UH names Dave Maggard athletic director Dave Maggard, the former Olympic shotputter and former athletic director at Miami and Cal-Berkeley, was named this morning as athletic director at the University of Houston. Maggard replaces Chet Gladchuk, who resigned last fall to become athletic director at the Naval Academy. His appointment by UH president Arthur Smith is effective on Feb. 1, and he will be in Houston for a news conference next Tuesday. "Having Dave Maggard agree to lead UH athletics back to national prominence is a clear signal that our sports programs are on the right track," Smith said in a university release. "... He brings to UH extensive knowledge in this field and an energy level that will serve our campus and the Houston community extremely well." Maggard competed in the 1968 Mexico City Olympics, finishing fifth in the shot put behind gold and silver medalists Randy Matson and George Woods of the United States. He coached track at Cal-Berkeley, his alma mater, and was athletic director from 1972 through 1991. During his tenure at Cal, the Golden Bears captured 22 national championships in five sports. He left Cal to become AD at the University of Miami from 1991 through 1993. The Hurricanes won the national championship in football in 1991 and finished No. 2 in the nation in 1992, and the athletic department generated a $6 million surplus during his tenure -- a stark contrast to UH's annual financial shortfalls in recent years. Maggard also was managing director of sports for the 1996 Atlanta Olympics and vice president of sports administration for Turner Sports from 1996 through 2000. He most recently worked as a consultant to the Sacramento Sports Commission. In addition, he has been a member of the NCAA Council, the NCAA Tournament selection committee, executive vice president of The Athletics Conference and a member of the executive board of the U.S. Olympic Committee. "The opportunity to move back into a Division I athletic director's post, particularly one where the foundation is on such firm footing, is an exciting proposition for me at this point in my life and career," Maggard said. "During my visits and conversations with president Smith, I have been impressed with his clarity in expressing his desire that the University of Houston regain its national stature in intercollegiate athletics. His enthusiasm has made it an easy decision to join his team and to work toward the goal of making the program one in which the entire university community can be proud." -------------- Let's hope he's better than that piece of crap, Gladchuk...
You do still realize that the Cougars are going to suck at most sports no matter who they bring , right BGM? Or do you have confidence is this guy?
Uh, yeah...I just want to see improvement, is that okay with you Drew? We all know it's impossible for bad programs to ever improve into anything...
Come on BGM, don't try to tell me you don't like getting a rise out of people. That's what the post was designed for, and it worked well. chill
You know how much I love UofH BGM..... Honestly, I think that there basketball team plays exciting b-ball. I watched a game earlier this season on ESPN and was impressed how closely they played a nationally ranked team (cant remember who the hell it was). I would love to see UofH hoops return to the glory years of Phi Slamma Jamma. Just hope it happens eventually.
I know the football team is pretty low right now, but you are right about the basketball team. They've actually made a couple solid signings for next year, but of course they've made solid signings in the past that have never been able to make the grades to go to UH... I think Ray McCallum is leading the program in the right direction though...
Honestly, I think this is one of the toughest D1 jobs out there. It's a reasonably sized school, with just enough history that people can remember good times, but not enough that high school kids place it into an elite category. It has a decent enrollment, and would seem to have an ideal base from which to start, but the student body is made up of a abnormal undergraduate population unusualy apathetic to the ephemera of college life, like school sports. Unlike A&M or Nebraska, where the team is the only game in town, UofH has too much to compete with and gets lost. And while some urban schools have done well, USC in football, and Temple and Georgetown in basketball come to mind, I don't even see the same gritty urban hipness and vitality of Philly or DC, what with Houston's decentralized nature, and the Campus' relative isolation for an urban environment. In short, I see it as a school that at first glance, seems to be prime material for a turnabout, but upon closer inspection falls a bit back to the pack in terms of things that appeal to D1 major college athletes. One would, I think, have to say that Guy Lewis' persona had a lot to do with the most recent basketball success, and the Run and Shoot years with the gaudy numbers had quite a bit to do with the most recent success in Football. I have to suggest, no matter how unpalatable it may sound, that UofH might need another 'hook' like a coach with a great reputation, or another noteworthy something in order to get back to prominance. I hope I'm wrong, but I just hope you UofH guys won't jump all over the guy if everything doesn't go great from the start. It's a tougher job than I think most of you believe.
