Wednesday, Aug. 20, 2003 | 9:21 a.m.
Dean Juipe's column appears Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday and Friday. His boxing notebook appears Thursday. Reach him at [email protected] or (702) 259-4084.
Mike Hamrick and his wife spent Tuesday house-hunting in Las Vegas and preparing for his move here as UNLV's new athletic director.
He has to be feeling as if he has a lot to do. There are people to meet and tasks to be done as he settles into his new surroundings and takes control of a department that has been a fairly steady target of criticism for at least a dozen years.
No doubt Hamrick will lean on associates and, in all probability, welcome pertinent hints and insights by those closest to him.
But to streamline the process for this under-the-gun newcomer and to assure him lasting success in the public's eye, he need only take these 10 suggestions to heart:
1) Be forthright. Those who have scoured his background, most recently as AD at East Carolina, aren't so sure of Hamrick when it comes to the tricky quality of always telling the truth. There's a concern not so much that he's two-faced but that he isn't always on the level. Now is the time to turn over that new leaf.
2) Appear approachable. His immediate predecessor, John Robinson, was good at this and Hamrick needs to be, too. He needs to foster an image that allows not just boosters but the common man to feel as if he can walk up to him, say almost anything, and have it register.
3) Attend games. He needs to be visible and needs to do it not just at the higher-profile football and men's basketball games, but at every sport on campus. Parents and fans attending tennis matches, soccer games and similar contests appreciate seeing the AD in the stands. Like it or not, he should take in every game he can.
4) Mix with the community. If he doesn't have a meeting to attend or a game on campus to drop in on, finding clubs and service organizations where he can make himself known should be a priority. He needs to mingle and appear comfortable doing it.
5) Target the big sponsors. UNLV has a number of business entities that willingly and almost readily will throw their financial weight behind the athletic department, provided they are treated with the respect and care they deserve. Strangely enough, that hasn't always been the case in the recent past. Hamrick has to correct that oversight and bring these supporters -- and perhaps some new ones -- into the fold.
6) Gain the trust of his coaches. This can be tough and more than one of his predecessors was an outright failure in this important regard. Hamrick -- and UNLV -- can't afford to be painted as dictatorial and narrow-minded, which has happened to the school and at least a couple of its ADs in the past. The forthrightness that Hamrick needs to exhibit on a daily basis -- see Item No. 1, above -- is especially crucial when it comes to his coaches, who will be as perceptive as he is when it comes to money issues and what's happening on campus. They also want to feel they're being given what they need to succeed without feeling as if the AD is micromanaging their programs.
7) Take the initiative at Mountain West Conference meetings. Hamrick has a friend in MWC commissioner Craig Thompson and the league has -- or will shortly have -- four new ADs among its eight members. Without appearing as if he's jousting for power, Hamrick could easily have a presence in MWC meetings that could prove beneficial not just to UNLV but to the league as a whole.
8) Think national. Those who had a say in the interviewing process agreed that Hamrick has a good handle on such pertinent national issues as the Bowl Championship Series and is sufficiently connected to a number of power brokers. Obviously, that kind of knowledge and those type of contacts can come in handy. But Hamrick should also campaign to get UNLV -- particularly the men's basketball team -- back on national TV and toward the limelight the Rebels enjoyed during the Jerry Tarkanian years. Remember, the Rebels once played on a national stage and their fan base once stretched thousands of miles beyond Las Vegas.
9) Allow the media background access. Maybe this will surprise you and maybe it won't, but one of the easiest things an athlete, coach or administrator can do to endear himself to the sometimes cutthroat and heartless media is open up a little bit -- even if it's off the record. Reporters love being privy to what's going on behind the scenes, even if it's with the commitment to keep the details and intricacies to themselves. In most cases -- or anything that isn't a life-and-death crisis -- they will gladly and willingly cooperate when presented with a "keep this to yourself" revelation. If Hamrick does this a few times and makes sure to spread it around, he'll gain a bond and trust with the people who are an important link for him to the community.
10) Return phone calls. As part of his first-day remarks when he was introduced as athletic director Monday, Hamrick promised to return any and all phone calls. There are days when that's a huge undertaking and a downright nuisance, but there are never days when the effort isn't appreciated and deemed worthwhile by the people on the other end.
Should Hamrick master these 10 items -- and all are achievable although some will be more difficult than others -- he will not only be successful and achieve his and his school's goals, he will be embraced and perhaps even loved by those with ties to UNLV.
As an additional dividend, should Hamrick adopt each of the above suggestions he will have an opportunity to be a mirror image of the man who gave him his first job in college athletics and a man he singled out as a source of inspiration at his inaugural press conference.
He will have a chance to be a second coming of a man who ran the UNLV athletic department from 1981 to '90 and who is still more than wistfully praised today.
He will have a chance to be another Brad Rothermel.
archive
