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Post by Raider Country on Mar 25, 2008 5:37:44 GMT -5
Wright State's Cusack to retireBy Chick Ludwig and Marc Pendleton Staff Writers Monday, March 24, 2008 Congratulatory telephone calls, emails and messages are pouring in to Mike Cusack, who will announce his retirement as Wright State University athletics director today, March 25. University officials wouldn't comment after WSU sent a news release to area media on Monday afternoon to promote a "major announcement" at 11 a.m. today. But several people close to the athletic program confirmed Cusack's retirement was recently trumpeted in-house. Cusack and Dan Abrahamowicz, WSU's vice president for student affairs, are scheduled to speak at the news conference in the Berry Room of the Ervin J. Nutter Center. "I called Mike today (Monday) and congratulated him," said Candy Prystaloski, former Beavercreek mayor and longtime basketball season ticket holder. "He's going out a winner. "Look at our record. Swimming and diving are still doing great. Baseball had a good year. We almost made the (NCAA) tournament (in men's and women's basketball). He's going out at a prime time. You always want to go out ahead — and he is." Bob Grant, WSU's associate athletics director, and Matt Liddy, assistant athletics director, are next in command, serving as Cusack's top lieutenants. Nevertheless, Abrahamowicz — who oversees many departments, including intercollegiate athletics — is expected to announce a national search for Cusack's replacement. Cusack, a native of Levittown, N.Y., is only the second athletics director at the university, having replaced Don Mohr in 1982. Cusack was inducted into the Queens College Athletic Hall of Fame in 1986, where he was the head baseball coach and assistant men's basketball coach for nine years. He came to WSU after four years as the AD and baseball coach at Mercyhurst College in Erie, Pa. Cusack's accomplishments at WSU include: • Being instrumental in upgrading the Raiders to an NCAA Division I program from Division II in 1987. • Helping the fund-raising effort and coordinating the building of the Ervin J. Nutter Center in 1990. • Helping establish the Setzer Pavilion/Mills-Morgan Center in 2005. Under Cusack's direction, the Raiders athletics program navigated from a Division I independent to members of the Mid-Continent Conference, Midwestern Collegiate Conference and the current Horizon League. One of his proudest accomplishments was engineering the merger of former MCC schools Butler, Detroit and Loyola with Mid-Con schools Wright State, Cleveland State, Youngstown State, Illinois-Chicago, UW-Green Bay and UW-Wisconsin into what is now the Horizon League. Valparaiso, another former Mid-Con team, strengthened the HL when it accepted an invitation to join effective with the 2006-07 academic year. "Mike's just been a fixture in the program for 28 years," said Bob Grote, a WSU basketball and baseball All-America (1972-76) inducted into the school's athletic Hall of Fame in 1987. "He led the program from the late-Division II years into the Division I era. Not just in basketball, but the entire athletic program. "He's been through the building of new facilities. From a program standpoint, it's not just in name only, but it's been the physical plant. The soccer field, the baseball field, the tennis courts, the Nutter Center. It's been a complete transformation and just a growing-up period for the university." www.daytondailynews.com/s/content/oh/story/sports/college/wsu/2008/03/24/ddn032508wsu.html
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Post by Raider Country on Mar 25, 2008 5:41:36 GMT -5
Being a public university, we have to post his job and go through a formal interview process for his replacement. That being said, I expect we will end up hiring Bob Grant as his replacement.
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Post by Class of '83 on Mar 25, 2008 6:24:06 GMT -5
Congratulations and best wishes to Dr. Cusack. I didn't always agree with all of his decisions but I liked the man and know he loved WSU. My vote also goes to Bob Grant. It would be a travesty if he is not our next AD.
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Post by Class of '83 on Mar 25, 2008 6:25:25 GMT -5
I think it is also important to note that Coach Brownell and Bob Grant are very close friends.
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Post by Doliboabros on Mar 25, 2008 10:49:20 GMT -5
WSU Director of Athletics Cusack to Retire June 30 March 25, 2008 After more than a quarter century of service, Wright State University director of athletics Michael Cusack, Ed.D., announced his retirement effective June 30, 2008 at a press conference Tuesday morning. Cusack, in his 26th year in his current position, was appointed to the director of athletics in April of 1982 and has been only the second director for WSU since the start of intercollegiate athletics in 1967. He replaced Don Mohr who started the program and retired in 1982. "Wright State's athletics program has flourished under Dr. Cusack's leadership. For more than a quarter of a century he has led the department to significant achievements in athletics as well as academics," said David R. Hopkins, president of Wright State. "Mike leaves the position of athletic director at the top of his game. And we are pleased he will continue to share his significant expertise, working with the College of Education and Human Services in the development of a new sports management certificate program. I'd like to thank Mike for his past contributions to Raider history and for his continuing commitment to Wright State." Since his arrival, Cusack has led aggressive movements in Raider athletics, including the change to Division I in 1987, the building of the Nutter Center in 1990, and the construction of the Setzer Pavilion/Mills-Morgan Center in 2005. His tenure has been punctuated with proactive ideas and includes such programs as the Athletics Director's Club, Captain's Club (now the Student-Athlete Advisory Committee), LifeSKILLS program and the Hall of Fame. Cusack will retire as director of athletics on June 30 and will remain with the University in a new capacity beginning September 1, 2008. Cusack will teach in the Student Affairs in Higher Education program in the College of Education and Human Services and will work to develop a new sports management certificate program. Additionally, he will fundraise in conjunction with the athletics department for future projects. "Wright State has been a major part of my and my family's lives for 26 years and I look forward to continuing to serve the university and the community," Cusack said. Under Cusack, the athletics department has seen remarkable growth with new facilities, including the Nutter Center and Setzer Pavilion/Mills-Morgan Center as well as Alumni Soccer Field, Nischwitz Baseball Stadium, WSU Softball Field and the Raider Tennis Courts. On the fields his direction could be felt as well as he led the move to NCAA Division I in 1987, then joined the Mid-Continent Conference in 1990 and finally the Horizon League in 1994. "When I think of Mike, two words come to mind---integrity and honesty," said Dan Abrahamowicz, Vice President for Student Affairs. "He not only talked about fairness and compliance in intercollegiate athletics, he ran that type of program. It has also been a program that had student welfare at its heart." During this period, the Raiders have advanced to NCAA Tournaments in men's basketball (2), baseball (2), women's soccer (3), golf (4), and softball (2). Overall the Raiders have won 37 conference titles and have posted an overall cumulative grade point average better than 3.0 for the past 24 quarters. A native of Levittown, New York, Cusack earned his Bachelor of Science degree in physical education from Long Island University in 1964. He received his Master of Science degree in physical education from Queens College in 1969 and an Ed.D. degree in 1980 from New York University in administration of physical education and athletics. Following graduation in 1964, Cusack spent nine years at Queens College as a member of the physical education faculty. He served as head baseball coach, assistant basketball coach, and assistant director of athletics. His baseball teams had a combined record of 65-27 with postseason appearances in each of the four years he was coach. After Queens College, Cusack spent four years as director of athletics and head baseball coach at Mercyhurst College in Erie, Pennsylvania. He and his wife, Dorothy, reside in Beavercreek, Ohio, and have five children: Michael, David, Jennifer, Kristen and George as well as nine grandchildren. A search committee led by Dr. Abrahamowicz will be formed immediately with hopes of a new director of athletics starting July 1, 2008. wsuraiders.cstv.com/genrel/032508aab.html
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Post by Doliboabros on Mar 25, 2008 10:51:19 GMT -5
Dr. Michael Cusack Points of Pride *April 1, 1982: Cusack takes the helm as Wright State University second Director of Athletics. *March, 1983: The men's basketball team is crowned NCAA Division II National Champions in just its 13th season of competition. *1985: Cusack establishes the Wright State University Athletic Hall of Fame and inducts former Director of Athletics Don Mohr as its first member. *May, 1987: The WSU baseball team places second in NCAA Division II Tournament. *Fall, 1987: The Raider athletics program is transformed as it moves from NCAA Division II to NCAA Division I. *December 1, 1990: The Raiders defeat Tennessee State in the first game at the 10,000-seat Ervin J. Nutter Center. *Fall, 1990: Cusack guides women's sports to the school's first conference affiliation as they join North Star Conference. *Fall, 1991: Cusack negotiates to move all sports programs to Mid-Continent Conference. *March, 1993: The WSU men's basketball team advances to the NCAA Division I Tournament for the first time. *Spring, 1993: Fundraising results in WSU opening a new baseball field--now named Nischwitz Stadium. *1993 and 1994: Cusack realizes a goal as the department wins Mid-Continent Men's All-Sports Award. *May, 1994: Raider baseball fulfills a goal by advancing to NCAA, Division I Tournament. *Spring, 1994: Cusack continues opening new facilities near the Nutter Center as WSU opens new tennis courts. *Fall, 1994: A major goal is realized when Cusack helps form the new Midwestern Collegiate Conference (Now Horizon League) with existing schools and schools from the Mid-Continent Conference. *Spring, 1995: As part of a major facility update, WSU opens new softball field near Nischwitz Stadium. *Fall, 1999: Another major facility is complete under Cusack's direction as WSU dedicates the Alumni Soccer Field. *1998, 1999, 2000: The women's soccer program advances to three straight NCAA Tournaments as champions of the MCC. *2000: The Wright State University Athletics Department wins the MCC Women's All-Sports Award as a sign of overall success within the department. *2005: After vigorous fundraising Cusack dedicates the Setzer Pavilion/Mills-Morgan Center as a sign of increased commitment for all sports. *2006: The baseball team returns to the NCAA Tournament for the first time since 1994. *2007: The men's basketball team wins the Horizon League and advances to the NCAA Tournament for the first time since 1993. *2008: The swimming and diving teams collect their 18th overall conference title as the men's squad wins the Horizon League. wsuraiders.cstv.com/genrel/032508aad.html
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Post by Raider Fanatic on Mar 25, 2008 12:24:13 GMT -5
WSU's Cusack retiring 'at the top of his game'By Kyle Nagel Staff Writer Tuesday, March 25, 2008 FAIRBORN — Mike Cusack walked to the Berry Room podium inside the Nutter Center, ready to announce his retirement. "I was thinking today that I grew up wanting to be a major-league baseball player, and I'm sure glad I wasn't good enough," Cusack said, "because it would've been awfully tough to do one of these at age 35." Instead, at age 65 and after 26 years as Wright State University's athletic director, Cusack said today, March 25, that he will end his tenure in that position this summer and move into writing and teaching at the university he helped grow into a Division I athletic program with significant facilities additions. Cusack will remain as AD until June 30. Dan Abrahamowicz, Wright State's vice president for student affairs, will lead a search committee to choose only the school's third athletic director, following Don Moore and Cusack. Those who attended today's news conference said the next athletic director will find a program will strong facilities, a growing fan base and a long way from the Division II department surrounded by fields that Cusack joined in 1982. "Mike leaves the position of athletic director at the top of his game," David R. Hopkins, the Wright State president, said in a release. Cusack, a Levittown, N.Y., native, earned a Bachelor of Science in physical education from Long Island University in 1964, Master of Science in physical education from Queens College in '69 and an Ed.D. from New York University in administration of physical education and athletics in '80. After graduating from Long Island, Cusack was part of the physical education faculty at Queens College for nine years, a stint that also included posts as baseball coach, assistant basketball coach and assistant director of athletics. He next moved to Mercyhurst College in Erie, Pa., where he was athletic director and baseball coach for four years before joining the WSU athletic department in April 1982. "We were lucky to come here at a time when there were opportunities," Cusack said. Those opportunities included moving into Division I, the top level of college athletics, building the Nutter Center and, most recently, constructing the Setzer Pavilion/Mills-Morgan Center, one of the top basketball facilities in the state, if not the region. In Cusack's 26 years, Wright State teams have appeared in 13 NCAA tournaments in men's and women's basketball, women's soccer, golf and softball. The teams have also won a combined 37 conference titles. "I have enjoyed our regular discussions," Abrahamowicz said, "and come this summer, I will miss them." www.daytondailynews.com/s/content/oh/story/sports/college/wsu/2008/03/25/ddn032508wsuweb.html#comments
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Post by Jazzfan on Mar 25, 2008 13:37:39 GMT -5
Good luck Dr. Cusack!
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Post by Big D on Mar 25, 2008 13:42:17 GMT -5
Being a public university, we have to post his job and go through a formal interview process for his replacement. That being said, I expect we will end up hiring Bob Grant as his replacement. I don't think there is anyone out their that cares about WSU as much as Bob Grant. There are many qualified people out there that we could hire, but I want someone that loves WSU too. I don't think we can go wrong with Bob Grant.
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Post by bballraider on Mar 25, 2008 16:07:46 GMT -5
Being a public university, we have to post his job and go through a formal interview process for his replacement. That being said, I expect we will end up hiring Bob Grant as his replacement. I don't think there is anyone out their that cares about WSU as much as Bob Grant. There are many qualified people out there that we could hire, but I want someone that loves WSU too. I don't think we can go wrong with Bob Grant. I whole heartedly agree with your statement Big D. I think Bob Grant would make a great WSU AD. I also want to applaud Dr. Cusack for his timing on his retirement. I was telling a friend just last week that it would be a good time for Dr. C to retire. He would be leaving on a high note, and it would keep anybody from stealing Bob Grant from Wright State. I think the timing of Dr. Cusack's retirement will actually help WSU's future and his legacy, especially if we hire Bob Grant. As others have said it certainly won't hurt the effort in keeping Coach Brownell around a little longer either.
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Post by Raiderdog on Mar 25, 2008 16:53:55 GMT -5
Agree with Big D and bball. Good luck BG!!
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Post by Sixth Man on Mar 25, 2008 20:45:54 GMT -5
Bob Grant is an awesome guy.
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Post by Raider Country on Mar 26, 2008 6:09:51 GMT -5
Cusack transformed WSU athletics in his 26 yearsBy Kyle Nagel Staff Writer Wednesday, March 26, 2008 FAIRBORN — To Paul Newman, who in the mid-1980s interviewed for a position in the Wright State athletic department, Mike Cusack seemed like a man with big, if not far-fetched, dreams. "He had told me when I was here, 'You won't believe what's going to happen here,' " said Newman, who became Cusack's longtime second in command. "He said, 'I'm going to move this program to Division I, our facilities are going to become some of the best around, we'll look to go to a conference.' "You get a little skeptical. When I came here, there were fields all across the street from this university." From those fields, Wright State staff and supporters said, Cusack helped build a better athletic department, both literally and otherwise. But on Tuesday, March 25, he announced that he will retire this summer. In 26 years as Wright State's athletic director, Cusack aided the department's growth from an NCAA Division II program with a 2,500-seat gym in the same building with the bookstore to a department with respected basketball facilities and 37 conference championships in the NCAA's top division. "He lets you do your job," said Brad Brownell, the WSU men's basketball coach. "He gives you the confidence and support that you need, but at the same time when he hires you he tells you, 'I'm not gonna be over there looking over your shoulder every minute. I'm not going to be in your locker room after every loss, but I'm always here when you need me.' " Other staff members and coaches said Cusack was blunt, but disagreements didn't last. "Have we always seen eye-to-eye? No," said Tony Ortiz, WSU's director of athletic training, who has been with the school for 23 years. "But he never had a grudge. We disagree on something, then move on. I always knew where the line was." The new line for Cusack is June 30, which will be his final day directing the athletics program at a school he joined in its infancy. "It's been a great opportunity," Cusack said. "Who gets a chance anymore to come into a program that's 15 years old? I can't think of where it would happen again." www.daytondailynews.com/s/content/oh/story/sports/college/wsu/2008/03/26/ddn032608cusackb1.html
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Post by Raider Country on Mar 26, 2008 6:11:34 GMT -5
WSU aims to hire AD by mid-MayBy Chick Ludwig Staff Writer Wednesday, March 26, 2008 FAIRBORN — The third athletic director in Wright State University history should be ready to stress academics as well as athletics, according to a member of the school's administration. "We're looking for someone who has values consistent with the university's values — that athletics is an important role, but academics comes first," said Dan Abrahamowicz, WSU's vice president for student affairs, who oversees intercollegiate athletics. "We're looking for someone who knows how to manage budgets, knows how to manage people and, importantly, someone who is concerned about student welfare, diversity and gender equity." A search committee comprised of faculty, staff and students is being formed, and a national search is under way for candidates to replace Mike Cusack, who announced his retirement on Tuesday, March 25. "We're going to push the time frame on this," Abrahamowicz added. "We'd like to be finished by the middle of May. So we'd like someone to start working here at Wright State on July 1." Paul Newman, who retired as WSU's associate director of athletics in 2006, said the AD job "will attract a great person because it's a very attractive job in athletics, and we have a great educational institution — two things that go hand in hand to make greatness for your student-athletes. "We're in an age where there's budget cutbacks and limited funds, so it has to be somebody who has some creative genius with respect to fundraising, and somebody who's had experience running an athletic program. Those are two critical issues." Cusack still envisions a "Raider Village" that includes an indoor practice facility large enough to house a soccer field; "turfing" the softball, baseball and soccer fields with a synthetic surface; and adding a track and new tennis courts — goals he'd like to help the new AD achieve. "There's no question the person has to be student-centered, because that's what this university is about," Cusack said. "You have to have integrity and honesty because that's what we're about. You have to have vision because this school is always moving forward. It doesn't sit still. We're still growing. "You've got to have courage, and you've got to be competitive. You've got to want to win. All those things I've just mentioned lead up to this: If you do the right things, you've got a chance to win." www.daytondailynews.com/s/content/oh/story/sports/college/wsu/2008/03/26/ddn032608wsunext.html
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Post by raiderrunt on Mar 26, 2008 9:18:17 GMT -5
Oh oh, did you see this part:
"importantly, someone who is concerned about student welfare, diversity and gender equity."
Of course student welfare is important, but if the candidate is more concerned with diversity and gender equity than excellence, WSU is in trouble. There is a a good chance that stating that is the politically correct thing to do and that excellence is actually job one. Can you imagine the mess that would happen if decisions were made based upon divesity? So I am hoping those are just buzz words to keep the faculty happy.
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