Tommy Bell monthly Newsletter — October Edition
10/31/2017 | 1:36:00 | General
Greetings, Saluki Nation!
Although Homecoming is now fading in the rear-view mirror, I wanted to share with you some of the exciting activities that took place behind the scenes in what was an outstanding weekend for our University.
As you are probably aware, we're in the midst of the Forever SIU campaign that will provide scholarships and other support for students. The campaign chair for the Athletics component of Forever SIU is the distinguished Dr. Jim Rosser, a former student-athlete who participated on the men's basketball team in 1960, went on to earn three degrees from SIU, and served as president of Cal State Los Angeles from 1979-2013.
Dr. Rosser was a guest in my stadium suite during Homecoming and had the opportunity to meet with a select group of some of our University's top donors. He delivered a powerful and heartfelt plea that inspired those benefactors to help us meet the challenges of an ever-changing college athletics landscape. He spoke with pride and passion for our University and established the framework for the discussions we'll be having with our supporters in the coming months. Also in attendance at this meeting was Chancellor Carlo Montemagno and Saluki legend Walt Frazier, and I can tell you that both of these men were forceful advocates for SIU. As a University, we are blessed to have so many champions for our cause, and I can only believe that under our new chancellor's leadership, efforts such as this will pay dividends down the road. In fact, in the last few weeks, we have already received 4-5 key gifts.
Speaking of Walt Frazier, what a treasure he is to our University. He served as grand marshal of the Homecoming parade, visited with a basketball recruit, participated in Homecoming Hoops, met with donors, posed for countless pictures with fans...we couldn't be more proud. This marked his second visit to campus in less than a year, including last February's return for the 50-year reunion of the NIT championship team.
Homecoming was a perfect weekend. We celebrated the 50-year anniversary of the 1967 football team's signature win over nationally ranked Tulsa. It was great to welcome back coach Dick Towers and the always riveting Carl Mauck, who spoke to the team in the locker room after the 42-7 victory over No. 15-ranked Illinois State. The weather was ideal and the football team delivered its best performance in many years.
One more fun highlight from Homecoming - we had a marriage proposal! Congratulations to Tim and Novanna, a pair of Saluki alums who met while attending SIU. He proposed at the game, she said yes, they made a generous donation to the Saluki Athletic Scholarship Fund, and celebrated afterward at Quatro's.
I'd be remiss if I didn't mention the recent success of our golf programs. Under the direction of Justin Fetcho, our Men's Golf team won the Pinetree Intercollegiate that featured a top-50 ranked team in Kennesaw State and a Big Ten squad in Wisconsin. Our tournament records go back about 30 years and we believe this is the first time the Salukis have defeated a top-50 program. Earlier this season, the team played in tournaments where it beat teams such as Indiana, Xavier and Georgia.
Meanwhile, the Women's Golf team tied Butler for the tournament title at Evansville's Charles Braun Intercollegiate. Coach Alexis O'Brien's team also won tournaments this fall at Austin Peay and Chicago State.
I received several emails from fans after Coach Hinson's comments on scheduling during Media Day in St. Louis, specifically the remarks asking media not to publicize the NCAA's official RPI and Strength of Schedule. I think he may have slightly exaggerated his position to make a point. The RPI and Strength of Schedule remain important measurement tools for the NCAA and are certainly an ongoing discussion topic among the leadership of the Missouri Valley Conference and at MVC head coaches meetings.
Scheduling is - and always has been - an art form. Let me illustrate this for you with a reference to our own past. In the 2002-03 season, the 2003-04 season, and the 2005-06 season, Saluki Basketball did not have a single high-major opponent on its schedule! Even so, the program was able to post RPIs of 41, 33 and 37, and qualify for the NCAA Tournament. The key was scheduling enough like-minded mid-majors to put the program in a position to build a strong resume, and avoiding RPI killers as much as possible. Rest assured that MVC commissioner Doug Elgin, working together with ADs and head coaches, are rededicated to finding such pathways for getting multiple teams into the NCAA Tournament. The days of the Valley being a multi-bid league are not over!
We're in the process of implementing some changes with our spirit squads. We've experimented in the past with having our spirit teams stationed at the entrances to our athletic facilities and having them welcome fans. We're extending this concept to include both football and basketball games the rest of the year. Our goal is to provide a first-class entertainment experience for our customers and we appreciate the ability of our spirit squads to act as goodwill ambassadors for Saluki Athletics.
From Ask The AD, Tom wrote in with a request that we get rid of the black chain-link fence at Saluki Stadium or cut off the parts that stick out over the hand rails. I spoke with our Assistant AD for Facilities Tad Dunn, and he said we will look into some options for dressing up and capping the fence after the season. Cutting the tops would open up sharp ends on the fence and create a hazard. Keep the questions coming!
With Saluki Pride,
