The Co$t of Being Top 25

"The Bucking Bronco"

Every NCAA team wants to be ranked vs "rank"?  

To be Top 25....

For Men's Basketball, we just need about another $4,000,000/yr.

Every year.....

We also need at least 3 years to get there. (by the time Jared Brownridge is a senior)

That would put our budget where Gonzaga was last year ($6M) and a pinch above BYU in 2013.

I know you think I'm joking, and some may be choking on those numbers, but they're real.  

Here are a few of the teams the President's Commission benchmarked for 2013 Men's Basketball spending:

Creighton - $5.0M
Xavier - $4.5M
Butler - $4.4M

Then there's stratospheric:

Duke - $15.2M
Georgetown - $9.6M
Villanova - $7.5M

The Heavyweights are printing money - profitable.  

The Middleweights - where we want to be - make money - but like to "hide" it to show a break even.

Some of the above numbers don't include other "off budget" things; such as special events, appearance fees, money guarantees for home games, some coaching salaries, etc...

Perspective:  SCU's entire Athletic Budget for all sports is less than what Duke spends on basketball.  

Still want to compete...There's more...

You need infrastructure for recruiting, marketing, promotions, program management, etc.  We're talking better facilities, more staff, and aggressive Brand building.  You need a "WOW" factor.  

We have work to do.  Envision a recruiting trip for "the guy we're maybe not supposed to get".  Awesome campus.  The buildings look good and have the aura of 150 years of academic cred.  The Mission, the gardens, the library centerpiece...Then...

You walk into Leavey.  Pretty nice, but needs help. 
Tough sell.  This is where the recruits will spend huge hours. It needs a "makeover".  Whether it's the weight room, locker room, floor or a designated team meeting space.  It needs to make a "statement". 

What would a cosmetic Leavey makeover cost?  Not sure, might be in the $1-2M neighborhood depending on how extensive, but it needs to be in the immediate plan.

Still interested?

Why $4M more?  Because we're behind in the race.  I have seen actual teams line item budgets to get that estimate. We are more than 25 scholarships behind in athletics.  (Men's Bball is OK here).  You have to spend more just to catch up. That means we need to spend more on Marketing and Communication than others to get "We're on a Mission" on the radar.

We need to build momentum.  Do something bold.  Maybe, fill Leavey for home games?

How about free tickets for local Alums, all students and faculty, surrounding high school students like Bellarmine, Mitty, Presentation, St. Francis, etc.. for certain games.  Or buy one get one free...

Still listening?  

The SCU Trustees were.  But the numbers they heard were bigger...I'm just talking about a visible sport like Men's Basketball.  They heard the real TOTAL amount for SCU Athletics to compete in the WCC and nationally...

That number is nearly TRIPLE our current athletics budget...

They didn't flinch...they want what we as fans want.

Their voice has been heard and now it's our turn...

The season starts tomorrow.  We, the season ticket holders and fans, have a part in this as well.

To support, be visible, vocal, expect and be catalysts for change.  

We hope the investment return shows up as additional banners hanging in Leavey.  A deserving return on an investment and most importantly, a return to a winning Bronco tradition...



Next Up:  Season Outlook - don't miss!

"Who Let The DOGS Out" - The Zags Kennel Kraziness

"The Bucking Bronco"

What does "Brand Marketing" look like?  Check out this full day of fan appreciation and activities when Gonzaga opens their doors for the Men's Basketball season....For a scrimmage!

This is what can happen when 15 years of performance, creativity, money, and a marketing plan come together...

Click on the links below.

Zags - Kraziness in The Kennel

Zags Sold Out Scrimmage

I'm not jealous - I'm UPSET....Spokane???

Let's hope OUR "new day" starts soon.... 

Will the Real Dan Coonan Please Stand Up?

"The Bucking Bronco"

We all remember the classic game show, "What's My Line".  After 20 questions, the audience discovers who the real person was from a panel of impostors.

So, what does this have to do with A.D. Dan Coonan?

Well - He may not be who you think he is?  Huh?

He is, of course, our Director of Athletics.  

There is the Dan we, in the chairbacks, see at Leavey, working the attending fans and in some cases, like Gonzaga games, the crowd. Ever smiling, energetic, upbeat, engaging, and selling the Brand. 

There is the Dan that has run athletics for the past 10 years who was trying to elevate a program that has SO MUCH potential.  But was such a low priority for the University that he never had an opportunity to have an audience with our Regents or Trustees.  The fear was that he might expose the elephant in the room which was the "little secret" about the lack of scholarships.

There is the Dan that people feel is just too nice, a caretaker, a schmoozer, not enough visceral DNA or vision to drive the University brass to see the real value to the U as a whole, to a stronger athletic program. (Butler's endowment grew more than 30% after their NCAA tourney runs)

There is the Dan that fans wonder if he holds his coaching and program staffs accountable for measurable results.

There is the Dan who has the vocal repertoire to toe the party line spin, even after a 0-16 Men's Basketball record in the WCC, to say it was followed by a post-season tournament Championship.

That's the Dan I thought I was meeting last February, but during our interview he "morphed" into another Dan I hadn't seen.

This Dan accepted the A.D. job having an inkling that it was underfunded, but believing it would change. 

This Dan could barely contain himself with the idea that the President's Commission would enable a "new day" in SCU athletics.

This Dan owned the perception that he doesn't hold staff as accountable as he could. "I task coaches to compete for conference titles knowing full well they don't have near the scholarships of those they compete with."  (He has a "binder" full of measurements, so many that they might be immeasurable?)

This Dan bluntly states, "All I want are the resources to compete on the same level as our WCC opponents and be accountable for those results."  This will be true for all coaches, especially Men's Basketball - because of its visibility.

This Dan was actually invited and presented to the Commission and the Trustees.  The "elephant in the room" was not only exposed, but dissected.  

This Dan has a clear vision and Brand, "We're on a Mission."

This Dan wants so badly to raise the level of  SCU's athletic's performance that he has endured 10 years of being "muted" by the University.

So, back to my question.  Will the real Dan Coonan please stand up?

Fast forward to today.  The Commission has presented, the Trustees approved and more importantly - money IS coming.

If this is truly a "new day".  The real Dan Coonan will finally get his chance to shine - the chance he has waited 10 years to get.....


Next Post:  The Cost to Compete.....You won't believe it...

I

Coach Keating Interview Part 3 - The Future of SCU Men's Basketball

"The Bucking Bronco"

For Season Ticket Holders, this is another Deja' Vu moment.

For us, the new "future" of Men's Basketball was supposed to have started seven years ago when Coach Keating arrived.  So, the future should be here by now, shouldn't it???

Turns out, maybe it is...As I reported, the Trustees unanimously voted to implement the recommendations of the President's Commission on Athletics.  It means, FINALLY, coaches will get funding to level the playing field with WCC and our "peer" schools as bench-marked by the Commission.

We're not talking "transfusion" type funding, but the spigot is open and Men's Basketball will be a very visible centerpiece.

I BELIEVE THIS DECISION BY THE TRUSTEES TO BE ONE OF THE MOST SIGNIFICANT EVENTS IN SANTA CLARA ATHLETICS HISTORY.....

I cannot recall ANYONE at ANYTIME stating SCU Athletics was not only important, but strategic.....AND investing....

I know we've all heard time and again "how great it's going to be".  Well, for the first time, real money is involved and not just hype.... Different?  Hope so.

The stakes for the University are enormous.  In Education, as in Business, it's all about the "Benjamins".

Endowments need to grow to fund important initiatives.  And I have a sneaking hunch our Athletic alums are in possession of some of those Benjamins....A potentially potent source.

What Coach Keating had to say about the future I found - well, surprising....

Let me say, upfront, Coach Keating has fire.  He's like a rare strain of Tabasco that when mixed with other ingredients can become combustible.  We've all seen it....He wants SCU to be in the conversation as one of top WCC teams to threaten Gonzaga.  I have to say, we've played GU pretty tough WITHOUT the resources, so WITH more resources....

IMHO, he may feel like he's been racing in the Indy 500 with a Prius.  By the time you get up to speed, the race is over.  WE, as Season Ticket Holders believed he HAD the Indy car and have expected more...

So here we are...The Future...

Coach said, "What I'm most proud of, is that even after our two worst seasons with key people out, we came back the next year and won 24 and 26 games and two postseason titles.  In fact, our only two fully healthy senior class seasons resulted in post season championships."

Granted, as Season Ticket Holders, these are not the titles WE had hoped for, but something the Players will always cherish.

Coach Keating told me, "If we get the one more guy, the guy maybe you're not supposed to get, I believe we can win the league in 3 years with the freshmen class we have now".  Of course in 3 years it will be their senior year.

I'm glad he feels like that.  Maybe we can make a run at it.  But certainly, sources say, he has an expectation to get to the NCAA Tourney with an At-Large bid within that same time period.

The timing seems perfect.

The University is investing more money to resource Men's Basketball.  The current freshmen should, under Coach's plan, develop.  We'll hopefully add some higher "star" recruits - maybe the guy you're not supposed to get....So, it's out there.  A plan that has details AND a specific performance goal - from Coach Keating himself.

He goes on to say, "No NCAA Coach has won all 4 postseason titles and although they're not the top ones, we've won 2."  Fire...Ambition...

As Season Ticket Holders, we hope Dan Coonan and the University leadership team agree.

Gotta love it....

Now - hopefully - get to see it....Happen.

Next Post:  My interview with A.D. Dan Coonan

The "President's Commission on Athletics Has Spoken"

"The Bucking Bronco"

June 2014 was a BIG month for Santa Clara University.  

The President's commission on Athletics presented their findings and recommendations to the Board of Trustees who "unanimously" endorsed and directed the University to implement a plan to increase our visibility and competitiveness on a National level.

As a wrote last December 5th, the commission's makeup had some real "street cred".  Their research extensive, their criticisms frank, and their vision of the opportunities "significant".

The Trustees agreed.  Athletics across the board needs to be improved.

NOW, this is the moment, we as Men's Basketball Season ticket holders have been waiting for....

It feels like to me, that we have been buying our season tickets with a 401K attitude...  "I'll buy them again as if it's an investment for something better in the future"....

The FUTURE is here....

Why is this time different?

Try these.

The Trustees run the University and they have "directed" the University to implement and report.   A first.

Athletics has been tasked with developing a plan and timetable to meet the goals stated above to upgrade SCU Athletics and particularly Men's Basketball.

Athletics is now a key component in the University's strategic plan versus an "honorable mention" in the past.   Another first.

The University will fund as part of its operating budget, the shortfall in Athletic scholarships SCU has been suffering from for a long time, estimated to be, as I reported earlier, about a 30% delta to the rest of the WCC teams.  The wallet is out - and the moths are fleeing.   Another First.

Pretty Strong....And long overdue.

We as season ticket holders HOPE all these "firsts" translate into a first place in the WCC or our first NCAA bid in over 20 years.... Both hard, but hey - goals are goals....

The Stevens family generous gift  of $ 7.7 million for Soccer is the catalyst for hopefully more gifts to come.
Soccer, particularly the success of Jerry Smith's women's program, can serve as a model for Men's Basketball.   The Steven's gift will upgrade our Soccer field, lockers, and stature as a top tier National stage player.  Well earned and deserved.

We all dream that Men's Basketball can get there.....

SOUNDS FANtastic!

I'm just a little queasy on two points......

MY FIRST:
If Athletics is developing the plan and timetable - will they go too easy on themselves to meet the Trustees goals??  Hope not - fox in the hen house issue...

MY SECOND FIRST:
Where in the University structure will Athletics report?  Critical.  A key signal.   In most National programs it's to the University President.  The "buck" stops here importance...

At the end of the day - it's all good....

Money is coming, measurements of success will be reviewed, people become accountable for results - and FANS and SEASON ticket holders loyalty becomes recognized and acknowledged....

The first half of the NEW Santa Clara Athletics focus has begun - and the clock it ticking......

Coach Keating Interview - Part 2 - The Keys To Success

"The Bucking Bronco"

"The key to success in college basketball is recruiting and scheduling", said Coach Keating in our December interview.

Sounds easy enough...Find the right players, put them in a good system where they develop, schedule stronger opponents, beat a ranked team or two, and voila, compete for WCC titles and NCAA bids.  Anybody can do it?  Right?

Turns out, very few can.  Analyzing the variables involved in the above formula would "choke" IBM's Watson super computer.

Some NCAA Tourney qualifying "gee whiz" numbers:
Less than 10% of all NCAA division 1 teams are conference winners
Another 11% get at-large bids - most of these come from the top 3 teams in the best conferences
Of all at-large bids, 4 or 5% (3 - 4 teams) are selected outside of these parameters

That sounds easy - doesn't it?

The formula for Santa Clara, and many others in the Mid-Major mix to make the NCAA tourney, is either win the league or league tournament or finish second and have a strong RPI resume.

As with success in any realm - you need to make your Brand stand out and deliver performance.

And performance means recruiting.   Recruiting means the ability to judge the talent and potential of 15 -16 years olds....According to Coach Keating, "we recruit on a 6 year cycle" and then try to "schedule out" 3 - 4 years.  It's a high stakes "what if's" guessing game.

Unlike the Big Name conference teams, Santa Clara is not on the radar of 5 and 4 star ranked recruits.  The competition for 3 star recruits is fierce.  Add our tougher academic standards and slim budgets.  You get the picture.  We search in the 2 star and under ranks. We'll go after 3's but it's a tough win.

I reminded Coach Keating of his recruiting reputation coming into Santa Clara.

I have to say, given all of the above, he's done well.  His first 2008-09 class was maybe the best. Foster, Trasolini, James Rahon, with big John Bryant, Scott Thompson, Ben Dowdell, Michael Santos, and Calvin Johnson filling out the existing.roster.  However, they never seemed to "gel" and then losing Thompson (medical) and Rahon (xfer to SDS) was a blow.

There was some real optimism going into 2011-12 after adding Ray Cowels, Niyi Harrison, and Evan Roquemore in 2010.  2010/11 was a 24-14 year and a 9-6 WCC record with a post season CIT championship.

We all know the wheels came off in 2011-2012 - but Coach found Brandon Clark and Denzel Washington who, along with the above players, refocused and won 26 games and the CBI and my guess, were maybe one or two overtime losses away from that elusive NCAA at-large bid....

Coach recalled, with angst, several "recruiting coup" near misses who would have been game changers during this time period.  We just got our pocket picked at the last minute.

Overall, we've had as many recruits succeed as those who have not panned out.  Not bad in the talent judging stats.

More importantly, we have not, as yet, either found or developed that "break out" kid
or as Coach Keating says "the guy you're not supposed to get".

NOW would be a great moment for that...

I DO like the 2013-14 class.

I hope Jared Brownridge turns into "that guy you're not supposed to get".
If he, Jalen and Emmanuel develop and our new recruits add punch - just maybe.....they'll become the best.

FYI.  Click on the link to see Santa Clara's 2014 recruits from the ESPN rankings:

Santa Clara 2014 Recruits

Just maybe it allows us to create a STRONGER SCHEDULE.  The second key to success.

Why is schedule so important?  RPI baby.  Like it or not NCAA selection committees like RPI.  

Our competitors, Gonzaga, BYU, and St. Mary's each spend upwards of $500K annually for "play in" games where they pay opponents to come into their home arenas to play and frankly - lose.  Duke used us for this purpose a few years ago as did Notre Dame.  All in the name of winning and RPI.  You may not know it, but WE had to pay teams to come to Leavey - just so we could get into the CIT, CBI, and last year's Las Vegas Invitational.  We needed to win those games to get an invite.  So, sometimes when we, as season ticket holders grouse about Sacred Heart - there's a bigger reason.

We all ask "why don't we play better teams" in the East, or Cal, or Stanford?  The money's not there.  No good team wants to come all the way out west.  Too far, too expensive, and if they are good, they might lose and guess what - wreck their RPI.  Both Cal and Stanford have the money and want bigger games.

IF, we can buy or get a better schedule and beat some teams with a recognizable Brand or ranked OR qualify for an NCAA, it can be the rocket fuel we need to sustain "better" everything.

We have a REAL chance this year to make some noise at The Old Spice Classic - some bigger name teams and on the road - a "rush" for RPI and recruiting.  Can we seize it??

The Season Ticket holders formula, is to go "Formula One" - get out the race car.  Coach Keating told me "we are sitting on an oilfield with a Ferrari".  I hope we can afford the "gas" to let it race....

We've been in the slow lane way to long.....

P.S.  For More on Recruiting and Scheduling, click on the link for Coach Keating's May 27, 2014 interview with Damon Bruce.  You have to hang in there for a minute while Damon segways.

Damon Bruce Interview with Coach Keating

Next Up:  X's and O's and Coach Keating Talks about the Future.

A Conversation with Coach Kerry Keating - On the Record - Part 1

"The Bucking Bronco"

Last December, after my first few posts, I reached out to Coach Keating to get his perspective on the many topics we, as season ticket holders and fans, have for years been wondering about and for which we have received little or no communication.

Being uninitiated in the media "rules of engagement",  I sent Coach an email and he promptly responded.  We met in his office on December 19th.  During the interview, Coach Keating suggested we meet again to go into more depth - but - as this conversation took place before I was banished into the realm of "uncredentialed media" - the subject of a prior post - follow up's will most likely not be happening.

Our conversation was open, direct, and revealing.  What follows is Part 1 of 3 posts about the interview.

Part 1:  Back to the Future - The first 6 years 
Part 2:  Kerry's Keys to Success - Recruiting & Scheduling, X's & O's
Part 3:  Coach's Goals 2014 - 2017 

Fasten your seat belts.  It's going to be a wild and bumpy ride, but when we get to Part 3, I hope you'll have a clear vista from which you can view Santa Clara Men's Basketball under Coach Keating's tenure.

At the outset, let me say, Coach Keating has SO MUCH to say - but seems to lack the outlets to share HIS voice.  Radio, TV, Print, Web, SCU Men's Basketball and Coach just don't get much "ink". To get "ink" you need to make noise - either good or bad noise - and we've had only a little of both - winning the CIT and CBI and the Kevin Foster debacle.  

The arrival of Coach Keating at Santa Clara was a big event.  I mean, we just don't change Men's Basketball Coaches, let alone do it a way that seemed so nuclear.  As fans, we were both outraged - but intrigued....This MUST mean we're stepping up to compete for WCC titles.

No one in their right mind would oust a popular coach unless you're raising the bar.  Right?

As Season Ticket holders and fans our expectations got a little radioactive as well.

Ask Coach Keating what is his most important measurement:  it's ALL about the kids, a resolute commitment to the kids and their parents.  They will graduate, they will be challenged in the classroom and on the court, and learn accountability to the team and others that will serve them forever as adults.  

The W's are important, but secondary.  

You can see the level of disconnect with our expectations is seismic.... 

Upon Kerry's hiring, no SCU official came forth publicly to declare higher expectations. No newspaper headlines:  "Santa Clara's hiring of Coach Kerry Keating signals ambition to return to national prominence".  Fact is, the only real change was the coach.  

Our expectations, six years later, are still there.  

His SCU career record through this past season is 114-121 overall and 39 -67 in WCC play.

Adding fuel to this fire, is that other WCC teams outside of the "big 3" are getting better as witnessed by the weirdness of who beat who last season. 

When I asked specifically "so let me make sure I understand, if we have a 100% graduation rate and we finish the season 50/50 wins and losses, the university' is OK?" 
Basically, yes. 

Would he have liked to have won more, of course.  BUT, he points out that even after the two seasons without key players, (2009-10, 2011-12) he has the third most wins in the two seasons after, (2010-11, 2012-13) other than Randy Bennett and Mark Few; winning both the CIT (2011) and CBI (2013) post season tournaments.

He says, with conviction, that overcoming the "0-fer" conference season of 2011-2012 and the bounce back, was his best learning experience; in that we not only kept all of our players, but we won 26 games and the CBI the next year.  He feels we were 2 wins away from an 
at-large NCAA berth.  

It feels like the fish story - the big one that got away....And IMHO, it is these things that DRIVE Coach Keating.  The "burn" is there.  There's a fire inside that is raging for success, recognition, and to be "the one" to bring SCU not only back to the NCAA tourney, but prominence and respect....He's wearing out court-side scorer's table legs in his quest.

And there is HIS  disconnect.  A "big" program Coach in what is today at SCU, a "small" program reality. You get the picture in his Tweets and #hashtags.  He sees the possibilities, but hasn't the means to deliver.  He's driving a Prius against the Gonzaga, BYU  Ferrari's. Even Niki Lauda wouldn't stand a chance.  He needs to "get the guy we're not supposed to get" - through another "Nashlike" video on YouTube to "jump shift" the reality. 

My hope, come June, we can trade in the Prius for a Tesla...I'd like to see if he's our driver.

As season ticket holders and fans it's been like the movie "Ground Hog Day". And we want the time loop to end...



Up Next:   Kerry Keating Interview - Part 2:  The Keys to Success