Bear Down Wildcats

Hiring someone who was given a vote of no confidence is weird. It's like they got tired of looking and said this guy was good enough.

PHXCATS wrote: Thu Aug 08, 2024 3:22 pm Careful what you wish for

Who wished for him?

Why are we settling on this guy? Head scratching selection.

I can’t tell you if this is a great hire, bad hire or somewhere in between

But I do love that people have strong opinions over someone I can guarantee they actually know nothing about!

PHXCATS wrote: Thu Aug 08, 2024 3:22 pm From what I have heard this isn't good for sports and the university as a whole

Careful what you wish for

Is this implying we should have kept Robbins?

Not a whole lot out there on him.

UVM's budget cuts: https://vtcynic.com/news/thousands-of-s ... istration/

DOE investigated UVM for some antisemitic complaints: https://vtdigger.org/2022/09/15/preside ... f-vermont/

Seems to be all about research:
https://www.sevendaysvt.com/news/uvm-pr ... ign=buffer

Garimella was hired in 2019 to be UVM’s 27th president, and immediately set about working to raise UVM’s profile as a major research institution. He’s stated that his goal is to see UVM attain R1 status, a classification based on the amount of money that universities spend on R&D.


Might be like the old UA president Ann something. Didn't really involve herself in athletics.

Can this guy get Jedd back?

Merkin wrote: Fri Aug 09, 2024 7:23 am Seems to be all about research:
https://www.sevendaysvt.com/news/uvm-pr ... ign=buffer

The U of A is a lot more "about research" than it is "about athletics".

For the fifth consecutive year, the University of Arizona is ranked in the top 20 among the nation's top public research universities, with $824 million in total research activity in fiscal year 2022

Sounds like a very competitive candidate...

I mean… contrary to popular belief, the purpose of a public university isn’t actually solely to finish top-3 in the revenue sports.

I graduated in 85 with a science degree. The U of A was pushing hard to become known as a great research facility.

From my perspective, the undergrad science programs suffered as a result. Lab supplies and materials were old and broken. Many professors didn't really care about teaching. Rather, they were all about publishing.

Of course, there were exceptions and I had a few great professors who loved to teach, but most didn't care about it and their careers only seemed to be evaluated on what research they could produce.

Just saying.

Unfortunately if you want tenure at a research school, you have to publish.

Even when I was working at Cal Poly, which is a CSU (non-research school which is the mandate of the UC system) school there was intense pressure on professors to publish.

I graduated in 85 too, but from the School of Business. Big push then to make Eller one of the best business programs in the nation.

Looking at how Stanford and Cal are putting more emphasis on academics, and less on athletics, I can see this guy trying to do that.

For me I want UA to still be a very good academic school but I care far more about sports

It can be both and many schools are both rather easily. Shouldn’t be hard to find a school president who believes in both.

And athletics is the best way to build community at the university and is the best publicity for the university

Just tossing this out, but was wondering myself if anyone outside of athletes decided to go to the UA for the sports? Most people I know that went to the UA went because they were already there in Tucson, or that the UA was really easy to get into. It was also (at the time) extremely inexpensive to attend.

Obviously don't know anything, but wondering if they are bringing him into make cuts like he did at UVM. UA will still have a $33M deficit the upcoming fiscal year and a huge part of that is athletics.

Although I tend to agree that UA sports is good for Tucson.

Officially announced

When do you all think he will dismantle all sports and turn the football field into a science lab?

By October?

Merkin wrote: Fri Aug 09, 2024 9:13 am Most people I know that went to the UA went because they were already there in Tucson

I chose UA because I wanted the major, D1 athletic school experience. I knew I was going to be in the band, and I was lucky enough that during my time at UA, I got a free trip to 3 bowl games including a Fiesta Bowl, and a Final Four trip. Can't get that at a small, liberal arts school, and I wouldn't trade those experiences for anything. Yes, other D1 schools could have also provided similar experiences, but being in-state, I saw no reason to spend more money for an education that wasn't that much better, if at all.

As for the new President, like it or not, athletics and academics go hand-in-hand. Playing games on major TV networks are great branding opportunities. And games bring out major donors, and an opportunity for the UA President to mingle with those who give a lot of money to the school.

Don't know much about the new UA President. Definitely a step up from Vermont to Arizona. I like that he has prior University President experience, and before that, was a Vice President at Purdue. Good career arc, in my opinion. Let's hope he gets the job done.

Merkin wrote: Fri Aug 09, 2024 9:13 am Just tossing this out, but was wondering myself if anyone outside of athletes decided to go to the UA for the sports? Most people I know that went to the UA went because they were already there in Tucson, or that the UA was really easy to get into. It was also (at the time) extremely inexpensive to attend.

Obviously don't know anything, but wondering if they are bringing him into make cuts like he did at UVM. UA will still have a $33M deficit the upcoming fiscal year and a huge part of that is athletics.

Although I tend to agree that UA sports is good for Tucson.

Having major college sports was a reason but not the only reason I went to UA

You do know that Colorado saw a huge increase in out of state applications when Deion was hired right? U of A got way more applications after the final four in 2001 than ever before.

All my friends went to UA in part due to sports as well.

What kind of plays can he draw up for CBB?

Unless our new Prez is also our shadow AD… this is a complete failure of a hire

I chose the UofA because of the chicks…

...and ASU was #1 in STDs for quite some time.

PHXCATS wrote: Fri Aug 09, 2024 8:59 am For me I want UA to still be a very good academic school but I care far more about sports

It can be both and many schools are both rather easily.

Yeah, it’s super easy.

I can't help but to LOL that this athletics vs academics discussion is on the FB board...

... the only school in the Pac to NEVER go to the Rose Bowl!!!

Merkin wrote: Fri Aug 09, 2024 8:54 am

Looking at how Stanford and Cal are putting more emphasis on academics, and less on athletics, I can see this guy trying to do that.

There is literally nothing to suggest he would ever think to do such a thing. If anything he's more likely to cut out the humanities department than do anything to sports ever based on his history.

UofA has a $$$ problem

This is a $$$ guy.

This type of hire should not surprise anyone

AZCatGirl wrote: Thu Aug 08, 2024 11:55 pm Hiring someone who was given a vote of no confidence is weird. It's like they got tired of looking and said this guy was good enough.

He got the vote of no confidence, because he made budget cuts to departments, and professors didn't like it. Tons of professors don't live in the real world. Either way I'd expect him to do the same here.

ChooChooCat wrote: Sat Aug 10, 2024 9:10 am

Merkin wrote: Fri Aug 09, 2024 8:54 am

Looking at how Stanford and Cal are putting more emphasis on academics, and less on athletics, I can see this guy trying to do that.

There is literally nothing to suggest he would ever think to do such a thing. If anything he's more likely to cut out the humanities department than do anything to sports ever based on his history.

I've included a link to the 876 on-line pages of the Arizona Course Catalog. If anybody can scroll through that and not find considerable, even head-scratching, bloat, I wouldn't suggest any involvement with organizational budgeting. Occam's Razor. Those with a cushy situation, even if they have to "publish or perish" (as John Schaefer put it), will have a vested interest in screaming bloody murder about it. I'd expect pickets, hysteria, personal accusations, lawsuits, and probably involvement from the governor and legislature over the next few years over cuts. People fight dirty when they're cornered. And yeah, social science types will instantly play the 'why not just cut football" card. And kindergarten teachers should be paid the same as brain surgeons. The coward's way out is the age-old ten percent across-the-board bit. But the right (albeit almost impossible) thing to do is precise surgery to cut out fat while leaving muscle and bone. If there's any good news, this is a very rotund patient.

https://catalog.arizona.edu/courses?page=1&cq=

Seems pretty personable.