TicketsToday I really don't.
The timing of the resignation of AD Mike Thomas came as a surprise. I can't quite tell you what it means for UC or where the university looks forward in filling his position at this point. The news is a little too big to wrap my head around just yet.
Even with Thomas' flirtation with Tennessee a while back, this was tough to spot.
If you hadn't heard, here is the official release from UC with statements from Thomas, now the AD at the University of Illinois:
CINCINNATI - University of Cincinnati Director of Athletics Mike Thomas announced his resignation Wednesday to take the athletic director job at the University of Illinois.
A 26-year veteran of college athletics administration, Thomas had been at UC since October 20, 2005. Since taking the reins of the department with 18 teams and 560 student-athletes, Thomas has championed student-athlete development and significant external growth, while also authoring a detailed plan for competitive success in the BIG EAST Conference and on the national level.
"I'm excited about this new opportunity but at the same time I know I'm leaving behind great people and a great place at the University of Cincinnati," Thomas said. "Together, we accomplished many things during my time there in terms of championships and academics and made it a point to be integrated on campus and in the community. I'm very proud of everything we accomplished at UC and I'll always be a Bearcats fan."
"I have enjoyed working with Mike as he has provided quality leadership and moved our athletics program in new and positive directions," said UC President Dr. Gregory Williams. "Now, I look to appoint an interim director of athletics in the near future and begin the search process soon to identify UC's next director of athletics."
Thomas had been lauded for his vision for success in all areas of UC athletics, guided by the strategic plan that was put in place soon after arriving on campus. Titled CATAPULT - an acronym for championships, academics, and together - the plan focused on three main initiatives: winning BIG EAST team championships, high-level academic achievement, and a comprehensive integration with the UC Campus and Greater Cincinnati community. During the course of the plan, UC athletics produced one NCAA individual champion, four BIG EAST team titles, 12 All-Americans, and 72 All BIG EAST honorees. It also called for expanded and redefined academic services and the NCAA CHAMPS/Life Skills program, which resulted in UC being one of the most recognized schools in the 16-member BIG EAST Conference for academic success, earning multiple BIG EAST Academic Excellence Awards. The overall Academic Progress Rate (APR) of all UC athletics programs increased and in the most recent APR report five UC athletic teams earned perfect APR scores of 1000, including men's basketball. UC's student-athletes also emerged as community leaders, and since 2006 their community service hours have grown from 1000 annual hours to over 5500.
On the external side, the University of Cincinnati is growing at a tremendous rate. Since his arrival Thomas has increased UC's athletic department budget by $7 million, a vital 20% increase, while simultaneously reducing the annual operating deficit by over $6 million. UC established single-season attendance and revenue records for football in each of the past three years and its donor base has increased by nearly 300 percent during Thomas' tenure while raising $70 million in capital projects, endowments, and sports-specific giving. Thomas negotiated UC's first across-the-board shoe and apparel contract with adidas and revamped UC's multimedia rights partnership, reaching an agreement with IMG College, increasing overall revenues in this area by over $17 million.
Prior to coming to UC, Thomas spent five years as the Director of Athletics at the University of Akron and seven years as associate athletic director at the University of Virginia. Prior to Virginia, Thomas spent seven years at the University of Denver as assistant athletic director for internal operations, serving as chief financial officer and overseeing the departments of compliance, merchandising, and facilities. He began his athletic administration career at the University of Iowa as an administrative and operations intern.
Thomas presently serves on several national and conference committees, including the NCAA Division I Championship/Sports Management Cabinet (where he also serves as the NCAA men's basketball liaison to the cabinet and serves as a member of the cabinet's four-person Administrative Committee), and the NCAA Men's Basketball Issues Committee.
Twice during his career, Thomas has received distinction for his efforts and dedication as a director of athletics, garnering the General Robert R. Neyland Outstanding Athletics Director Award in 2005 at Akron and then again in April of 2008 at Cincinnati. He has been recognized by the Cincinnati Sports Professionals Network as the 2009-10 Sports Executive of the Year.
Plus, when looking at the financial accomplishments in the release, perhaps, nobody should have been surprised at the move.
At the end of the day, Thomas did great things at UC and left big shoes to fill. As for who will fill them, don't send your questions to me just yet. I probably know little more than you do in that regard.
Here's Bill Koch's story which outlines the past, present and future of the situation.
So, the search will begin now for Thomas' replacement. I'll keep you up to date as much as possible, though, my gut tells me you are almost more interested in the position battle at defensive back than what suits are rolling in and out of the Lindner Center. And I can speak more intelligently on DBs anyway, so we'll keep most of the content to football.
Speaking of, let's eat...
--- Practice No. 3 came and went with Tommy G catching up with OL Alex Hoffman and DL John Hughes.
--- Today's practice was moved from another early start, to a 10:20 a.m. open for anybody counting at home. It will be the final day at Nippert before the team departs to Higher Ground for the rest of camp.
--- Here's your daily transcript of Butch Jones meeting with the media thanks to the good folks at BearcatLair. That includes Jones opening with comments about the kicking game being "unacceptable" on Wednesday. Indeed, the battle between Tony Miliano and transfer Shane Popham is wide open, as Koch details in this blog.
Regardless of who emerges by the opener, it will be a nervous moment if UC lines up a game-winning field goal anytime in the near future.
--- Koch has been busy, he also wrote a piece on former Withrow coach Doc Gamble learning the ropes at UC.
--- I'm working on a piece on some of the urgency in prominent seniors of this year's class and couldn't help but chuckle going through the Derek Wolfe interview.
Wolfe started talking about pulling some of the young guys under his wing during the summer when he was trying to get extra workouts in. He specifically mentioned working with Brad Harrah.
"Brad was the main guy," Wolfe said. "He tried to avoid my calls a couple times. I would have to call him five or six times. I think his girlfriend was getting upset."
By the fifth time a 300-pound monster calls your cell, you go. You go wherever he wants you to go.--- Doc took a stab at UC football yesterday. He spoke about a "lack of buzz" around the program. Go 4-8 and that happens. People were spoiled and connected UC success to BK. When the wins didn't come last year, Kelly's departure sliced off the fair-weather folks who came along for the ride. Fair or not, that's truth.
Also truth, it's nothing a win at Tennessee or against NC State won't fix.
--- Meet Akise Teague and Silverberry Mouhon. This from Butch Jones blog.
--- Also of note, two Bearcats made CNBC Business reporter Darren Rovell's All-Name team. Silverberry was one and Munchie Legaux the other. Two of 25 isn't bad. Judging by some of the names popping up on UC's recruiting circles for next season, the Bearcats could be regulars on this list.
If you come across a high school player named Alfredo Fiddlesticks, forward his information to coach Jones.
--- Andrea Adelson takes a look at all the coaches entering their second seasons in the Big East. It's more of the same you've already heard.
--- Some randomness....
--- Why are receipts f rom CVS so long? Nobody wants any proof they were actually at a CVS, much less a giant receipt drawing attention around the house.
--- IFC put out this list of the 25 best movie pep talks. My unabashed favorite comes in at No. 3.
"We will not go quietly into the night!"
--- Paul Rudd's new movie has some potential. At least if it follows in the footsteps of the Funny or Die promo he did for it.
--- The George Lopez show was canceled. Somewhere, Dane Cook sees an opening to not be funny on TV.
--- Zack and Kelly, together again. Personally, I don't want to see Zack and Kelly anywhere together unless Dennis Haskins is right behind them.
--- A Big Lebowski reunion will be streamed live on Facebook? The Dude abides.