The Michigan Daily - michigandaily.com
Thursday, October 22, 2009 - 7A
The Michigan Daily - michigandailycom Thursday, Octoher 22, 2009 - 7A
P SPECULATION
From Page 1A
versity regent David Brandon has
been highlighted as one of the pri-
mary frontrunners.
Brandon, the current president
and CEO of Domino's Pizza, played
as a back-up quarterback for Michi-
gan and was on threeBig Ten Cham-
pionship teams during his years at
the University in the early 1970s,
though he does not have any experi-
ence as an athletic director.
However, Brandon, 57, does run
a company with annual sales of $6
billion and has stayed very active
in University affairs. He has vol-
unteered time and money to help
spearhead the campaign to build
the University's new C.S. Mott Chil-
dren's Hospital and Women's Hos-
pital and renovate the University of
Michigan Museum of Art.
Inaninterview yesterday,Brandon
said pickingMartin'ssuccessorshould
be left to Coleman's discretion.
"It's not a job to campaign for.
It's not a job that gets elected. It's a
job that (Coleman) needs to choose
based on her criteria," Brandon said.
"Only Mary Sue Coleman knows
what she wants to do and how she
wants to do it."
Asked whether he wouldbe inter-
ested in becoming the University's
athletic director, Brandon would
not confirm or deny whether he had
any interest in the position.
"Iamnotcampaigningfor, against,
involved or uninvolved," Brandon
said. "I'm doing what I do for a liv-
ing and that is, right now, running
my Domino's Pizza corporation, and
that's ajob that I love very much."
Universitylecturer JohnU.Bacon
- a noted journalist and historian
of Michigan athletics - included
Brandon on his list of people he feels
are contenders for the job.
Bacon also mentioned current
Miami (Ohio) University Athletic
Director Brad Bates, current Uni-
versity of New York at Buffalo Ath-
letic Director Warde Manuel and
current Oregon State University
Athletic Director Bob De Carolis as
potential frontrunners.
"As far as candidates come, you
hear the same three or four names
floating around, but I don't know if
anybody has got an inside track at
this point," Bacon said.
Former Michigan football coach
Lloyd Carr, who stepped down from
coaching in November 2007, has
also been rumored as someone wor-
thy of consideration.
Carr, now 64, has worked in the
Athletic Department since 1980,
when he was hired as the defen-
sive secondary coach under Bo
Schembechler. His coaching career
at Michigan continued until he
resigned from his post as the head
football coach in November 2007.
After stepping down, Carr was
appointed associate athletic direc-
tor, a position he still holds.
While Michigan's head football
coach, Carr led the team to a bowl
game each year, securing five Big
Ten titles and the 1997 National
Championship. Carr was the second
Big Ten coach to ever have an unde-
feated season within three years of
becoming head coach. Over his time
as head coach, the team had a122-40
record overall.
For his leadership, Carr has been
awarded several honors, including
the Walter Camp Football Founda-
tion, American Football Coaches
Association, Football News, Max-
well Football Club, Woody Hayes
and Paul 'Bear' Bryant coach of the
year awards.
Carrtold AnnArbor.comhewould
not accept the position, if offered,
though a statement released yester-
day about Martin's retirement, did
not address whether he would be
interested in the job.
"In 2000 when Bill Martin
became the athletic director at
Michigan, we were well behind our
peers from a facilities standpoint.
Today, we are at the forefront and
the monumental changes that Bill
and his team have orchestrated
have positioned Michigan Athletics
in excellent position for decades to
come," Carr wrote. "I join the many
in expressing our appreciation and
gratitude."
The other rumored frontrunners
to succeed Martin - Bates, Manuel
and De Carolis - all have ties to
the University of Michigan, though
none as deep as Carr's.
Bates, who has served as the
athletic director at Miami (Ohio)
University since 2002, earned his
bachelor's and master's degree
from Michigan. Though he has not
worked for the Michigan's Ath-
letic Department, he was a walk-on
defensive back for Michigan from
1977 to 1981. He also worked as a
strength coach, assistant athletic
director, associate athletic director
and senior associate athletic direc-
tor at Vanderbilt University, before
assuming his position at Miami.
Manuel, a Michigan alum and
former football player under Bo
Schembechler, also has experience
in Michigan's Athletic Department.
Prior to signing on as the Univer-
sity of New York at Buffalo's athletic
director, he worked as an associate
athletic director at Michigan, where
he worked with the men's basketball
and football programs. Manual also
led a fundraising campaign in which
he raised millions for the Student-
Athlete Academic Center..
De Carolis spent 19 years on staff
at Michigan, where he served in
several positions, including softball
coach, associate athletic director
and senior director for financial
operations. He has been the athletic
director at Oregon State Univer-
sity since 2002. During his time at
Oregon State, he has eliminated an
accumulated $12.5 million budget
deficit and has grown the depart-
ment'sbudgetby more than $25 mil- right person at the right time to do
lion. In May 2006, De Carolis signed the job," Newman said. "But I think
a five-year contract extension with the next athletic director will have
the school, which is scheduled to to be the right person at the right
end on June 30, 2011. time to move the Athletic Depart-
University Regent Andrea Fis- ment forward."
cher Newman (R-Ann Arbor), who Newman said she has heard a
was a regent when Martin was great deal of speculation over who
hired as athletic director, said in an will replace Martin - including
interview yesterday that a number Manuel, Long and Brandon. How-
of backgrounds would prepare can- ever, she said the speculation is not
didates to be athletic director. serious.
"I think any name at this point
is nothing but speculation. I don't
think that anyone affiliated with
"I think any name the University has speculated on
t s p names,"Newmansaid."Nothinghas
at this point is been discussed or talked about."
Newman added she expected
nothing but rumors would continue to circulate
speculation." over Martin's replacement.
"We will all read speculation,"
she said. "It is sort of fun, I guess."
Speaking at his bi-weekly press
"I want the University to hire the conference yesterday, Michigan
best person for the job, whether that football coach Rich Rodriguez said
person has an athleticbackground, a he trusts that Coleman will select a
businessbackground, a combination qualified person to succeed Martin.
of both or an English background," "Our president, our administra-
Newman said, underscoring the tion, they'llhave a good plan and I'm
wide-ranging responsibilities of the sure they'll have a great AD coming
position. "I think that whenever you in here," Rodriguez said.
look to hire someone you look for "I think asa coach, all you can do
the best candidate to do the job, the is worryabout what you can control,"
overall job and not just aspects of it. he continued. "For me, it's trying to
"Obviously you have to be able to build the best football program in
manage a budget and you have to be America. That was the task that we
able to manage a multitude of busi- were put in front of us, and that's the
nesses that are ongoing on the ath- task that we work on daily."
letic campus," Newman continued. Asked whether he would prefer
"What you want is the person that the new athletic director to have
encompasses what you see as the prior experience with a large foot-
vision for the department." ball program, Rodriguez said he
Newman did not discount the hadn't given it much thought.
fact that Martin's replacement may "Again, I'm only worried about
nothave aprior connectionto Mich- what I can control, but I think all
igan. coaches want someone that under-
"Obviously, we have a strong tra- stands athletics," he said. "But I
dition at Michigan," she said. "Just don't think there's going to be any-
because someone didn't grow up body that wants the position that
at Michigan, doesn't mean they doesn't understand athletics."
wouldn't be a candidate for the job. However, Rodriguez said Mar-
"Bill Martin was certainly the tin's replacement should have the
same commitment to Michigan that
Martin has.
"I really haven't thought much
aboutit...butIthinkyouwantsome-
one that had the same kind of love
for this university that Bill Martin
has, and someone that understands
athletics and student-athletes and
what coaches want to accomplish,"
Rodriguez said.
Rodriguez also said Martin's
replacement would need to be able
to manage the increasingly complex
operations of intercollegiate athlet-
ics.
"I think it has become more
multi-facetedthanithas inthe past,"
Rodriguez said. "And that's natural,
because of, not just fundraising and
facility-raising and friend-raising
and the fiscal aspects of it, but the
media - and everything's so much
more transparent now in athletic
departments and in sports."
Michigan Baseball Coach Rich
Maloney said Martin's replacement
should be someone with strong
communicationskills, a deep under-
standing of the changing operations
of the NCAA and exceptional fore-
sight.
"We want somebody who would
want to continue building on the
great traditions that we have in the
athletic program in the university,"
Maloney said. "But in everything
that we do, a person of integrity
would be first and foremost."
"We're losing a strong leader
and we need to hire somebody
who is going to develop a deep love
for Michigan," Maloney added.
"That's going to be very important
that somebody (is hired) who real-
ly understands this culture here
because it's a deep, deep love that
coaches have for their institution
and the program so we want to have
every opportunity of continuing the
great traditions that we have."
- Managing Editor Courtney
Ratkowiak contributed to this report.
TEXTING
From Page 1A
from University alum Tim Bek-
kers, who proposed a text messag-
ing plan to McGee last spring.
Bekkers, who was an LSA
senior at the time of the proposal,
argued that if DPS could send text
messages to students, then why
couldn't that line of communica-
tion be opened up on both ends,
allowing students to send mes-
sages to DPS.
Bekkers said there are two
instances where reporting a crime
through text message would be
more useful than calling in.
"This is particularly important
in cases where you don't want to
give away your location, because
text messaging is silent," Bekkers
said. "Imagine either witnessinga
normal crime you'd like to report,
or one infinitely worse, like, God
forbid, a Virginia Tech situation.
You should be able to report a
crime without giving up your own
personal safety."
Bekkers also noted that the new
service would allow students with
hearing or speaking disabilities to
communicate with DPS for help.
"Most deaf and hard-of-hear-
ing students carry cell phones
to text message with people," he
said. "Now they can easily com-
municate with DPS, too."
Currently, there are only a cou-
ple of other locations across the
United States that have a text mes-
saging number to signal for help.
In June 2007, the Boston Police
Department launched a program,
called "Text a Tip," where citi-
zens can anonymously text a tip
about a crime.
However, as with any form of
technology, this system is not
entirely perfect.
One major concern is that the
victim's cell phone provider fails
to properly forward the emergen-
cy message to DPS.
For this reason, there are a
select few carriers in which this
number will not work. Certain
prepaid phones, especially those
through Metro PCS, or phones
without a text messaging plan are
unable to use the system.
Also, the University had to
ensure the carriers understood
the severity of these messages.
"What we understand now,
most uses of those text numbers
have been up to this point for peo-
ple to do more marketing-related
things, not necessarily emergency
messaging," Brownsaid. "An addi-
tional challenge was to have the
providers understand the urgent
nature of these messages." -
Overall, Brown said DPS
expects the new service to have
excellent results, noting that
shortly after it was unofficially
announced at the football game
this past Saturday, someone text-
messaged a problem occurring in
his or le sectonf. SIP yas "hie
to send help to the location and
resolve the situation.
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