OT: UMass AD Leaving

Section104 · Unread post by **Section104** » 9 years ago

UMass AD is leaving for same position at University of California-Santa Barbara

http://www.masslive.com/umass/index.ssf ... ector.html

I'd imagine Thorr would be a leading candidate...any chance he'd leave us for UMass? It's his alma mater so it causes some reason for concern.

rodfromcranston · Unread post by **rodfromcranston** » 9 years ago

Santa Barbara. Nice lifestyle change choice.
Not an athletic upgrade, though.
I really like Thorr, but with Dr. Dooley at the helm,
getting the best replacement would be in good hands.

Blue Man · Unread post by **Blue Man** » 9 years ago

I can't fathom Thorr leaving - he's worked so hard to turn programs around here, I can't see him leaving before the payoff.

That said, this worries me more than Xavier because of their football program and the fact that it's his alma mater.

RAM67 · Unread post by **RAM67** » 9 years ago

He shouldn't go because of the football program.

Unread post by **SGreenwell** » 9 years ago

Thorr should be on their short list for candidates, I would think, but I also imagine it would take more than him being an alum to pry him out from URI at this point. While URI football is still a mess, it's a mess of a smaller degree than UMass (although obviously there could be boom or bust potential with them because they play D1), and URI basketball is on an upswing. I'm also not sure what his career goals are. If he wanted to become an AD at a BCS school, for example, then going to UMass doesn't make that any easier than just staying at URI.

Seawrightspostgame · Unread post by **Seawrightspostgame** » 9 years ago

Living around Amherst or living around South county.............

I wonder how much more $$$ it would take to tilt that scale. AND if his school pride runs that deep.

Obadiah · Unread post by **Obadiah** » 9 years ago

UMass is a bigger operation and there is a firm focus there on making it bigger. Given the combo of the UMass job paying more and a more appealing job than URI, expect Thorr to be a candidate.

Iggy1979 · Unread post by **Iggy1979** » 9 years ago

Blue Man wrote:I can't fathom Thorr leaving - he's worked so hard to turn programs around here, I can't see him leaving before the payoff.

That said, this worries me more than Xavier because of their football program and the fact that it's his alma mater.

He was a finalist for another job just a couple of years ago. I can fathom anyone taking another job.

RhowdyRam02 · Unread post by **RhowdyRam02** » 9 years ago

I could see him being a leading candidate, but at the same time I think UMass would also like someone who has experience at a FBS school. They're in a difficult situation right now with no football conference alignment after this season, so I think they need someone with as many contacts as possible to get them in a conference.

Blue Man · Unread post by **Blue Man** » 9 years ago

He's not leaving. Lock it up!

CTRamfan · Unread post by **CTRamfan** » 9 years ago

I am sure it wasn't Xavier's mighty football program that attracted Thor.

Let's see, what would've made him look elewhere? - bigger salary, frustration with the CFL situation, no money in the budget [aka state support].

What would attract Thor? - bigger salary, power conference, prestige, money in the budget [aka state support].

UMASS has what? - bigger salary, but not mutch else.

Iggy1979 · Unread post by **Iggy1979** » 9 years ago

I'm a big Thorr fan but the timing wouldn't be bad for URI: he's already hired the right basketball coaches and the football coach. The only risk would be if Hurley doesn't have a good working relationship with the new hire.

Ramblinrose · Unread post by **Ramblinrose** » 9 years ago

Seems like a lateral move unless UMASS overwhelms with money. That footbal program is bleeding cash and has few followers. Hurley is more likely to go before Thorr.

RF1 · Unread post by **RF1** » 9 years ago

At another time, Bjorn to UMass would make a lot of sense. With the precarious FBS football situation at Umass, I am not so sure that now is the time to go to Amherst. Reading between the lines, the outgoing AD looks to have escaped Dodge to avoid confronting the looming issues.

Seawrightspostgame · Unread post by **Seawrightspostgame** » 9 years ago

If Thorr leaves, hire Dan or his Dad

Umass upward mobility aspirations are severely limited by their current station. The fact the conference movement seems to have stopped. The fact there are a ton of schools that have been clawing at and mining away at what Umass desires for decades now.

Umass has to out compete BC, Cuse, Uconn at football in order to even get any merit outside of the northeast. Then they hit Rutgers.

For Umass to be successful it wouldn't be the byproduct of good planning and this genius effort. It would be like Doug Flutie and 10 others like him landing in their lap. You can't just find somebody nobody wants that turns out to be the heisman. Its a shot in the dark.

Rhode_Island_Red · Unread post by **Rhode_Island_Red** » 9 years ago

He may be a UMass alumnus, but he grew up in southeastern Connecticut. URI is much more like home.

Unread post by **TruePoint** » 9 years ago

RAM67 wrote:He shouldn't go because of the football program.

Right? I'm sure part of what pushed McCutcheon into the retirement job that is UCSB is the ongoing, 24/7/365 headache that is their joke of a football program. Our program has been pretty bad, but at least it isn't such a public and expensive failure.

twisted3829 · Unread post by **twisted3829** » 9 years ago

wasn't Thorr the AD at UMass before becoming the AD here? why would he then go back?

twisted3829 · Unread post by **twisted3829** » 9 years ago

EDIT: douple post, also he was the sr associate AD not the AD

RhowdyRam02 · Unread post by **RhowdyRam02** » 9 years ago

He was the interim AD while they conducted the search that led to their hiring of McCutcheon.

Rhody72 · Unread post by **Rhody72** » 9 years ago

I believe Mrs AD is also a UMASS alumnae. If TB would consider X, he'll go for the UMASS job. Also, TB is well liked by Trustees I know. The mess at UMASS is not his doing, he'll been given a chance to turn things around. At UMASS, they will want someone committed to turn FB into a success - that is TB. My guess is he will at least be a finalist. Who knows who else will apply? The FB situation enhances TB's chances to get the job.

Unread post by **TruePoint** » 9 years ago

Rhody72 wrote:I believe Mrs AD is also a UMASS alumnae. If TB would consider X, he'll go for the UMASS job. Also, TB is well liked by Trustees I know. The mess at UMASS is not his doing, he'll been given a chance to turn things around. At UMASS, they will want someone committed to turn FB into a success - that is TB. My guess is he will at least be a finalist. Who knows who else will apply? The FB situation enhances TB's chances to get the job.

I disagree with this take.

rambone 78 · Unread post by **rambone 78** » 9 years ago

I am sure Thorr will have interest. Could be a finalist.

I'm not saying he's leaving, just that I think it's a possibility.

Obadiah · Unread post by **Obadiah** » 9 years ago

rambone is correct once again. Thorr is a football guy and loved his UMass experience both as a player and on the staff. Anyone who has talked to him or has lunch with him gets that impression. I don't know if Thorr will get the job, but he definitely has interest and will be a candidate.

CTRamfan · Unread post by **CTRamfan** » 9 years ago

I wouldn't blame him one bit to take a serious look...........He is in the middle of his career.

It could be a great job for him. I am sure the salary would be greater, a larger university, the challenge of taking their football maybe to the American Athletic Conference [or even ACC], and compete against some traditional rivals

RF1 · Unread post by **RF1** » 9 years ago

Some high profile programs at UMass this year
Football 3-9 (total of just 5 wins in the 3 seasons since joining FBS - will soon be independent with no conference)
Basketball ytd 11-9 (made the NCAA in 2014 - last previous NCAA was 1998)
Hockey ytd 8-16 (made its only NCAA in 2007 -just 3 winning seasons in the 21 years since joining Hockey East)

Ramblinrose · Unread post by **Ramblinrose** » 9 years ago

Football makes it less attractive. This might be 1-a but a bargain basement 1-a. Program is a dog.

Unread post by **ATPTourFan** » 9 years ago

Thorr will one day have a chance at a school that's much better than UMass.

theblueram · Unread post by **theblueram** » 9 years ago

I believe Mizzou just opened up as well.

Unread post by **TruePoint** » 9 years ago

I am sure the salary would be bit higher. But if he wants to really set himself with a good job with a high salary that he can stay at for the long term, the move is to let what he's been able to do here the last several years manifest and make him a hot property. UMass may give a slightly higher salary but it comes with a giant anchor in the form of a hopeless dumpster fire of a football program.

If Thorr goes to UMass, UMass will be the best job he ever has barring some substantial miracle. Their last AD just bailed to UCSB!

rambone 78 · Unread post by **rambone 78** » 9 years ago

Whether Thorr leaves or not, depending on whether he gets offered the job of course, might hinge on what he thinks of the future prospects of both school's football programs.

Is Thorr confident URI will save their FB program, and actually become successful in the CAA? Will better facilities be built? Of anybody, he would have the best knowledge of the situation, obviously.

What he says publicly, and how he feels privately, could be two different things.

There's no doubt, if he goes to UMass, he's taking a step up. But, how big a step up? I doubt he would be offered a better job [P5] any time soon. And if URI doesn't make a huge turnaround in their football fortunes, I doubt he ever would. That's not a knock on him, either.

rodfromcranston · Unread post by **rodfromcranston** » 9 years ago

Won't the putrid state of URI football be an albatross
around Thorr's neck?
If he's trying to go to a school that has football, won't this
be a big negative to programs wanting to better their football?

rambone 78 · Unread post by **rambone 78** » 9 years ago

Rod, true, but the putrid state of URI football is mostly due to lack of investment in the program.

As in money. Thorr's hands are tied. His decision to move to the NEC was based on money I would think, but of course that move wasn't one of his shining moments.

He might look at the UMass job as his BEST chance to move up while he can. If URI football dies, he's not going anywhere.

ramster · Unread post by **ramster** » 9 years ago

It all depends on how Thor looks at it. Some may see UMASS as a disaster and choose to avoid it like the plague.
Others may see it as a huge opportunity, Depends on the person,

Pull from his former school.
Has to think about his family too - maybe he would want them to go to UMASS - many, many things play into a decision like this.

UMASS is the largest Public University in New England.

Kingston · Unread post by **Kingston** » 9 years ago

You guys talk like the Umass football program will keep him away. How bout the uri program pushing him out. Only thing keeps him here is family not wanting to leave while kids are in high school. If kids don't mind leaving. He jumps at this chance, Successful people have confidence in their abilities. I'm sure he thinks he can turn it around.

section(105) · Unread post by **section(105)** » 9 years ago

I think another factor is the potential better political climate and more support from the Mass legislature than the back of the hand we/he gets from the dis functional clowns at the state house.....no?

RhowdyRam02 · Unread post by **RhowdyRam02** » 9 years ago

Based on how UMass fans talk, they don't have a much better situation when it comes to state support.

Unread post by **TruePoint** » 9 years ago

Kingston wrote:You guys talk like the Umass football program will keep him away. How bout the uri program pushing him out. Only thing keeps him here is family not wanting to leave while kids are in high school. If kids don't mind leaving. He jumps at this chance, Successful people have confidence in their abilities. I'm sure he thinks he can turn it around.

Successful people are also selective in the types of situations they get involved with. At URI, Thorr isn't going to be fired if the football team goes 2-10 three years in a row. At the FBS level, with the amount of money they are investing in the program, the UMass AD probably has to turn that program into a winner to be considered successful. And I think that might be an impossible task - it is certainly not a proposition I would gamble my career on.

Maybe one thing keeping him at URI is that he likes the people he works with. He probably does aspire to take on a bigger department at some point, but if the he likes where he is enough he won't have any problem waiting for the right opportunity. I don't think UMass is.

And not only is UMass not the right opportunity for Thorr, Thorr isn't the right guy for UMass. They need someone that has the right experience overseeing a FBS football program to try to salvage their investment in football. I would be looking for an AD - possibly a retired one or maybe a recently fired one - who has overseen a FBS football program. You need to get someone with that experience, and nobody with that experience that currently has a job is going to leave that job to go to UMass.

Ramblinrose · Unread post by **Ramblinrose** » 9 years ago

URI football has been poorly funded a long time. Add a weak in state recrhiting base. Any good RI players go to BC.

Iggy1979 · Unread post by **Iggy1979** » 9 years ago

Thor was at UMass for 15 years, so I'm sure he has a lot of fans there. And he would have worked for the outgoing AD. And he was in charge of football ... I think he's going to be in the mix.

ramster · Unread post by **ramster** » 9 years ago

TruePoint wrote:I am sure the salary would be bit higher. But if he wants to really set himself with a good job with a high salary that he can stay at for the long term, the move is to let what he's been able to do here the last several years manifest and make him a hot property. UMass may give a slightly higher salary but it comes with a giant anchor in the form of a hopeless dumpster fire of a football program.

If Thorr goes to UMass, UMass will be the best job he ever has barring some substantial miracle. Their last AD just bailed to UCSB!

TP,
You think the salary would be only slightly higher?
UMASS has twice the undergrad population of URI.
How much does Thor make now?
I'd be very surprised if that job doesn't pay significantly more than Rhody.

Ramblinrose · Unread post by **Ramblinrose** » 9 years ago

Thorr would be heading into a budget crisis. I'm sure he gets frustrated with URI's historically half-assed approach, but UMASS is no dream job ... unless he has longed for it.

Unread post by **TruePoint** » 9 years ago

ramster wrote:
TruePoint wrote:I am sure the salary would be bit higher. But if he wants to really set himself with a good job with a high salary that he can stay at for the long term, the move is to let what he's been able to do here the last several years manifest and make him a hot property. UMass may give a slightly higher salary but it comes with a giant anchor in the form of a hopeless dumpster fire of a football program.

If Thorr goes to UMass, UMass will be the best job he ever has barring some substantial miracle. Their last AD just bailed to UCSB!
TP,
You think the salary would be only slightly higher?
UMASS has twice the undergrad population of URI.
How much does Thor make now?
I'd be very surprised if that job doesn't pay significantly more than Rhody.

I do think on a scale of all D1 AD jobs, UMass would be much closer to URI than it would be to the power-5 type of jobs. UMass is a have-not of the college sports world. Some comments here make me wonder if maybe people have the wrong perception of them.

Thorr taking the UMass jobs would be like selling your Apple stock in 2006. Maybe he would stand to make a small gain, but if he rides it out here another year or two he'll be able to cash in for much more.

Iggy1979 · Unread post by **Iggy1979** » 9 years ago

I'm hearing he's on the short list. Don't know about Thor's interest

rambone 78 · Unread post by **rambone 78** » 9 years ago

I think URI and Dooley need to be prepared to lose him.

They need to start doing their homework just in case.

Unread post by **SGreenwell** » 9 years ago

Per a Mass Live story, UMass athletic director John McCutcheon earned $264,768 in 2014. Per a couple different articles over the years, the URI AD job pays about $185,000. So, it would be a pretty significant bump, a little more than 40 percent.

rambone 78 · Unread post by **rambone 78** » 9 years ago

Maybe Dooley should consider increasing Thorr's salary to the low 200's a year.

He's made some good hires here lately. Programs are on the upswing.

Football is still a question mark, though. The jury's still out on Fleming, but some in the know should know by now how it's trending.

Iggy1979 · Unread post by **Iggy1979** » 9 years ago

This is the best group of president, AD, men's and women's basketball coaches, possibly football coach the university has ever had. At a school with a string of terrible AD's, URI should step up and reward Thor for the job he has done.

Blue Man · Unread post by **Blue Man** » 9 years ago

I don't know why I have to say this again: thorr has no interest in umass, or leaving any time soon. Fact. Lock this thread up.

rodfromcranston · Unread post by **rodfromcranston** » 9 years ago

OK, I asked the question directly to Thorr.
He said he has absolutely no interest in leaving URI.
Said he loves it here, his family loves it, his kids are going to go
to URI and don't even want to look at another school.
He loves the people he works for and works with.
Loves to see the results of the basketball programs he's had a hand in
hiring successful coaches for.
Says Dr. Dooley absolutely gets it and loves athletics.
He's all in. Period.
I'm glad, because this is a great guy who loves what he's doing.
Put thie thread to bed.

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