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SNS sports mobileQ&A with Bob Grant, candidate for WSU AD job
Grant wants to improve marketing of WSU athletics
Tuesday, May 06, 2008
Bob Grant, associate athletics director at Wright State University, is one of four finalists for the Wright State athletics director job from which Dr. Michael Cusack is retiring after 26 years.
Grant is the only finalist from inside the current administration at WSU.
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Interviews with the finalists — including George Mason deputy associate athletic director Kevin McNamee, Texas A&M-Corpus Christi athletics director Brian Teter and Texas Tech senior associate director of athletics Stephen Downing — will take place this month under the direction of Dr. Dan Abrahamowicz, WSU vice president of student affairs.
Some questions and answers with Grant:
Q What are WSU's biggest assets?
A Our biggest assets are two things: our people — and mainly our coaches — and our facilities. Our next athletics director won't have a problem with coaches. The Nutter Center is great and the Pavilion is for all athletics.
Q What can WSU become in NCAA Division I athletics?
A I think we can become a very broad-based overall program of excellence. We have it together academically, and we're on the cusp athletically.
I'm living this right now. Our baseball team took two of three from Youngstown and we're in first place. Our basketball team has won 44 games in two years. (Women's basketball coach) Bridgett (Williams) had a great season with the Newcomer of the Year in the conference. Softball just swept UIC, which sends a great message. I think (coach) Trina (Smith) has the volleyball team headed in the right direction. I have confidence in both soccer programs.
As opposed to some places known for only one sport or two sports, I think each one of our sports right now is poised to do great things in the conference. I think we're ready for bigger crowds in the Nutter Center if we do a few more things from marketing or public relations standpoints. We're ready to rachet up to another level.
Q What does WSU need to do to advance in athletics?
A Giving proper perspective to Mike, he has laid an unbelievable foundation. The next step for us is an extremely aggressive marketing campaign. Our program has a lot of things we should be bragging about. I don't want to be the best-kept secret around. I want to get out of the shadows. I want to get out there. I want to brag about our accomplishments.
I like the fact we're an underdog. I like the fact it's probably more of a challenge to come up with a schedule. I like the way things are set up. For the most part, they're working.
Q Are there any negatives to Wright State?
A Our biggest negative, because of where we're at, is name recognition. That's something we're going to battle. We're doing all the right things on the court, on the field and in the pool, but our name recognition outside the region is a negative for us.
