But this article makes clear why within five years (UD predicts), at least ten American universities will have coaches as presidents.
But this article makes clear why within five years (UD predicts), at least ten American universities will have coaches as presidents.
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August 6th, 2014 at 11:17PM
In the S.I. story, Jim Tressel was said to have a title at University of Akron that is new to me: executive vice president for student success. Go figure!
August 7th, 2014 at 6:46AM
adam, I believe you’re right. Tressel faces very serious labor and other challenges. A staff union contract expires Aug. 15. The faculty union contract expires Aug. 17. Tressel enjoys local goodwill, but I’m not sure that really means anything.
Regarding UD’s prediction of coaches as presidents, there may be some rough precedents elsewhere. General Motors displacing production and engineering people with finance and accounting types for top positions. Vietnam combat operations inspired by memo-writing Pentagon policy types. (There may be good examples, too, of executive leadership derived from non-traditional backgrounds.)
August 7th, 2014 at 9:47AM
Ex-Student Affairs frat-boy coordinator inebriate clutching a “Ph.D.” in “Higher Education Administration”?
Been there, done that. Did not work out well. OK, actually it was a disaster. My guess is that the basketball coach probably would have done no worse, sad to say, and most likely had a greater regard for academics. Current head honcho Pres. Peterprinciple is not exactly inspiring confidence in a traditional academician, either.
August 7th, 2014 at 10:55AM
As someone who believes in the “homo economicus” I am a bit doubtful about the prediction. University presidents are paid much less than coaches…
August 7th, 2014 at 10:59AM
econprof: I should have added that I’m predicting the job will go to failed coaches – or coaches like Tressel who have been through major scandals and are badly tainted. The job of university president, by my prediction, will be a third-tier loser job: University coaches are coaches who can’t make it in the professional leagues; university president coaches are coaches who can’t make it in the amateur leagues.
August 7th, 2014 at 11:59AM
Tressel was chosen over a strong in-house candidate, a dean who revived a college demoralized by a behaviorally challenged previous dean, showed intellectual enterprise by introducing new curricula and expanding existing tracks, increased college enrollment despite Youngstown State’s overall enrollment decline, who already knew the campus players and hot issues, who brought in Federal and private donor bucks, who worked with local media and civic leaders, who had an earned doctorate, etc.
Some days you just don’t know what to say(: