Chat with Scott Stricklin

[slickdawg]

Wednesday March 26, 2014
10:03


Scott Stricklin:
Good morning!
10:04


Comment From Mike Richey
I'll be here, as well, if anyone has questions.
10:04


Scott Stricklin:
Thanks for joining us, Mike.
10:04


Comment From Steven
Scott, where are y'all with reseating? How long will it take?
10:05


Scott Stricklin:
Mike Richey from the Bulldog Club is joining us, and he's going to take your question, Steven.
10:05


Mike Richey:
Hey Steven. We are working on the club spaces now and should be starting the main grandstand areas second week of April. It looks like the schedule will take us through late-May.
10:06


Comment From Dr Jim Jones
are any of seats in Scoreboard Club partially obstructed by guardrails etc
10:07


Scott Stricklin:
No, Dr. Jim. All Scoreboard Club seats have clear and unobstructed views. Really good views, in fact.
10:07


Comment From John
What was the renewal rate on season football tickets this year? Does it look like we will sell out all available season tickets?
10:08


Scott Stricklin:
We expect to be in the 95% range or so on renewals, which has been fairly consistent the last few years. Of course, we have more inventory to sell this year, so we won't have a good feel for where we are until after the seat selection process is complete.
10:08


Comment From Bill
Is there going to be a chart for the west side or is it going to be done by phone like the club level?
10:10


Mike Richey:
Hey, Bill. There will be a chart that will be linked to the seats 3D model. If you haven't checked that out yet, please do so. http://www.seats3d.com/ncaa...
10:10


Comment From Mark M.
I'm very excited for our women's basketball team in the NIT. Do we get compensation for hosting?
10:11


Scott Stricklin:
Ladies are playing well. Fun win the other night over USM.

We don't make any money on hosting the WNIT ... it's simply a good postseason opportunity for our young club.
10:11


Scott Stricklin:
Hope everyone will be able to join us Thursday night for round 3 vs. Auburn. 7 p.m. tip at The Hump
10:13


Comment From Basketball jones
Are you proud of your rick ray hire?
10:13


Scott Stricklin:
Absolutely. Hard worker, organized, tough and smart. The roster will begin to look like it should next year with more depth, experience and leadership. Kids consistently play hard for him.
10:14


Mike Richey:
Liam...if you sit in the F/S section there is no commitment associated. If you purchase tickets at the F/S rate and choose a priority area, your commitment is determined by the area you choose.
10:14


Comment From Liam
Mike - I received an email about staff tickets opening up. What level of commitment is needed for those?
10:17


Comment From john
Why do most sec schools hire head coaches and we hire assistant coaches
10:17


Scott Stricklin:
Mostly for financial reasons. Hiring sitting head coaches costs a premium, and we want to be as efficient and smart as possible with the resources Bulldog fans provide us.

There is little evidence to suggest that someone's previous title is an indicator for how successful they will be going forward. We have had success hiring assistants who were prepared to be head coaches (i.e. Dan Mullen, Vann Stuedeman, Vic Schaefer).
10:19


Comment From Meo
Did we need a new video board at The Hump? Renderings look good, just curious if the previous was faulty or too old
10:20


Scott Stricklin:
The lifespan of the current board (about 10 years) was pretty much exhausted. In fact, there were games this year where one side (facing students) didn't work properly. The new HD board will be a welcomed upgrade.
10:20


Comment From John
Will there be an interactive site that will be updated with seats that have been chosen on a daily basis? This would be helpful tool for ticket holders in the days leading up to their appointed selection time.
10:21


Mike Richey:
Thanks, John. Yes there will be an interactive chart and you will be able to see what is taken and what is available. It will be based on our seats 3D model and will also include a video tutorial that shows how the seat selection process will work for those selecting online. http://www.seats3d.com/ncaa...
10:22


Comment From Dr. Evil
I've heard that plans for Dudy Noble are expected to be released in spring or summer. Are the new signage and brick backstop the "changes" we've heard about?
10:22


Scott Stricklin:
No timetable has been announced for when the Dudy Noble Field/Polk-Dement Stadium renderings will be made public, but I would hope it could be in the next few months.

The new signage and brick backstop your'e referring to is independent of the work being done by our design team.

(BTW, I'm a fan of both the brick and the signage. Dresses the place up a bit)
10:23


Comment From Woody
What is the time frame for the rest of the seat selection process?
10:24


Mike Richey:
Woody...we will set the times and send them out next week. Our intention is to have times out a week prior to the first selection time in order for people to research the consider seat locations and adjust their schedule.
10:24


Comment From Dr Jim Jones
how accessible is East Grandstand to Scoreboard Club for gathering at halftime
10:24


Scott Stricklin:
The Scoreboard Club Terrace will only be accessible by Scoreboard Club ticketholders.
10:25


Comment From Guest
When is the cut off date to order parking passes? Can I request an area close to where my tailgate group meets?
10:25


Mike Richey:
We can take a request for a parking pass and the location now but parking passes have been sold out and we have been selling a pre-paid pass that it is good for all game day pay lots on campus.
10:26


Comment From Ronald
What are the odds we can still host a regional in baseball? Those crowds this weekend for a regular season series have to make us an attractive option
10:26


Scott Stricklin:
These days, baseball regional hosting has more to do with how your team finishes than attendance. But, you're right, the crowds last weekend at DNF were phenomenal! And the bigger the crowds are, the better chance our team has to put themselves in a position to host come late May/early June.
10:28


Comment From John
How many Gridiron Club memberships have been purchased to date?
10:28


Mike Richey:
We have sold over 300 Gridiron memberships out and have 750 available.
10:28


Comment From Brandon
Has the vendor for the new Davis Wade north endzone video board been selected yet? Know existing came from Capturion Network Inc. and new Hump one from DakTronics.
10:29


Scott Stricklin:
Football board is being installed by Capturion. Steel supports should begin going up in next few weeks.
10:29


Comment From john
We are Mississippi State university not farm bureau university mr stricklin
10:29


Scott Stricklin:
You are correct.
10:29


Mike Richey:
Andrew...we haven't set the price yet and the limit will vary depending on the opponent. We are excited about getting student ticketing online and having guest tickets available.
10:30


Comment From Andrew
With the announcement of student guest tickets, how much will those be? And is there a limit to how many are sold per game?
10:31


Comment From Chip
You've said construction on the new end zone is on schedule. Where does that mean we are now? Will we able to see it for SBW?
10:31


Scott Stricklin:
Chip - stadium construction will be completed in August, although most of the work will wrapped up by July. You'll see quite a bit of progress at the spring game though.
10:32


Comment From D. Brown
Can you give an update on the proposed renovation of the tennis and softball facilities?
10:33


Scott Stricklin:
Still no timetable. At this point, it's a mater of identifying funding. We've raised about the half the $6M required for the project.
10:33


Comment From Guest
How serious is the administration about keeping left field lounge intact in the future?
10:34


Scott Stricklin:
Very serious. As far as I'm concerned, the Left Field Lounge will always be a part of Mississippi State baseball. IMO, It's an important part of what makes Bulldog baseball special.
10:34


Comment From Adam
When do parking passes for next year's baseball season need to be requested? I called in December or January this year and they were already gone.
10:34


Mike Richey:
Adam, you can request a parking pass for baseball when you renew your tickets. However, we have an extremely limited amount of reserved parking for baseball and it is sold out. Outside of the reserved RV parking and the in-out passes for those in the left field lounge we are only using only the Palmeiro lot for reserved passes. Everything else on campus is open parking.
10:36


Comment From Dr Jim Jones
will the upper rows in Scoreboard Club have problems with noise level from Video board
10:37


Mike Richey:
There are no speakers in the north end zone scoreboard they will be in the south as they have been.
10:37


Comment From John
Scott, what are the chances that the SEC goes to a 9-game SEC football schedule in the near future?
10:37


Scott Stricklin:
Hard to speculate about what might happen in the future, but I've not heard much support for a nine-game SEC schedule among current ADs.
10:39


Comment From Clint
Approximately how many donors will have been seated after the initial group of club level and scoreboards are done this week?
10:39


Mike Richey:
Thanks, Clint. There are just over 400 accounts with Club Level seats on the east and Just over 250 in the Scoreboard Club. They are only selecting their Club seats this week. If they have additional seats in the stadium, they will select those in rank order later in the process.
10:39


Comment From Donald
Are there plans to eventually install ribbon boards in the hump similar to what we have in DWS? Those really seem to enhance the gameday atmosphere.
10:39


Scott Stricklin:
Donald, in addition to the new video board going up this offseason, you can expect to see additional digital signage in the Hump in the next year or two.
10:42


Comment From AC
I know there was talk of installing a new sound system throughout Davis Wade Stadium, much like there is now at Dudy Noble Field. Is this still in the plans?
10:43


Scott Stricklin:
In my opinion, a distributed sound system at Davis Wade needs to happen. Right now it's a matter of seeing how the current system performs in the completed expansion, then, if a change is needed, determining where that project fits among funding priorities.
10:43


Comment From David
Has the reaction to the reseating process been mostly positive? Any negative reaction from long-time donors worried about losing their seats?
10:43


Mike Richey:
Thanks, David. We have had both. But, with so many new seating options, we have had more positive than negative.
10:43


Comment From Jacob
With construction continuing on the north end of the west side of DWS (north elevator), will the west side be open for spring game seating? Can't wait for SBW to get here!
10:43


Scott Stricklin:
Both west and east side stands will be open for the Maroon-White game this year.
10:45


Comment From brewer13
What are the dimensions of the new DWS video board?
10:45


Scott Stricklin:
New board on north end of the stadium will be 112-feet wide by 48 feet high ... same size as the current board on the south end.
10:45


Comment From David
Why were football parking passes not "reseated" this year based on BC priority? Will that be done next year?
10:45


Mike Richey:
Football parking passes are re-assigned each year based on priority. We typically do that later in the spring or early summer because there are often changes in the lots available based on other projects happening on campus. For example, with the construction of the new dining hall on the south end of campus we will have less spots available in Lot 13.
10:46


Comment From D. Brown
Scott, how can we get you to come out to Denver, CO for one of the meetings of the Rocky Mountain Chapter of the MSU Alumni Association. We would love to get you out here!
10:46


Scott Stricklin:
D. Brown - All I need is an invite. Email me details and I'll find a date to be there!
10:47


Comment From David
With the SEC network coming online here soon, we know that the lesser seen sports will be getting more airtime. Will there be any opportunities for the non-NCAA club sports to get some air time as well? I know lacrosse, ultimate, and rugby have large club organizations across the nation, and especially at SEC schools.
10:47


Scott Stricklin:
David - The SEC Network will feature varsity sports for the 14 league schools. You are correct in that club sports are very popular across our campuses, but at the current time there are no plans to highlight them on the Network.
10:47


Scott Stricklin:
Speaking of the SEC Network, don't forget to sign up at www.GetSECNetwork.com
10:48


Scott Stricklin:
Thanks for all of the questions. You guys ask good ones. Hope to see you on campus for women's basketball and baseball this week, and of course for Super Bulldog Weekend April 11-13. Hail State!

[smootness]

People are going to go crazy over him saying we go after assistant coaches for 'financial' reasons. But he's right - there's no indication that being a HC previously makes you a better candidate for a HC job now, and hiring assistants who you believe are good candidates is a way we can make up some ground on the other schools in the conference in other areas.

But people are going to claim he just admitted he hires on the cheap solely for finances. I wish he had just said, 'We hire the best candidate for the job, we don't care if he was a HC or AC previously,' to save himself from grief over it.

[War Machine Dawg]

LT 2.0. We're so ****ed.

[esplanade91]

Wish someone would ask him point blank about MSU-A&M branding, specifically jerseys.

The comment about hiring assistants for financial purposes was chicken shit. I'm ok with hiring assistants, that's not the issue here. But that's a ridiculous comment considering mid-major HC's make 1/4 what Ray does. USM's coach is 1000000x the coach Ray is and he makes a hair over $200,000. Ray made $1,000,000 out of the gate.

[TrueMaroon]

People are going to go crazy over him saying we go after assistant coaches for 'financial' reasons. But he's right - there's no indication that being a HC previously makes you a better candidate for a HC job now, and hiring assistants who you believe are good candidates is a way we can make up some ground on the other schools in the conference in other areas.

But people are going to claim he just admitted he hires on the cheap solely for finances. I wish he had just said, 'We hire the best candidate for the job, we don't care if he was a HC or AC previously,' to save himself from grief over it.

It was the wrong answer. Further proves the working theory that SS doesn't have the Shark mentality. He's a yes man. And that answer contradicts his other statements about how a coach will never get hired away because of more money. So we have the money to keep coaches, but we don't have it to hire them? Doesn't add up.

Hiring assistants looks bush league.

[thunderclap]

LT 2.0. We're so ****ed.

Sadly, I see far more of LT in SS than there is of GB.

[HailState39110]

Lol. So which one of you is basketball Jones? That comment about hiring assistants for financial reasons really does strike a nerve with me too. There are successful head coaches in the Sun Belt, CUSA, Horizon, Missouri Valley etc that we can afford. it's just identifying the right one

South Carolina hires Frank Martin, Auburn hires Bruce Pearl, Virginia Tech hires Buzz Williams. Marquette is about to hire Ben Howland or Shaka Smart. We hire Rick Ray

[MarketingBully01]

It was the wrong answer. Further proves the working theory that SS doesn't have the Shark mentality. He's a yes man. And that answer contradicts his other statements about how a coach will never get hired away because of more money. So we have the money to keep coaches, but we don't have it to hire them? Doesn't add up.

Hiring assistants looks bush league.

Yep and was a dumb ass answer. I don't want him making the next basketball hire. You really hope like heck Ray works out with this nimrod leading our AD. Loafers bet the farm on him and if he has a shitty year next year only Smoot will support him.

[quickstrike2]

He definitely answered that wrong. Don't come right out and say, well we aren't going to spend the money to get a proven HC. I don't have an issue with hiring an assistant, but i would prefer it be an assistant with some relevance. Mullen was a solid coach on a team that had won a title and he had coached several top notch NCAA qbs.

[esplanade91]

Exactly. He equated Ray to a couple of assistants we've hired who were in line to become head coaches either here or somewhere else. Ray was a career assistant. Does he think we're dumb enough to let that squeeze by without noticing it? Or is he dumb enough to believe that Ray was on the same page as those guys?

[War Machine Dawg]

Sadly, I see far more of LT in SS than there is of GB.

Anyone who denies it isn't looking. At first I was excited about Strick, but now I'm scared as shit of him. Since he's "one of us," I'm afraid we're stuck with him regardless of how much he sucks at his job. Keepin' us off probation and in the black! *sigh*

[MarketingBully01]

Exactly. He equated Ray to a couple of assistants we've hired who were in line to become head coaches either here or somewhere else. Ray was a career assistant. Does he think we're dumb enough to let that squeeze by without noticing it? Or is he dumb enough to believe that Ray was on the same page as those guys?

Notice how he didn't include Ray among those assistants he named. Kind of telling isn't it.

[M.Fillmore]

Even if Ray turns out to be a great coach, that was a terrible answer. It makes him come off looking like LT.

SS is young and perhaps he will grow into the job. However, for SS and Keenum to keep a HS football coach in charge of compliance instead of hiring an attorney off the NCAA staff smacks of LT and Charles Lee. So we may be in trouble at the top for decades.

[HailState39110]

Exactly. He equated Ray to a couple of assistants we've hired who were in line to become head coaches either here or somewhere else. Ray was a career assistant. Does he think we're dumb enough to let that squeeze by without noticing it? Or is he dumb enough to believe that Ray was on the same page as those guys?

I agree . You can't compare Mullen and Ray. Mullen was coming off a national title with a Heisman winning QB and experience of coaching in the SEC. Ray was a number two assistant at Purdue ( behind Quanzo Martin) then was on the staff of a mediocre ACC team that stormed the court last night after getting to the semis of the NIT

[MarketingBully01]

He is LT. No doubt about it. His demeanor and everything else points in that direction. When we made him AD, there was nothing in his background that screamed he was going to be successful. He just rode on the coat tails of being Greg Byrne's right hand man. We are learning the hard way that just because he was under Greg Byrne doesn't make him Greg Byrne.

[dawg21]

This is the problem with doing things like this: the more open a person in his position is - the more ridicule he is set to receive. Everyone wants to know everything that's going on, and then bitch about the 5 things out of 100 they don't like and make comparisons to GB and LT. It just gets old.

FIRE DAN MULLEN!! GIVE DAN MULLEN A RAISE!!!! RICK STAINS SUX!!! HIRE AWESOME HEAD BB COACH WITH SHITTY PROGRAM AND NO SUPPORT!!! COHEN IS LOSING IT!!! BUILD ALL NEW STADIUMS IN 2 YEARS!!! DAMMIT STRICKLIN SUCKS!!! HE USES TWITTER AND RAISES MONEY!!! BE A NINJA!!!

[War Machine Dawg]

This is the problem with doing things like this: the more open a person in his position is - the more ridicule he is set to receive. Everyone wants to know everything that's going on, and then bitch about the 5 things out of 100 they don't like and make comparisons to GB and LT. It just gets old.

FIRE DAN MULLEN!! GIVE DAN MULLEN A RAISE!!!! RICK STAINS SUX!!! HIRE AWESOME HEAD BB COACH WITH SHITTY PROGRAM AND NO SUPPORT!!! COHEN IS LOSING IT!!! BUILD ALL NEW STADIUMS IN 2 YEARS!!! DAMMIT STRICKLIN SUCKS!!! HE USES TWITTER AND RAISES MONEY!!! BE A NINJA!!!

[slickdawg]

Listening to Bo Bounds this morning, Alabama's AD had a $20 million SURPLUS this year ($120m total). They can't spend it faster than they are making it. That's roughly a third of State and Ole Miss' entire athletic budget.

When Byrne hired Mullen, he distinctly said "we want to hire them on their way up", meaning rising stars in coaching. Not some used up has been, a youthful coach that can relate to the kids and coach well. Mullen had a losing season his first year as our head coach, and he walked in with a 75% full roster. Ray came in after an F5 had already leveled the program. He's had to clean up a lot of issues with personnel that he inherited. Next year is when I start the coaching clock with Ray, he got a two year free pass from me. The team is better, the effort is there, the depth is coming. I think 2014-15 is a chance for the NIT for Ray. The next year should be NCAA's with Ware, Thomas and Chicken all seniors.

[NCDawg]

He is LT. No doubt about it. His demeanor and everything else points in that direction. When we made him AD, there was nothing in his background that screamed he was going to be successful. He just rode on the coat tails of being Greg Byrne's right hand man. We are learning the hard way that just because he was under Greg Byrne doesn't make him Greg Byrne.

Think he was hired solely because he is Bailey Howell's son-in-law, and Dr. Keenum was impressed.

[engie]

Great answers on DNF, LFL, etc I thought...

He plays the "poor ole MSU" card too much though. Needs a swag and to act like the AD of a top 25, $100 mi athletics dept he's about to be running.

That said, his approach is smart in a fundraising perspective, which is what he does best -- it's just not confidence-inspiring like Byrne was. By pointing to "monetary" situations that actually don't exist for us, he invites and implores people to donate to those causes.

But like I said at the time -- we didn't have huge $$ to spend on basketball at the specific point that the Ray hire was made. When we make our next hire, we will have ridiculous money to throw at it -- and will go get whoever we want within reason...