Press Conference 11-22-14: Jim Hackett
[Upchurch/MGoBlog]
[Ed. note (Adam): A huge thank you to Greg Garno of The Michigan Daily for the audio. The following transcript is from the portion of the press conference in which video cameras weren’t allowed. The first part of the presser can be found here: http://www.mgoblue.com/collegesportslive/?media=476826]
Just a little finer-point follow up on the questions about recruiting. Other ADs have spoken to recruits to assure them one way or another. Will you have any direct contact with people that are being recruited in football?
"I haven't thought about that. I would tell you this, that the role that I'm playing as Athletic Director, as interim Athletic Director is supporting these coaches. The coaches own the point of view of their programs. This is how I led the businesses I have in my history, and so I'm there to help them. Of course I'm evaluating them. I'm trying to build resources and structures to help them be more effective, to help train them, to help develop them, to help motivate them so if there's anything I can help them do in the broadest sense I'm going to be there for them."
You mentioned your criteria for evaluating the football program. What are your criteria for evaluating a potential new Athletic Director?
“Well, because that sits with President Schlissel I’m going to let him hold the answer to that, and what I probably owe him is I can say as someone who used the seat of Athletic Director [that] I can give him some input, but it’s probably premature to do that right now. I’ve been 25 days or something on the job.”
In that input though, in your 25 days what do you think is the most important thing that you would say to President Schlissel is a key attribute of this new leader?
“What I’d be answering is how I feel about what I think we need in leadership. I walked in here with this notion and nothing’s changed my mind, and it begins with we stand in service of others. The job of a leader is to help people who want to achieve more, to be there for them, to support them. I’m a big believer in very thoughtful approaches to problems plus a mix of doing them, so it’s not only about getting things done but it’s about being really thoughtful. You heard more than an inference that I believe you’ve got to align yourself around the most competitive set in the world. We compete in our product with other kinds of institutions around the world- around the country, sorry, and to have the highest sense of acuity of what does it takes to compete, to make our fans so delighted, to make our alums so proud, to make the student-athletes believe that this is the best place in the world and on and on is really important. To have that acuity and help rationalize that is the part of leadership.”
[More after THE JUMP]
When were you contacted about being interim [AD]? Who called you? How quickly did you respond to that request?
“Yeah, President Schlissel was the only one I talked to. He called me a few days before the news of Dave’s resignation and he’s a very thoughtful guy. He was thinking about what if something happens in Athletics, do you have any ideas who might be a potential interim Athletic Director? We talked about a couple people that I thought might be really good and then he said, ‘Would you be interested?’ And I said, ‘I’ve got to talk to Kathy about that.’ And the next day he said that Dave had resigned, so that’s how it happened.”
You understand that you’re stepping into a situation where potential there could be a change in the football program after you evaluate it. How comfortable are you in that role, making a change if that’s what’s needed?
“I think the position I’m in today, and I’m really comfortable with this, the process of evaluating the coach at the end of the season is a really certain mark on the stage that I know how to do, and I’m really comfortable with the fact that this guy has done an extraordinary job in very difficult times. The calling-into-question part, in a leadership sense you wait for the moment when you’re really going to do it. It’s almost like a solemn ceremony, because it’s a deep respect for him and a deep respect for the process that you go through to make a decision like that.”
You mentioned football is one of your main goals, evaluating the football program. What kind of time have you been able to spend with the other sports programs and getting to know them?
“That’s been the challenge. I attended my first basketball game. I’ve been able to talk to Coach Beilein, Coach Berenson and many of the other coaches. We’ve had a number of fall coaches meetings where we’ve sat in the room like this and had a discussion about the changes and they’re all, of course, in various stages of flight with their programs. Their biggest question is, ‘Is there anything we should worry about, Jim, in the way that we’re going to change?’ and I really wanted to assure them that the previous administrations that have run this place have really sound underpinnings to it. Areas that I hope to impact are going to take some time. For example, I’ve hinted that the fan experience is a big deal to me. I know how to do that from my previous job, so there’s some method and technique and I’m going to use things like that and come back to you with some ideas about what that might look like.”
Just wanted to clarify, when you talk about wanting to take care of those three tasks before you worry about finding a new Athletic Director, will you definitely be the one in the seat evaluating the program and making a change if need be?
“The President has delegated to me the question of the performance of the football program at the end of the season.”
When you took over there was a lot of unrest, a lot of people unhappy with the athletic department, obviously. How much of a repair job does the athletic department need at this point?
“It really starts with the people that work here, because the group that’s working in athletics- first of all, I’ve got to point out the obvious, how extraordinary they are. My main message to them was, ‘You’re really good people [and] you’ve been doing great work’ to stabilize the feeling that things were in any kind of dire shape. They’re not. Secondly, when we pronounce these four or five things I did this in a letter to them last week, and they felt really about these are the right things for us to work on.”
You had just said a couple question previously, I believe your words were ‘extraordinary job’-
“Under adversity.”
Under adversity. What is extraordinary about the Michigan football program needing to win this game perhaps to become bowl eligible?
“You just said it. It’s the idea that you get to the point where there’s a flashpoint and you have to prove yourself, and things haven’t gone your way and yet he’s practiced this week to try and make this bowl game with incredible focus. I said also that he knows, there’s zero question in his mind that we’re not where we need to be.”
So what defines an acceptable season for Michigan football in your mind?
“I’m going to leave it that I’m really proud of where he’s in right now, and the evaluation of his go-forward status is going to come and I’ll be making that decision.”
It’s almost a follow up to what he was saying, but we hear from Michigan fans all the time- the stadium, because of the weather maybe it’ll be full today, maybe it won’t. The criteria, that delicate balance because you’ve said Brady’s done a lot of great things here but your assessment of the football product on the field; where do think this program is at right now and do you see improvement or has it kind of leveled off?
“I’m going to give you a really clear answer on that when we get to the end of the season, because it’s a body of work and we have two more games. One of them is a red letter game with a really important rival, and when that’s all done it won’t be vague or unclear about where we stand. I also want to emphasize we’re not where we need to be. He knows that, so the bigger issue is now only do I know it but does our coaching staff know it and they know it. Sometimes in business I found myself in reviews of situations and you thought, ‘People don’t understand where we are.’ They understand where we are. That’s a good start in terms of doing the evaluation that I have to do.”
You said before you’ve only been on the job 25 days, yet in this 25 days period would you like to have ‘interim’ off? Would you like this job? Have you expressed any interest to President Schlissel that perhaps you would like to do this?
“I’ve told him that I need to focus [on] right now, and the rest of that will come later.”
“Thank you very much. I’ve enjoyed meeting with you, and I want to say in parting that I really respect the role the media plays in this business versus the last one I was in, which was running a global corporation for a long time, and I got to know the people that cover the industry. By design I want to spend less time in my own right in these kind of settings until I have things to tell you about that you can count on, and so we’re not going to leave you in the lurch where you don’t know what’s going on or are guessing how I think about things, but I really have a belief that the authentic position is to come with real news and real decisions and real perspective, so I’d ask you to be patient with that as I’m new and trust that you’ll be happy when I do.”
November 23rd, 2014 at 8:48 PM ^
The university has invested hundreds of millions of dollars into athletic. The idea that is they are going to de-emphasizing athletics is beyond asinine. If they somehow retain Hoke it's because Hoke's supporters sold Hackett on giving Hoke one more year with an older roster and another year in Nussmeier's system.
November 23rd, 2014 at 9:43 PM ^
No actually the idea (not mine BTW) of de-emphasizing athletics is not asinine, the football and basketball programs rake in a lot of money that dosn't seem to be greatly affected by wins and losses. TV contracts and other cross deals with the Big10 bring in a lot of $$$- the stadium is pretty full- especially compared to other big 10 teams. Big donars keep giving- even while they have lowered student ticket prices.
Now breaking the bank on a big name hire and his assistants? I think the prez may view that move as asinine. I am not sure- we will find out.
November 23rd, 2014 at 10:20 PM ^
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November 23rd, 2014 at 11:21 PM ^
November 23rd, 2014 at 8:37 PM ^
Clearly he can't be trusted!!!
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November 23rd, 2014 at 8:40 PM ^
Jimmy talks in the third person. Timmmaay is not impressed.
November 23rd, 2014 at 8:54 PM ^
November 23rd, 2014 at 9:28 PM ^
Have you ever spoken to a unionized company workforce who doesn't think the CEO is a hack?!?
November 23rd, 2014 at 10:04 PM ^
November 23rd, 2014 at 8:40 PM ^
Jim Hackett answered these questions exactly like someone who has spent 20+ days on his new job. He was not going to dive into details because he probably hasn't had the time to gain input from all of his constituents, and corporate speak is his default mode when he is forced to answer questions he doesn't want to answer. I still think his support for Hoke is purely machiavellian; Hoke has many allies within the AD office and among the ex-players, and Hackett will need these folks when he brings in the new coach.
I am beginning to think that Les Miles, not James Joseph Harbaugh, is Hackett's guy.
November 23rd, 2014 at 8:54 PM ^
I think I agree with you. There is not much to be learned from these comments, and that's not always a bad thing.
I would imagine, though, that he doesnt have a guy yet. He probably has options, like he should. Miles may be his top option right now. But I refuse to believe anyone with a pulse would have their head so far in the sand as to not even attempt to offer Harbaugh the job. (and maybe he has, or will, and we may never know about it).
November 23rd, 2014 at 10:17 PM ^
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November 23rd, 2014 at 8:47 PM ^
November 23rd, 2014 at 9:40 PM ^
November 23rd, 2014 at 10:57 PM ^
I agree. I don't get the pitchfork parade on these threads around Hackett. He is 20+ days on the job and has the label "interim" in his title. What exactly do you want from the guy?
I also do not hate having a corporate guy in charge of the AD. Run the financials and make sure everyone is paid and the buildings are up kept up... hire good people to ensure the feel good stuff is taken care of.
Everyone needs to calm their tits down... just because he hasn't fired a guy yet doesn't mean we should burn him.
November 23rd, 2014 at 8:49 PM ^
November 23rd, 2014 at 8:53 PM ^
November 23rd, 2014 at 8:53 PM ^
I didn't see too much I didn't like. He's not going to throw Hoke under the bus. You'd lose respect from potential football coaches if he did that. I expect next week to hear the "Brady is a great man who did a lot for Michigan but he wasn't happy with the job he did and expressed to me that he thought it was best that he step down."
November 23rd, 2014 at 10:34 PM ^
This is exactly what will happen, within a day or two of the Ohio State game.
Then there will be all kinds of statements about search commitees and processes and that there can be no meaningful comments until that all plays out. Meanwhile, they will have already interviewed, negotiated, and selected the next head coach by Christmas.
That's just how these things work.
November 24th, 2014 at 10:51 AM ^
Look for the press conference to be held a week from Tuesday..........December 2. Negotiations are ongoing.
November 23rd, 2014 at 8:54 PM ^
[Hoke] has done an extraordinary job in very difficult times.
Please define "extraordinary" here. Like, literally, beyond ordinary? Like way different than what is to be expected? Okay, I can get on board with that.
Please explain what is difficult about the times. I know you don't mean difficult as in didn't have the full support of the entire fanbase when he took the job. I know you don't mean difficult as in doesn't have the best facilities and material support in college football. I know you don't mean difficult as in doesn't have top-level talent year after year. So, are we talking difficult like he is dying from self-inflicted wounds? Like he fucked up so bad that everyone wants him to take a hike? Difficult like he borrowed his dad's car, crashed it, and now is in the difficult situation of getting grounded and having his license taken away? Okay, I can get on board with that.
November 23rd, 2014 at 9:30 PM ^
November 23rd, 2014 at 8:55 PM ^
November 23rd, 2014 at 9:02 PM ^
November 23rd, 2014 at 10:36 PM ^
He's perfectly comfortable. He intended to give no meaningful information at this time, and that's what he did.
November 23rd, 2014 at 8:57 PM ^
Said just about what you'd expect for an interim AD that is "evaluating" a lame duck coach of a football program
November 23rd, 2014 at 8:58 PM ^
I think that Schlissel has really messed up if we really haven't started looking for an AD yet. That should have been priority # 1 a month ago. If we haven't started looking you might as well make Hackett the AD because no head coach isn't going to want to work for a university when he doesn't know the AD. We may have made a mistake in hiring someone from a university without a major sports program and should have looked at Duke, Stanford, or Vanderbilt for a president.
November 23rd, 2014 at 9:05 PM ^
Hackett: Hey, we have the biggest stadium in America, one of the best histories of any team, recruiting prowess, the largest alumni base in the world, oh and we'll pay you twice as much as your last job.
potential candidate: Weeeelllllllllll, I love money, and the resources are better than 99% of any other potential job, details which will surely attract top AD candidates, but you could maybe potentially hire a guy that I dont get along with, So I'll pass.
This conversation will never happen.
November 23rd, 2014 at 11:00 PM ^
Yes, because the University of Michigan is only the sum of its sports programs..... not you know.... the billions of dollars invest in academics.
November 23rd, 2014 at 9:00 PM ^
The cost of retaining Hoke far exceed the buyout and Hackett understands the math. He dug out a fact on graduation rates which Hoke speaks to every chance he gets as a means of stating Hoke isn't a total failure.
Hackett will fire Hoke (Hoke resigns) but leave him with his dignity in the process.
November 23rd, 2014 at 9:07 PM ^
Yeah I'm not sure what he's supposed to say. No AD anywhere is going to say their coach fucking sucks even if they plan to fire him. As long as he plans on firing him, I think that it's good that he isn't a Brandon dick to his employees where no prospective coach wants to work for him.
November 23rd, 2014 at 10:08 PM ^
November 23rd, 2014 at 9:09 PM ^
I don't want someone who was a part of Brandon's regime to be the permanent AD. Brandon's line must be severed. The new AD must have no association to him.It has to be a truly fresh start.
November 23rd, 2014 at 9:25 PM ^
November 23rd, 2014 at 9:34 PM ^
. . . Battalion-- Staaannnndddd TO !! . . .
November 23rd, 2014 at 9:35 PM ^
November 23rd, 2014 at 9:36 PM ^
Is it just me or does that photo make him look like a normal person with Steve Buscemi's eyes photoshopped in?
November 23rd, 2014 at 9:45 PM ^
I think he looks like a straight-up bond villain here. Seriously, I bet his office has a Japanese koi pond in it...
November 23rd, 2014 at 10:05 PM ^
you are forgetting the cat with the diamond collar
November 23rd, 2014 at 10:38 PM ^
And the gold pinky ring.
November 23rd, 2014 at 11:14 PM ^
Wasn't that Austin Powers?
November 23rd, 2014 at 10:10 PM ^
I thought Borges had aged about 15-20 years.
November 24th, 2014 at 10:14 AM ^
I literally LOL'd.
November 23rd, 2014 at 9:53 PM ^
Nice little Freudian slip there in the first couple sentences.
November 23rd, 2014 at 10:17 PM ^
Wow. I realize he's new and can't come out and say Hoke is done but that was ridicuous. A lot about his own past corporate world success - who gives a rip unless it translates to something useful here? It's a bad sign that he has to tell us about how great he was. No acknowledgement at all of the current crisis. Re Hoke: "I'm really proud of where he [Hoke] is in right now . . . that's what defines great coaches [character]." What? Does he not grasp that Hoke bears responsibility for this debacle - that it's on him? Not once did he use the word "win" to descibe something he is interested in. I'm afraid Hackett is on the same page as Schlissel - well intentioned but largely clueless.
November 23rd, 2014 at 10:23 PM ^
This accomplished exactly what it needed to. Stay in the good graces of the media, and give them a bit of information and an update without actually giving out anything substantive.
Obviously they can't fire Hoke until next Monday(which we honestly don't want him gone before then anyways) and are getting the ducks in a row for a search.
November 23rd, 2014 at 10:44 PM ^
He rambles incoherently, but the dude would look totally BAD ASS with a black eye patch.
This needs to happen before the next presser.
Then we'll see who has the guts to ask him irrelevant questions.
November 23rd, 2014 at 10:48 PM ^
Just do what needs to be done. Don't even say a word if possible. Just do it, now.
November 23rd, 2014 at 11:01 PM ^
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November 23rd, 2014 at 11:11 PM ^
does not have the knack of coming across in a clear and direct way. Sounds like a long winded way of saying we are going to wait till the end of the season but we are not ready to fire Hoke because we don't have replacement lined up yet.
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