Don’t mess – with success
When I accepted the sports editor position at the CT, there was one thing I promised myself I would never do – discuss football at VCU. Thanks to the developments in sports over the last year, I am pleased to say that I will no longer have to.
I don’t know much about the inner workings of the VCU athletic department, nor will I claim to.
When I accepted the sports editor position at the CT, there was one thing I promised myself I would never do – discuss football at VCU. Thanks to the developments in sports over the last year, I am pleased to say that I will no longer have to.
I don’t know much about the inner workings of the VCU athletic department, nor will I claim to. However, it is my opinion that this group of individuals works harder to maintain excellence within the athletic programs than most programs around the country.
When former Athletic Director Richard Sander stepped down last fall, he worked hard to help bring in Norwood Teague, a hard worker with a good reputation for his work at the University of North Carolina and the University of Virginia. When former head basketball coach Jeff Capel spurned a contract extension to take the same position at the University of Oklahoma, Anthony Grant, the top assistant coach at national champion Florida was hired to lead the Rams. And finally, when women’s soccer coaches Denise Schilte-Brown and Chris Brown left for the University of South Florida, former Women’s National Team player Tiffany Roberts Sahaydak and former MLS player Tim Sahaydak were hired to lead the Rams.
In baseball terms, the university hit three homeruns in as many at-bats. Quality hires lead to a quality program.
But it doesn’t stop there. The baseball and tennis teams, already established as national threats, are receiving much-needed upgrades. Plans are in the works to make sure The Diamond remains the home of Rams baseball, and there are plans to build a brand-new tennis facility right next door.
In total, the university, and especially the athletic department, is doing the best it can to maximize what VCU has. The basketball program has more conference wins this season than in any other season. The women’s soccer team now has former Olympic and professional players as their mentors. The tennis and baseball teams are in the process of upgrading an already outstanding product.
All I’m saying is, VCU offers 14 competitive sports and does an excellent job managing them. Why mess with a good thing?