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RPI 2023 Off-season: We March Fourth Into the Off-season

Ralph Baer said:
i intend to start the new thread soon. I will probably use "RPI 2023-24: In Our 200th Year, We're Getting It Right" although I still get a chuckle from "RPI 2023-24: The Search for the Cross of Canton". Comments on these and other suggestions are certainly still welcome.
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RPI 2023-24: BC or AD? How about both? :-D
 
Today is 22 August 2023. There are 46 days until RPI's next game.


This is based upon 7 October 2023 for the start of next season.
 
No news an A.D. hire...hopefully Smitty didn't get his hand slapped for mentioning the hire was imminent......anyone's guess when they'll get around to making the announcement. I guess they're busy updating all of the outdated fall team pages..... ha ha
 
Wicked Slappaahs said:
No news an A.D. hire...hopefully Smitty didn't get his hand slapped for mentioning the hire was imminent......anyone's guess when they'll get around to making the announcement. I guess they're busy updating all of the outdated fall team pages..... ha ha
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So, what did BC mean?
 
vicious said:
Times Union reports the new AD hire is Kristie Bowers, from Boston University.
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Hmmm....not exactly a "hockey person." She's been at BU for 4 years so hopefully she has developed an appreciation for hockey as a school's flagship sport. However, her background is in soccer and she spent her undergrad and most of her working career at Bingo, which doesn't sponsor hockey (but is rumored to be moving to establish a program). I wish her luck and hope she can help re-establish the energy and interest around the program that Coach Smith has referenced.
 
DavidNardolillo said:
I like her profile. Former Division I athlete and assistant coach, good administrative experience, and comes directly from a powerhouse hockey school and full DI program.
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Here are the first 3 paragraphs from her BU bio:

"Dr. Kristie Bowers was named senior associate athletic director and senior woman administrator at Boston University in July 2019 following eight years on the athletics staff at Binghamton University.

As a member of BU's executive leadership team, Bowers is responsible for the day-to-day management of student-athlete services including the direct oversight of academic support, leadership, and character & career development, as well as sport performance and wellness. Within her role, Bowers serves as the liaison to various campus offices, and as a member of the University Board on Student Conduct. Bowers’ additional responsibilities include strategic planning and execution of the department’s diversity and inclusion efforts as the department's Diversity and Inclusion Designee.

As the assistant athletic director for student-athlete support and development at Binghamton, Bowers developed, executed and evaluated the academic support offered by the department to support the success and personal development of 400 student-athletes. She earned her doctorate in philosophy from Binghamton in 2017."

The remainder is similar. It's largely about providing student athlete support services - something RPI has always done well (see GPA of athletes over the years). I don't really see much there about administering the actual athletic programs, facilities, budgets, etc. I wish her all the luck in the world and I hope I'm judging this wrong, but I don't have the sense that just because she's coming from a few years at a hockey school (after about a dozen, including her undergrad, at a school that doesn't even offer the sport) she will be inherently good for our program.
 
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rpi82 said:
The remainder is similar. It's largely about providing student athlete support services - something RPI has always done well (see GPA of athletes over the years). I don't really see much there about administering the actual athletic programs, facilities, budgets, etc. I wish her all the luck in the world and I hope I'm judging this wrong, but I don't have the sense that just because she's coming from a few years at a hockey school (after about a dozen, including her undergrad, at a school that doesn't even offer the sport) she will be inherently good for our program.
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Associate ADs, and even ADs, often perform relatively mundane tasks around compliance and student support, and I am not sure how else one is supposed to build their resume to become an athletic director. By way of comparison, Col. Jim Knowlton had a total of three years of athletic department administrative experience before coming to RPI, and actually held a non-athletic department student support role at West Point during the two years immediately previous to his hiring at RPI.

I agree with you that nobody knows how this is going to pan out until she starts working, but given the resume of her 3 predecessors, I am delighted that RPI attracted someone from a nationally-relevant hockey school where hockey is also the #1 sport on campus.
 
She comes from a top hockey program. Her boss (and person I admittedly irrationally coveted for the job) handled the ice hockey /fundraising and major facilities upgrades at BU. These are the areas I was hoping RPI would target for the new hire. They did not.

As others have mentioned, hopefully she learned well from her boss and is ready to take the next step. We need someone who can hit the ground running and connect with fans, alumni and boosters. It's a tall order for someone who has never led a department, much less spearheading a major fundraising and capital campaign for what will either be a major renovation or replacement of HFH. Those are unique skills that not every one possesses... I wish her all of the good luck I can muster.
 
Today is 23 August 2023. There are 45 days until RPI's next game.


This is based upon 7 October 2023 for the start of next season.
 
RPI release about Bowers' appointment https://news.rpi.edu/content/2023/08...etics-director. It includes a comment from coach Smith.

“I am super excited for Dr. Bowers to lead the athletics department at RPI,” said Dave Smith, C. Lloyd Bauer ’55 Endowed Men’s Varsity Ice Hockey Coach. “Coming from a school that has terrific academics in combination with elite athletic programs, she has seen the commitment and preparation necessary for success. Her skill set and leadership style is well-suited for all of us at RPI.”

There will be a press conference this morning.
 
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Ralph Baer said:
RPI release about Bowers' appointment https://news.rpi.edu/content/2023/08...etics-director. It includes a comment from coach Smith.

“I am super excited for Dr. Bowers to lead the athletics department at RPI,” said Dave Smith, C. Lloyd Bauer ’55 Endowed Men’s Varsity Ice Hockey Coach. “Coming from a school that has terrific academics in combination with elite athletic programs, she has seen the commitment and preparation necessary for success. Her skill set and leadership style is well-suited for all of us at RPI.”

There will be a press conference this morning.
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Wish her the best of luck in her new role....congrats to Dr. Bowers. GO RED
 
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