After a year of multiple NCAA rule violations, being placed on a two-year's probation by the NCAA and a former coach's initial claims of a racially hostile work environment, the university announced the athletics department will undergo significant changes.
At a press conference Tuesday, Director of Intercollegiate Athletics Tom Collins said he restructured the athletics department and established a leadership team consisting of himself and associate athletics directors Karin Lee, Pat Quinn and Matt Wolfert.
Collins said each leadership member will be responsible for different areas within the athletics department. Lee will become the sports supervisor for 13 athletics teams, Quinn will be the head of compliance and Wolfert will be in charge of marketing and external affairs.
"I want an environment where our coaches can be successful and our student-athletes can be successful," Collins said. "It's a safe environment and an environment people can thrive in."
Lee said she fully supports the decision to restructure the department. She also said it gives her an opportunity to follow in the footsteps of her role model, who was an associate athletics director who supervised 16 teams during Lee's time at the University of Alabama.
"I think it's a great opportunity for me," Lee said. "I'm not here to monitor every coach's move. I'm here to help with budgeting and structuring."
Prior to this decision, the job of supervising Ball State's 18 teams was divided among associate athletics directors Joe Hernandez, Pat Quinn, Matt Wolfert and Lee.
Collins said he made the decision to consolidate power to improve communication throughout the athletics department.
"We think that's real important because Karin and I can give consistent messages and more time and effort to the coaches," Collins said.
Lee, who was hired in early August, was the supervisor during the Fall Semester for seven Ball State teams, being field hockey, women's volleyball, track and field, men's tennis, women's tennis, men's swimming and diving and women's swimming and diving. With Tuesday's announcement she will add baseball, cross country, gymnastics, soccer, women's basketball and men's volleyball.
In addition, Collins said he will supervise football, men's basketball, softball, men's golf and women's golf.
He also said he thinks Lee can handle her new tasks within the athletics department because of her experiences with student academic issues.
"Karin was just a natural for the person to step in to do that," Collins said. "We're going to have to dedicate more time to meet with our coaches. That's a pledge that she's made and that's a pledge that I'll make. ... We're taking on a little more workload and I think this will be good for us."
Lee said she and Collins discussed her new role and the teams she would supervise prior to Tuesday's announcement. She also said she is excited about the opportunity to work with all of the 13 teams she is supervising.
"All the sports are ones I'm familiar with," Lee said. "I'm at all their events anyway, so nothing is going to change."
Quinn, who was previously the supervisor for four sports, has been involved in Ball State athletics since 1983 as a baseball coach and an athletics administrator.
In the last year Ball State reported multiple rule violations to the NCAA and was placed on two year's probation in October because of a textbook scandal that was uncovered in 2005.
Collins said Quinn's various experiences within athletics made him ideal for this new position.
"Pat is one of those people who will stand up and fight for the student athlete, and that's what we need, somebody who is going to be an advocate for that," Collins said. "We take compliance real seriously here at Ball State University. We want to make sure that we follow all the rules in the MAC and the NCAA and we want to get through our probationary period."
Collins also said he would hire a compliance assistant by March, which should result in monitoring issues and interpreting NCAA rules more quickly than in previous years.
Quinn said he supports the plan 100 percent and the new athletics department structure is similar to what Ball State had under previous athletics directors. He also said the new program simplifies things and all coaches now know where to go.
Quinn said he is committed to Ball State and that was one of the reasons he declined a job offer last month to be a baseball scout for the Pittsburgh Pirates.
"I'm committed to the athletics department," Quinn said. "I want to help the athletics department get back on its feet."
Along with compliance changes, Collins said he also changed his philosophy with marketing.
For the last five years, Ball State outsourced its marketing efforts to Nelligan Inc. However, Collins said Tuesday the Cardinals will not renew their contract with Nelligan at the end of the school year and will market their events in-house with Wolfert in charge.
Wolfert said his goals are to create great customer service and to have customers feel like they are working more directly with Ball State.
Collins and Wolfert began discussing the restructured athletics department last week and Wolfert views his new role as a vote of confidence from Collins, Wolfert said.
"It's kind of like I'm finishing my first term and I'm getting reelected," Wolfert said. "[Collins is] a big enough man to admit that we've had our ups and downs, but he is putting in a plan that is going to create success."
This is Wolfert's fourth year as an associate athletics director at Ball State. He said the new position is a natural progression in moving toward becoming an athletics director and it will be a culmination of what he learned while at previous jobs with the Georgia Tech and Notre Dame athletics departments.
"It's a natural step, not a big step." Wolfert said. "I'm at the point right now where I'm buying in and want to be part of the solution, not the problem."
Collins said he is happy with the changes he announced Tuesday but added if he could go back he wouldn't have implemented these changes when he was hired in 2005. In addition, he said he has full confidence in his abilities.
President Jo Ann Gora said she and Ball State's Board of Trustees also have full confidence in Collins.
"We are pleased with our commitment in increasing communication in the department and providing our coaches an environment in which they can participate in the decision-making process," Gora said. "Tom can build a real team environment."
Read More
Three Air Jam teams take home the win
October 12, 2012Nineteen teams shimmied, shook and flipped for a sold out John R. Emens Auditorium on Thursday night during the 25th annual Air Jam.
Bill Clinton Speaks at North Central High School
October 12, 2012Former President's Speech Could Have Effect on State Senate Race
