The Don Read tour of Montana pulled in to Helena on Thursday afternoon. The former University of Montana head football coach and current UM athletic director talked to about 50 UM faithful Thursday and he stressed how important fans and boosters are to the program.
"We have come millions of miles" Read said, comparing the athletic department now to the time that he coached UM from 1986-1995.
That improvement, he said, was due in large part to fans and boosters.
"The reason the Griz are where they are is the money that people pitched in."
Read was very upbeat on the overall state of the athletic program. He gave a vote of confidence to the coaches of two of the highest profile sports at the university — football coach Bobby Hauck and newly hired men's basketball coach Larry Krystkowiak.
He said his top priority is to make sure that all of the coaches on the UM staff have the tools they need to win.
"My job is give those coaches the best possible chance to succeed," he said.
He also said UM's attendance and fund-raising leads the nation among Division I-AA schools.
He even was upbeat about a the cloud of a $1 million debt that the department has been saddled with. He said a feasible plan is in place to reduce the debt and UM alumni and fans have pitched in to eliminate the debt.
Read also took questions from the audience and those ranged from, "How many wins will the Griz have this season?" to, "Will the University move up to Division I-A?"
Read answered the I-A question by saying that it could happen, but it won't in the immediate future.
Read, who was hired this spring to head up the UM athletic department been on the road quite a bit in his short tenure. He said he has been in every corner in the state and is scheduled for more than 30 trips around the state over the next few months.
*** ***
I-AA News
WSSU going to Division I
Jul 8, 2004
Winston-Salem State is going forward with plans to move its athletics program to Division I. School officials announced at a news conference yesterday that they hope to have the football team playing in Division I-AA and all other teams playing in Division I by the start of the 2009-10 school year. To meet that timetable and the required five-year transition period for the move, WSSU must apply to the NCAA for a change in classification by Dec. 1.
FAMU faces penalties
Jul 8, 2004
The Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference plans to strip Florida A&M University of
11 conference championships, including its 2000 and 2001 football titles, as part of the school's penance for committing 196 NCAA infractions. The MEAC also wants FAMU to reimburse the conference for revenue the school received for winning All-Sports trophies in 2000 and 2001, totaling $100,000, according to school officials. The trophies are awarded to the schools that have the best finishes in conference play. This comes at a time when the athletic department is already in the midst of a $700,000 budget deficit.
FAMU President Fred Gainous said the school was looking into a possible appeal of the conference's decision.
You cannot post new topics in this forum You cannot reply to topics in this forum You cannot edit your posts in this forum You cannot delete your posts in this forum You cannot vote in polls in this forum
