penn beyond football and basketball, but their football team has been a consistent winner, though their men's basketball team has been atrocious. Penn and Princeton had a stranglehold on that league since the 1950s!

[Go Green]

. Penn and Princeton had a stranglehold on that league since the 1950s!

They had a stranglehold on the league from the 1950s to the mid 2000s. Harvard is now the 800-pound gorilla of Ivy basketball. And probably will be for the foreseeable future.

Penn football is still doing fine. But they've slipped and/or other schools have caught up. While everyone expects Penn to be competitive in 2014, my guess is that they are no higher than 4th in the preseason poll.

[Ivytalk]

I volunteer for the job!:D

[Go...gate]

Maybe Penn will get Colgate back on the football schedule. They have ducked us for years.

[Sandlapper Spike]

They had a stranglehold on the league from the 1950s to the mid 2000s. Harvard is now the 800-pound gorilla of Ivy basketball. And probably will be for the foreseeable future.


Truly a dominant two-team league until 2008, as Princeton/Penn was the NCAA rep for the Ivy in all but three seasons for a 45-year period. Then Cornell began its run of three straight league titles. Now, as you say, Harvard has picked up the pace.

Given that Cornell preceded Harvard as the newly minted standard-bearer, is it fair to say Penn and Princeton both slipped a little in the mid-2000s anyway, Harvard's resurgence notwithstanding?

[Go...gate]

Princeton Men's hoops has taken half a step back, no question, but the program has recovered from the disastrous Joe Scott tenure. Penn Men's BB has taken a full step back and it may be a while before they return to consistent competitiveness.

I wonder how Harvard will do after this class graduates, though, and I wonder if Amaker will stay. A good look at what can happen after a GREAT class has nothing behind it can be found at Cornell, which closed this season at 2-16, 1-13 in the Ivy, with only one Division I victory.

[Pard4Life]

Princeton Men's hoops has taken half a step back, no question, but the program has recovered from the disastrous Joe Scott tenure. Penn Men's BB has taken a full step back and it may be a while before they return to consistent competitiveness.

I wonder how Harvard will do after this class graduates, though, and I wonder if Amaker will stay. A good look at what can happen after a GREAT class has nothing behind it can be found at Cornell, which closed this season at 2-16, 1-13 in the Ivy, with only one Division I victory.

So theoretically, Columbia and Dartmouth could be good in basketball too. Ten years ago, I'd have said those two have the least chance to ever be a stellar team. Can you ever imagine seeing this line: Dartmouth 24-3 (14-0) !!!

[carney2]

Maybe Penn will get Colgate back on the football schedule. They have ducked us for years.

They've dropped Lafayette, despite a history of something like 90 games, theoretically because of the scholarship issue. If so, they are unlikely to dip into that same Patriot League bowl to draw another/similar opponent. I'm guessing this would be Bagnoli and not the AD, but there seems to be something of an Ivy shunning of the Patriot League going on.

[RichH2]

They've dropped Lafayette, despite a history of something like 90 games, theoretically because of the scholarship issue. If so, they are unlikely to dip into that same Patriot League bowl to draw another/similar opponent. I'm guessing this would be Bagnoli and not the AD, but there seems to be something of an Ivy shunning of the Patriot League going on.

With some yeah. Princeton at outlier there. Dont forget IL pushed for PL to have an academic non schollie bunch to beat OOC every year. Well we grew up, so should they

[Pard4Life]

They've dropped Lafayette, despite a history of something like 90 games, theoretically because of the scholarship issue. If so, they are unlikely to dip into that same Patriot League bowl to draw another/similar opponent. I'm guessing this would be Bagnoli and not the AD, but there seems to be something of an Ivy shunning of the Patriot League going on.

On that note, the AD can tell the football coach what to do and like it. Tavani went along with Eve's in-writing five-per-year Ivy games though he didn't like it. Yes, I know it was a contract... tell that to Columbia though.

- - - Updated - - -


With some yeah. Princeton at outlier there. Dont forget IL pushed for PL to have an academic non schollie bunch to beat OOC every year. Well we grew up, so should they

Princeton knows that they could demote football to club status and still beat our scholarship team.

[Lehigh Football Nation]

They've dropped Lafayette, despite a history of something like 90 games, theoretically because of the scholarship issue. If so, they are unlikely to dip into that same Patriot League bowl to draw another/similar opponent. I'm guessing this would be Bagnoli and not the AD, but there seems to be something of an Ivy shunning of the Patriot League going on.

Yes - when they get beat up a few times, they get fraidy-scared and schedule someone else.

[Go...gate]

Penn was only too happy to play Colgate when the program was down. As soon as we got good again, they ran.

[CFBfan]

Penn was only too happy to play Colgate when the program was down. As soon as we got good again, they ran.

I think that the PL should faze out the IL completely it's time for the PL to recognize that they do NOT need the IL for legitimacy!!!!!

[Go Green]

Penn was only too happy to play Colgate when the program was down. As soon as we got good again, they ran.

I think Penn dropped Colgate because they wanted to focus on in-state rivals. (They ended up later screwing over Lehigh, but that's a story for another thread...)

As for Penn dropping Lafayette... if it makes you feel better, they're dropping everyone. If they have games scheduled after 2014, I don't know about them. I have no idea what Penn has in mind...

[Go...gate]

I think that the PL should faze out the IL completely it's time for the PL to recognize that they do NOT need the IL for legitimacy!!!!!

Not going to happen, nor should it. A lot of traditional rivalries there, especially for Colgate (Cornell, Yale, Princeton and Brown immediately come to mind, and we also have old series with Columbia and Dartmouth).

Colgate and Penn had not played that often, but let's just say that Penn was very happy to play us while we were in a declining, dead and rebuilding stage. After 1996 (they killed us 38-7 but we won 6 of our last 7 and played for the PL title), they opted out of the remaining games in their contract (which went on through 1999). We tried to get them back on the schedule, even with all games at Franklin Field, and Penn declined.

[Go...gate]

I think Penn dropped Colgate because they wanted to focus on in-state rivals. (They ended up later screwing over Lehigh, but that's a story for another thread...)

As for Penn dropping Lafayette... if it makes you feel better, they're dropping everyone. If they have games scheduled after 2014, I don't know about them. I have no idea what Penn has in mind...

I read on the Voyforums Ivy FB board that the Ivy will be changing the conference scheduling format somewhat in future, such that Princeton and Dartmouth will no longer play on the final weekend, with Princeton now playing Penn. Do you know anything about this?

[Go Green]

I read on the Voyforums Ivy FB board that the Ivy will be changing the conference scheduling format somewhat in future, such that Princeton and Dartmouth will no longer play on the final weekend, with Princeton now playing Penn. Do you know anything about this?

If you've read the Voy forum, you know as much as I do. I'm trying to get confirmation from someone official, but haven't gotten my emails returned.

And if you've ready the Voy forum, you know how I feel about it. If Princeton is indeed the one behind the change, and if they truly want to close against Penn and not Dartmouth, then they're basically saying that basketball drives the bus at Princeton.

Penn-Princeton is a terrific basketball rivalry. As far as football is concerned, it's right up there with UCLA-Arizona, Duke-UNC, and Indiana-Kentucky. No juice. None.

[Lehigh Football Nation]

If you've read the Voy forum, you know as much as I do. I'm trying to get confirmation from someone official, but haven't gotten my emails returned.

And if you've ready the Voy forum, you know how I feel about it. If Princeton is indeed the one behind the change, and if they truly want to close against Penn and not Dartmouth, then they're basically saying that basketball drives the bus at Princeton.

Penn-Princeton is a terrific basketball rivalry. As far as football is concerned, it's right up there with UCLA-Arizona, Duke-UNC, and Indiana-Kentucky. No juice. None.

Penn-Princeton would make a lot of sense as a year-ending rivalry type of game. Both fan bases are close by and IMO something could probably be done to juice up the rivalry more. I mean, Penn/Cornell is an awful season-ending game for both parties.

What if the following could be arranged:

Harvard/Yale
Cornell/Colgate
Brown/URI
Penn/Princeton
Fordham/Columbia
Dartmouth/Holy Cross

Talk about ending the season on a crescendo.

[Lehigh Football Nation]

Penn was very happy to play us while we were in a declining, dead and rebuilding stage. After 1996 (they killed us 38-7 but we won 6 of our last 7 and played for the PL title), they opted out of the remaining games in their contract (which went on through 1999). We tried to get them back on the schedule, even with all games at Franklin Field, and Penn declined.

Gee, that doesn't remind me of Penn scheduling Lehigh at all. xlolx

[Go...gate]

Gee, that doesn't remind me of Penn scheduling Lehigh at all. xlolx

Understood. Brown (which was Colgate's traditional Thanksgiving rival for many years) did much the same thing as Penn; played is when we were down, and then shut the door on us when we got better. I give Dartmouth, Columbia, Princeton, Cornell and Yale a lot of credit, because they played us when we were horrible and when we were good.

[Go Green]

Penn-Princeton would make a lot of sense as a year-ending rivalry type of game. Both fan bases are close by and IMO something could probably be done to juice up the rivalry more
.

Yep - Princeton can rag on Penn's academics/admissions.

http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/vault/article/magazine/MAG1137900/index.htm

As for geography, if that's all that mattered, then Harvard would close against Brown, not Yale.

[Go Green]

Yep - Princeton can rag on Penn's academics/admissions.



Someone pointed out to me that the Princeton women's basketball coach did bring up admissions just a few days ago after a "winner take all" loss to Penn.

http://www.philly.com/philly/blogs/sports/college/Penn-beats-Princeton-wins-Ivy-League-basketball-title.html


Banghart admitted to looking across the floor with a tinge of envy.

“They've had some good recruits and we know them well,” she said. “We tried to get a few of them admitted - it didn't go so well for us.”

That last line raised a few eyebrows in the press room, as you might imagine.




Believe me, if P & P end up do playing in football for the title on the last game of the season, the topic of admissions WILL be brought up more than once. If that's what they want--they can go for it.

[Go Green]

Anyone who cares, the Penn faithful are very unimpressed with the AD hire. Currently a circular firing squad on the Penn basketball board, with several posts deleted by the moderator for sexism.

http://boards.basketball-u.com/showtopic.php?tid/16551/tp/1/

[citdog]

Anyone who cares, the Penn faithful are very unimpressed with the AD hire. Currently a circular firing squad on the Penn basketball board, with several posts deleted by the moderator for sexism.

http://boards.basketball-u.com/showtopic.php?tid/16551/tp/1/


http://i2.kym-cdn.com/photos/images/newsfeed/000/089/027/woman-sandwhich.jpg

[Nova09]

Anyone who cares, the Penn faithful are very unimpressed with the AD hire. Currently a circular firing squad on the Penn basketball board, with several posts deleted by the moderator for sexism.

http://boards.basketball-u.com/showtopic.php?tid/16551/tp/1/

Ivy athlete...employed by Ivies...long tenure at Northwestern...Ph D? And the fine folks at the other end of the main line don't think she fits their mold?

[Go Green]

And the fine folks at the other end of the main line don't think she fits their mold?

The Penn complainers biggset gripe is that 1) they thought that the administration was determined to bring in a woman from the get-go, and 2) the "best" they could (apparently) find had ony been an AD for three years at a school that Penn didn't think was that impressive (Loyola--IL).

Whether #1 is true, I have no idea. As for #2, let's just say that some Penn fans believe that Penn athletics is a much bigger deal than it actually is. Too many guys are convinced that they are *this close* from repeating the 1979 Final Four run.

[Lehigh Football Nation]

This happens every time a woman is an AD or in a position of power, and it mostly is good old-fashioned sexism. Carolyn Femovich has been a fantastic executive director for the PL and she occasionally had whispers that she didn't care about football, which of course was ridiculous. The end result? Football scholarships, which supposedly would never happen in the PL.

[Nova09]

The Penn complainers biggset gripe is that 1) they thought that the administration was determined to bring in a woman from the get-go, and 2) the "best" they could (apparently) find had ony been an AD for three years at a school that Penn didn't think was that impressive (Loyola--IL).

Whether #1 is true, I have no idea. As for #2, let's just say that some Penn fans believe that Penn athletics is a much bigger deal than it actually is. Too many guys are convinced that they are *this close* from repeating the 1979 Final Four run.

There are very few schools that can limit their search to candidates who already are ADs. Hate to break it to Penn, but no AD at a school any more prominent than "lowly" Chicago-Ill is jumping at the chance to enter the Ivy bubble.

[Go Green]

This happens every time a woman is an AD or in a position of power, and it mostly is good old-fashioned sexism. Carolyn Femovich has been a fantastic executive director for the PL and she occasionally had whispers that she didn't care about football, which of course was ridiculous. The end result? Football scholarships, which supposedly would never happen in the PL.

I think Robin Harris has done a nice job as the Ivy League Executive Director as well. She can't implement real reforms (among others, post-season football play) because the presidents are still against it. But she's done a great job of enhacing the accessibility of Ivy League athletics. The number of Ivy football and basketball games that have been nationally televised on her watch has absolutely skyrocketed. And the Ivy Digital Network has allowed alums who care to watch virtiually every other game on the internet.

[PAllen]

The Penn complainers biggset gripe is that 1) they thought that the administration was determined to bring in a woman from the get-go, and 2) the "best" they could (apparently) find had ony been an AD for three years at a school that Penn didn't think was that impressive (Loyola--IL).

Whether #1 is true, I have no idea. As for #2, let's just say that some Penn fans believe that Penn athletics is a much bigger deal than it actually is. Too many guys are convinced that they are *this close* from repeating the 1979 Final Four run.

"this close"?

18901

[Bogus Megapardus]

I think that the PL should faze out the IL completely it's time for the PL to recognize that they do NOT need the IL for legitimacy!!!!!

On the other hand, one of the stated reasons behind PL football scholarships simply is to maintain competitiveness with Ivy. PL schools are quite small and they cannot provide the sort of across-the-board aid enjoyed by H-Y-P (and even their lesser cohorts). From my perspective (only) I'd prefer to continue with a full slate of Ivy opponents such has been our tradition . . . "for a long, long time."






http://imageshack.com/a/img853/5973/6a8l.png