Ex-Michigan football player Brad Bates takes AD job at BC

Submitted by translator82 on

Brad Bates, who Bo Schembecher thought would make a great Michigan AD in "Bo's Lasting Lessons," leaves Miami (NTM) for Boston College, according to the BC school paper The Heights. Bates played under Bo from 1977 to 1981 as a walk-on DB.

Boston College has openings in 2015 and 2016. We have openings in 2015 and 2016. Home-and-home Michigan Stadium and Gillette Stadium (or Fenway), anyone?

WolvinLA2

October 9th, 2012 at 2:04 PM ^

I'd be down for a home and home with BC. But I don't think we need to do a different stadium for them. Their stadium holds like 45k, which isn't that much smaller than the 60 or so that Gillette holds, and is bigger than Fenway. Lets just do it on their campus.

translator82

October 9th, 2012 at 2:09 PM ^

I assume Bates would want it that way if a home-and-home is discussed and comes to fruition. My guess is Brandon would try to jazz it up by having it at an NFL stadium or Fenway. But as I write this, I'm now remembering that UMass is playing 4 home games per season over the next few years at Gillette. So maybe Gillette won't happen anyways.

MikeCohodes

October 9th, 2012 at 2:08 PM ^

If we can time it so the BoSox are in town that weekend as well that'd be awesome because then I could squeeze in a game at Fenway on the same trip and cross that off my bucketlist.  I'm all in favor of that home & home series.

jadaSPW

October 9th, 2012 at 2:25 PM ^

Another layer to the possibility of a game at Fenway is that BC is a client of Fenway Sports Management for sponsorship, marketing, brand management consulting, etc. FSM is the company that helped bring the Winter Classic, soccer and other events to Fenway: http://www.fenwaysportsmanagement.com/

They have also made it known that they would like to bring college football to Fenway, with a reported matchup being ND and UConn in 2014: http://sports.yahoo.com/news/report-fenway-wants-stage-college-19102117…

We are going to want a home game in 2015 (already at Utah in non conference), and in 2016 we play at Wisco, Nebraska and Ohio State. We could still have 7 home games in 2016 with a game at BC though.

jadaSPW

October 9th, 2012 at 3:17 PM ^

Only other out of conference game on the books for 2016 is a home game vs. Colorado: http://www.mgoblue.com/sports/m-footbl/spec-rel/081809aab.html

Could schedule two other OOC home games to get to 7 home games overall, and agree to a deal with BC at Fenway that would make it worthwhile to give up the 8th home game (at least by Brandon's standard).

Not out of the realm of possibility, though I imagine most readers here would prefer a home-and-home with Georgia to a gimmicky type of matchup at Fenway.

MGoShoe

October 9th, 2012 at 2:44 PM ^

...post graduation was 1991 Michigan vs. Boston College. Saw a great victory but also Derrick Alexander blow out his knee on a kickoff return (IIRC).

If you think 45K is small, Alumni Stadium was much smaller then. Attendance was ~32K that day.

CTAlum

October 9th, 2012 at 8:18 PM ^

I also attended that game.  I had just graduated from UM in May and was attending BC for Law School, so nice transition to go to one more UM football game to start the school year.

I am happy to have the team coming to CT next year, so would be great for more opportunities to catch a relatively local game with BC later!!

goblueram

October 9th, 2012 at 3:20 PM ^

Hope he can help turn that football program around, and keep their hockey team as the 2nd best program in the country (behind Michigan, of course).    

MGoSoftball

October 9th, 2012 at 4:27 PM ^

great people.  He was a little older than me and not a very good HS football player either.  However, he reminds me a lot of DB.  Brad is very polished and articulate.  I was hoping he would be the M AD one day. 

He was approached by Power Players when Martin resigned err, got fired.  He told them YES.  However, DB had the inside track.

 

FrankMurphy

October 9th, 2012 at 4:56 PM ^

How many current ADs of D-I schools are former Michigan football players? I can think of three off the top of my head: Dave Brandon, Warde Manuel (UConn), Brad Bates. Are there any others?

True Blue Grit

October 9th, 2012 at 6:08 PM ^

if Brandon wasn't selected.  Bates was at U-M the same years I was, but for the life of me, I can't remember much about him as a player.  I do remember Bo's glowing comments about him in his book however.  I hope he does very well at BC and that we keep the porch light on for him in the event Brandon were to leave for some reason some day.