Southern Illinoise University Athletics
Director of Athletics Tommy Bell press conference transcript
12/01/2015 | 12:00:00 | Football
By Rico Cruz
SIUSalukis.com
Opening Statement
"As you all know, we made a pretty big decision yesterday. First and foremost, we want to thank Dale Lennon for the great work that he did for our program and what he did for our institution. He led with integrity, and his academic excellence speaks for itself. We appreciate everything he did for us. Just a couple of factors of the dismissal of coach Lennon. This institution has made a great investment in the development of football and facilities. I looked at the track record and what has been going on has felt like it was the best interest in our student-athletes and university to make a change at this time. We want to compete for the Missouri Valley Football Conference championship. It puts us in a situation where we are in the competitive market and the ability to compete for the national championship. We play in the toughest FCS football conference in the country. It is documented year after year, and we continue to prove that. It is proven by our schedule and the competition that you see every year in the MVFC.
What I would like to share now is that this will be a quick search. Our goal is to have this done before Christmas. As most know, we won't do a traditional posting for this position. We are going to get after it and get it done because it is most beneficial for our student-athletes. We cannot afford to miss on the recruiting cycle. That is so important in the development of football. I am going to have an advisory committee that will assist me in the search. We will name the individuals that will help us. First off will be Dr. Harold Bardo. We asked him to serve and he has graciously accepted, and we are excited. Greg Cook is a local business owner and philanthropist to our institution. Dr. Julie Partridge, our faculty-athletic representative, will assist, as will Joel Sambursky of our board of trustees and a former Saluki great. The special advisor to the committee that will help us will be Jerry Kill, formerly the head coach of the University of Minnesota. We are very excited about what they are going to be doing. Nick Hill has been appointed the interim head coach at this time to oversee our program on a day-to-day operation until our search process is over.
Can we assume the coaches will not be recruiting until a head coach is named?
"We will have a plan where we are vetting that every day. I met with the coaches at 1:30 p.m. and had that discussion and there are plans coming. We have 11 verbal commitments on our list. We are working very closely with those 11 right now. We are very fortunate to have 85 returning student-athletes. That is a really large returning group of young men. There is not a need for a big recruiting class. Once we get a head coach named, then they can quickly be brought up to speed if those are the type of individuals they want to get there. It also notifies those students interested in SIU, it doesn't leave them in a lurch as well."
How did the players react to the news?
"We spoke to the players and talked about their welfare. When I opened the floor for questions, there were no questions or comments."
What went into the decision to make Nick Hill the interim coach?
"I looked at all of our different coaches. I think that familiarity played a part. I knew him as a student-athlete and knew some of the things that went on with the success with his recruiting and some of the energy he brings to the table."
Will Nick Hill be a candidate for the permanent job?
"That will be up for him. We are going to be open for all people interested in the position. I'm taking a lot of phone calls, and I've had over 40 inquiries in less that 24 hours."
What are some of things you will look for when hiring the new head coach?
"The key things we will look for is the right fit for SIU, familiarity with the southern Illinois region, and, most importantly, familiarity with the MVFC."
What was the last straw in making the decision to let go of Dale Lennon?
"It's hard because the biggest effect is that it is not just coach Lennon; you have 10 other families that are tied to this program. We have people that are working hard to make this program better each and every day. I sat back and said that it was time for a change. We wanted to create and send a message that we have a standard of excellence here at SIU. We are not going to accept not making it. We have gone six years without making the playoffs. The people that don't work at SIU that are in FCS football, when they see what we have here, they shake their heads and say there are no excuses. That is information that I have gathered a couple of years ago. There are schools in the Mid-American Conference that wish they had what SIU has. We have great facilities here. We have the things that we need to be successful. We are fully funded in scholarships; we have a good salary base and a good head coach salary. That is what is making this job very interesting to a lot people. People know that this institution has made investments for us to have success."
How vital is football to the success of SIU athletics?
"Football is very vital. It doesn't generate the income that basketball does for us, but it still generates income. It also serves the university in many facets. On those given Saturdays, it creates an open door of opportunity for people to come and enjoy our campus on many different fronts. Success in football can help us. It engages the people of Southern Illinois, our alumni, and our supporters. There are just a lot more layers to it. They both can coexist at the same time because that has been proven before."
Do you expect to have any of the players to be involved or have a say in the hiring of the next head coach?
"I am always open to talk with out student-athletes, but they will have no decision in this."
When did you make this decision?
"I informed coach Lennon yesterday at 1 p.m. There were some processes in it, but I had labored over it for awhile."
Was it your decision solely or were other people involved?
"The university administration is totally behind me, but they were with my decision."
How important is to have head coaching experience at the Division I level to you?
"It's not too necessary. We have proven here before that we have had two successful coaches hired here that have been successful at the Division II level. Coaching is coaching. It is about the individual and the fit."
Would you consider hiring someone who only has coaching experience as a coordinator?
"Absolutely. You see a lot of movement and tradition of coordinators making the move to head coach that way."
When you were making your decision, did the amount of injuries SIU had make the decision more difficult?
"It did complicate it a little bit. We looked at it, but at the end of the day we have to do what is best for the institution."
Do you have a number of finalists that you would like and how quickly do you want to get them on campus?
"Every AD has a short list. We will vet through those pretty quick. We will have some conversations and work to get them here. Sometimes you don't need to bring them to campus. Sometimes you can meet them somewhere else and make a decision depending on their familiarity with the institution."
Do you have a certain coach fit that you would prefer?
"I have no fit. I want the best fit for Southern Illinois University. I want someone that is going to create some synergy, someone that people can rally around, and someone who can recruit student-athletes so that we can be competitive. We someone who can fill the parking lot like we did in the first game last year. Every time we play football here on Saturday, it is an event in Southern Illinois. That takes time, but those things can happen."
Have any current players expressed interest in transferring at this time?
"They are going be doing their end-of-the-year evaluations. There are some student-athletes who have indicated to coaches--from a depth chart and who are not playing as much as they would like--there will be a few transfers here and there. The only thing that has been shared with me are some who want to get to Division II so that they have a better opportunity to get some playing time."
How have donors responded to the decision?
"Between our donors and supporters, it has been overwhelmingly positive. It has been surprising positive. I haven't gotten any hate mail, crazy tweets, or anything like that. It has been positive and people understand that we made a business decision. We made a business decision, not a personality decision. People accept that, see that, and expect that from me as a director to set that bar."
Would you consider this the hardest decision you have made since taking this job?
"I've made some tough decisions and there have been some sleepless nights. This was a tough decision. We affected 10 families. I didn't take this decision lightly. I have someone that I trust heavily in this department that talked to me and said why wait. I told that person that there is a lot more to worry about. SIU has always prided itself on being a family environment. That is what we have, and that is something you really have to pay attention to."
Do you anticipate any assistant coaches leaving with coach Lennon?
"That will be up to the next head coach. I anticipate all of the assistant coaches will interview with the next head coach. That head coach will decide what will happen."
