Anybody know why Hobbs wasn't retained as perm AD at SHU?
- Thread starter RUSK97
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Which would make sense if he didn't have true interest in being an AD. But then a few short years later, he takes a full-time, permanent AD job. Don't you think it's odd?
No because Seton Hall is a small private institution, basketball only school, that lacks the scope that management of Rutgers Athletics provides w/ Football and all 20+ programs offered.
If we were talking providence or similar school I could see your argument making some sense.
Oh, completely agree - I'm not saying scope-wise that AD at the two institutions are the same. Just that if you are interested in becoming a P5 AD down the road (which is a career change), that being a perm AD at SHU would give you some background & contacts toward your eventual goal. From everything I've heard, he's articulate, organized, and can engage big time donors for fundraising (the transferable skills), but a little more time as perm AD at SHU could have only helped with AD-specific activities.
It's abundantly clear Julie Hermann couldn't be the mouthpiece of Rutgers Athletics, but I suspect she was good behind the scenes. We need to have someone like her supporting Hobbs the whole way.
Maybe when he was interim AD at SHU he wasn't interested in a career change to be permanent AD. But after a few years he realized he liked running an athletic department, so he jumped at the opportunity at Rutgers when it presented itself.
What makes you think he had interest all along in becoming a P5 AD?. Perhaps he didn't
The opportunity arose at Rutgers, he was asked, and he accepted a new challenge facing him.
I don't know why, but I'm sure the SL will come up with some dastardly theses.
He was also serving as Dean of the Law School at the time, and he was wearing two hats. He recently had stepped down as Dean of SHLS and was on sabbatical when the Rutgers AD opportunity was presented to him, first as interim AD, then as permanent.
maybe he's looking for more at RU when Barchi retirees
Not really, given the much higher exposure the RU job offers. A basketball only private school in the BE is small potatoes.
Yeah, that plus he was not offered the permanent AD job at Seton Hall. His time there was a mixed bag...
Actually, of all these responses, ru66 had the best bead on it. Biding time... The Christie-for-president thing didn't wind up working out, so that'll be the next best thing for him.
OOOOooooo! That would be one of the best things to ever happen for RU sports. An athletic friendly Pres. hiring a competent AD with B1G money rolling in. One can only dream. I Likey.
Then there may also be an opportunity as Dean of Rutgers Law School should he decide to leave as AD or a solid spot in a Rutgers higher administration position.
I'd guess that Christie had a lot to do with him coming to RU. Would not be shocked if he left after a few years for another opportunity, maybe in the sports world (hello commissioner), maybe not (hello ambassador). He is bright and will make things better here.
There is another thread that indicates Christie had NOTHING to do with him coming to RU. Barchi reached out to Special Counsel John Farmer. Farmer knew Hobbs because they were both Deans of the Newark schools, Rutgers and Seton Hall, respectively. Hobbs was on sabbatical. Barchi and the BOG met Hobbs and fell in love with making him permanent, not temporary. After the deal was done on a Saturday, Christie was called and told on a Monday or a Tuesday. Unless everyone is lying (Hobbs, Farmer, Barchi and Christie), Christie was not involved in the selection. But he liked it after the fact.
I have no idea why he wasn't offered a permanent position as an AD at Seton Hall. I do know that I'm happy he's here at Rutgers. I saw his video and the guy radiates optimism and hope. Two traits that are crucial in turning this program around.
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"How Patrick Hobbs became the new RU AD:
http://www.nj.com/rutgersfootball/i..._story_on_how_patrick_hobbs_became_the_n.html
"Though a registered Democrat, Hobbs became a confidante of Gov. Chris Christie. The Republican governor tapped Hobbs to serve on his transition team and named him SCI chairman in 2010."
"When Christie's administration became bogged down in the Bridgegate scandal, Hobbs took on the $75,000-a-year job of Christie's ombudsman. The position recommended in a report by the law firm of Gibson, Dunn & Crutcher which was hired by the state Attorney General's office to conduct an internal review of the governor's office in response to the September 2013 lane shutdowns at the George Washington Bridge. Hobbs used the newly-created post to oversee ethics and whistleblower initiatives in Christie's administration, including new ethics training for 140 employees.
Christie, who said he was not consulted on the decision by Rutgers, voiced support for the choice. "
"Farmer said he first learned Barchi was considering a move on the athletic director position the day he first reached Hobbs on the golf course.
"Clearly by Friday, Dr. Barchi was thinking about it or he wouldn't have called me," he said. "He reached out and asked me if I knew anyone who could step in as AD."
"After introducing Hobbs to Barchi on Monday, Farmer stepped out of the picture as additional meetings that week were set up with Greg Brown, chairman of the Rutgers board of governors, and with Kenneth Schmidt, who heads the board's athletics committee."
(Greg Brown, is also close w Gov Christie, is a high ranking part of Chritie's Presidential Campaign)
"Barchi said it was clear to everyone that Hobbs had the attributes required for the university's next director of athletics"
http://www.nj.com/rutgersfootball/i..._story_on_how_patrick_hobbs_became_the_n.html
"Though a registered Democrat, Hobbs became a confidante of Gov. Chris Christie. The Republican governor tapped Hobbs to serve on his transition team and named him SCI chairman in 2010."
"When Christie's administration became bogged down in the Bridgegate scandal, Hobbs took on the $75,000-a-year job of Christie's ombudsman. The position recommended in a report by the law firm of Gibson, Dunn & Crutcher which was hired by the state Attorney General's office to conduct an internal review of the governor's office in response to the September 2013 lane shutdowns at the George Washington Bridge. Hobbs used the newly-created post to oversee ethics and whistleblower initiatives in Christie's administration, including new ethics training for 140 employees.
Christie, who said he was not consulted on the decision by Rutgers, voiced support for the choice. "
"Farmer said he first learned Barchi was considering a move on the athletic director position the day he first reached Hobbs on the golf course.
"Clearly by Friday, Dr. Barchi was thinking about it or he wouldn't have called me," he said. "He reached out and asked me if I knew anyone who could step in as AD."
"After introducing Hobbs to Barchi on Monday, Farmer stepped out of the picture as additional meetings that week were set up with Greg Brown, chairman of the Rutgers board of governors, and with Kenneth Schmidt, who heads the board's athletics committee."
(Greg Brown, is also close w Gov Christie, is a high ranking part of Chritie's Presidential Campaign)
"Barchi said it was clear to everyone that Hobbs had the attributes required for the university's next director of athletics"
Look you know Barchi's a short timer right. Once the merger is complete his time is done. I was just saying I wouldn't mind Hobbs as the next Pres. he's athletic friendly and knows what it takes to get sports up to speed. We could get a pres. who is the exact opposite who doesn't view athletics in such a light. We could then become the Purdue of the east division. Great academics sure, but sports not so much. Barchi did a 180 in these last few months in my opinion. The man actually up until this point did hold the party line of no spending until the subsidy is reduced. I never thought he would do it but he did open up the purse strings. Well done Barchi well done. But don't act like he wanted anything to do with athletics up until this point. He showed great leadership in this instance and his merger skills are exemplary.
No. I don't know that at all. His contract has no term. It serves indefinitely, until he is fired or resigns (and he needs to give 1 year's notice if he resigns). The BOG keeps giving him performance bonuses, so there doesn't seem to be a move to fire him. And at his State of the University address, as part of future endeavors, he talked about stuff that he expects to do in 5 years, implying that he plans to be here in 2020.
Hobbs is not an AD. He has no training or experience as an AD. SHU hired a more qualified AD in Lyons. Hobbs got the job at RU because Christie owed him a favor. He may prove to be a good AD because he is a good administrator based on his performance as Dean of SHU's Law School. He's also very intelligent and well connected politically.
How many times do we have to debunk the falsehood that Christie owed Hobbs a favor. The story has been posted several times on this board that Barchi reached out to John Farmer, who knew Hobbs was on sabbatical and they knew each other as fellow law school deans. Barchi and the BOG decided to hire Hobbs as a permanent hire instead of interim over Thanksgiving weekend. Christie did not find out until Monday or Tuesday.
To say he has "no training or experience as an AD" is also incorrect. He served as AD at Seton Hall for nearly 2 years.
Rutgers forum boards,
the only place you can find positive outcomes somehow spun into negative situations that question the motivation of individual decisions based on...
the only place you can find positive outcomes somehow spun into negative situations that question the motivation of individual decisions based on...
Okay. You must agree, however, that Hobbs was primarily hired because of his political connections, and not because of his two year stint as interim AD at a non-football school. You must also agree that Hobbs was not on any other schools' list as a potential AD hire. Or in the very least, other school's interest in Hobbs as AD was not publicized.
I don't have to agree with that at all. I can just take Farmer's comments at face value and assume he recommended Hobbs because he knew that Hobbs had some experience and interest in athletics from SH, that Hobbs was a well-respected bridge-builder who could address some of the issues within the Rutgers Athletic Dept, that Hobbs was an experienced administrator and fund-raiser who would be up to the challenge, and that Hobbs was currently on sabbatical and thus could be available on short notice.
Maybe political connections were a bonus, or secondary or tertiary reason for hiring Hobbs. But there is no evidence that was the primary reason (and if it were the primary reason, then one could assume that Christie would have been consulted prior to the hiring, rather than informed after the hiring).
Fair enough. But what Upstream said. Of the last 3 ADs, who would you say was the most successful: Mulcahy, Pernetti, Hermann? In my opinion, it is Mulcahy by a landslide. Mulcahy had political connections. That's a plus. Hobbs' resume is not extensive, but he got some key things done in his 2 years, and he lead the efforts to get the Pru Center in Newark and make it SHU's mens BB home court. He's no novice. I'm less worried about the no football experience, I know Hobbs and saw him in action at Seton Hall Law School. He's smart, hard working, charming and knows how to navigate through choppy waters. Everything Rutgers needs right now in an AD. Looks like Sarah B is staying on, and she has plenty of experience from Missouri. Hobbs will lean on people when he is lacking expertise. If you can't tell, I am a huge backer of this hire.
I thought that Pernetti was a pretty good AD who got screwed by Barchi and Christie. Mulcahy made a fantastic hire in Schiano, and his political and fiscal maneuverings were instrumental in the Big10 invite. He failed miserably in Mens Basketball, but overall he won the war with the Big 10 invite in my opinion. Hermann was a terrible hire. (Sorry Bac).
The most successful AD we've had in 30 years also was hired because of his political connections. Hopefully Hobbs doesn't have any political enemies join the BOG just to destroy him like Mulcahy did.
Read all your posts and I don't think it's just political cronyism, but you look at a post like this from a SHU guy who acknowledges that Hobbs had a 'mixed bag' tenure as interim AD, I just gotta wonder. I'm not saying the guy doesn't have a chance or won't succeed. But I'm very cautious in my optimism. I don't think that's negatoid. I just don't see how 95% of this board can be glowing about this guy with no reservations.
With all w have now learned about Flood, it appears that Tim Pernetti was a disaster of an AD. His hires set us back by a decade.
And I was a Tim fan.
And I was a Tim fan.
I'm not sure how much free choice Pernetti had in hiring Flood. Wasn't he weighted down with a shoestring budget?
