Winter 2020 // 2019 Football Banquet Speech
"Congratulations…you made quite a turnaround. When you look back, the way things started this season at 0-2 coupled with a looming, long road trip, a lot of people were doubtful of any success this season. And when you consider we were coming off a challenging 2018 season, the skeptics and critics were getting louder. That’s not what we had in mind when we rolled out this year’s marketing theme – “Bring the Noise.”
Fall 2019 // When Did Freedom Become So Controversial in America?
"We did our annual Veteran’s Day celebration not too long ago. That Day has always had great personal meaning for me. For many, it is a time of reflection and pause. It should be for everyone who sleeps under the blanket of freedom so many have woven for us in the past…and still do so today. This year’s salute was even more significant for me as we acknowledged one of the heroes of the “Greatest Generation,” Corporal Robert Blohm. His story, like so many of that period, is inspiring, illuminating and humbling. That story, his sacrifice, seems so antithetical in comparison to some of today’s “challenges.”
Summer 2019 //
It’s Still America the Beautiful
"I read the other day in the New York Times, that on average, Millennials spend about four hours a day worrying. High on the list of stresses were: slow Wi-Fi, getting zero likes on social media post, getting stuck in traffic and selecting what to wear. In that sample, 43% believed a cracked cell phone case was worse than having a check engine light alert…I assume because they are using Lyft or Uber. These were not Wayne State University student-athletes in this survey."
Winter 2019 // Our Most Loyal Fan
"Some called him our “most loyal fan.” Lord knows he was our oldest. My friend, Paul Andrews, passed away recently at the age of 95. I met him years ago when he was a youthful 76. He was already a wealth of history and memories of Wayne State athletics."
Fall 2018 // The Simple Lesson Of An Apple
"I have met a lot of smart people in my time. Some have even told me so. Unfortunately I have witnessed others “belittled” because of their lack of understanding of a subject, their inability to grasp the nuances of a topic, or sometimes, in the case of a student-athlete, to perpetuate a false stereotype."
Summer 2018 //
Life's Tests Are Administered Differently
"I have always believed you should build an athletics department around sound academic principles. I mean, without the latter, the former need not exist. But there is a trend in academia that I do not embrace. And it seems contrary to the guiding objective of intercollegiate athletics – that is, to be the best."
Winter 2018 // When Jose Feliciano Lit a Fire That Almost Singed Ernie Harwell
"Ernie Harwell’s most controversial call in his long career never occurred during a broadcast. That brew-haw would start innocently with an invitation to an aspiring native of Puerto Rico Jose Feliciano to sing the national anthem. However the invitation was to perform the national anthem in the 1968 World Series before a sold-out Tiger Stadium crowd and millions around the country. It was arguably the biggest stage in a country struggling with civil unrest at home and a war in Southeast Asia."
Fall 2017 // When Wayne State Wore A Special Uniform
"It was one of those early summer days. A morning mist rose over the sloping hill. And it was peacefully quiet. The kind of quiet you only find in a cemetery."
Summer 2017 // A Piece of Ribbon 100 Years Later
"When David L. Holmes walked over to the student council meeting at Old Main on an October evening in 1917, there was a sense of excitement in the air. After fifty (50) years as Detroit Medical College/Detroit Normal Training School, the school was about to take the next step in its "evolution". Dean David Mackenzie (Wayne State did not have an "official" named President until 1933) had announced that intercollegiate athletics would start in the coming year and had hired the young athletic director from nearby Cass Tech to start the program. This was big."
Winter 2017 // The Simple Lessons of 93 Years
"Ah, the simple lessons of a life well-lived. That’s what Lois Cotton left us. Most of the people reading this article never met Lois Cotton or her late husband Jack. But make no mistake, they left their mark on the athletic department and scores of future student-athletes. That’s because the simple lessons that shaped their lives stand as a testament to much of what we aspire for with our current student-athletes. Now that seems so paradoxical for a couple who grew up in the 30’s and attended Wayne State in the 40’s. But then again, it might reflect that today we often look in the wrong places for our role models and we ignore what we should prioritize. They are a reminder of how much those strengths of personal character still have significance."
Fall 2016 // The Toledo Turnaround
"Gary Bryce was on his way to sign his contract to become the new head softball coach at Bowling Green State University. He had already agreed to the terms with then athletic director Jack Gregory. All that was left was the formality of signing the employment document. He was moving on from Wayne State University…it was settled. Or was it?"
Summer 2016 // A Hand With A Good Reach
"We have come a long way since AT&T offered seven (7) different ring tones back in the mid-eighties. Today that same optional mechanism is limitless including: music, fight songs and movie lines. Obviously a lot of folks are calling. But who is listening? Who is “answering” the calls today?"
Winter 2016 // Why Fencing Meant Freedom
"If you think about it, fencing is the only sport in which those directly involved in the competition, never see the eyes of their opponent. It is purely a reactionary sport with the advantage to those with sharp reflexes and coordination. You react to movement."
Winter 2015 // He Earned That Letter
"I was recently invited to attend the farewell reception for former Board of Governor member Eugene Driker. Admittedly not many people know who the Board of Governors are or their responsibilities. Needless to say, as the elected governing authority of the University, they are pivotal. Wayne State, along with the University of Michigan and Michigan State, are the only Carnegie I Research institutions in the state, and as a consequence, has that management authority. Governor Driker was one of those eight elected members."
Fall 2014 // It Was More Than A Game Ball
"One of our new traditions (is that an oxymoron?) is to present a game ball after a home win in football. Admittedly, we have only been doing this for 14 years now, but then again, there were some lean years in there in the past. These “recognitions” go to significant contributors off the field – people who have assisted the athletic department in reaching our successes regardless of sport. That acknowledgement is somewhat predictable – Presidents, members of the Board of Governors and donors. And then there have been some others who are not as recognizable. However the impact of the latter should not be minimalized because of the lack of name recall. In countless ways, their influence would eclipse many. The person who best personified that group received a game ball after our win over Walsh University earlier this season. His name is Jim Dennison. And even though he never coached at a Michigan school, his impact on Michigan football has been dramatic."
Summer 2014 // Finding Your Star
"It did not end the way we thought it would. It was early in the evening of the Saturday of Memorial Day weekend and the softball team had just been eliminated from the College World Series. We had finished dinner and the coaches wanted to go back to the Salem sports complex to watch the remaining series games. I did not have that same “enthusiasm” for more softball especially if Wayne State was not going to participate. The staff left in a tournament-provided car and I boarded the team bus with women basketball assistant Karen Lafata who was traveling with the team as an additional administrator"
Winter 2014 // The NCAA Struggle Today
"Many people do not know it, but every January most of the men and women who manage intercollegiate athletics around the country meet to discuss issues, vote on legislation and generally debate the meaningful athletic topics of the day while charting the future of college athletics. Those decisions define priorities for years to come and, in large part, the future is dictated by what has been decided in those meetings."
Fall 2013 // Was It a Fluke?
"Admittedly, we did not have our best football season this past year. Recently, our supporters have come to expect better… and we have too. The perception, and the expectations for our football program, is higher than at any time in our history. And because of that, when we fall short, that disappointment leads to speculation, “home-spun” remedies, some inevitable Monday-morning quarterbacking and the kind of quick fix solutions that come when your view is from the fifty (50) yard line -- albeit from the stands and not the sideline."
Summer 2013 // Harwell Field Announcement Remarks
"I want to thank everyone for coming this evening for this announcement and especially Mrs. Harwell. I know she has been to a lot of stadiums in her career but hopefully she will come back when we have this project completed. You always have to feel welcome when your name is on the front of the building…and that is what we will do."
Winter 2013 // A Football Goodbye
"I attended a funeral for a Wayne State University football student-athlete. It was the second time in only two years that a like tragedy has impacted our athletic program. These are emotionally-wrenching experiences. Our sense of normalcy is shattered. The unexpected death of a 22 year old in our society is not only extreme, it contradicts the promise we see in the future in these young people."
Fall 2012 // Swimming & Diving National Champion Ring Ceremony
"I want to thank the parents, special guests and student-athletes who are here today for a singular occasion – to recognize the national championship women’s swimming and diving team and the men’s Conference champion swimming and diving team. Their remarkable, consistent record of achievement has made this program one of the elite in the country. That sustained success is laudable and not only a credit to our current student-athletes, but to their predecessors, who have done so much to elevate this program to a national stature. And that certainly includes our coaches."
Summer 2012 // A Fred Among Friends
"It was one of those languid April Sunday afternoons when the weather is still unpredictable on the calendar but with other hopeful signs of spring right around the corner. Most people were probably spending a quiet afternoon with family. I had made my way back down to WSU and was looking forward to the annual swimming and diving banquet. I have been to a lot of banquets over the years and they follow pretty much a standard format: some socializing, some food, some remarks (and “short” remarks are always best). It has been my experience that every varsity participant always has a better year at the season-concluding ceremony then they actually had during the year."
Winter 2012 // 2011 Football Banquet Speech
"August 29, 2011 was a warm, sunny afternoon and the campus was near that end of the summer transition. The following week would start the “new” academic year and the excitement and promise of that advent was a part of the day. The new freshmen class was gathering for their orientation at the football stadium. As a first year student going to college that is always a time of excitement, unbridled promise and a little trepidation. The same could be said for every athletic season. For 93 years each football season at Wayne State had started with those same aspirations. This year would be different…very different."
Summer 2011 // And To Think It Has Only Been 46 Years
"It’s been awhile. Actually it has been 46 years. That’s how long it has been since the athletic department has opened a new building on campus. And like most people “older” than 46, a little “touch up” after nearly five decades is not a bad thing. In this case, that “make over” is a new building."
Winter 2011 // Measuring Up & Up
"I recently read that a couple of school districts in Kansas City and Denver are eliminating "letter grades"/ The argument in favor of that proposition is that the "old system" (and I know I have to be careful here as I am starting to resemble that reference_ is not effective in our modern high-tech, interactive student population. The concept is that a system that is tailored to students' individual interests will better advance children's development. The "old" method based partly on chronological age and measured success (obviously through testing) is outdated and inconsistent with a modern society, which should advance creativity and learning differences/interests. I am certainly no k-12 expert but i am confident my former sixth grade teacher Miss Souter is not living in either of the aforementioned cities."
Fall 2010 // Re-Tooling the Assembly Line
"One of our department's "objectives" this year was to have every athletic team finish with .500 or better record. We accomplished that this past fall. Although some might say it was "easy" I can assure you nothing comes easy in competition. We can take pride in the successes of volleyball, women's tennis, cross country and football. And the latter, is a special recognition for a program that had to be "re-built."
Summer 2010 // It Feels Like Spring
"I was recently speaking with a former student-athlete about the start of the 2010 athletic season. In his cases, there might have been a little more emphasis on "former" as it had been some forty (40) years since he had last visited campus. Amazingly (at least to me), he lived in Oakland County so it seemed at least that an occasional visit to campus seemed "accessible" in the last four decades. But it never happened."
Spring 2010 // A Warrior High Five
"As soon as all the Spring NCAA participant institutions were announced, I knew the student-athletes and coaches of our programs had achieved something "special." Simply put, WSU had realized its own version of a "high-five" with each spring team earning a berth in their respective NCAA tournament. It is an unprecedented accomplishment for WSU Athletics. it also propelled athletics to its second highest point total (454.5) ever in the National Association of Collegiate Directors of Athletics (NACDA) Directors' Cup Standings just one year after our all-time mark (499.5). Not bad!"
Winter 2010 // A Women's Touch
"Can you think of one thing that a woman has touched that as a result has not improved? I can't. Medicine, science, engineering, politics have all measurably benefited by the infusion of ideas and approaches that are purely from a woman's perspective. And athletics is no different. But like the other examples, it took some time to open that door. Unfortunately too much time."
Fall 2009 // Saturdays with Jack
"He loved football. More importantly he loved Wayne State football. How else could you explain the fact that he played in a football game for WSU on the same day he got married? And the wedding photos had a facial bruise and black eye to prove his "active" participation. Years later his wife Lois still remarked about the "photo reminder" of that gridiron passions/. But that was Jack Cotton."
Summer 2009 // Quite a Finish
"It is sometimes valuable to stop and assess where you are. The end of an academic year provides that reference. As I pen this note, the athletic department has completed another year, And it has been exceptional no matter how we evaluate this past season. With the final NACDA Cup standings announced in mid-June, we have finished in the twenty among Division II institutions (295) in the country."
Winter 2009 // Making the Grade (Again)
"Ever since there were classrooms, there have been grades. And we have gone out of the way to recognize those exceptional achievers...as we should. Although some have tried to change the formula by suggesting group marks or a collected "pass/fail", few have ever believed in such a measurement."
Fall 2008 // Five Days in November
"I remember the first football game I ever attended at Wayne State. It was a warm August afternoon the Saturday before my first official week of work. We were playing an exhibition game against a team of mostly Canadian football players from Windsor. A lot seemed unusual to me that afternoon."
Summer 2008 // Here We Go (Again)
"It's September and the start of a new athletic year. I have had a few jobs in my lifetime but nothing compares to working in an athletic department and the new promise that each fall brings. Unlike some other occupations, athletics offers a new beginning with new hopes and expectations. And with that comes the capacity and enthusiasm to energize a campus and community. And in order to achieve that result we must focus and move forward an agenda and objectives that challenges an organization to be better."
Spring 2008 // Climate Change
"What a spring! And I am not talking about the weather (which was not too bad either). For the first time in the 90 years history of Wayne State athletics every spring sport team advanced to their respective NCAA postseason tournament."
Winter 2008 // Who Knew?
It was a cold, rainy, January afternoon - like many before and many to come after. When the right young men enter the Central High School gym that Saturday afternoon, they were excited about their new adventure, but not for the history of the moment. That never crossed their minds, or if it did it was never recorded."
Fall 2007 // A Quick Seven
"Has it really been seven years?" That was the reaction of a person who came upt o me at a football game this season and asked how long I had been at Wayne State. My causal response led to his incredulity in the form of a question...has it really been that long? (Emphasis on long). Time does pass quickly, seasons change, some teams achieve championships...others do not. Student-athletes graduate, pursue career and our their "years" to work."
Summer 2007 // Looking 24 at 90
"This fall marks 90 years of achievement for WSU athletics. A lot has happened in that nearly century of existence, including a rich tradition of success both competitively.. as well as after graduation. Fittingly, as we turn "90", the athletic department has been recognized for their highest finish ever in the NACDA Cup standings ending last year as the number twenty four ranked program in the country,"
Winter 2006-07 //
Ready to Compete
"As much as some people don't want to admit it, a University is all about competition. It might be "friendly" competition, but Universities compete... for students, grants and the best faculty."
Winter 2005-06 // A Thanksgiving Season in Athletics
"As we conclude the first third of the athletic season, we transition into the full winter schedule of activities. The calendar is marked by the traditional holiday break and ike most families, it is appropriate for us to individually, and as a department, to reflect and appreciate what we have been given. To me, Thanksgiving is always about family. In a way, athletics is like a big family."
Fall 2006 // A Thousand Points for the Future
"I hope that when you saw the front cover of our current Warrior Within that you could appreciate the dramatic transformation of our athletic campus. After six years, the landscape looks almost entirely different (both outside and inside)."
Spring 2006 // A Defining Moment in NCAA History
"This year marks the centennial of the NCAA. For 100 years the organization has been the authority for intercollegiate athletics. As part of the century celebration, the NCAA has undertaken a number of publicity activities and media outreach approaches to highlight some of the greatest accomplishments of the period."
Winter 2004-05 // The Roaring Cheers
"As we get into the Spring term, we celebrate two events that I think reflect the best of the athletic department - the annual Hall of Fame induction ceremony and our Academic Recognition Banquet. Both ceremonies, although different, illustrate a similar them that underscores why athletics is so important to the fabric of the University."
Summer 2005 // Wayne First...And Athletics, Too
"A few weeks ago the University kicked off the "public announcement" of the first ever capital campaign with a day of activities on campus. Iy was quite an event and I know many of you made it down for the remarks, displays and the smorgasbord of Detroit food (at least I know of our student-athletes enjoyed it)."
Fall 2004 // A New Season
"For me the Fall is really, well, like the Spring for most people. It is the start of a new athletic year and all the hopes and expectations of new seasons and what it will bring"
Summer 2004 // Mission Accomplished
"Even though there never seem to be an end to the "Athletic season." the recently concluded Spring sports schedule is a good time to assess what we have accomplished in 2003-04."
Spring 2004 // A Hall of Fame of Teammates
"Around the time you receive this publication, we will be inducting our 29th class into the WSU Hall of fame. It is obviously a special time for inductees and their families and highlights many noteworthy individual accomplishments."
Winter 2003-04 // A Fall to Build Upon
"As we move into the holiday season, it is always a time for resolution and optimism. I strongly believe as a department you must continually challenge yourself, as well as develop objectives that challenge staff, coaches and student-athletes and even to a degree, alumni and supporters."
Winter 2002-03 // I Need Some Builders
"The long awaited process to develop an arena for our athletic teams has started. i am sure many of you reading this article, that may still sound unbelievable as it is an objective that has been rumored since at least 1997."
Fall 2002 // Are We Tartars, Warriors...or Munies?
"I receive many letters and e-mails (and a few telephone calls) each week from alumni and friends of the athletic department. Much of this communication is about the status of Warriors teams, people who favor or do not favor a coach, how a program can be improved or simply a parent who thinks their son or daughter should play more."
Spring 2002 // Looking Back on Success
"Often we get so focused on planning for the future, we overlook what we've accomplished. The 2001-02 competitive season was a period of success."
Fall 2001 // Exciting Times on Campus
" The 2001-2002 athletic year at Wayne State promises to be a time of excitement and competitive opportunity as we begin to develop our marketing strategies and create a new identity for Warrior athletics."
Spring 2001 // Ready to Get to Work
"After only a short period in the athletic department, I have concluded there are two basic truisms regarding the WSU program; there is much work to be done and there are a number of people whoa re ready to assist in reaching our planned objectives."
