If it means anything, the Ole Miss fan base is very happy to see him go. He has done a tremendous job at State upgrading their facilities, building their boosters, raising donations, and making them far more competitive with Ole Miss in everything instate.
He started as the AD at State in 2010. During his tenure State bowled in the stadium by adding seats to the North endzone with a brick façade and getting ride of the old style wooden bleachers they use to have their. They increased seating to 61,337 making it the largest football stadium in Mississippi (you know that pissed off the Ole Miss natives). They have had 30 straight sell outs and reached their first number 1 ranking as a football program since the second world war.
He has raised funds and started the process to renovate their baseball stadium to include loft condos for boosters in the left field stands. They are renovating their tennis, golf, softball and basketball facilities all under his tenure. He has raised in excess of 200 million in 5 years, not bad for the state school in Mississippi with a much smaller student body than UF every year.
Also his players have improved their GPA and graduation rate every year.
He did NOT hire Mullen, that was the last AD.
He's father-in-law was a basketball legend at State, so I'm sure it was not easy to lure him away.
He's 45, father of 2 daughters, was born in Jackson, Ms., and is a graduate of Mississippi State. He has spent time at 5 other universities in administrative roles before being hired by State to be their AD in 2010.
May not be a sexy choice, but he has a damn impressive resume and solid experience and has raised State from a total joke (remember the Croom years) to a consistently competitive team in most sports the last 5 years. He was the 2016 Under Armor AD of the year (Skerplunky).
The fact that Ole Miss insiders are extremely happy to see him go might give you some indication of the begrudging respect in which they held him while at State.
He started as the AD at State in 2010. During his tenure State bowled in the stadium by adding seats to the North endzone with a brick façade and getting ride of the old style wooden bleachers they use to have their. They increased seating to 61,337 making it the largest football stadium in Mississippi (you know that pissed off the Ole Miss natives). They have had 30 straight sell outs and reached their first number 1 ranking as a football program since the second world war.
He has raised funds and started the process to renovate their baseball stadium to include loft condos for boosters in the left field stands. They are renovating their tennis, golf, softball and basketball facilities all under his tenure. He has raised in excess of 200 million in 5 years, not bad for the state school in Mississippi with a much smaller student body than UF every year.
Also his players have improved their GPA and graduation rate every year.
He did NOT hire Mullen, that was the last AD.
He's father-in-law was a basketball legend at State, so I'm sure it was not easy to lure him away.
He's 45, father of 2 daughters, was born in Jackson, Ms., and is a graduate of Mississippi State. He has spent time at 5 other universities in administrative roles before being hired by State to be their AD in 2010.
May not be a sexy choice, but he has a damn impressive resume and solid experience and has raised State from a total joke (remember the Croom years) to a consistently competitive team in most sports the last 5 years. He was the 2016 Under Armor AD of the year (Skerplunky).
The fact that Ole Miss insiders are extremely happy to see him go might give you some indication of the begrudging respect in which they held him while at State.
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