Bland Presidential Press Release "Update"

[m616s6e]

Office of the President
The University of Montana
University Hall 109
Missoula, Montana 59812-0596
Phone: 406-243-2311
[email protected]

I am writing with an update regarding personnel changes in Intercollegiate Athletics. As most of you know by now, I have appointed Jean Gee as Interim Athletic Director. Jean has served as our Associate AD for seven years and knows the responsibilities and the people of the program well. After receiving helpful feedback from a number of groups and many individuals in the past several days, I have decided to move forward with the search for a new AD over the course of the summer, with the goal of having a permanent person in place beginning Fall Semester 2012. Within the next two weeks, I will appoint a Search Advisory Committee to work with me. We will look for a person who can administer and represent Intercollegiate Athletics, and who will also serve as an integral member of the leadership team of the University through a seat on the President’s Cabinet. We will consider both internal and external candidates.

You also know that Mick Delaney is serving as Interim Head Coach through the 2012 season. Coach Delaney and his staff did an excellent job with the team at the Saturday evening scrimmage before a crowd of more than 8,000 fans under the new lights at Washington-Grizzly Stadium. By the end of the 2012 season, we will appoint a permanent Head Coach for the 2013 season. Again, we will consider both internal and external candidates.

I want you to know that we are fully committed to continuing our tradition of having one of the most highly respected athletic programs in the country, a program integral to the mission and reputation of the University. Such a powerhouse athletic program must meet these criteria:
• Excellence on the playing fields and courts;
• Excellence in the classroom;
• Excellence in character in the community.
We will continue to build on our tradition and success and will work on improvements in the following areas:
• The lights of Washington-Grizzly Stadium;
• Funding and approval to begin construction on a new Academic Success Center attached to the Adams Center;
• The addition of Women’s Softball as a new intercollegiate sport, funded largely through student fees;
• A planned new weight room and locker room through fundraising and institutional contributions;
• A new Student-Athlete Conduct Code that clarifies expectations and actions for student-athletes and coaching staff.
Grizzly Athletics plays many important roles for the University. Most importantly, it provides an opportunity for our student-athletes to develop in a supportive and highly competitive program. Athletics contributes in a major way to the vibrancy of our campus and community as we build one of the most Dynamic Learning Environments in higher education. Grizzly Athletics is the window through which many people interact with and remain attached to UM and, of course, Athletics contributes so much to our community. We are Montana!
Thank you for your support. Go Griz!
Royce C. Engstrom, President

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[Tokyogriz]

You are not Montana Royce you only represent yourself. I look forward to seeing you on the street and giving you a piece of my mind somday sir.

 

[Growler1]

You are not Montana Royce you only represent yourself. I look forward to seeing you on the street and giving you a piece of my mind somday sir.

You continue to show all of us what a meat head you are. Classless!

 

[PlayerRep]

This press release rings hollow. If Engstrom had truly believed this, he would not have fired O'Day and Pflu. This shows that Engstrom has felt the heat of the firestorm reaction against his decisions, and now he's trying to figure out how to diffuse the huge problem he created and get some of the fund-raising spigots opened again. It's a start, but he has a long way to go. I don't think he'll be able to dig his way out of the hole he created.

 

[granitegriz]

Growler is also hollow...out spending that remainder trust? :roll:

 

[Grizbacker1]

You are not Montana Royce you only represent yourself. I look forward to seeing you on the street and giving you a piece of my mind somday sir.

You continue to show all of us what a meat head you are. Classless!

classless is still much better than you can say for yourself asswipe

 

[griz4life]

Boy, I don't know if that letter accomplishes much. Some of the goals cited have surely been damaged by Royce Engstrom's actions.

If academic excellence is a goal, why would you fire a student's coach while midterms were occurring? Not only that, but why would you do it in such a way that those students would first hear about the firings third hand from strangers on campus? I'll bet there wasn't much academic excelence that day, or the days that followed.

How is the fudraising going for training and study facilities? Engstrom doesn't say. I thought we were closing in on those goals. Now they sound less than probable at least in the near term.

The conduct code and stadium lights listed as goals achieved were done because of huge efforts by Jim O'Day. And didn't O'Day and Pflugrad have a hand in this new conduct code?

Finally, red flags should always go up when any public figure makes statements of frothy emotional appeal. Citing UM athletics as a national power, or playing the 'we are Montana' card is just a ploy to get disgruntled supporters clapping again.