New AD Announced

[fufanatic]

Not sure where to put this ... looks like an absolutely outstanding hire.

https://furmanpaladins.com/news/2019/7/ ... urman.aspx

Fundraising guru, which many on here asked for. His background is basketball, even serving as an assistant at Villanova under Jay Wright. I bet BR is thrilled with the hire and am curious to see how JD can help get BR's vision turned into tangible items.

[gman]

[gman]

Looks like a good hire. I hope this means even more emphasis on basketball. To be clear, this does not mean we should have less emphasis on football.

[Mr. Taggart]

I think it is a mistake to view football and basketball as engaged in a zero sum game where each can only thrive at the expense of the other.

I think Coaches Hendrix and Richey understand that both can and should be successful.

[gman]

I think it is a mistake to view football and basketball as engaged in a zero sum game where each can only thrive at the expense of the other.

I think Coaches Hendrix and Richey understand that both can and should be successful.

I completely agree. Both should be the best of the best.

[JohnW]

Impressive guy. Can't imagine anyone fitting the bill at Furman as his resume. Villanova punches above it's weight in basketball, something we aspire to, and a successful FCS football program at a high academic school. Young, attractive family. Big time hire.

[Yadkin]

I think it is a mistake to view football and basketball as engaged in a zero sum game where each can only thrive at the expense of the other.

I think Coaches Hendrix and Richey understand that both can and should be successful.

Absolutely concur. There has been some occasional petty sniping from hoops-first folks insinuating that basketball's failures over the last 30 years were due to $$ going to football. Football can't be tagged for the hiring of Joe Cantafio, Larry Davis, and Jeff Jackson, the latter of which was a colossal blunder to the nth degree. Both sports can succeed, as we have seen in the last two years. I hope basketball gets increased commitment and improved facilities. The hiring of JD appears to be a great move. Go Paladins!

[frostman77]

If you can't beat 'em, join 'em!

[Mr. Taggart]

I checked his Villanova page . . . he led fundraising for a new $18 million football operations facility. I think he understands purple needs to reign both places.

[Affirm]

Good. Let’s work to keep JD for 5 years or more.

[apaladin]

I checked his Villanova page . . . he led fundraising for a new $18 million football operations facility. I think he understands purple needs to reign both places.

Sounds like a great hire. Fund raising at Furman will be a lot more difficult than at Villanova. National championships in basketball tend to open pocketbooks. Villanova has no major universities to compete with. On the other hand FU has the mecca of college football 30 miles down the road that has the market sewed up.

[FU3]

"Villanova has no major universities to compete with."

That would be news to the folks at Penn, Drexel, Temple and St. Joes.

[Affirm]

I checked his Villanova page . . . he led fundraising for a new $18 million football operations facility. I think he understands purple needs to reign both places.

Sounds like a great hire. Fund raising at Furman will be a lot more difficult than at Villanova. National championships in basketball tend to open pocketbooks. Villanova has no major universities to compete with. On the other hand FU has the mecca of college football 30 miles down the road that has the market sewed up.

True. And Villanova has 3x as many students Furman, is Big East for basketball, has law and engineering schools, is in major population area generally. Plus JD grew up in and went to college in that “general area” and lived there all his life so he was very familiar. Coming to Furman may be a very big adjustment. But I believe he can succeed at Furman, and I am excited by this great hire!

[The Jackal]

I checked his Villanova page . . . he led fundraising for a new $18 million football operations facility. I think he understands purple needs to reign both places.

Sounds like a great hire. Fund raising at Furman will be a lot more difficult than at Villanova. National championships in basketball tend to open pocketbooks. Villanova has no major universities to compete with. On the other hand FU has the mecca of college football 30 miles down the road that has the market sewed up.

I don't think that's true.

Villanova plays FCS football, and in that vein, isn't directly competing with major universities. Perhaps the mid-atlantic isn't a football hotbed like the Deep South, but its not as though there aren't major football programs in and around that area of the country.

Just on quick glance, Nova's football attendance is probably on par, if not smaller, than Furman's average attendance. They are obviously on a different plane in terms of basketball.

I think this is an exciting time for Furman athletics. We are not going to compete with Clemson, nor do we have to. Furman can offer fans a completely different (in my opinion, a preferable) experience in football and can reach a point where we can match anyone in basketball. I'm encouraged by the vision.

[The Jackal]

I checked his Villanova page . . . he led fundraising for a new $18 million football operations facility. I think he understands purple needs to reign both places.

Sounds like a great hire. Fund raising at Furman will be a lot more difficult than at Villanova. National championships in basketball tend to open pocketbooks. Villanova has no major universities to compete with. On the other hand FU has the mecca of college football 30 miles down the road that has the market sewed up.

True. And Villanova has 3x as many students Furman, is Big East for basketball, has law and engineering schools, is in major population area generally. Plus JD grew up in and went to college in that “general area” and lived there all his life so he was very familiar. Coming to Furman may be a very big adjustment. But I believe he can succeed at Furman, and I am excited by this great hire!

Look at the undergrad numbers. They are roughly the same.

This is not gospel, but in my experience, most folks tend to align with their undergraduate university. Those folks that show up for law and engineering school aren't really there for the "experience," they are there to work. It is less a college experience and more of a job.

In my view, the number of grad students is largely irrelevant. It makes the school bigger, but when you are discussing dedicated, interested, and financially invested alumni, you are looking at the undergrad population.