Thorr Bjorn to Remain AD at Rhode Island

Unread post by **TruePoint** » 11 years ago

Among the myriad reasons why I believe Hurley won't leave for Rutgers is that the Rutgers job is a terrible job. Ask Mike Rice. As I said earlier, if Hurley were 60 and wanted to cash in before he retired then going to Rutgers would make sense. Hurley knows he can win here. Hell, he might be able to contend for the conference championship next year. He will not ever be able to contend in the B1G at Rutgers (nor will anyone else). When Hurley leaves URI it will be for a Villanova or Syracuse or a program of that ilk. Rutgers isn't a destination job, and it would be harder to make the jump to a destination job from there than from URI.

rodfromcranston · Unread post by **rodfromcranston** » 11 years ago

He was go again with this bullshit!
I heard Obama wants Hurley to be his new
Chief of Staff. That came from Hillary herself!

rambone 78 · Unread post by **rambone 78** » 11 years ago

Easy Rod. I'm on your side on this one. You won me over. People are just reacting to the news that Hurley is probably on Rutgers list. Which isn't surprising at all really.

We don't even know if Rice is going to be fired. It does look likely, however.

Optimistic · Unread post by **Optimistic** » 11 years ago

Iggy has never spread false rumors on this board. If he says Rutgers has Hurley on their list, I believe it. The world's not ending just because another team is eyeing our coach. If anything we should be flattered.

rambone 78 · Unread post by **rambone 78** » 11 years ago

Ramster, with the advent of facebook and twitter, this is where a lot of this stuff is coming from.

Anyone with an online account can post whatever they want, and someone will run with it, not knowing if there's any truth to it.

Or, if they have heard from some "inside source" they will post it, without having to reveal that source.

Some stuff is true, some isn't.

People like us on a messege board, usually don't have inside info. Some do, like Iggy, or Rod. I tend to believe people whose info is proven to be true.

reef · Unread post by **reef** » 11 years ago

Great insights TP, thanks

They say timing in life is everything and I think its good the Rutgers job opens now as I think DH has no interest in that gig at this time

He wants to build things at URI, then his stock will be through the roof in about 2 or 3 yrs

Rhody74 · Unread post by **Rhody74** » 11 years ago

Twitter is a lousy source of rumors. Just last week, someone posed as Ken Rosenthal and said ARod, Cano and Granderson were going to be suspended for 50 games for using PEDs and created a minor dustup until the real Ken Rosenthal set everyone straight. it happens a lot and we shouldn't get agita when our guys are mentioned.

Obadiah · Unread post by **Obadiah** » 11 years ago

Thorr had done some great things at URI especially the Hurley hire, but the major blemish on his resume is URI's performance in the major sports. I decided to look more closely at this issue and keyed on results over the last three seasons and only those sports which have a clear cut won-loss record - Baseball, M Basketball, Football, M Soccer, W Basketball, W Soccer, Softball, Volleyball.

Even I was surprised at the results. Out of 630 recorded contests to date, the cumulative record is 223-407, 0.354. If you take out baseball, the record becomes 157-351, the winning percentage falls to .309. URI has had more success in some of the other programs not included here such as track, golf, swimming, etc, but this is, nonetheless, not a great picture.

Frankly, this situation gets at an issue much bigger than Thorr, as he cannot be blamed for some basic aspects of how the State of Rhode Island handles URI. You can see a glimpse of what I am referring to in today's ProJo. In past years, URI was able to offset state cuts to its budget by raising tuition, but this year the state has frozen tuition and instead of increasing the URI budget to offset inflation and other additional costs, they did nothing, so URI is facing a $6 million shortfall. Another fact, a recent survey found that the average faculty salary at URI is the lowest of all the NE states ex Maine. Faculty includes all the coaches. Is there anyone on this board who thinks these developments do not impact Athletics. Frankly the best way to help URI and Athletics is by making your voices heard to the state officials. And it needs to be done with a great numbers of voices. Sorry for the rant.

Unread post by **TruePoint** » 11 years ago

Obie, great post. As I am no longer a Rhode Islander, there is not a ton of influence I can have over the issue. But as someone who has great love for both the state and URI, it is heartbreaking to me how the university is treated by the State. As a native Rhode Islander, it's embarrassing. I encourage every one of my family and friends still in the state to make their feelings known on the matter. Sadly, there isn't even anyone in public life in RI making an issue out of the school's funding. It's not an issue that seems to be on anyone's radar.

Rhody74 · Unread post by **Rhody74** » 11 years ago

A little more info on Thorr:

http://news.providencejournal.com/sport ... avier.html

Unread post by **ATPTourFan** » 11 years ago

RUMORS I say!! Blast them all!!

reef · Unread post by **reef** » 11 years ago

Shall I say Bye bye Thorr bye bye ???

OBRAM · Unread post by **OBRAM** » 11 years ago

In Thor's time here, I think the Athletic Budget has been cut by 40%, that''s not his fault.

Obadiah · Unread post by **Obadiah** » 11 years ago

I wouldn't blame Thorr for leaving as I am sure he has got solid reasons for looking at the Xavier job as a step up. But the bigger question facing URI is why is the Xavier job a better one. Xavier's AD left for Georgia Tech which is clearly a big step up, but why should URI lose its AD to a school in the same conference? Yes, Xavier has had more success and a bigger budget, but it is still a small school without football. On paper URI should be able to compete, but does not.... why is that and how do you correct the situation? This is the big question for President Dooley.

ramster · Unread post by **ramster** » 11 years ago

maybe because that conference will be the new Big East? Could be part of it. Plus Xavier is a premier program in the current a10 while URI is ranking towards the bottom in a lot of sports - especially the big ones. Baseball seems one of the successes.

rambone 78 · Unread post by **rambone 78** » 11 years ago

I think it has to do with money. Not just what Thorr is making here versus what he'll make at X, but the 40% cut in the athletic budget has a lot to do with it. Plus, football is on thin ice and Thorr must know it may not survive, no matter how much he wants it to.

X is a private school, not subject to the state cutting their support. The athletic dept. here will never be fully funded as long as URI remains a state school, no matter how much money basketball success brings to the school in general.

To keep Thorr may not be possible for Dooley, even if he offers him a substantial pay raise.

With X going to the BE it is a small jump for Thorr. I have no doubt he'll be successful there with far more resources to draw from. Then, that sets him up for a jump to a BCS football school, where I think he ultimately wants to be.

What this means for URI, is without Thorr as it's biggest booster, football may be done, unless the new AD is truly a miracle worker.

OBRAM · Unread post by **OBRAM** » 11 years ago

Jim Fiore
Director of Athletics, Stony Brook University

Jim Fiore
Director of Athletics

Finishing his ninth year as Director of Athletics, Jim Fiore has worked tirelessly to lead Stony Brook University on an aggressive course for success in all aspects of intercollegiate athletics. He has been widely praised for his unparalleled success directing an athletics department that is widely considered a model for rising athletic departments across the country. Since arriving to Stony Brook in July 2003, Fiore has undertaken a major restructuring of the intercollegiate athletics program, including the hiring of new coaching and administrative staff, implementing dramatic facility upgrades and celebrating unprecedented revenue generation. In his tenure, Stony Brook has captured 33 conference championships, reached national postseason tournaments 17 times and celebrated an individual national champion. For the near future, Fiore is focused on building Stony Brook University Athletics into the premier athletic program in the Northeast Region among all public research universities.

Under Fiore's leadership in 2011-12, Stony Brook enjoyed its most successful year ever as an athletic program, capturing nine conference championships, sending six of its programs to a national postseason tournament and celebrating the program's first-ever individual national champion. The football team won the Big South Conference title for the third straight season and advanced to the second round of the NCAA Division I Football Championship. The women's cross country team completed a half-decade of dominance after capturing its fifth consecutive America East Championship. The men's soccer team won its second America East crown in three seasons and advanced to the NCAA College Cup. The men's basketball team ran through the America East en route to a regular season championship and its second NIT appearance in three seasons. The women's tennis team secured its first-ever America East Championship and NCAA Tournament berth. The men's lacrosse team captured its third straight America East regular season crown and then won the tournament title for second time in three seasons to advance to the NCAA Tournament. Women's track & field star Lucy Van Dalen wrapped up her Seawolves career by winning the program's first-ever individual national championship, taking the mile at the 2012 NCAA Indoor Track & Field Championship.

The crowning athletic achievement under Fiore in 2011-12 was the baseball's team's run to the College World Series. After winning the America East Championship for the second time in three seasons, the Seawolves won the NCAA Coral Gables Regional by knocking off perennial powers Miami and Central Florida and then defeated six-time national champion LSU in a best two-out-of-three on its home field in the NCAA Super Regional to advance to its first-ever College World Series. Buoyed by five national television appearances on the ESPN Family of Networks, headlines and stories in numerous national media outlets and a stirring buzz across social media platforms such as Facebook and Twitter, the baseball team shocked the world and captured the hearts of people all across the country with their run to Omaha. The Seawolves garnered numerous postseason honors, including first-team All-American and American Baseball Coaches Association (ABCA) National Co-Player of the Year Travis Jankowski, who became Stony Brook's first-ever first-round Major League Baseball draft pick to headline a school-record seven Seawolves draftees.

Fiore’s leadership combined with Stony Brook’s unprecedented success made him an easy selection for NACDA’s 2012 Under Armour Northeast Region Athletics Director of the Year Award, which he accepted at NACDA’s annual convention in June 2012.

Fiore has also laid the groundwork for future success at Stony Brook through major facility improvements. He helped secure the $21.1 million Stony Brook Arena renovation project that will commence this summer and be completed by Fall 2014. The arena, which will seat just over 4,000 fans, will become Long Island's new premier athletic and entertainment destination and serve as the home to Stony Brook men's & women's basketball. Earlier this month, he opened the new 8,000 square foot Dubin Family Athletic Performance Center, which will be the new home to Seawolves strength & conditioning and was privately funded by alumnus Glenn Dubin '78 '12, whose $4.3 million gift was the largest ever given to a SUNY athletics program. In the fall of 2012, University Pool will undergo a $10 million renovation as well. In recent years, Fiore also opened Joe Nathan Field (baseball), University Track, the Goldstein Family Student-Athlete Development Center and Pritchard Gymnasium (men's & women's basketball and volleyball).

Fiore's vision for Stony Brook Athletics has resulted in unprecedented growth for the program in countless different ways. He elevated the football program from zero scholarships to the full NCAA FCS scholarship level and, while doing so, elevated all of Stony Brook’s women’s programs to fully funded status. As a result, he has ensured the long-term future of Stony Brook football, while positioning all sport programs to eventually compete for a national championship alongside institutions with similar academic and athletic standards. In addition, his dynamic marketing and branding campaigns have given Stony Brook Athletics a national scope. During his tenure, Fiore has helped create a 175-person marching band, was a driving force in a campus-wide branding initiative, the impetus for sealing a multi-year television deal with Madison Square Garden (MSG) Network to broadcast multiple Seawolves games and has worked successfully to gain national television exposure for Stony Brook’s programs on outlets such as ESPN and ESPNU. Fiore also spearheaded the bids that resulted in Stony Brook hosting the NCAA Division I Men's Lacrosse Championship quarterfinals in May 2006 and 2010, which were both sold-out events, as well as the NCAA Division I Women's Lacrosse Championship semifinals and final in May 2011 and 2012. The 2010 quarterfinals, which Stony Brook participated in, resulted in the largest crowd ever at Kenneth P. LaValle Stadium with a standing room only attendance of 10,024. The 2011 NCAA Women's Lacrosse Championship effort resulted in a nomination for "Best Collegiate Single-Sport Event" for the 2011 SportsTravel Awards.

Fiore, known as a tenacious fundraiser, also has turned his attention to department-wide revenue generation efforts, with his efforts resulting in an increase of more than 55 percent in both annual giving revenue and number of donors. In a concerted effort to take a lead role in the university's $300 million capital campaign, the Department of Athletics has secured several major gifts, three of which were the largest philanthropic gifts ever given to athletics. The most recent gift is a $4.3 million dollar donation from alumnus Glenn Dubin '78 ’12, which is the largest private donation to a State University of New York (SUNY) athletics department. It funded the new Dubin Family Athletic Performance Center, an 8,000 square foot strength & conditioning facility that opened in June 2012 and will serve all of Stony Brook’s student-athletes. In July 2005, Fiore initiated a new philosophy for the annual Providing Athletes With Support (P.A.W.S.) fundraising campaign, a philosophy that streamlined the annual fundraising process to prepare Stony Brook to exceed all fundraising expectations in the future. In addition, he created the Athletic Director Advisory Council, a 19-member board comprised of Stony Brook alumni, staff and community members that advise Fiore in the fundraising advancement process. Fiore's attention to the bottom line resulted in a new athletic department budget process that relieved the department of an annual systemic deficit, resulting in a balanced budget for the 2004-2005 academic year, the first time that Stony Brook realized that goal since moving to the Division I level. Fiore has seen the department balance its budget every year since and has overseen a budget growth from $9 million to $20 million.

Fiore has had a tremendous impact on athletic facilities at Stony Brook. In addition to the approximate $80 million in facility projects currently in action, Stony Brook retained Populous (formerly HOK), the premier sports architectural firm in the nation, to formulate and develop a master plan for the future of Stony Brook athletic facilities. The blueprint already has begun to take hold: the baseball field has been transformed into Joe Nathan Field, in honor of lead donor, former Seawolves baseball player and current Minnesota Twins pitcher Joe Nathan '97, featuring new turf and new dugouts; the softball field received a facelift with the addition of new bleachers and a press box; University Track was completed in June 2011 and provides the Seawolves with a $3 million state-of-the art outdoor track & field facility; Pritchard Gymnasium, home of the basketball and volleyball teams, received a $1.2 million renovation; LaValle Stadium's football, men's lacrosse, women's lacrosse and visiting team locker rooms all were redesigned and enhanced for an additional $1 million; the $4.3 million Dubin Family Athletic Performance Center; and the upcoming $10 million renovation of University Pool.

Under Fiore's leadership, Stony Brook student-athletes also have attained new levels of achievement in the classroom. Leading the charge for a department-wide commitment to academic success, one of Fiore’s first achievements was to unveil the new Goldstein Family Student-Athlete Development Center in the spring of 2006, a center made possible through a $1.2 million gift from Stony Brook alumnus and former All-American squash player Stuart Goldstein `74. The 6,000-square-foot state-of-the-art facility can accommodate our 430 student-athletes and features a computer lab, a study hall/multipurpose function room, a career resource/library area, 4 academic advisor offices and several private tutor rooms. The Seawolves student-athletes have directly benefitted from this commitment to academics and as a result, have consistently achieved a department-wide average GPA of above a 3.0.

During his tenure, Fiore also has guided Stony Brook through the essential and formative NCAA Certification process; helped redesign the athletic logo and athletic website; developed a new comprehensive student-athlete exit survey and head coach performance evaluation instrument; implemented mandatory drug testing; and, unveiled an athletic department strategic plan. Fiore also has instituted a "Book of the Year" program for coaches and staff that highlights important topics relevant to professional and personal development, culminating with the author's visit to campus and discussion with the entire staff. Early in his tenure, Fiore implemented a Minority Apprentice program to assist in the development of young professionals in intercollegiate athletics.

Fiore’s list of accomplishments has not gone unnoticed. In 2012, the National Association of Collegiate Directors of Athletics (NACDA) named him the Under Armour Northeast Region Athletics Director of the Year. In 2011, he and the Stony Brook student-athletes were collectively named the Three Village Chamber of Commerce Member of the Year for their work in the community. In December 2007, he was named the Sports Man of the Year by The Village Times Herald and in the fall of 2004, he was recognized by the Long Island Business Association as one of the Top 40 executives under the age of 40 on Long Island. In June 2004, Fiore was a featured speaker at the NACDA convention in Dallas, Texas. He currently serves on the prestigious NCAA Division 1 Championships/Sports Management Cabinet.

On July 23, 2003, then President Shirley Strum Kenny introduced Jim Fiore as the ninth Director of Athletics in Stony Brook University history, stating "Jim has the energy, drive, enthusiasm and intelligence to take this program, in the tradition of Stony Brook, very far, very fast." At the time of his hire, Fiore was one of the youngest Directors of Athletics in NCAA Division I. From 1999-2003, Fiore provided department-wide leadership in support of the director of athletics at Princeton University, a program that supports 38 sports, 40 club sports programs and more than 1,000 student-athletes. A member of the senior management team, he was responsible for all athletic programming oversight of all varsity intercollegiate programs. In addition, Fiore directed all personnel matters, including the coordination of national searches for coaches, staff and administrative positions. Along with the director of athletics, he assisted in the planning for short and long-term capital improvements. During Fiore's tenure, Princeton achieved extraordinary success on the fields of play and in the classroom. Princeton finished among the Top 25 in the Director's Cup standings in three of the four years he was there and is the only non-scholarship institution ever to finish in the Top 25. From 1999-2003, Princeton teams won 60 Ivy League championships and nine national championships.

From 1995-1998, Fiore was the Assistant Director of Athletics for Intercollegiate Programming at Dartmouth College, where he assisted with the daily operation and supervision of Dartmouth's comprehensive 34-sport program. Prior to Dartmouth, Fiore interned at Princeton working directly for the Director of Athletics on assigned projects. He began his career as a graduate assistant at Springfield College before working for the Executive Director of the National Invitation Tournament during the spring and summer of 1993. One year later, he took an internship in the compliance office at Fordham University.

A native of Long Beach, N.Y, Fiore graduated from Long Beach High School and went on to earn his Bachelor of Arts degree from Hofstra University, where he played free safety for the football team. Upon graduation from Hofstra, Fiore earned a master's degree in education from Springfield College. Additionally, he received a certificate from the highly selective Sports Management Institute held at the University of Notre Dame and University of South Carolina.

Fiore: At A Glance
Date Position Held
July 23, 2003 - present Stony Brook University Director of Athletics
1999 - July 2003 Princeton University Senior Associate Director of Athletics
June 1995 - 1999 Dartmouth College Assistant Director of Athletics
July 1994 - July 1995 Princeton University Administrative Asst. to the Dept. of Athletics
Dec. 1994 - Jan. 1995 Fordham University Athletic Administration Intern
May 1993 - Sept. 1993 National Invitation Tournament Asst. to the Executive Director

ramster · Unread post by **ramster** » 11 years ago

Pretty impressive. Makes me wonder why he could come to URI with so much forward momentum at his current school.

rambone 78 · Unread post by **rambone 78** » 11 years ago

OBRAM, just one word.

Wow.

Looking at those accomplishments, would URI be a step up for him?

He might be looking higher than us. I'll bet he makes at least what Thorr makes now. Dooley would have to offer a good deal more, to even get a sniff I would guess.

But what an unbelievable candidate. If we could land this guy, I doubt Thorr would be missed for long.

Unread post by **ATPTourFan** » 11 years ago

Who says URI will even perform an external search?? Isn't that a huge assumption?

ramster · Unread post by **ramster** » 11 years ago

rambone 78 wrote:I think it has to do with money. Not just what Thorr is making here versus what he'll make at X, but the 40% cut in the athletic budget has a lot to do with it. Plus, football is on thin ice and Thorr must know it may not survive, no matter how much he wants it to.
What this means for URI, is without Thorr as it's biggest booster, football may be done, unless the new AD is truly a miracle worker.

As I look back at Thor's career here I said at the time he did it that dropping down to the NEC was a huge mistake. Many said it was not at the time but there were a handful of us that said it was. Turns out Thor had to reverse and go back to the CAA. Problem was the scholarship hit, kids transferred, huge impact on the spirit of the team and the coaching staff. This was Thor's bigge mistake. It would be interesting to ask him now that he is leaving what he might have done different and I think this would be #1. We still have not recovered from this error in judgement and it will be years in the making to fully recover. To say Football progressed because of Thorr? Football at URI will not be his legacy.

His second mistake was the extension of Baron's contract for a year.

His good points are many that would make him attractive to another program:
Greatest resume headline is the acquisition of the Hurley Brothers - by far
Well liked
Great school spirit - always there to shake the hands of athletes from all of our programs
Goes to may away games, meets, matches...........
Approachable
Good with Alumni
Good fundraiser
Looks great - very professional. Congrats supreme on the weight loss
Team player
All around good guy
Good family man

I can see why a lot of schools would want him. It's time for him to make a move like this. The new Big East will continue to attract a lot of publicity. The A10 will be a lesser conference with the loss of Temple, Charlotte, Butler, Xavier for sure and then the possibilities of losing UMASS, St Louis and Dayton too.

OBRAM · Unread post by **OBRAM** » 11 years ago

Stony Brook Budget $26 million, what is URI, I heard it was $8 million but maybe we are not comparing apples to apples.
-----------------
http://www.goseawolves.org/genrel/072110aab.html

Here is Stony Brooks stadium, small, but nice.
http://www.goseawolves.org/facilities/s ... valle.html

How about their new baseball stadium, seats 1,000
http://www.goseawolves.org/facilities/s ... athan.html

Many details people don't look at. Was Thorr responsible for fixing the concrete outside the North Ryan Center Lobby, or pushing the 10th Year of Ryan Center. Getting Cox Communicatons and company sponsors? I think so, many people look at just wins and losses, but I think Thorr pays attention to the details.

rambone 78 · Unread post by **rambone 78** » 11 years ago

We can't compete with that. I think our athletic budget is higher than $8 mil, if you account for football scholarships, etc. but it's not close to $26 million that's for sure.

How much of their budget money comes from donors? Got to be a big chunk of it.

That's the only way way URI athletics will be able to compete in the future.

The smallest state, the smallest budget, the smallest percentage of state funds......I wonder if there are HIGH SCHOOLS out there in the U.S., with bigger athletic budgets.

rodfromcranston · Unread post by **rodfromcranston** » 11 years ago

That Marketing and Business Development team that Thorr assembled is
dynamic.
These are people who are always thinking of ways to improve the product,
and please the people in the seats.

rambone 78 · Unread post by **rambone 78** » 11 years ago

We're going to need a big time fund raiser to replace Thorr. He's done a good job in that regard, but we need someone even better, to keeps things progressing.

You're right about that Rod. There is just so much money needed...it never ends.

TexRam · Unread post by **TexRam** » 11 years ago

rambone 78 wrote:OBRAM, just one word.

Wow.

Looking at those accomplishments, would URI be a step up for him?

He might be looking higher than us. I'll bet he makes at least what Thorr makes now. Dooley would have to offer a good deal more, to even get a sniff I would guess.

But what an unbelievable candidate. If we could land this guy, I doubt Thorr would be missed for long.

I looked this up yesterday, and I'm pretty sure his base salary (which is public info) is actually higher than Thorr's. I think I saw roughly $235k... and Thorr is making what, about $180k? As you say, URI would have to pony up some dough.

rodfromcranston · Unread post by **rodfromcranston** » 11 years ago

Why would this Fiore want to leave where he is?
If he's got a bigger budget to work with and less problems,
what's the attraction to coming here?
Plus, he makes a lot more money than Thorr.
Makes no sense.
Better shot at getting Roland Fiore as AD.

rambone 78 · Unread post by **rambone 78** » 11 years ago

Rod, you're correct, he wouldn't come here. He's got Stony Brook football in a nice place.

Why would he come to URI and it's train wreck of a football program, with no money for badly needed facility improvements?

When he moves on, it will be to a much higher level.

Unread post by **ATPTourFan** » 11 years ago

Why wouldn't URI just promote from inside? What if they can't open a national search?

rambone 78 · Unread post by **rambone 78** » 11 years ago

ATP, I'm sure they will look outside. Who from the inside would they consider?

Burke? No f'n way.

rodfromcranston · Unread post by **rodfromcranston** » 11 years ago

Daryl Jasper is one sharp guy. His background is Assistant GM of Pawsox for 11 years,
among other things. Impressive sports resume.
Very dynamic, people friendly.
NO to Burke!

rambone 78 · Unread post by **rambone 78** » 11 years ago

Rod, Jasper would be the guy, if they promote from within. Didn't know his background.

They need someone who knows the landscape here, what they're up against, but with a vision to overcome that.

Also tight with Dan and Bobby. In a professional way of course.

rodfromcranston · Unread post by **rodfromcranston** » 11 years ago

He works hand in glove with the Hurley's. It's a mutual admiration thing.
Daryl is part of the real world.
He helped make the Pawsox one of the most people friendly venues
in all of baseball.
He has a degree in Sports Management, so he's trained in it from day one.
If you liked Thorr, you'll like Daryl. Same enthusiasm for what they do.

Blue Man · Unread post by **Blue Man** » 11 years ago

ATP is onto something..

This isn't the economic climate (in this state or the University) to go and grab a "big name" or anyone from the outside. University policy all over the place is to not hire outside, and promote from within.

Daryl Jasper would be the frontrunner for these few factors:

1) Burke already did the job, lost it to Thorr
1a) As oddly connected as Gregg is, he is not very well liked.
2) Daryl is a very close second to Thorr in terms of legitimately good people in that department.
3) He's a budget and numbers guy, understands NCAA compliance rules, understands what the most important sport is in this department, has experience both in and outside of URI at a high level, deals with donors and sponsors routinely.

Losing Thorr will suck terribly, we all know that. But Daryl would be able to fill the very large shoes Thorr leaves.

I'm not even saying that Daryl is simply the best because some of the other people in that department are awful, we'd want him to be our guy even if he comes from the outside.

the fact that he knows the department and teams, and knows what he's up against is a bonus.

OBRAM · Unread post by **OBRAM** » 11 years ago

It would be great to get some kind of experience from Pat Narduzzi at some point, althought I would say he is looking for a D-1 Head coaching job.
http://www.msuspartans.com/sports/m-foo ... 82836.html

For those who don't know, he is an exURI football player who is the D-coordinator at Michigan State.

rodfromcranston · Unread post by **rodfromcranston** » 11 years ago

DARYL! DARYL! DARYL!
I've gotta ask him what he thinks about being AD.
One of my favorite people at URI. I love the idea, if Thorr leaves.

Unread post by **ATPTourFan** » 11 years ago

If you ask him, I don't think he should really provide a response given the sensitivity of the situation and his proximity to it. You'd just be putting him in a difficult position.

rodfromcranston · Unread post by **rodfromcranston** » 11 years ago

Lighten up, Francis.

Unread post by **ATPTourFan** » 11 years ago

rodfromcranston wrote:Lighten up, Francis.

Love it! Rod telling someone to lighten up. Needed a chuckle this afternoon. Thanks.

rodfromcranston · Unread post by **rodfromcranston** » 11 years ago

Glad I could give you a laugh.
Actually, I write plenty of funny stuff here.

Ramblinrose · Unread post by **Ramblinrose** » 11 years ago

I think Thorr has done an overall good job. Hey, the NEC is inevitable. This is a REPRIEVE.
Thorr has done well at a school that doesn't spend and has always had a murky mission when it comes to sports. The Hurley hire was a coup.
I wouldn't blame him for taking the X job. A very good opportunity, with a very good basketball program lining up to join what may turn out to be a fine conference.

rodfromcranston · Unread post by **rodfromcranston** » 11 years ago

Yes, but Cincinnatti is a dump.

Rhody74 · Unread post by **Rhody74** » 11 years ago

We don't even know if Thorr will leave. I'm sure he's not Xavier's only candidate.

Ramblinrose · Unread post by **Ramblinrose** » 11 years ago

True. It depends on whether the job or locale is more important to him. He might look at the A-10 situation and see this as the time to go.

Optimistic · Unread post by **Optimistic** » 11 years ago

Rhody74 wrote:We don't even know if Thorr will leave. I'm sure he's not Xavier's only candidate.

I think everyone understands that, but does that mean we can't discuss it? Are you secretly Rod's second account??

rodfromcranston · Unread post by **rodfromcranston** » 11 years ago

OK '74, this guy is wise to us.

URI96 · Unread post by **URI96** » 11 years ago

ramster wrote:
rambone 78 wrote:I think it has to do with money. Not just what Thorr is making here versus what he'll make at X, but the 40% cut in the athletic budget has a lot to do with it. Plus, football is on thin ice and Thorr must know it may not survive, no matter how much he wants it to.
What this means for URI, is without Thorr as it's biggest booster, football may be done, unless the new AD is truly a miracle worker.
As I look back at Thor's career here I said at the time he did it that dropping down to the NEC was a huge mistake. Many said it was not at the time but there were a handful of us that said it was. Turns out Thor had to reverse and go back to the CAA. Problem was the scholarship hit, kids transferred, huge impact on the spirit of the team and the coaching staff. This was Thor's bigge mistake. It would be interesting to ask him now that he is leaving what he might have done different and I think this would be #1. We still have not recovered from this error in judgement and it will be years in the making to fully recover. To say Football progressed because of Thorr? Football at URI will not be his legacy.

His second mistake was the extension of Baron's contract for a year.

His good points are many that would make him attractive to another program:
Greatest resume headline is the acquisition of the Hurley Brothers - by far
Well liked
Great school spirit - always there to shake the hands of athletes from all of our programs
Goes to may away games, meets, matches...........
Approachable
Good with Alumni
Good fundraiser
Looks great - very professional. Congrats supreme on the weight loss
Team player
All around good guy
Good family man

I can see why a lot of schools would want him. It's time for him to make a move like this. The new Big East will continue to attract a lot of publicity. The A10 will be a lesser conference with the loss of Temple, Charlotte, Butler, Xavier for sure and then the possibilities of losing UMASS, St Louis and Dayton too.

Important distinction is that the CAA asked us not to go. Bg difference over having to reverse a decision.

Unread post by **ATPTourFan** » 11 years ago

The word, if you choose to believe it, is that he's already been selected and will accept the new position at Xavier. Out of respect to the A10 tournament, this announcement will not happen until early next week.

I've heard additional confirmations of this information today from sources inside URI.

adam914 · Unread post by **adam914** » 11 years ago

ATPTourFan wrote:The word, if you choose to believe it, is that he's already been selected and will accept the new position at Xavier. Out of respect to the A10 tournament, this announcement will not happen until early next week.

I've heard additional confirmations of this information today from sources inside URI.

Very interesting. Well this will be an obviously important choice that the administration has to make.

rodfromcranston · Unread post by **rodfromcranston** » 11 years ago

DARYL! DARYL! DARYL!