Yow: I Would Rather Win Than Be Popular

AD & Department NC State30

Yow’s press conference has just ended. We wanted to open this entry so everyone could post their thoughts.

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AD & Department NC State

30 Responses to Yow: I Would Rather Win Than Be Popular

  1. Clarksa 06/25/2010 at 2:50 PM #

    Basic “coach speak” press conference…though it did seem someone prepared a list of talking points based on the voiced frustrations of the NC State internets community.

  2. gcpackman 06/25/2010 at 3:00 PM #

    her best response–after the reporter asked about the divided fan base and how to bring them together– “win”. I really like this hire.

  3. burnbarn 06/25/2010 at 3:15 PM #

    I watched the presser.. I would have to say they addressed all major concerns. I think Yow came across as organized and in charge if maybe a bit nervous. ADs are not always in front of the cameras. I think the Fowler and Bobby situations were addressed in perfect manner and it was strategic that she has already met with TOB and had lunch w/ Bobby today. It seems that much thought has taken place over the last few days and many hours worked in a strategic manner and I believe the media were handled in an excellent fashion all the while showing them respect. (I think we can all say this is welcome change) I also believe a few of the questions from the media would not be asked at other schools.

    It sounds like Yow had said I will be on YOUR (Woodson’s) short list but I will not be on the long list b/c she could not afford that info to get out. (We have all seen how confidentially that was handled). I think Woodson handled that well and also went back to the reporter and clarified his remarks which at first came across as ‘it was my decision and get used to it’. Not sure WHO asked that question but Woodson is making it plain that things are going to be done differently at our alma mater than they have in the past.

    I think this is a great hire and I expect there will be changes made sooner than later. It will be interesting to watch. It looks like we have competent leadership..I just hope the task they face is not too monumental.

  4. greatballsoffire 06/25/2010 at 3:18 PM #

    This is a GREAT hire for the university. I have seen no negative comment from folks on this site that has any merit (especially that Yow would be part of the good ol’ boys network whereas Purcells would not). She came here because she wants to see NCSU succeed. And Maryland fans suck.

  5. BJD95 06/25/2010 at 3:19 PM #

    Or you can take it as evidence that removes any possible sentiment/nepotism angle. Randy Woodson certainly has no sentimental attachment to the Yow family, and maybe he wasn’t exactly bowled over by the list from the “distinguished committee.”

    I was not happy yesterday. But I am glad I reserved my judgment, because everything I’ve heard today makes me feel fan-damn-tastic.

  6. primacyone 06/25/2010 at 3:42 PM #

    ^WOW. BJD95. It’s been a long time coming for you. Chit man, I didn’t think you had that in you. . . . .

  7. The Grinch 06/25/2010 at 3:45 PM #

    Somebody break out the vuvuzelas!

  8. BJD95 06/25/2010 at 3:46 PM #

    What I hear makes me think she will be VERY proactive, and maybe even quicker than anyone expects. That’s the kind of leadership I want at NC State. No more waiting until it’s 100% completely without a doubt obvious that change is needed before the axe swings (and hell, we usually didn’t swing even then).

    Sorry I doubted you for about 18 hours, Chancellor Woodson.

  9. FuquayWolf 06/25/2010 at 3:47 PM #

    BJD – I agree. When I first heard it was Yow, I was underwhelmed. Another conference retread hire – yawn. However, after having slept on it and now after hearing her presser, I’m excited about it.

    Think of it this way: If you’d been handed her resume with her name and her university redacted so that all you saw were her accomplishments, you’d have been pretty impressed. 16 National Championships in 5 different sports, including 2 of the 4 biggest sports on our campus (for reference, that’s 14 more than State). Trimmed a budget deficit of over $50 million down to $5 million, while increasing revenue streams, keeping pace with media technology and revamping the facilities infrastructure – and all the while fielding competitive teams that won championships (note to previous administration – see, you can win, run a balanced budget and improve facilities all at once). Even has the guts to publicly demand improvement from the most popular coach in the most popular sport on campus.

    But for some reason, take that same resume and add the names back in, and everyone is all upset. I don’t get it. We wanted a winner, and we got one. We wanted someone with actual AD experience at a BCS university, and we got one. We wanted someone who demands accountability, and it really sounds like we got one. We wanted someone with a vision to make State athletics great again, and we got “Wolfpack Unlimited”. To me, this is about as good a hire as State could have made.

    One last thing – want an easy way to contrast where we are with where Maryland is? Just compare http://www.gopack.com to http://www.umterps.com. See a difference? Really want to see something that will blow your mind? Check out the Facilities page on GoPack to the Facilities page on umterps.com. It’s like night and day. The Terps page has multiple 360 degree panoramas of every major component of every facility on campus. Very impressive.

  10. BJD95 06/25/2010 at 3:51 PM #

    To clarify, I’m not just talking about the presser. Primarily, it’s what I hear privately that has me super-enthused. Anyone can have a good press conference (Chuck Amato, anyone?).

  11. gcpackman 06/25/2010 at 3:54 PM #

    but even so… while watching the press conference I believed what she was saying. Wasnt just hype.

  12. hball57 06/25/2010 at 4:01 PM #

    I have seen some people call this a “safe” hire. Isn’t that what we need? We have had a lot of failed ADs here over the last 20 years. Could we afford to take a chance? Could we take someone without College AD experience and hope it turned out right? I don’t think so.

  13. Prowling Woofie 06/25/2010 at 4:17 PM #

    Folks –

    Todd Turner

    Lee Fowler

    Debbie Yow

    “One of these things is not like the other…”

  14. Alpha Wolf 06/25/2010 at 4:43 PM #

    If Dr. Yow makes the right moves, she will join the NCSU beloved legends. From what I saw – and I got a lot of it via Twitter since I am still fishing up in the Northwoods – she GETS NC State’s fans, culture and most importantly its vast potential.

    Now she will put the rubber to the road and at least the guarantee of continued mediocrity will be gone.

    Coaches need to take notice: business as usual ain’t gonna be good enough unless you happen to be winning.

  15. The Grinch 06/25/2010 at 4:45 PM #

    Apparently our new AD will be live on ABC11 here in a few minutes.

    Update: Highly anticlimactic. Said the same things; stress on coach accountability while making sure they have the resources they need.

  16. tcthdi-tgsf-twhwtnc 06/25/2010 at 5:06 PM #

    If Dr. Yow wins, she will be popular. If she doesn’t, she will have a hard road to retirement.

    I guess Dr. Woodson had two options-

    1) Move forward and bring in new blood without connections
    or
    2) Try and build the Wolfpack family

    State fans complain that athletics hasn’t built a family like UNC and Duke. The Yow hire along with Lowe represent an attempt to build a long lasting athletic family of players, coaches and administrators. I hope it works. Personally I was ready to turn the page and move forward but I would love for Dr. Yow to build on tradition.

    I don’t see how Harper stays and I don’t see how Yow could fire Lowe, who was a close friend of her sister. I hope I’m wrong about Harper and I hope that Yow will never have a reason to fire Lowe.

    Best of luck!

  17. wolfpacktexx 06/25/2010 at 5:19 PM #

    tcthdi-tgsf-twhwtnc – I do not understand, why would the Yow hire be an exit ticket for a competent coach such as Kelly Harper?

  18. STLPack01 06/25/2010 at 5:22 PM #

    My thoughts: If you had told me that our next AD was coming from a large BCS institution with 15+ years of experience, who was decisive, motivated to win, and had produced 20 national titles including one in basketball and a conference title in football during their tenure, I would be estatic. Well, that’s what we got. I guess I’m pretty danged estatic.

    Not sure what the source of all the negativity is. Is it because of the name? Is it because of what institution she’s coming from? Is it because she’s a SHE?

  19. WolftownVA81 06/25/2010 at 5:28 PM #

    Went to the umd website linked above. It is pretty nice. Read Debbie’s farewell letter. Hope L.. F….. is not inspired to post one on Gopack.com. After hearing the presser today, I feel better about the hire. I didn’t know much about Debbie Yow before today but I liked what I heard. The last guy couldn’t have strung together that many coherent thoughts. She came across as very genuine – it’s not about her it’s about the success of NCSU Atheletics.

  20. Plz2BStateFan 06/25/2010 at 5:32 PM #

    Good hire.

    Imagine if we took all the energy of the fan base if we actually won at something.

    Maybe she can get it going in the right direction.

  21. StateofthePack 06/25/2010 at 5:37 PM #

    I don’t understand alot of the negativity from a significant portion of Wolfpack nation:

    AD of a BCS athletic dept that produces multiple national championships: check

    AD of a BCS athletic dept that is competitive nationally as seen by the Director’s Cup Standings (top 30 currently): check

    Runs an athletic dept in the black while still overseeing many facility improvements: check

    Holds coaches, especially the bread winners of the dept, to a high standard of excellence and refuses to let them rest on previous success: check

    Sounds like just what we needed, and she is even privy to the Wolfpack community through conference affiliation and having had two siblings who were really interlocked into the fabric of NCSU.

  22. tcthdi-tgsf-twhwtnc 06/25/2010 at 5:50 PM #

    Texx, I’m not saying Harper would just pack up and leave. But if you were a young coach trying to build your own dynasty this hire makes it much more complicated for Harper at State. Understanding that NC State is a good job in woman’s basketball but hardly one of the best.

    Coach Harper came to State after a short but great run at WCU. She took on the challenge of replacing a legend. Harper was hired by the AD that was just fired over coach Yow’s selected replacement. Harper, on the road to being one of the best woman’s coaches in the game, now has to build her brand not only replacing Kay, on Yow court, and now her boss is Yow’s sister who knows that coach Yow wanted someone else.

    I don’t think Harper will just take off but she his going to be given offers every year from schools equal to NC State without all the baggage.

    I hope I’m wrong but this just makes Harper’s job much more difficult.

  23. packplantpath 06/25/2010 at 6:02 PM #

    tct said “Harper was hired by the AD that was just fired over coach Yow’s selected replacement.”

    I was never under the impression that Fowlers ousting had anything to do with women’s basketball or Glance. I don’t think Harper’s situation has changed with this hire. If she has success and gets good support from the AD and still decides to leave, that is fine. Odds are, if Tenn came calling, it means she did something good, and she would probably leave no matter who was the AD.

  24. hball57 06/25/2010 at 11:16 PM #

    After saying how professional and qualified Yow is, why would anyone think she would be so unprofessional as to make Harper uncomfortable? And why would you think Lowe is safe because she was Kay’s friend? She is a professional, goal-oriented person and that type of garbage has no place in her.

    Also, is she part of the NC State family because her sisters were here? I don’t get that.

  25. ChemE79a 06/26/2010 at 12:23 AM #

    One other point on Coach Harper’s place in the new department. Coach Yow was very close to Coach Summit of Tenn. I am sure the Yow family feeling would be if Kay’s successor was not to be Coach Glance or someone else with NCSU connections then a Coach Summit protegee would be the next best thing. Particularly since Coach Glance has a head coaching job now.

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