Join A Grassroots Movement for Change of AD and MBB Coach

[TheA_Bomb]

Dear Fellow MBMs,

We are the most ardent fans of SLU Athletics in general and men's basketball specifically. It is clear many of us feel that the current Athletic Department is failing and the outlook for the basketball team is poor. Therefore, the time to seek a change of Athletic Director and subsequent change of MBB coach is now to be positioned to hire at the end of the season. This effort is not a personal vendetta against Chris May or Travis Ford, it is based on performance. We the fans do have power and if we work together we can influence those with greater influence and decision making power on the direction of SLU Athletics. If we share input, information and cooperate in the endeavor it will increase our chances of success.  Here's a proposed plan of action:

Steps for AD Change (MBB Coach change to follow):

1. Contact AD May and request he resign.

2. If he refuses to resign then follow up with the President, Board of Trustees and SLU Sponsors

 a. Outline the failures of AD and the basketball team

 b. bad basketball equals bad investment for sponsors

3. If the above is unsuccessful

 a. contact media

 b. start social media campaign

 c. other protests/actions TBD

 

Tasks to Complete:

A. Please provide input on other possible steps or how to maximize impact in this thread 

B. Draft emails detailing our grievances

C. Share key contacts to target in this campaign

D. Determine a method to collaborate (I recommend we work in Google Drive where we can collectively work on drafts and share information)

We are not muckrakers reacting to emotional whims, it has taken years of under achievement to bring us to this point. We can continue to suffer and complain about it or we can organize and act. I'm a man of action, are you? If so let's join together and bring about needed change.

Sincerely,

The A Bomb

 

[RiseOfTheBillikens]

Amazing. We are the new Richmond. 

[billikenfan05]

HOLY P1SS

[TheA_Bomb]

If you'd like to stay anonymous but still help just contact me directly on this site.  I'll keep your input to myself.

I'm willing to put a face to this action. I know I flame a lot and joke a lot on the message board but I am a serious adult with a serious job, and skills in organizational change, leadership and planning. I did take action in the past and May called me directly so I am confident if we work together we can make an impact.

[BLIKNS]

The only thing that matters this year is the A-10 tourney plain and simple

Hopefully we get Parker healty and playing , Bradley get his waiver, and Magassa eligible.  Big wishes I know..  nothing else will matter..

What happens if we get one roll, and win the A-10 tournament. Even with say a .500 record . We have had success there before..

A goal would be achieved, would this be a successful season getting to the NCAA tournament??

 

[BrettJollyComedyHour]

3 minutes ago, BLIKNS said:

The only thing that matters this year is the A-10 tourney plain and simple

The problem is that we have been good enough maybe 1 year of Ford's tenure where this hasn't been the case. Our aspirations should be a regular chance at an At-Large bid.

 

Edit: I know you said this year, but you could've said that any of the last few years.

[TheA_Bomb]

@BLIKNS thanks for the response. I disagree that winning the A10 cures the issue. See the other thread regarding the poll. There are legitimate issues in the AD. Winning 3 games of 4 games in a very bad A10 tournament isn't going to cure. SLU isn't doing a lot of things that other schools our size do. If you only follow SLU Athletics look at what some other programs are doing.

MBB is the biggest issue but it isn't the only issue.

[BLIKNS]

Last few years I was drinking the Blue Kool Aid, had high hopes, even thought Sweet Sixteen dreams . This year have 0 expectations... 

[SLUMedBilliken15]

Let's try this! It worked out for Richmond!

[billikenfan05]

4 minutes ago, BLIKNS said:

Last few years I was drinking the Blue Kool Aid, had high hopes, even thought Sweet Sixteen dreams . This year have 0 expectations... 

that’s not a good thing

[milwaukeebill]

Hire Ben McCollum.

[billikenfan05]

11 minutes ago, SLUMedBilliken15 said:

Let's try this! It worked out for Richmond!

I mean it kinda did 

[TheA_Bomb]

13 minutes ago, SLUMedBilliken15 said:

Let's try this! It worked out for Richmond!

This is in the other protests/actions TBD category.

Let's start with the free actions first.  I'm used to using a guideline for escalation of actions.  We start with the easier and just ask then go from there if necessary.

[dlarry]

Unfortunately I think how this season is going to play out will do the work for you.

Come February when attendance is in the 2000’s and the record is below 500 change will be the only option: 

(I am still hoping for a successful season I just don’t know how thats possible) 

 

How far up the ladder it goes is the only question. 

[Soderball]

1 hour ago, BLIKNS said:

The only thing that matters this year is the A-10 tourney plain and simple

Hopefully we get Parker healty and playing , Bradley get his waiver, and Magassa eligible.  Big wishes I know..  nothing else will matter..

What happens if we get one roll, and win the A-10 tournament. Even with say a .500 record . We have had success there before..

A goal would be achieved, would this be a successful season getting to the NCAA tournament??

 

The problem with this is that Ford is just a bad coach.

It would be great to have an avenue to get rid of this guy while not just losing, losing, losing.

 

This guy brought ineligible players. He made zero accommodations for any injuries(in the past having one guy get hurt has not ruined the team as has been the case repeatedly under Ford) .. I can go on. Can this guy. Get him out of here. He is Jim Crews.

[Soderball]

56 minutes ago, BLIKNS said:

Last few years I was drinking the Blue Kool Aid, had high hopes, even thought Sweet Sixteen dreams . This year have 0 expectations... 

And the team sucked. Not even top 100. No NCAA, No NIT, No Nothin'. Bad.

 

A sub-100 team is not a good team, particularly at $2,500,000

 

Ford's most hyped years still resulted in bad teams. Any year that we can't make one of the tournaments is a BAD YEAR. 100 teams get in. Stop making excuses for this guy. He makes enough on his own.

[VeniceMenace]

37 minutes ago, dlarry said:

Unfortunately I think how this season is going to play out will do the work for you.

Come February when attendance is in the 2000’s and the record is below 500 change will be the only option: 

(I am still hoping for a successful season I just don’t know how thats possible) 

 

How far up the ladder it goes is the only question. 

Early in what amounted to Grawer’s final year someone at a game said, “he’s being given just enough rope to hang himself.” Big Grawer fan but he was right.

[dlarry]

19 minutes ago, VeniceMenace said:

Early in what amounted to Grawer’s final year someone at a game said, “he’s being given just enough rope to hang himself.” Big Grawer fan but he was right.

That seems to be what is playing out this year. 
I was a fan of Grawer too but change was needed and it seems the same or true now. 

[Soderball]

46 minutes ago, dlarry said:

That seems to be what is playing out this year. 
I was a fan of Grawer too but change was needed and it seems the same or true now. 

Grawer's last team was legitimately full of freshmen and had talent.

 

Ford is starting 3 seniors, a 6th-year junior, and a sophomore.

 

and he had just made the NIT finals in 3/4 of the years before that. Finished in second and third multiple years in a TOUGH midwestern cities conference loaded with Louisville, Marquette, so on.

Ford has never finished above 4th in an A10 long past its prime.

 

When Grawer started, SLU was about to go D2, when Ford started, he was paid seven figures and began planning work on the Champions Center.

 

You really comparing?

[billikenfan05]

At the end of the day I don't want this to be a "May and Ford SUCK, fire them" movement. I want this to be pointed and evidence based movement. Ford has had some good seasons and some bad luck, no doubt. But when you look at this year, is this what you expect as the floor for a program that pays their coach $2.5 million a year? Is this dysfunctional a$$ offseason you expect from an AD and head coach who spend as much as they do on their basketball program. Softball has won the A10 regular season more recently than Basketball and they don't even have a pressbox. They have to carry all their sh*t from Chaifetz. 

[TheA_Bomb]

@billikenfan05 is correct, personally I'm past the complaining on a message board.  Thanks to @3star_recruit for helping me realize that it was getting to be too much. So I'm ready to act in a coherent, organized, methodically manner to bring about change.  So what I'm soliciting is your help with ideas on things we can do, key contacts to notify of our discontent and/or enlist in our efforts and others to join and be unified.  I am asking you to respond here with those ideas and PM the contacts or insider information.  Who is in the know, with influence? We need to let them know our AD is underperforming relative to other programs and we need to change then change MBB coach.

If we end up buying a billboard so be it. They're about $5000 for four weeks.  I'd rather save that for Christmas or NIL for the next coach.

Here's the BoT, anyone know anyone on this list or know someone that knows them that can influence them?  I plan to reach out to them if May doesn't resign.

Current Board Members

• Joseph Conran, Chair (’67, ’70)
  Partner, Husch Blackwell LLP
• Marian V. "Bo" Mehan, Vice Chair (’74,’82)
  Partner and Estate Planning and Probate Department Co-chair, Lewis Rice
• Robert Adkisson
  Vice President, Division Chief Engineer, The Boeing Company
• Akberet Boykin-Farr (’93, ’95, ’02)
  Vice President for Diversity and Social Responsibility, Emerson
• George Brill (’85)
  Founder and Chief Executive Officer, Talisen Technologies Inc.
• Thomas M. Buchanan (’77)
  Managing Partner, Winston & Strawn LLP
• Richard Chaifetz (’75)
  Founder, Chairman and CEO of ComPsych Corporation; Founder and Chairman of Chaifetz Group, LLC.
• W. Winston Chan (’81, ’83)
  Chief Executive Officer, Corvusys Inc.
• Robert J. Ciapciak (’79, ‘07)
  Partner, Edward Jones
• Jerome “Jerry” Dwyer, M.D. (’79, ’85)
  Owner/Cardiologist, St. Louis Cardiology Center
• Jimmie Edwards (’78, ’81, Hon.D ’14)
  Attorney, Lashly & Baer, P.C.
• Eric Engler
  Executive Vice President and Chief of Staff, Ascension 
• Michael Garanzini, S.J. (’71)
  President, Association of Jesuit Colleges and Universities 
• Andrew Hoog (’98)
  Founder and Board Member, NowSecure
• Chang Soo Huh (’77)
  Chairman and Chief Executive Officer, GS Group
• Edward B. Ignaczak
  Executive Vice President Sales and Marketing (retired), Express Scripts
• John Johnson (’90)
  President, Silver Eagle Distributors
• Darryl Jones (’77)
  Managing Partner, D&D Concessions
• Arindam Kar (’98) 
  Shareholder, Polsinelli Law Firm 
• James P. Kavanaugh (’86)
  Chief Executive Officer, World Wide Technology Inc.
• Jessie Knight, Jr. (’72) 
  Managing Director, Knight Angels
• Jim Lally (’90) 
  President and Chief Executive Officer, Enterprise Financial Services Corporation 
• Tim Lannon, S.J.
  Formation Director, USA Midwest Province of the Society of Jesus
• Patrick Lo
  Chairman and Chief Executive Officer, NETGEAR
• Virginia McDowell
  President and Chief Operating Officer (retired), Isle of Capri Casinos Inc.
• Michael C. McFarland, S.J.
  Treasurer, USA Northeast Province of the Society of Jesus
• Timothy McMahon, S.J. ('80)
  Rector, Jesuit Center
• Michael McMillan (’97)
  President and CEO, Urban League of Metropolitan St. Louis
• Joseph McShane, S.J. 
  President Emeritus, Fordham University 
• Jacqueline Drury Pollvogt (’85, ’88)
  Senior Vice President and General Counsel, Drury Development Corporation
• Rex A. Sinquefield (’67)
  President, Show Me Institute
• Patrick Sly (’77)
  Former Vice Chair, SLU Board of Trustees; Former Executive, Emerson
• Philip Steele, S.J. (’71)
  Rector, Jesuit Community of Saint Louis University
• Holden Thorp
  Editor-in-Chief, Science 
• Martha Uhlhorn 
  Owner, Gourmet to Go and La Bonne Bouchee Wholesale Bakery
• Trudy Busch Valentine (’80)
  Philanthropist
• Perry Vyas
  Owner, SKAPS Industries
• Rob Vitale (’88) 
  President and Chief Executive Officer, Post Holdings 

University President Fred P. Pestello serves as an ex­-officio voting member of the board. Danielle Uy, Vice President and General Counsel, is board secretary. 

Trustee Emeriti

SLU also has trustee emeriti, former trustees who do not make motions, vote or hold office, but are entitled to all other privileges of board members.

Current trustee emeriti are: J. Joe Adorjan, John Alberici, Barry Beracha, Thomas H. Brouster Sr., Aloys H. Litteken, Nancy Siwak and Francis A. Stroble.

[Soderball]

1 minute ago, TheA_Bomb said:

@billikenfan05 is correct, personally I'm past the complaining on a message board.  Thanks to @3star_recruit for helping me realize that it was getting to be too much. So I'm ready to act in a coherent, organized, methodically manner to bring about change.  So what I'm soliciting is your help with ideas on things we can do, key contacts to notify of our discontent and/or enlist in our efforts and others to join and be unified.  I am asking you to respond here with those ideas and PM the contacts or insider information.  Who is in the know, with influence? We need to let them know our AD is underperforming relative to other programs and we need to change then change MBB coach.

If we end up buying a billboard so be it. They're about $5000 for four weeks.  I'd rather save that for Christmas or NIL for the next coach.

It takes an all-of-the-above approach. Ultimately it is going to take the big money from the boosters to get him out; especially if the information regarding a revolving contract is true.

Complaining from fans does matter; nothing would get Ford out of here faster than 3000 people in the building boo'ing him. That's the cold hard truth.

[wgstl]

3 hours ago, BLIKNS said:

The only thing that matters this year is the A-10 tourney plain and simple

A) this is inexcusable 

b) we dont have a good track history in the A10T either. 

[dlarry]

36 minutes ago, Soderball said:

Grawer's last team was legitimately full of freshmen and had talent.

 

Ford is starting 3 seniors, a 6th-year junior, and a sophomore.

 

and he had just made the NIT finals in 3/4 of the years before that. Finished in second and third multiple years in a TOUGH midwestern cities conference loaded with Louisville, Marquette, so on.

Ford has never finished above 4th in an A10 long past its prime.

 

When Grawer started, SLU was about to go D2, when Ford started, he was paid seven figures and began planning work on the Champions Center.

 

You really comparing?

No 

but change was needed then and change is needed now 

[BrettJollyComedyHour]

24 minutes ago, TheA_Bomb said:

Holden Thorp
Editor-in-Chief, Science 

This is a real person? I thought he was a politician from Frasier.