Dear President Richard Lariviere,
I would like to use my weekly allotment of column space to formally express interest in the position of athletic director at the University of Oregon. I believe I possess business skills, departmental and University knowledge, community awareness and passion for athletics necessary to fulfill the requirements of the position, to the demanding — but fair — standards of the University administration, the city of Eugene and the state of Oregon.
I am applying for this position because I understand and embrace the challenges of running an athletic department in today’s competitive atmosphere. Oregon strives to be athletically and academically successful, financially self-sustaining and innovative within its core mission and values. I accept the difficulty in balancing these goals and in striving for the high standards the University has repeatedly extolled in its every maneuver.
At only 21 years of age, I can understand where my experience would be called into doubt. Nevertheless, I am versed in a number of intangible and tangible subjects that will directly translate to success at such a level. I learned about leadership and conflict resolution in my four years as a referee with the Keizer Youth Basketball Association, working games between youngsters in grades three through five. I learned about the University community and the athletic department, and the nuances of both, in my three years with the Oregon Daily Emerald (One year as a copy editor and two as a reporter. I consider my attention to detail an overall strength).
In recent years, the athletic department has shifted dramatically toward a financially conscious orientation, a climate for which I have prepared myself. As a student of business administration and mathematics at the University of Oregon, I am developing the skills necessary to handle a department with a multimillion-dollar budget. I spent the summer of 2009 interning with the Wasserman Media Group sports marketing company in marketing consultation. Under the tutelage of principal of consulting Gary Stevenson and vice president of consulting Sarah Hirshland, I learned the importance of brand management and brand building; vice president of properties and media Dean Jordan also educated me in the importance of maximizing and sustaining the value of Oregon athletics content and coverage.
It is true that I do not yet have a college degree, but I am working toward one. I am not averse to the idea of taking college classes as part of my effort to bridge the growing divide between the academic and athletic side of the University. Other initiatives I will act upon as athletic director:
• Requiring written contracts to be completed within 60 days of signing a term sheet or similar agreement
• Requiring full compliance with Oregon public records laws and public records requests
• Filling vacancies of important positions (coaches, etc.) within 60 days of their openings
• Committing to paying off Matthew Knight Arena’s debt structure in full in 20 years
• Striving toward a graduation rate of 100 percent across all athletic teams
• Planning a transition from a self-sustaining financial model to a totally self-sufficient model
• Implementing a strategy for facility improvement and growth of the department in the short- and long-term, including the possible addition of other Division-I sports
• Lending an ear to donors and others with vested interest in the Oregon athletic department, including those on the academic side
• Working with the Pacific-10 Conference, Comcast and other interested parties on television rights agreements
• Supporting innovative marketing practices within the community at large as well as within the framework of building a national brand
• Complimenting your hat whenever possible
My contact information is available at the bottom of this column. I know that, in this space, I have been critical of previous administrative endeavors related to the athletic department, but you and I can usher in a new, successful era of cooperation and prosperity.
[email protected]
Vote Husseman for athletic director
Daily Emerald
April 19, 2010
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