Gragg going to Arky as AD?
- Thread starter Tuloma
- Start date
Good news for TU if true. We need someone to get out in the community and sell TU, which gragg has done none of.
Meh I’m not heartbroken. Gragg was an alright guy, but didn’t really follow through on his promises.
This will be Gerry’s first big hire... hopefully he doesn’t crap the bed.
This will be Gerry’s first big hire... hopefully he doesn’t crap the bed.
This is the best thing that has happened to Tulsa athletics in three years or more ...
Hopefully we'll be thanking them for the double win when we leave NW Arkansas on 10/20 of next year.
Here's hoping they have already had a preliminary call with Largent. Would love to see him hired before Gragg even starts packing up his office.
Gragg did a good job stabilizing the TU athletic dept after after Ross the gambler left. Gragg' son is a good WR.
Let's hope it's true! My nickname for Gragg is "Dr. Do-little."
Besides the 10 win football season and making the NCAAs in basketball 2 yrs ago and the National Champion in the 10,000M in track, right?
Wikipedia says hes gone (with no citation):
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Derrick_Gragg#Tulsa_Golden_Hurricane_(2013–Present)
Derrick Gragg
Current position
Title Athletic Director
Team University of Arkansas
Conference Southeastern Conference
Biographical details
Born November 16, 1969 (age 48)
Huntsville, Alabama
Alma mater Vanderbilt (BS, 1992)
Wayne State (MA, 1999)
Arkansas (PhD, 2004)
Playing career
1988–1991 Vanderbilt
Position(s) Wide receiver
Administrative career (AD unless noted)
1993–1995 Vanderbilt (dir. student life)
1995–1997 Missouri (dir. compliance)
1997–2000 Michigan (assistant AD)
2000–2006 Arkansas (senior associate AD)
2006–2013 Eastern Michigan
2013-2017 Tulsa
2017-Present Arkansas
https://twitter.com/TUSportsExtra?ref_src=twsrc^google|twcamp^serp|twgr^author
I get that people want someone more active in the community and selling the university, but Gragg has at least been a respectable AD. No scandals, no sanctions, no disasters (current football season excepted). He hired two high profile coaches that most people were excited about when they were brought on - one long tested and one a first time head coach (final results pending). As far as I am aware the athletic budget hasn't been devastated under his watch.
Not saying there isn't room for criticism, I'm no insider so the nuisances of the job are beyond me. But he has at least been respectable. And if we want more, it seems like taking the job at his SEC alma matter (Phd 2004) helps make TU look like a better job as we move forward.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Derrick_Gragg#Tulsa_Golden_Hurricane_(2013–Present)
Derrick Gragg
Current position
Title Athletic Director
Team University of Arkansas
Conference Southeastern Conference
Biographical details
Born November 16, 1969 (age 48)
Huntsville, Alabama
Alma mater Vanderbilt (BS, 1992)
Wayne State (MA, 1999)
Arkansas (PhD, 2004)
Playing career
1988–1991 Vanderbilt
Position(s) Wide receiver
Administrative career (AD unless noted)
1993–1995 Vanderbilt (dir. student life)
1995–1997 Missouri (dir. compliance)
1997–2000 Michigan (assistant AD)
2000–2006 Arkansas (senior associate AD)
2006–2013 Eastern Michigan
2013-2017 Tulsa
2017-Present Arkansas
- This page was last edited on 1 December 2017, at 04:10.
https://twitter.com/TUSportsExtra?ref_src=twsrc^google|twcamp^serp|twgr^author
I get that people want someone more active in the community and selling the university, but Gragg has at least been a respectable AD. No scandals, no sanctions, no disasters (current football season excepted). He hired two high profile coaches that most people were excited about when they were brought on - one long tested and one a first time head coach (final results pending). As far as I am aware the athletic budget hasn't been devastated under his watch.
Not saying there isn't room for criticism, I'm no insider so the nuisances of the job are beyond me. But he has at least been respectable. And if we want more, it seems like taking the job at his SEC alma matter (Phd 2004) helps make TU look like a better job as we move forward.
Agreed. He was brought in as a compliance guy in reaction to Ross Parmley's issue. His hires have been solid. The programs have continued their excellence and he helped get us into the AAC (I'm sure Stead Up drove most of that though with his connections). TU is now at a point where it needs some serious facility upgrades and an ability to offer coaches and their staffs higher salaries in order for us to stay competitive within the AAC and nationally. This can only happen with getting more locals without strong TU ties getting involved as fans and donating money to athletic programs.Wikipedia says hes gone (with no citation):
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Derrick_Gragg#Tulsa_Golden_Hurricane_(2013–Present)
Derrick Gragg
Current position
Title Athletic Director
Team University of Arkansas
Conference Southeastern Conference
Biographical details
Born November 16, 1969 (age 48)
Huntsville, Alabama
Alma mater Vanderbilt (BS, 1992)
Wayne State (MA, 1999)
Arkansas (PhD, 2004)
Playing career
1988–1991 Vanderbilt
Position(s) Wide receiver
Administrative career (AD unless noted)
1993–1995 Vanderbilt (dir. student life)
1995–1997 Missouri (dir. compliance)
1997–2000 Michigan (assistant AD)
2000–2006 Arkansas (senior associate AD)
2006–2013 Eastern Michigan
2013-2017 Tulsa
2017-Present Arkansas
When Dr. Gragg was asked about the Arkansas job by the Tulsa World yesterday he had "no comment."
- This page was last edited on 1 December 2017, at 04:10.
https://twitter.com/TUSportsExtra?ref_src=twsrc^google|twcamp^serp|twgr^author
I get that people want someone more active in the community and selling the university, but Gragg has at least been a respectable AD. No scandals, no sanctions, no disasters (current football season excepted). He hired two high profile coaches that most people were excited about when they were brought on - one long tested and one a first time head coach (final results pending). As far as I am aware the athletic budget hasn't been devastated under his watch.
Not saying there isn't room for criticism, I'm no insider so the nuisances of the job are beyond me. But he has at least been respectable. And if we want more, it seems like taking the job at his SEC alma matter (Phd 2004) helps make TU look like a better job as we move forward.
Let's be honest. Most of our ADs have done OK on the coaching search front (with obvious missteps). We hired gragg with the purpose of increasing visiblity and attendance...he failed MISERABLY on both.
Grade: B.
Loses half a letter grade for firing Bill Blankenship citing the failure to win despite Blankenship and then President and AD all agreeing in advance of initial contract that current scholarship numbers structure would result in a gutting of the roster in years 3 and 4. Hires new coach who either kicked can down the road or who also failed to address the issue immediately. (Looks like JUCO moves are finally going to get some of it solved, too little too late. Makes you wonder if this move is based on his seat being warm since we have a new President and reporting structure).
Loses half a letter grade for failing to save (giving up?) a sport and contracting athletic budget.
No extra credit due to failure to engage mid tier boosters, fans, community.
Loses half a letter grade for firing Bill Blankenship citing the failure to win despite Blankenship and then President and AD all agreeing in advance of initial contract that current scholarship numbers structure would result in a gutting of the roster in years 3 and 4. Hires new coach who either kicked can down the road or who also failed to address the issue immediately. (Looks like JUCO moves are finally going to get some of it solved, too little too late. Makes you wonder if this move is based on his seat being warm since we have a new President and reporting structure).
Loses half a letter grade for failing to save (giving up?) a sport and contracting athletic budget.
No extra credit due to failure to engage mid tier boosters, fans, community.
This all reminds me ... I need to get my parlay cards into Ross today.
We’ve talked about it plenty, but cutting Men’s golf was not his choice. He’s gone on record multiple times over the years that cutting a sport is not something he wants to ever do. He would have rather found fat around the edges of the budget to cut off than get rid of a whole sport. But he didn’t get to make the decision. That was a BoT decision all the way.
I doubt his seat is warm. Clancy gave him a five year deal after his initial three year deal ended. You don’t do that to someone you’re skeptical about.
I doubt his seat is warm. Clancy gave him a five year deal after his initial three year deal ended. You don’t do that to someone you’re skeptical about.
Gragg was competent, but distant, and did nothing to fire up the fans or the City. B-
I hated his agreements to play at ARKANSAS (twice now with next year) and told him so. I failed to realize he had worked there and was clearly setting the groundwork to go back. Too many $$ bag games @Ark,@ Ohio State, @Texas, @ Michigan State, @Ole Miss. No reason to schedule 2-1s with OSU either, IMHO. Very little effort to schedule decent OOC games here - New Mexico and Toledo are our "best" home schedules.
I hated his agreements to play at ARKANSAS (twice now with next year) and told him so. I failed to realize he had worked there and was clearly setting the groundwork to go back. Too many $$ bag games @Ark,@ Ohio State, @Texas, @ Michigan State, @Ole Miss. No reason to schedule 2-1s with OSU either, IMHO. Very little effort to schedule decent OOC games here - New Mexico and Toledo are our "best" home schedules.
This is correct... we have limited options since our donor pool is so small. So playing one and done money games will likely continue regardless of who the AD is...
We are having to do this right now due to budget issues.
Hoping those can be overcome and we can reduce such games. May take 5 to 10 years though.
Out of those 3 Largent would be the best at fund raising and getting into doors that have been closed to TU. Another TU alum to throw into the mix would be T.C. Blair, if he would want the job.
TC is getting close to retirement age and college athletics management requires specialized knowledge and experience. He’s one of the nicest people you’ll ever meet, but he would agree that we can do better. And we can do better than any of the other three, imho
Largent is a proven fund raiser with stature. He ran an industry lobbying operation too. Sounds like a great fit if he is interested.
I really hope we go after a small school AD or successful senior member of a Power 5 school that has a history of successful fundraising. I know why everyone looks highly on Largent. But he just feels too much like our version of Gottlieb to me. He’s never actually been in a department. Does he care about Soccer or tennis or track & field? I’d rather keep him as a board member than make him the highest ranking member of the athletic department.
Hard to know if he's the right fit or almost the right fit. You have to know him inside and out, and then make a judgement call. But that's the way it is with any candidate. He's just a little more outside the box than someone who's held a similar position. There have been some successful ADs from the same mold as him, and some flops.
Largest has the potential to be very divisive with his Christian taliban past. You would alienate people of certain beliefs. But if he can do enough with his peeps then it might be ok
Interesting T. But somehow Largent is still loved in Seattle which is no bastion of conservatism. And lobbying involves twisting arms across the aisle. These facts comfort me and suggest he can work with people of diverse views.
Nice guy but no charisma. The university money issues have several branches with committees set up to figure out how to deal with the each area of problems. Sports is one of those areas. Not sure why Gragg has remained so popular when we have continued to have issues with fund raising for sports.
Sounds like a great compliance guy and may be perfect for a major school but for TU he just did not seem to fit our needs.
Sounds like a great compliance guy and may be perfect for a major school but for TU he just did not seem to fit our needs.
