Michigan Football: Relooking at The Michigan Football Administration
Posted at 7:30am — 5/7/2013
Michigan Football: Relooking at The Michigan Football Administration
A Totally Unofficial Look
While Coach Rodriguez was the Head Football Coach at the University of Michigan, and Bill Martin was the Director of Athletics, a series was presented on administration. Administration is like the center fielder on a baseball team. If the number on the back of the uniform is rarely seen, the pitching must be successful as the outfielders are not running backwards to a disastrous degree.
When things are going smoothly, and success is obvious, the administration of a football program is rarely discussed. When success is fleeting or non-existent, then the inference pops up like a platonic plume that the program administration is failing. This leap of logic is many times accurate, but not always.
Feb. 9, 2012; Ann Arbor, MI, USA; Michigan Athletic Director Dave Brandon (left) and Detroit Red Wings owner Mike Ilitch during an NHL press conference for the 2013 Winter Classic between Detroit Red Wings and Toronto Maple Leafs at Michigan Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Rick Osentoski-USA TODAY SportsAnd so, GBMWolverine will delve into a discussion of the administration of the Michigan football program. An obvious disclaimer precedes the stated mission: that any evaluation is based on some obvious traits, some perception, and maybe some incorrectness based on faulty perception.
The only administrative decisions and evaluations that count come from within the Michigan Athletic program, and that is the only way such ventures should be undertaken. External sources can be biased, incorrect, agenda-ridden, or simply lack the technical knowledge to make any assessment or judgment. As such, any external ventures are secondary at best.
Still, the mission will be undertaken.
Any broad venture of this nature, an analysis of program administration from the outside, would be well served to break the total concept of program administration into individual, more discrete constructs. Any list of specific constructs needs to be based on expert opinion and should be somewhat validated by the same mechanism. The writing contained within is based on vast coaching experience and experience of developing administrative models.
No list of constructs could ever be considered to possess 100% accuracy, some lists may not have content validity related to football administration, some lists may be too broad, and some lists may be incomplete.
September 15, 2012; Ann Arbor, MI, USA; Michigan Wolverines athletic director Dave Brandon before the game against the Massachusetts Minutemen at Michigan Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Rick Osentoski-USA TODAY SportsThe constructs arrived at are listed below:
Positive involvement of Athletic Director
Material support for the program created by the Athletic Director
Observation and accurate assessment of the program by the Athletic Director
Staff interrelations and ability to work as a comprehensive unit
Effective recruiting
Statement of mission and delivery of mission through philosophy and interaction with recruits
NCAA compliance and execution of individual administrative tasks
Communication with current student athletes (the mission is well defined, strategies are in order for execution, students are receiving support and progressing toward graduation, and skills are improving)
Game management skills
Instituting a high level of character and integrity by example and policy throughout the entire program.
Successful planning and implementation of planning.
A ranking, certainly subject to change or error will be provided after construct discussion. The scale will include Exemplary, Highly Proficient, Adequate, Lacking, and Failure.
In the second segment of this series a look at the constructs related to the athletic director will be presented.
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Written by GBMWolverine Staff
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