#10: Lewis & Clark will hire Linfield AC Brett Elliott as its next Football HC, per JohnCanzano.com’s namesake. (link)
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#9: Misericordia AD Chuck Edkins sits down with D3.ticker’s Kristen Eargle about evaluating coaching hires, new sports to add, key issues and more. As he looks to hire coaches and staff: “The number one piece is when we look for individuals to lead student-athletes, we want coaches and staff who want to be at Misericordia. We all know there's a lot of jobs across the country in a variety of sports. I'm always looking for someone who wants to be at Misericordia. I want the Misericordia position, not just a head coach position. I think that makes a difference because then we know that they're going to be invested in not only the university, but the students that attend that university. The one piece that has kept me here for so long is the commitment and the dedication that this university has to our students. It's pretty unique. I've only been a couple places, but this has been one that has kept me here because of how invested this university is in the success of its students and student-athletes.” Adding 22 sport programs since he joined the university in 1992, Edkins’ checklist for evaluating a sport includes what sports are thriving, what sports can enhance the conference from an AQ perspective, facilities, geography and more. The challenge with that growth has been keeping up with the infrastructure to support that growth. “There are some challenges that we have to be aware of to make sure that we're not forgetting, as I mentioned earlier, where we’ve come from and what we have that exists, while adding to enhance the university's offerings and an enrollment piece, as well as what we're trying to do for the conference.” Lots more on challenges he is facing, the Misericordia Mystique and his development can be found on BOSCA. (link)
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#8: New Knox AD Justin Newell chats with WGIL’s Jay Redfern as he prepares to officially begin with the Prairie Fire next week. Asked how he measures success: “The way I measure success is simply are we moving the needle? Are you actually using the sport to grow the individual? I believe seeking winning, challenging yourself and going after that is a part of growing and learning, because later in life, when you're in quote, unquote, the real world competition is a part of life. And so to me, the pursuit of winning is invaluable. I measure success depending on where you're coming from. If you won one game the previous year, can we move that up to 3, 4, 5? Are we more competitive against the teams that we were blown out by from the year before? Can we start moving that needle? So success, to me, is the pursuit of winning. It's not necessarily measured in wins and losses. It's measured in are we being competitive? Are we growing? Are we learning? It's a longer term thing than just looking at it as a one year issue, but a multi-year issue and that continued growth.” Starting in the middle of the academic year, Newell: “I think starting in the middle gives you the opportunity to sit back, listen, learn, without needing to push forward really quickly. As I mentioned, if I'm going to mentor people, I need to know them. I need to build relationships. I'm really hoping to just get to know the coaches better. Ever since I was announced in November, and this has been a really long break, I've had virtual meetings with coaches. I've connected with them via cell phone. […] The opportunity to connect with coaches, to listen, to learn, to meet student-athletes, that's going to be the priority.” (link)
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#7: Middlebury selects Virginia (DI) EVP/Provost Ian Baucom as the college’s 18th president. (link)
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#6: Baruch Assoc. AD for Administration and Finance Erin Pomykala has departed for Monmouth (DI), where she will serve as Senior Assoc. AD for Business. (link)
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#5: Emerson hires Massasoit (NJCAA) Asst. AD Marushka Eddy as Assoc. AD for Compliance and Facilities. (link) |
#4: St. Norbert is projecting a budget deficit of nearly $7M in FY26 with a balanced budget for this academic year. SNC leaders will develop recommendations for program elimination and faculty cuts as part of the college’s retrenchment process. President Laurie Joyner: “This process involves a strategic review of our programs and operations with a focus on preserving our core traditions: Catholic, Norbertine, and liberal arts. We are unwavering in our commitment to our mission which is why every student will still be required to take courses across a broad range of disciplines spanning the humanities, arts, natural sciences, and social sciences.” (link)
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#3: Deloitte has released a white paper titled The New Era of College Athletics: Securing a sustainable financial future through revenue generation and expense management. The paper advises athletic departments to take a three-pronged approach to identifying and capturing new revenue streams, starting with assessing the current state of the athletic department. “Build a baseline understanding of current strategic, operational, and financial health, benchmarked against leading practices to inform the athletic department’s financial and operating goals. The comprehensive assessment should provide a clear understanding of the current landscape and identify areas for improvement and growth.” Second, plan for the future. “Forecast and scenario plan for known and potential expenditures and revenue over the next five years. This should include detailed financial categories specific to athletics,” such as team health, academic services, team travel and recruiting costs. “By considering these specific financial categories, athletic departments can create more accurate and actionable financial plans that address the unique needs and challenges of collegiate athletics.” Finally, chart a path forward: “Develop a strategic plan that prioritizes increasing revenue and reduces costs through the identification of sustainable opportunities for growth, centering the experience of current and future student-athletes, faculty, staff and fans.” Recommended revenue-generation activities could include developing a creative NIL strategy, exploring naming rights partnerships and setting clear objectives, among others. Expense management strategies could include updating the budget model, eliminating redundancies, establishing or refining governance structures and more. Full paper. (link)
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#2: Utica AD David Fontaine will retire at the end of the month after 13 years leading the Pioneers. Fontaine: “One of the best parts has been watching our students, coaches, and staff experience success. Having our student athletes compete for championships and achieve individual success has been very special. To be a small part of their journey is something I will always remember. I hope they know that they will always be part of the Utica family, and they will always be welcomed home here.” (link)
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#1: U.S. District Judge Loren AliKhan halted the Trump administration’s freeze on federal grands and loans. A hearing has been set for February 3, at which point the judge will determine whether to issue a longer-term while a lawsuit filed by a coalition of organizations, including the National Council of Nonprofits and the American Public Health Association moves forward. The freeze had been set to take effect at 5 PM last Friday. (link, link)
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