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Sunday, May 11, 2003
Maine AD dives right in
By JERRY LAUZON, Portland Press Herald Writer
Copyright 2003 Blethen Maine Newspapers Inc.
ORONO -- Less than a month into his new job, Patrick Nero is already making changes at the University of Maine. Since taking over the athletic director's position in mid-April, Nero has overseen noticeable changes in daily operating practices within the athletic department. And those changes are just the tip of the iceberg.
Nero promises more changes that promote efficiency, visibility, fiscal responsibility and athletic achievement.
A grass-roots fund-raising campaign, social responsibility for coaches and athletes, and greater exposure of programs are only a few of Nero's immediate goals. With the state's $1.5 billion deficit a certain hindrance, Nero couldn't guarantee that the school's nearly $10 million athletic budget won't be cut.
Nero, 37, spent seven years as the senior associate director of athletics at the University of Miami, managing a staff of 42 employees. While in Miami, he directed a $100 million capital campaign for athletics, concentrating on facilities and endowments. A weight-training facility, a track and a soccer stadium were completed during his tenure, and an $8 million baseball stadium renovation is nearly complete. Those improvements and Nero's proven ability to generate much-needed funds were selling points at Maine.
"There was a reason why we were successful at Miami," Nero said. "We took every one of our revenue areas and attacked them. We'll do the same here."
It's difficult to tell how the economic factors in southern Florida and the high-profile programs at Miami can compare to those in Maine.
However, Maine and Miami have similar student enrollments, and Maine has one more varsity athletic team than Miami.
"We had a great philosophy at Miami," Nero said. "Only fund 18 sports and give every one of them a chance to win a national champion- ship."
Nero sat down earlier this week to talk about his transition at Maine and his view of the university's athletic department.
Q: Was there one thing that attracted you to Maine?
A: It goes back 10 years when I came to Alfond Arena for a hockey game. The passion that the people of this state have for their athletic programs here was evident. You have to have that. Your athletic programs are not going to be successful without that.
Q: Finances are a big issue for public institutions. Can you estimate the deficit to the athletic department caused by the state's flat-line budget?
A: I don't know yet. We're working on next year's budget. Our coaches and our staff are not overspending, which is important. However, we have a lot of potential to grow in our revenue areas and that's where we're going to have to make up this deficit.
Q: Is there a chance a program, or programs, could be cut?
A: Unfortunately, there is always a chance that a program could be cut. I am going to do everything I can, working with our staff and the people who support Maine athletics, to try to make this not happen.
Q: Do you have a plan to balance the athletic budget?
A: Yes. It's going to start at (the) grass-roots level, building a support basis for our teams. Right now we have five sports (football, men's and women's basketball, men's hockey and baseball) that we generate ticket revenues. Four of them are underachieving in ticket sales. We've got to build over the next three years a season-ticket base for the other four.
Q: Will a fund-raising plan successful in Miami be effective in Maine?
A: There are two levels of fund raising - major gift fund raising and general/annual fund raising. I think in Maine we're going to need to really increase our annual fund raising. That's everyday folks whether it's making a sacrifice of $100 or $500 a year, depending on what they can afford.
Q: Other than finances, have you noticed anything that needs immediate attention?
A: Yes. Infrastructure. Basic policies and procedures on how we handle specific issues such as student-athlete discipline and budgets.
Q: Let's switch gears. Rate Maine's facilities and what needs updating and how that can be done?
A: Our first priority is the Shawn Walsh Center, because it honors a man who took our hockey program to a level that no one thought we could get to. This project will assure it stays there.
We need to take a look at general maintenance of our facilities, especially those that impact student-athletes on a daily basis. We need to look at our student-athlete academic center, locker rooms and weight rooms, and in a longer timetable I would like to see a center that doesn't have four teams sharing the same venue. Maine women's and men's basketball playing in a facility they can call home. Right now, they're not practicing in the facility where they play.
Q: How do you get more people from southern Maine to come to Orono for athletic events?
A: We have to do everything we can do to expose them to our programs. We will continue to make a commitment to bring our teams to southern Maine and work with the people from southern Maine to make our events convenient for them to come to Orono to visit us.
Q: How does Maine comply with Title IX?
A: We're in very good shape. Right now we're within one or two percentage points of our student-athlete gender ratio as compared to the overall student population ratio.
Q: What changes can we expect in the next two years?
A: I hope two years from now that the people of the state of Maine will be able to all feel that they have ownership in our program. They will see a much more aggressive athletic staff and student-athletes when it comes to community involvement. We must do everything we can to get them to know us. Once they know us, I believe they will support us.
I want to make clear, and I've been meeting with each of our teams and coaches . . . the three ways we want our program evaluated internally. First, that our student-athletes are coming here to be educated just like every other student on this campus. Second, they have a social responsibility to this campus, this community and the entire state and that they must embrace that, and if not, then they shouldn't accept the responsibility of coming to school here.
And lastly, that we as a community do everything we can to support their goals for athletic achievement.
Staff Writer Jerry Lauzon can be contacted at 791-6415 or at:
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