Committee
formed to replace criticized director
By
Andrew De Lara
Daily Forty-Niner
Staff Writer
The tenure of Athletic Director Bill Shumard, who is leaving The Beach to become
CEO of the Southern California Special Olympics, is seen by a large portion
of the athletics booster/donor community as nothing more than satisfactory.
This is mostly due to a massive slump in what has become the recent disappointment
of the department—men’s basketball.
In spite of winning a national title in volleyball in 1998 (Cal State Long
Beach’s sixth national title overall), sustaining its national prominence
in college baseball with the highly rated Dirtbag team, hiring one of the best
women’s soccer coaches in the country, improving graduation rates, keeping
within the budget and remaining nationally competitive with the majority of
its 18 varsity sports, Shumard seemingly could never find himself with a more
than acceptable rating — at least from the media and the alumni basketball
booster.
“Shumard was unable to properly oversee the men’s basketball program
because he negotiated outrageously long contracts and the university was unable
to afford a buyout,” said Neil Bernstein, a 1969 Cal State Long Beach graduate,
30-year season-ticket holder and two-time president of the men’s basketball
Sixth Man Boosters organization. Bernstein also worked closely with former Athletic
Directors Bill Husak and Dave O’Brian. O’Brian was the man in charge
during The Walter Pyramid’s concept, construction and opening in 1994.
Bernstein, referring to situations where coaches who produced less than satisfactory
results would be paid large amounts of money to break their contracts, represents
a large portion of the basketball booster and donor community.
“However, the decline of the men’s basketball program was only a
contributing factor to his demise,” Bernstein said.
A plethora of additional complaints and tirades from angry boosters and season-ticket
holders clouded the air during the late stages of his tenure, including lack
of emphasis on small donors, who account for a large bulk of department resources,
lack of emphasis on the importance of men’s basketball at a school without
football and the incomplete seating in The Walter Pyramid.
The original plans for the arena at conception included a true “pit arena” design
where all corners and all sides of the courts would be surrounded by continuous
seating.
“I think that the major flaw was Mr. Shumard’s failures in fund-raising,” said
Bernstein. “One of Mr. Shumard’s greatest failures in my eyes was
sitting at the top position in athletics and failing to get a corporate sponsor
for The [Walter] Pyramid.”
A common fact often spoken of amongst athletics boosters, a corporate sponsorship
would have contributed large masses of money to the program including funds
that would have enhanced the currently aging arena and would have potentially
solved sound system and scoreboard problems the althetic department now faces.
A corporate sponsor also would have potentially secured their own company name
for the building.
“With a glorious celebration, The [Walter] Pyramid received a name from
a loyal and well-intentioned former professor [and former dean],” said
Bernstein, referring to the generous Mike Walter, who secured naming rights to
the arena with a multi-million dollar donation. “Unfortunately, it was
based on a cash donation of about one-tenth of the original asking price for
naming rights.”
Pressure from the print and broadcast media, including sports columns in the
Long Beach Press- Telegram and a radio show on ESPN Radio, periodically bombarded
Shumard, indirectly linking the current down-trodden state and declining support
of the men’s basketball program, the supposed revenue-generating and
high profile sport, to his work.
The department was once home to a proud basketball program — occasionally
ranking in the Top 25 poll, sending players to the NBA, making trips to the
NCAA Tournament and generating revenue.
As a result, Shumard ironically opted to jump ship soon after President Robert
C. Maxson’s retirement announcement, setting in motion a national candidate
search for a replacement.
A national athletic director search committee, assembled by Maxson and Vice
President of Student Services Douglas Robinson seeks to choose a short list
of highly qualified candidates to present to the new university president upon
his arrival at CSULB.
Not to be mistaken for a selection committee, the group seeks to simply narrow
the search.
Kevin Cape, a current member of the 49er men’s volleyball team, Dirtbag
baseball Coach Mike Weathers and women’s tennis Coach Jenny Hilt-Costello
will represent the current-day athletics department on the committee.
Director of intramural sports, former 49er basketball star and member of the
Long Beach State Athletic Hall of Fame, Glenn Mc Donald and Mick Ukleja, an
Alumni Association representative, businessman and former Long Beach State
Football stand-out, will provide the perspective of the past days of Beach
athletics.
Administration and faculty representation will be strong with Robinson, Cindy
Masner, interim athletic director/senior associate athletic director and former
Long Beach State athlete, Jana Echevarria, a professor of educational psychology
and faculty athletics representative and Pat West, 49er Athletic Association
staff representative.
Walter, a faculty/community representative, professor and former dean of the
College of Business, will join Glenn Bickerstaff, a donor and booster to Long
Beach State academics and athletics, as committee members.
“This is a Blue Ribbon committee that will have responsibility for reviewing
resumes, and selecting individuals to be invited for an on-campus interview,” said
Robinson, who also will serve as the committee chairman.
“The committee will also be responsible for ensuring that the campus community
has an opportunity to meet the candidates selected for interview, and to provide
input to the committee regarding the three or four individuals who will eventually
be recommended to the [new] president.”
Robinson, a former college football standout at Iowa State University, sought
to clarify that the committee’s role only will reach so far.
“The [new] president is the hiring authority in this case, and will make
the final decision on who will be offered the position.”
There is no doubt expectations will be high—not only from boosters, but
from the entire campus community, as all expect to see a program with such
promise succeed to the highest level.
The general consensus among boosters and hardcore fans alike is that CSULB
needs a go-getter type, charismatic personality, who will not only take care
of the department and its micromanagement, gender-equity and academic needs,
but elevate it to reach its maximum athletic potential. |
