Alleva to LSU

[duketaylor]

I am also a strong supporter of Duke football and will continue to be. I love my University and it's athletic (and other) endeavors. Sometimes I think it's important to step back and analyze a situation without your heart being involved, just your analytical mind. Duke athletics is a business and should be run as such (as much as possible given the considerations with admissions and other issues with which an AD has little control).
Obviously, I support OZZIE as we've talked about this for a long time. I've told him my dream jobs were Duke golf coach, then AD. Actually, it was play the Tour for 20 years, then coach Duke, then AD. My dream since I was 20 which is now 25 years ago. I remember when I was a kid, watching the MLK, Jr speech, and I've dreamed.

[ne1btunc]

i think this is a great chance for us to seriously upgrade our Athletic department as a whole. Our baseball and football programs have been totally amazing under Alleva and we now have a chance to totally change the futures of both programs. this hire is VERY VERY VERY important....btw, JA had NOTHING to do with hiring CDC, JA wanted to hire KD....dont be fooled. Hopefully we will make the right choice....i dont even have an idea where we start though...

[OldPhiKap]

Ozzie -- if you need a war-time consigliere, I'm in. I'll make you an offer you can't refuse. My undying loyalty -- in exchange for retiring Mark Alarie's jersey.

[Bluedawg]

Seems to me that more should appreciate the 32 years that Joe and his family gave to Duke instead of throwing him under the bus. He did a great job for Duke and deserves some respect. Be careful what you ask for and I will take the job he did overall for the athletic dept and stack it up against any other as a whole. I personally am very very sorry to see Joe and Annie leave Duke!

I agree!!

[ne1btunc]

I agree!!

are you guys serious? have you guys paid attention to our football and baseball programs over the last 10 years or so? this is fantastic news, i just hope we make the right choice as a replacement...but there is no way we can do any worse!!!

[norduck]

Seems to me that more should appreciate the 32 years that Joe and his family gave to Duke instead of throwing him under the bus. He did a great job for Duke and deserves some respect. Be careful what you ask for and I will take the job he did overall for the athletic dept and stack it up against any other as a whole. I personally am very very sorry to see Joe and Annie leave Duke!

Duke was also very generous to Joe and family. He was paid a decent salary and his kids got a free college education.

[gotham devil]

How about an unemployed former NBA person, Billy King?

We can play this game all day, but what will Feinstein write tomorrow?

Right Here, Right Now ... Vote for Ozzie!!

Cheers,
Lavabe

Quin Snyder

[Duvall]

I didn't think that "not fired from their last job for incompetence" needed to be an explicit job requirement, but I guess I was wrong.

[Lavabe]

I am a big fan of Billy the player and the person, but he made some very poor personnel decisions as GM of the Sixers. I hope Duke hires someone completely unaffiliated with any of the current regime.

I saw a brief discussion about King the other day on ESPN's NBA program. During the discussion, it was said that although King was fired because of personnel moves, many folks believe that his decisions are now actually paying off. In particular, they mentioned the Andre Miller move (been scoring in the 20's lately, 7 assists/game, leadership). Dalembert has been averaging double/double (pts & Rebs). Green has also played well enough in the last stretch. They will also receive a decent seed in the East, and seemingly looked good last night (admittedly, against the possibly playoff-bound Atlanta Hawks). The segment thought the players were coming into their own, and that King should now receive some credit for the moves, despite how unpopular they were at the time. Wins over the Nets and Hawks may not sound like much for the Sixers, but they are now only 3 games behind Cleveland (and could have won against them the other night).

Of course I see why King was let go, and I believe your point about seeking someone unaffiliated with "any of the current regime" at the university is solid. I just want the best candidate, whether internal or external. I also hope that all of Duke's sports have significant input for the hiring committee. I especially want to see someone who will work well with Cutcliffe.

And I am hoping that Feinstein doesn't have an axe to grind against the new AD.
Cheers,
Lavabe

[killerleft]

Although John Feinstein is a very talented writer, I feel that his comments during the lacrosse hoax were mean-spirited, holier-than-thou, ignored the facts, and fit the Group of 88 mentality like a glove.

Has he admitted to his mistakes? I doubt that he feels he made any mistakes.

May the Bird of Paradise fly up his nose, and may any of his future pronouncements regarding Duke be eyed with suspicion.

[ne1btunc]

on top of that did you hear his comments during the duke/navy football games the past few years???

[miramar]

I used to have a boss from Argentina who was very creative in his use of English. Under circumstances such as these he would say, "That's the best de-acquisition we ever made." I couldn't mangle it better myself.

Like it or not, all of us are hired for good times and bad, but the most important thing is how we perform in the bad times. When things are going well, a 20-year old intern could probably handle most of the things that come up.

[colton]

believe it or not, LSU is a step up from duke

[colton]

In Louisiana, they would likely mistake a lacrosse stick for some kind of fishing net.

My brother lost to a lacrosse team in Louisiana. They were actually really good.

[Saratoga2]

My understanding is that Joe came to Duke in 1976 in the Business and Finance Department after getting his MBA at Lehigh. (He got his undergrad degree there also.) That's 32 years ago, and the Group of 88 had not yet shown its ugly head. Joe joined DUAA four years later, and has been there ever since. It would help if you checked your facts the next time. Maybe you should ask the mods to delete your post.

My memory of the story was Alleva but it must have been someone else they referred to in the Duke administration. I will have to borrow the book at the library and find out exactly who they were talking about.

[pfrduke]

believe it or not, LSU is a step up from duke

A) If we're talking in terms of AD dollars, sure. He will probably get a raise, and his department will have no money.
B) If we're talking in terms of team performance, it's a push. LSU is better in football, baseball, and track. Duke is better in basketball, tennis, golf, lacrosse, soccer.
c) If we're talking prestige, you're probably right - running the department of a large state school, particularly a large southern state school, and with the reputation of LSU, is probably a higher prestige job as an athletic director.

Very few people here would say Alleva is taking a step down by going to LSU. I think most people would agree that this is a pretty good career move for him. The curiosity has been more from the LSU side - why hire Joe Alleva?

[omar]

When dealing with things, aka facilities, he did well. When it came to people he was awful. Did I read 32 yrs. on the job? Color me stale. New energy and attitude needs to cascade where needed.

[EKU1969]

10 years as AD, I believe...1997-1998 to present. Her was hired at Duke in 1976 and joined the Athletic Dept. in 1980, becoming Assistant AD in 1986 and AD in 1997.

[Bluedawg]

are you guys serious? have you guys paid attention to our football and baseball programs over the last 10 years or so? this is fantastic news, i just hope we make the right choice as a replacement...but there is no way we can do any worse!!!

yes i am...In a previous thread I wrote this:

...and I know I'm a minority, but I'd like to see him stay.

He brought In a good replacement for Coach G and I don't blame him for her leaving...I take her at her word on that. He brought in outstanding football, lacrosse and baseball coaches He has built a basketball training facility that is second to none and he is pushing for upgrades in Wallace Wade and football training facilities that will bring Duke into the 21st century. Plus he has developed a strategic plan for athletics that is solid.

No knows knows what went on behind closed doors during lacrosse and to speculate is wrong. Athletics at Duke is strong and Alleva's part in that can't be downplayed.

The News and Observer reported this today:

Alleva spent 32 years at Duke, the past 10 as the AD. In that post, he helped raise nearly $200 million and guided $85 million worth in facilities renovations for the athletics department.

Yes, i hate to see him go and I wish him luck.