%20(1).png&type=webp)
University of Massachusets Athletics
The Last Minute (July 2002)
 |  Bill Strickland, Associate Athletic Director for External Affairs |
July 30, 2002
As we welcome Ian McCaw as the new director of athletics, there are a few things you can expect to see. One is that there will be an increased effort on the fundraising front. Chancellor Lombardi has made it very clear from the get-go that we cannot expect the state to foot the entire bill if we aspire to be something more than we already are. That is true academically as well as athletically. Ian is extremely confident in his own fundraising abilities and there is little doubt that we will be changing the direction of our fundraising operation. The second thing is that there will be a renewed emphasis on the department's outreach programs, a return to the statewide trips of a few years back, and a widespread effort to re-engage our fans, alums, donors and other constituencies across the state. As a staff, we will be going border to border preaching the gospel of UMass Athletics. A third thing, and an exciting one for UMass supporters, is that this Chancellor expects to win and expects our fans to have fun along the way.
Make no mistake that while we are here to provide our student-athletes opportunities in education, competition and personal growth, the goal is to win. And win we should, with things looking up for all of our revenue sports. Coach Whipple is talking playoffs with Pac-10 passing leader Jeff Krohn throwing to anywhere-on-the-field scoring threat Adrian Zullo, and Northampton All-American Valdamar Brower heading up the UMass defense. Coach Cahoon's recruiting class has been ranked in the top five in the country in some publications, and with 18 talented freshmen and sophomores, this young Minuteman squad is poised for a breakout season in Hockey East. New coach Marnie Dacko has the women's basketball fandom buzzing as she embarks on a new era of her own. And coach Lappas will have a totally revamped line-up, with seven talented newcomers and only two holdovers preceding his arrival at UMass. New facilities are going up, our teams are poised for a big year, and there is excitement over the new chancellor and new athletic director. Let's get everyone on board.
The sod is down and Rudd Field, the new home of UMass soccer, is beginning to take shape as the magnificent facility we were all envisioning. The dedication of the field is scheduled for Sunday, Sept. 8, at noon prior to the UMass women's regularly scheduled match against B.U. at 1 p.m. The men will also make their debut on the field that day, with an alumni game at 3:30 p.m. Andrew and Jinny Rudd, the parents of UMass player Lexi Rudd, have made this all possible through a generous contribution to the UMass Athletic Fund. So plan on being out here on Sept. 8 to take part in the opening of the region's best soccer facility and to support the Minutewomen and Minutemen as they get the '02 home season underway.
-UMASS-
The i's are dotted and the t's crossed for the new UMass Radio Network deal with WRNX. There were plenty of smiles to go around at the kickoff reception at the Depot in Northampton, which was attended by over 150 sponsors, UMass and RNX staffers, coaches Mark Whipple, Don Cahoon and Steve Lappas, and the Voice of the Minutemen, Bob Behler. The athletic department will have unprecedented coverage in the Pioneer Valley, with football, hockey, men's basketball and all three coaches' shows on FM for the first time. For locally-owned WRNX (100.9 FM on your dial) it gives them a great product to drive their night time ad sales. WRNX does very well with its daytime audience, but their primary demographic is one that is not listening to the radio once the drive home from work is out of the way. The built-in UMass Athletics audience is a way to change that. Tom Davis and his staff are teaming with Mr. Behler to give the radio network its most enthusiastic and aggressive sales force ever. While there is more of a financial risk for the Athletic Department than there has been in the last decade, there is also the potential for a much greater upside. Also on board for the network this year are our good friends at WBRK in Pittsfield, WATD in Marshfield, and WCAP in Lowell. Fragmented availability in Worcester continues to be a problem and may keep us off the air there, but we hope, at the very least, to have our webcasts in place for those fans in Central Mass. The Hangar Bar & Grill in Amherst is once again scheduled to be the home site for the UMass coaches' shows. Lots of changes here in Amherst, and UMass radio is no exception.
-UMASS-
Here's a note from Boston Globe baseball writer Gordon Edes that might have caught the eye of some UMass fans. What do the following three major league leadoff hitters have in common? Second baseman/shortstop David Eckstein, Anaheim Angels; second baseman Mark Ellis, Oakland A's; outfielder Brad Wilkerson, Montreal Expos. The answer is that they batted 1 2-3 for the University of Florida team that held off UMass to win the 1996 NCAA Regional championship. The Gators went on to finish third in the College World Series, but not before getting a handful from Mike Stone's Minutemen. UMass' performance in the NCAA Tournament that year was one of the best from a Northeast team in the last 20 years.
-UMASS-
As we were going to press, Steve Lappas and John Leonard were just putting to bed the non-conference basketball schedule with the addition of a home-and-home series against Tennessee that will start next February in Knoxville. With the loaded Maui Invitational field, UConn, Boston College, North Carolina State, Marshall and Tennessee, Lappas has a number of exciting games for our fans, quality RPI games for the selection committee, and a sprinkling of games that will help his young squad gain some confidence going into the Atlantic 10 schedule. UMass should once again be well represented on television, with games against Boston College, UConn, N.C. State and Temple slated for the tube, a good sign that the TV people think the Minutemen are on their way back.
This story was originally published in The Maroon & White. For subscription information please call the Athletic Development Office at (413) 545-4290.