Scalzo's column today in Vindicator

[Pita]

Anyone care to discuss the merits of Scalzo's summation
of Coach Slocum in todays Vindicator?

Quite an article.......lotsa food for thought.

To those of us who attend home games, I'd be interested in hearing
your opinions.  I'm sorta on the fence; for once in my life I'll stick
a sock in it.

[guinpen]

Just got home from work, will try to read tonight

[guinpen]

Decent read and looks at both sides. You can make a point that we are getting better, albeit very slowly, but I do agree that Slocum needs to work a little on his approach to the press and supporters. I just hate to listen to him pre or post game. I think that he thinks he is funny but he comes across as cold and a touch bitter.

Oouch, we spend less on men bb then the zits do on women, that sucks. But I blame our AD for that, plain and simple. Strollo is in way over his head as AD. Maybe we need another assistant AD to help figure it all out.

[ItalianPenguin]

Decent read and looks at both sides. You can make a point that we are getting better, albeit very slowly, but I do agree that Slocum needs to work a little on his approach to the press and supporters. I just hate to listen to him pre or post game. I think that he thinks he is funny but he comes across as cold and a touch bitter.

Oouch, we spend less on men bb then the zits do on women, that sucks. But I blame our AD for that, plain and simple. Strollo is in way over his head as AD. Maybe we need another assistant AD to help figure it all out.

Why do you blame Strollo for the distribution of money to basketball? He doesn't decide that--the YSU board decides that. If it were up to him, he would greatly increase the money men's basketball gets. Whatever shortcomings you feel he has, that's not a fair criticism. His hands are tied.

[tailgateloubob]

Not a bad article, i do agree that coach is not the best speaker in the house and comes off pretty cold. My wife who does not really look at basketball but is a huge football fan, says wow if we had a son that was a great player do you think he could come to the house and sell us on YSU "not". Lets look at not playing basketball in the mens and womens divisions, we would not be dissapointing the fans (we have none). How much money will we save and where can we use it, the football team looks to be going in the right direction. Do we make enough money to keep the lights on for the basketball games or pay for the heat? I think the board should look at these options or plan on going out and starting over again like we did in football before we bury ourselves and cannot get the players and coaches that we need. I wonder what the savings would be , can anybody relate to the $$$ coaches salaries,travel,expenses,recruiting, lets try and come up with a figure ?

[Wick250]

IP,

Your statement that the board of trustees impacts the distribution of athletic funding stuns me.  Of course the board must approve the budget that division heads submit, but I had not heard of any "micro-managing" by the board, either within the academic divisions or within athletics, since the days of the Monus gang. Your contacts with athletic department personnel are well known, so can I assume that you know that members of the current board are indeed interfering in Strollo's spending decisions?  If so, could you mention names? 

[ItalianPenguin]

Wick--with the state of today's economy and expected high amount of budget cuts when Fuhrer Kasich does his State budget, any additional monies appropriated for any athletic program must be cleared by the board. They had to sign off on all of the additional football money used when Wolford came, and, quite frankly, the board seems to care not a lick what happens in basketball as long as we don't give the university a black eye. Many monies are Title IX earmarked and Strollo has been told in the recent past no new monies for basketball. Now this can change down the road, but I wouldn't look for it. I couldn't even tell you who's on the board except Schulick so I don't know who specifically is involved.

[Wick250]

IP,

Understood. Thanks.

[Pita]

IP....thanks for explaining our AD's position in the basketball mess.
I happen to think he is a most decent guy.  It only causes the most
dissention by those who don't have all the facts, therefore there is
a gathering of misinformation.......that is way easier, than looking into
the real truth.

I have no idea in the world where our basketball program is going or
where it will end up but I'll stand by my conviction  that neither Strollo or
Slocum can be blamed entirely.  I only hope all those who truly believe
our football program is headed in the right direction, are not sold short.
Because there are ever so many contributing factors.....sometimes they don't
all fall into place, as we would like them to.

Anyway, thanks for the explanation.

Just another basketball fan of 40 years plus

[guinpen]

Decent read and looks at both sides. You can make a point that we are getting better, albeit very slowly, but I do agree that Slocum needs to work a little on his approach to the press and supporters. I just hate to listen to him pre or post game. I think that he thinks he is funny but he comes across as cold and a touch bitter.

Oouch, we spend less on men bb then the zits do on women, that sucks. But I blame our AD for that, plain and simple. Strollo is in way over his head as AD. Maybe we need another assistant AD to help figure it all out.

Why do you blame Strollo for the distribution of money to basketball? He doesn't decide that--the YSU board decides that. If it were up to him, he would greatly increase the money men's basketball gets. Whatever shortcomings you feel he has, that's not a fair criticism. His hands are tied.

Hey I am just Joe fan with no connections and no inside scoop, and I do not buy your defense of Strollo. If he has no input into the monies spent on one of our major sports then it seems that he is just a well paid puppet. His name is at the top of the department so he gets the praise or the blame, that is how it goes. If his hands are tied and he is such a great AD then he should  be frustrated and move on to a school where his hands are not tied. I am betting that no other school would  be interested.

I base my "opinion" that he is in over his head on his past job performance, seems pretty simple.

And may I add that I do not dislike Strollo, he may be a great guy, that is fine. He just is not a very good AD.

I still can not believe that the  zit's women coach makes more - that upsets me!

[Wick250]

I would also like a new AD, but I don't condemn Strollo for failing to fix the men's basketball situation that was bad long before he was hired.  Although that would have been nice. My indictment against him as AD has these four counts:

1. deterioration of the football program
2. destruction of the women's basketball program
3. awful performances by women's sports, most notably volleyball and soccer, that are fully funded under Title IX
4. expansion of athletic bureaucracy with money that should be going to coaches and recruiting

[IAA Fan]

I personally feel that many of you are not familiar with Ron Strollo's goals as an AD. Strollo was promoted to AD because is a very budget-oriented individual. Remember, as DI schools go ...we are at the bottom in the state of Ohio in terms of $$$$. He also made it his goal to target funds into facilities management. Additionally, we had a few, somewhat serious, issues with compliance under Tressel (as AD). If you look at these areas, he has done a much better job that some of you give him credit for.

Expansions in Beeghly, the new WATTS facility, expansions and new deal with Cene Park. The new weight and training facilities (and don't think Andrews was solely an educational  idea). The housing we have now gives us access to much better athletes. There are more facilities projects slated.

Strollo has represented YSU, the Gateway, and the Horizon in national organizations.

Wick, I think you may have overstated on title-IX. Title-IX requires scholarship equity between genders. So it is a requirement to fund women's sports ...not a means with which to fund them. Granted, it allows more $$$ to be allocated to women's athletics, but it still comes from someone. Strollo has done very well in terms of compliance other than title-IX as well.

Strollo's recent expansion of the Penguin club has been excellent. Other sports are now being given booster organizations, for example, I give every year to grid-iron club and also to Diamond Club (baseball). Softball now has the Gold Glove Club. Other sports booster-clubs are coming.

Sometimes, as fans, we only concentrate on results on the field ...and that is as it should be. However, Strollo's superiors are looking at much more than this. I am not saying that we could not find a better AD ...but I really do not think we can afford one right now. Most high-powered AD's are that way because they are the polar-opposite of Ron Strollo ...they know what they want, and how to obtain it ...as long as the $$$ are there. Ron Strollo gives us what we need, in a budget we can afford. Maybe he was not the best choice for AD; but he was the right choice.

[guinpen]

I will be civil and just bite my tongue.

[chezmustache]

     In my view this is an issue of leadership.  An organization, whether it is professional/ collegiate/ scholastic athletics, business for profit, government, military, etc. reflects the quality and character of its leaders.  Owners (in this case the university Board), executives (the AD) and managers (coach) set goals, provide direction, and assess accountability.  An organization will go only as far as its leaders take it.  How often have you seen a change in leadership make an immediate impact on product, both upward and downward.  Strategies, standard operating procedures and personnel decisions are all concepts leadership can employ to change the product in a positive direction.     

     In YSU’s case, the situation will not improve until the school finds a coach who can make something happen at the grass roots level.  It does not have to be similar to the impact Gary Waters made at Cleveland State.  However, it must be enough to make ownership and executive management notice, and stimulate them to take the next step with additional investment.  Investment breeds success.  Success breeds more success.  Failure, if not addressed, breeds more failure, indifference, apathy and a defeatist attitude, as we have seen. 

     Yes, Slocum was an upgrade over John Robic.  However, he has shown no indication he can move beyond his current performance level.  There is no reason to believe things will magically change in 2011 – 2012.  Unfortunately, ownership and executive management accept this status. 

     There are solutions out there.  The standard arguments against improvement (poor recruiting base, declining economic city, no tradition, underfinanced, etc.), if believed, would lead to the conclusion YSU can never compete.  Nothing could be further from the truth.  Kent State and Akron succeed in basically the same environment.  Ownership and executive management must think creatively to find that unique  solution that will work in Youngstown.

[HLecter]

GOOD POST Mustache.