Brad Edwards Named New Athletic Director

[dr. gunnie]

Maybe The Post is waiting until the press conference next week?

 

[GSII]

Maybe The Post is waiting until the press conference next week?

Yea, but I think they could of at least done a story about TOC's history here. Maybe they will before the presser.

 

[greenwithenvy]

Edwards wasn't really looking and, while he was contacted about those other positions, he only expressed interest in GMU per a source at Parker. He actually wants to be here and in this area. I'm hopeful. We'll see...

 

[GSII]

Can we get Edwards to join Masonhoops.com? What better way to connect with diehards?

 

[A.-Siegfried]

Was Edwards at the Alumni Athlete golf outing on Monday? Was TOC? Did anyone on here even go? What was the immediate buzz like about Edwards?

 

[psyclone]

Can we get Edwards to join Masonhoops.com? What better way to connect with diehards?

Apparently he does tweet: https://twitter.com/BradEdwards5 and had this to say:

Brad Edwards @BradEdwards5 · 16h
Incredibly excited about joining @MasonAthletics @GeorgeMasonU and returning to DC area! Will miss @JUDolphins and president @Tim_Cost !

Note: To avoid confusion, there's also a Brad Edwards at espn.

 

[psyclone]

Either A) Jacksonville is a mess and he couldn't wait to leave or B) he's a job hopper. Jacksonville had the worst DI facilities in the country - their football stadium was worse than most high school stadiums in Fairfax, so I'm guessing (hoping) it was A. The positive is that Jacksonville was talking about upgrading their football facitity for numerous years, but Edwards was the one that got it done.

From Jacksonville.com:

Edwards, who is leaving after just 22 months, had applied for several AD jobs recently (South Florida, UNLV, Stony Brook, among others) and was targeted by the Parker search firm in Atlanta for the George Mason position.

http://jacksonville.com/sports/coll...or-brad-edwards-leaves-ju-after#ixzz33ZzmlT1p

That link makes it sound like he really was actively looking around and the JU administration wasn't too pleased about it:

"Multiple sources told the Times-Union that Edwards’ propensity to go job-hunting caused some friction with the administration. Sources also said the timing of him landing the same position with George Mason worked out favorably for both parties, avoiding a continued awkward working relationship."

 

[Harry]

I think this is a good time to bring up how terrible the marketing/PR department within the AD is

This is also a good time to bring up our lack of radio coverage. How in the world can you build a fan base when you can't listen to the games? It's disgraceful how long we have been without decent radio coverage...

 

[masonjoe]

This is also a good time to bring up our lack of radio coverage. How in the world can you build a fan base when you can't listen to the games? It's disgraceful how long we have been without decent radio coverage...

Bringing up the live audio on my iphone is a lot easier for me than getting to an AM/FM radio

 

[GMUgemini]

This is also a good time to bring up our lack of radio coverage. How in the world can you build a fan base when you can't listen to the games? It's disgraceful how long we have been without decent radio coverage...

Market saturation: Wizards, Caps, Gtown, UMD, end of the Redskins and DC United seasons, it's tough to get a slot.

 

[GMUgemini]

Bringing up the live audio on my iphone is a lot easier for me than getting to an AM/FM radio

I had a lot of problems last season with our online radio feed.

 

[dr. gunnie]

Edwards wasn't really looking and, while he was contacted about those other positions, he only expressed interest in GMU per a source at Parker. He actually wants to be here and in this area. I'm hopeful. We'll see...

"Multiple sources told the Times-Union that Edwards’ propensity to go job-hunting caused some friction with the administration."

Someone somewhere isn't telling the truth. I know who I believe!

 

[greenwithenvy]

"Multiple sources told the Times-Union that Edwards’ propensity to go job-hunting caused some friction with the administration."

Someone somewhere isn't telling the truth. I know who I believe!

I'm from Jacksonville. Trust me when I tell you it shouldn't be Gene Frenette. I originally got on here because I heard Edwards might be in the running for the position and I was curious. That might actually get me excited about the possibilities at my alma mater again. I don't blame him one bit for leaving Jacksonville, but I also don't believe he was applying for every job under the sun. By all accounts (other than Frenette, who has never shown the guy much respect) Edwards and the prez at JU were two peas in a pod, including recently at a small dinner where Edwards was one of several employees actually honored by the prez. Regardless, I think it's a great hire and you can't blame an ambitious person for wanting to move up. But, hey, you feel free to believe whatever you like.

 

[99 Patriot]

Was Edwards at the Alumni Athlete golf outing on Monday? Was TOC? Did anyone on here even go? What was the immediate buzz like about Edwards?

I was there yesterday. While there was some buzz about it they didn't make any sort of formal announcement, which I thought was a poor move. TOC was not there this year either, nor was Coach Hewitt who was apparently on a Nike trip. A few of the assistants were there. Coach Brown also posted fresh back from Houston and disappointingly they didn't have him speak either. Great weather and fun tournament.

 

[Pikapppatri8]

Look under the Merten regime - it wasn't old school, or new school it was "different". Not the innovative kind of different or the unique different in the positive sense - but the man sitting in the corner of an inner city fast food restaurant talking to his pants and counting head lice different while barking like a Jack Russell terrier every time the door opens.

In the previous regime - we would have celebrated the hiring of the first para-plegi cross-dressing Pakistani lesbian water polo coach who hasn't been jailed in the Kush by migrating Taliban tribesman after converting to a Sikh to be hired as a DI NCAA Athletic Director.

Let us all just thank Jesus in Heaven that we got what we have now.

 

[psyclone]

Look under the Merten regime - it wasn't old school, or new school it was "different". Not the innovative kind of different or the unique different in the positive sense - but the man sitting in the corner of an inner city fast food restaurant talking to his pants and counting head lice different while barking like a Jack Russell terrier every time the door opens.

In the previous regime - we would have celebrated the hiring of the first para-plegi cross-dressing Pakistani lesbian water polo coach who hasn't been jailed in the Kush by migrating Taliban tribesman after converting to a Sikh to be hired as a DI NCAA Athletic Director.

Let us all just thank Jesus in Heaven that we got what we have now.

Before we celebrate too soon (while dancing on the grave of the previous administration), why don't we see how this pans out? Don't get me wrong-I think the hire appears to be a good one, but we don't know that right now.

And what particular hires did Merton make or programs that he initiated that fit your description of "different" in a bad way?

 

[GSII]

Merten's job was to lobby for more money. Sure he had other jobs too, but where do we stand in terms of funding after his tenure compared to other public va schools? We used to be the lowest funded by the state, while in the most expensive part of the state. Did Merten get us out of that cellar? Did he lead us to the final four in terms of top schools in the state?

 

[GMUgemini]

Merten's job was to lobby for more money. Sure he had other jobs too, but where do we stand in terms of funding after his tenure compared to other public va schools? We used to be the lowest funded by the state, while in the most expensive part of the state. Did Merten get us out of that cellar? Did he lead us to the final four in terms of top schools in the state?

From the 2014-2015 executive summary:

"The total FY 2015 university budget is $945.7M, a 3.8% increase compared to the FY 2014 budget and is comprised of $850.1M Operating, $17.4M State Financial Aid, and $78.2M Capital Outlay.Compared to the FY 2014 budget, the Operating budget increases by 4.5%, including a 22.6% increase in Philanthropic Activities. Due to the uncertainty of the state budget, State Financial Aidfunds will remain at the current fiscal year levels and Capital Outlay decreases by 2.1%"

 

[psyclone]

Merten's job was to lobby for more
money. Sure he had other jobs too, but where do we stand in terms of funding after his tenure compared to other public va schools? We used to be the lowest funded by the state, while in the most expensive part of the state. Did Merten get us out of that cellar? Did he lead us to the final four in terms of top schools in the state?

Granted Merton didn't raise that much in endowment but that seems to be unrelated to making decisions that were "different" and not in a good way. It will be interesting to see if Cabrera can be more successful in that regard. We can all hope so.

 

[Cool Disco Dan]

Sure, the results are what matters, however, it is promising. Angel has big brass ones to go out and hire a guy who not only is an alpha male, but has local god-like status with his hometown SB ring. Many new university presidents (maybe most) would've taken a pass and gone for some no-name pushover that they could walk all over whenever necessary.