wbtfg said:
Grizbacker1 said:
I saw an article in todays Chronicle where it mentions change of philiosophy in recruiting JC transfers in FB. Do you think it will also impact basketball?
I didn't see that. What did it say about MSU's change in philosophy regarding JCs?
MSU athletic review shows 'areas for enhancement'
By JEFF WELSCH, Chronicle Sports Editor
Good, but not good enough.
That's the grade four outside evaluators have given the Montana State University athletic department's attention to recruiting, academics and the social pressures athletes face.
The review was requested by MSU President Geoff Gamble in the wake of this past summer's arrests of former athletes Branden Miller and John Lebrum on murder charges. Two members of the National Collegiate Athletic Association, an associate commissioner from the Southeastern Conference and a Big Sky Conference official spent two days on campus in December interviewing staffers and reviewing MSU's policies.
The Athletics Review Report, released by the school Tuesday, found that while MSU can be proud of its athletic department's achievements on and off the playing field, it also must address "areas for enhancement." In a nutshell, the reviewers said the athletic department must be more integrated into the university community, more resources should be committed to mentoring student-athletes, and that football must be more attentive to academics and selective in recruiting.
"I'm encouraged by the direction we're taking - as encouraged now as I was dismayed last summer watching everything going on," Gamble said. "At the time of the murder and so much of the drug stuff underlying it, I must admit I was a bit perplexed of how to grab hold of this. Now I see how to grab hold of this. And we can grab hold of this by functioning as a university as one team."
Gamble said he was surprised by the depth of the report, which was fashioned from at least 15 interviews that took place Dec. 4-5. He said he envisioned ideas to help with recruiting and was gratified by the attention given to academics and "social mentoring" of student-athletes from both urban areas and small Montana communities to adjust to Bozeman.
Particular emphasis was given to football, which recently lost three scholarships because its Academic Progress Rate (APR) didn't meet NCAA standards. The report also said the football program must "be better integrated into the athletics department and university as a whole," must improve academics, involve more school personnel in recruiting, and
limit its reliance on transfers.
Head football coach Mike Kramer has already instituted some policies recommended by the group. For example, four junior-college players met with faculty members during their visits.
"What this has done has created some good discussions," Kramer said. "One thing I do not like is being static, and obviously this has reinvigorated the coaching staff."
Gamble said the next steps include forming a community-wide committee to study the report and implement changes. The school also will borrow a successful point-by-point program used by Northeastern University in Boston.
"When all is said and done, we can't assure every individual on campus will use good judgment all the time," Gamble said. "But we can make sure we've brought people here who are a good fit academically, socially, culturally, and we can give them the tools that will lead them to make good decisions.
"This gives us confidence that we're on the right track."
