NC State All-Sports Look-In

From February 16, 2004’s edition of The Wolfpacker magazine’s Q&A with NC State Athletics Director, Lee Fowler: More from this interview by clicking here

Question: What are your goals as an athletics director for the upcoming year, in terms of improving athletic programs and in improving facilities? How will those goals be measured? – Herb, Archdale, NC Class of 1987

Fowler:

My goals are the same as when I came to NC State three years ago: we want to be top-25 program in all sports. I maintain that goal, and I feel it is very reachable. I think we are moving in that direction in most sports…

…We have to ask our coaches to take their programs toward those levels. But we also have to provide the facilities for them to at that level if we are going to demand those results. And I think that ‘t what we are doing.

By the end of ‘05, we will have most of our programs in the types of facilities that coaches can be held accountable to. I don’t think that was the case when I first got here. I think we had teams competing against people with a lot more assets than we had.”

Question: How do you determine and measure what levels of success each program reachs? Does this vary from program to program? When and how is this barometer evaluated?” – Mo, Greensboro, NC

Fowler:

“Every sport is judged by their wins and losses, and how they compete on a national level. I also consider if they are competitive against teams on their own level, and see what they do against teams that are already where you want to be. As an administrator, my job is to not be quite as emotional as fans, even though I go up and down like the fans do with wins and losses of different teams. I have to step back and observe the progress of the program.

2008-2009 Standings by sport through April 5, 2009

Baseball: 6-9, 16-15, 9th in the ACC
Football: Finished 4-4, 6-7, Tied for 5th in the ACC
Men’s Basketball: 6-10, 16-14 10th in the ACC
Women’s Basketball: 5-9, 13-17 tie for 8th in the ACC
Gymnastics: Finished 1st of 8 (EAGL)
Men’s Soccer: 3-5, 9-9-1, tied for 7th of 9 teams in ACC
Women’s Soccer: 0-10, 8-12, 11th of 11 teams in the ACC
Softball: 3-6, 18-16, 6th of 8 teams in the ACC
Men’s Swimming and Diving: 3-3, 6-3, 6th of 10 teams in the ACC
Women’s Swimming and Diving 2-3, 5-5, 8th of 11 teams in the ACC
Men’s Tennis: 3-6, 9-12, 9th of 12 teams in the ACC
Women’s Tennis: 1-7, 4-14, 12th of 12 teams in the ACC
Volleyball: 3-17, 9-26, 10th of 12 teams in the ACC
Wrestling: 0-5, 4-15-1, 6th of 6 teams in the ACC
Men’s Golf: N/A; Finished 2nd – 6th in several tournaments
Women’s Golf: N/A; Finished in bottom half of just about every tournament played
Track and Field: Men’s Indoor Track – 6th of 12 ACC Teams
Women’s Indoor Track – 6th of 12 ACC Teams
Cross Country: Men’s – 2nd of 12 ACC Teams
Women’s – 10th of 12 ACC Teams
Rifle Rifle 1 of 8 (SEARC)
Rifle 7 of 7 (GARC)

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61 Responses to NC State All-Sports Look-In

  1. Thompson44 04/06/2009 at 2:37 PM #

    This just goes to show you what an Outstanding job Fowler has done in keeping us competitive. Is it just me or is anyone else seeing this as well?

  2. Daily Update 04/06/2009 at 2:40 PM #

    Solid numbers.

  3. RegularExpression 04/06/2009 at 2:43 PM #

    I was reading the paper today and noticed the following results from yesterday:
    Baseball – L to Boston College
    Softball – L to UNC
    Men’s Tennis – L to FSU
    Women’s Tennis – L to FSU.

    Just another day in Wolfpack sports.

  4. jbpackfan 04/06/2009 at 2:50 PM #

    We are competing at the highest level. Fowler is doing a tremendous job. It just takes time to build a winner. At least 2 decades are required before Fowler can be fairly judged on his ability to lead the department.

  5. theTHRILL 04/06/2009 at 2:53 PM #

    But our facilities are outstanding.

  6. LKNpackfan 04/06/2009 at 3:06 PM #

    AD’s Metrics for Success: N/A

  7. sautz 04/06/2009 at 3:12 PM #

    Thanks for the perspective. This is exactly the type of objective post that would cause the monkeys on PP to throw up their “you aren’t a true fan” and “Fowler is doing fine” BS.
    It is very possible to have an AD who can raise money/keep a budget and win. In fact, they should go together nicely. With Fowler, somehow they do not.

  8. Great Dane Guy 04/06/2009 at 3:17 PM #

    Ahhh, but what if Fowlers boss is perfectly happy with his job? Thats where the problem may lie. He may be meeting or exceeding the metrics he was given? I think the Athletic Department problems include, but also go higher than Fowler. There seems to be no commitment for excellence.

  9. PoppaJohn 04/06/2009 at 3:34 PM #

    Mr Fowler? Just wanted to point out, this is not like bowling, the big numbers (like 9th place, 10th place, 8th place, etc.) are bad.

  10. 61Packer 04/06/2009 at 3:36 PM #

    Dear Wolfpack Nation,

    Who cares if we’re solidly at or near the bottom of just about every ACC sport there is right now? Who cares if UNC is playing for the national championship tonight? Who cares if Sean Miller is headed to Tucson?

    Bass season is just around the corner.

    Sincerely,
    Jed

  11. grizzlyman 04/06/2009 at 3:38 PM #

    That is the problem Great Dane Guy. Where ever the buck stops and who it stops with probably could care less about performance. Whether its the AD or the Chancellor or who ever, it looks like as long as Carter Finley has 50,000 some odd fans AIS (ass in seat) and season tickets sale out for basketball and the graduation requirements are met, then the athletic department is doing a great job to them. Expectations of winning programs are just ratings and ravings of the lunatic fringe.

  12. Cardiac95 04/06/2009 at 3:41 PM #

    Where’s that Fowler quote from ’02-03 saying our goal should be to be Top 3 in the conference in all sports?

  13. Wulfpack 04/06/2009 at 3:44 PM #

    Any openings in the Southern Conference?

  14. Sam92 04/06/2009 at 3:44 PM #

    echoing the comments – the problem is bigger than Fowler, it’s with the people who could fire him if they wanted to, but are happy with his performance.

    to be fair to fowler though, when his budget is $20 million less than UNC’s, he shouldn’t be held to exactly their standard.

  15. old13 04/06/2009 at 3:54 PM #

    to be fair to fowler though, when his budget is $20 million less than UNC’s, he shouldn’t be held to exactly their standard.

    But IMO if there was good support (NOT “winning at any cost,” but good support) from all levels at NCSU, that wouldn’t be the case.

  16. grizzlyman 04/06/2009 at 3:57 PM #

    http://www.nacda.com/auto_pdf/p_hotos/s_chools/nacda/sports/directorscup/auto_pdf/D1March26

    NCSU is 69th in Director’s Cup standing as of the 3/26/09 standing release. The only ACC school with a worse standing than The Pack is GT at 127. UNC, Florida Sate, Virgina, Maryland, Duke, and Wake Forest are in the top 25. So pick whatever standard you like, we just don’t compare to the top half of the conference.

  17. LKNpackfan 04/06/2009 at 3:59 PM #

    Like SFNsaid the other day,
    Forget Carolina. How about we just compete with Texas A&M, Xavier, Maryland, etc?

    There is absolutely no excuse for complacency when the institution is in the bottom half of the conference in every single revenue sport.

  18. bluelena69 04/06/2009 at 4:01 PM #

    There is a simple solution to this problem everyone. Its painful but the only solution that will get Lee “Steak Dinnuh” Fowler out of Raleigh…quit putting your asses in the seats.

    I never missed a BB or FB game for most of the the Les Robinson and Mike O’Cain years. I don’t have to continue to put myself through this when I can clearly see that all the higher ups care about it my money.

    If the BOT and the University thinks Lee Fowler and this athletics department is acceptable, then let them pay for this shit in the form of operating losses. Lets see, then, how long they continue to support Jed and keep him employed. You know, a few voided checks to the Wolfpack Club probably wouldn’t hurt either.

    I know, I know, crucify me for being a “bad,” fair-weather fan or whatever, but this is not the case at all. Is there such as thing as a fair-weather NC State fan? I mean really? However, I think we have a pretty extraordinary situation here. Before you say that this would only hurt the University…well, I think the University is hurting themselves and we have done nothing but support this mentality, disregard and ineptitude for years by continuing to show up and give them money. They are happy to accept the worst AD in the country, as long as the result of his ineptitude is not on their dime.

  19. LKNpackfan 04/06/2009 at 4:11 PM #

    Where’s that Fowler quote from ‘02-03 saying our goal should be to be Top 3 in the conference in all sports?

    http://www.statefansnation.com/index.php/archives/2005/02/22/flashback-fowler-in-february-2004/

  20. LKNpackfan 04/06/2009 at 4:15 PM #

    I encourage you all to also peruse the Absolute Best Entries along the right side of your screen. It documents the futility quite nicely.

  21. Bubba 04/06/2009 at 4:27 PM #

    Doesnt baseball use divisions like football?

  22. redfred2 04/06/2009 at 4:36 PM #

    X

  23. JeremyH 04/06/2009 at 4:38 PM #

    But our fuh-cilities are outstanding.

    /fixed

  24. old13 04/06/2009 at 4:39 PM #

    ^^ AGREED!!!! Until the “Good-Ol’-Boy” system of “management” at NCSU goes by the wayside, there will be no actual “Achieve” or “Excellence” in anything related to NCSU except by accident, by individuals working on their own initiative, and/or underlings circumventing the lousy system!

  25. packalum44 04/06/2009 at 4:48 PM #

    Hey Fowler, 8——> 🙂 me….oh gross, you’re even bad at that and your mustache tickles. Just go away

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