In March of 2022, the decision was made to hire Dr. Julie Sullivan as the 30th President of Santa Clara University. The selection was notable for a number of reasons. It broke the tradition of a Jesuit priest at the helm and the first woman to lead Santa Clara into the future.
It was a bold move coming at one of the most critical junctures in SCU history; developing the University strategy going forward following the Pandemic. How would her past nine years experience at St. Thomas University, in Minnesota, translate to Silicon Valley to meet the challenges of maintaining and, more importantly, dramatically expand the national reputation of the University?
A key ingredient to me, besides her considerable credentials, was her leadership in making the decision to elevate St. Thomas Men's Basketball from NCAA Division 3 to Division 1. BTW, this transition had never been done before in NCAA Men's Basketball. The reasons for making the move stemmed from the desire to significantly raise the profile of the University. Their team, the Tommie's had a 14 year run of trouncing every team in their league to the point where the league booted them out. They are now thriving in Division 1.
The message is, we now have a President who firmly grasps the significance of success in Athletics and, particularly Men's Basketball, to building a national reputation. A concept Gonzaga figured out 25 years ago. Their stat line since 2000: 25 straight NCAA tournament invites, 22 outright or shared WCC titles, 9 straight NCAA Sweet 16 appearances, and, by the way, more than a tripling of their endowment. Their 20/20 strategic plan that began in the year 2000 admits Men's Basketball saved Gonzaga from significant financial woes.
Enough history. As I said in my last column - The next A.D. hire will tell us all that we need to know re: Athletics and Men's Basketball. Here's what President Sullivan had to say during our conversation.
I shared with her two major things Season Ticket Holders, Alums, and Fans want to know about Men's Basketball. They are: What NCAA teams match the competitive level are we seeking? Will we have the backing of the Trustees and donors to fund this order of magnitude jump?
She made an impression in her first four words, "Please, call me Julie." No fluff. Her command of the state of Santa Clara Athletics and Men's Basketball was evident. She is keenly aware of the stranglehold that Gonzaga and SMC hold on the WCC and said "we're not where we need to be."
When asked about the level and experience of the A.D. candidates we are targeting, she sent me the position description and highlighted the search committee members who plan to make a decision by the end of August. BTW, there are strong people on the search committee who know Basketball. In addition, the current slate of University Trustees has more members that believe Athletics and Men's Basketball needs to play a bigger role in growing the University's national profile.
She wasn't taking pot shots at Renee or Coach Sendek, rather stating we need to dethrone or compete at a level equal to Gonzaga; acknowledging their significant head start. She was not reluctant to say we need to be at a similar competitive level as Xavier, Marquette, Villanova, Creighton, as well as Gonzaga. Nor was there hedging that making NCAA tournaments often was the goal. Given St. Thomas' unprecedented move from D3 to D1 and $150 million in infrastructure makeover money raised, what she and St. Thomas athletic director Dr. Phil Esten accomplished was remarkable. Maybe he should be our next phone call?
Athletics is already a significant number in the University budget, but with the recent NCAA lawsuit settlement and resulting changes in NIL, the budget will need to grow much larger. As an example, estimates have Gonzaga Men's Basketball NIL money last season approaching $3 million. SCU has made strides growing our NIL, but the strides will need to turn into leaps to get to the higher competitive level we seek.
The new A.D. will report to her as part of the President's cabinet and will be given latitude to make the changes necessary if results to build SCU into a higher level national Brand fall short. She is a believer in two other major fundamentals to expanding our Brand. First, energizing the students is "hugely important." Secondly, building community within SCU and Silicon Valley. Both have been severely lacking as it relates to Men's Basketball. Many of our current students have little clue of SCU athletics past or present. Unless it's games versus St. Mary's, USF, or the Zags, other than the Rough Riders, Leavey is less than one-third full of it's 4,500 capacity. This is not the case with the schools mentioned above located in smaller areas. They sell out and are sources of pride to their surrounding communities.
As Bronco Fans we've heard this before about achieving more success at higher levels. Those plans fell short and needed a more sustained effort. There's no doubt we are consistently winning more, but still idling in third in the WCC. The media buzz from two first round draft picks and two NIT's has been so much better, but we still have a big hill to climb. The biggest thing I took away from our call is President Sullivan's knowledge and conviction of the opportunities national success in Men's Basketball offers.
I can't remember another President who's knowledge was even close. There is a sincere, grounded, authenticity to the strategy and I'm hopeful there's immediate action once the A.D. is announced. This is a potential monumental change with potentially monumental rewards. Oh, and by the way, call her Julie!
Next up: What will need to change to approach this new competitive profile on Men's Basketball.
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