Commitment to Excellence

[ISUFan22]

Our “management team” at ISU is committed to excellence. They went out and got what is arguably the best basketball coach in the state. They landed one of the most successful wrestlers in ISU history – and a Cyclone icon – as the wrestling coach. They’ve put together a Master Plan to upgrade facilities, starting with the changes made to Hilton for this winter and to later include further Hilton renovations, a new practice facility for Hilton and major changes to Jack Trice Stadium.

And last night, this team of leaders at ISU hired what many consider to be the best assistant in college football – as the new ISU head football coach. In the last year and a half, the face of ISU has almost completely changed. While painful and hard, I must say, it certainly looks to be for the better.

The management team at Iowa State University is not the only group committed to excellence. The fans too, have shown their increasing support. Record numbers of football season tickets were sold this past fall. Men’s basketball is also near record numbers in ticket sales. This is especially notable for basketball, as the team isn’t expected to do much in the way of wins this winter. Excitement is at an all-time high and our best days are yet to come.

Fans were buzzing last night in Hilton. Excited about the new football coach, anxious for the ISU-UNI basketball game Wednesday and looking forward to ISU-Iowa wrestling this weekend. I heard many fans say “I wish we were playing a football game now this weekend with our new coach”. This, after an embarrassing, gut-wrenching 4-8 season.

Many people say Cyclone fans are fickle, they abandon the program at the first sign of danger. I know better. Every fan base has those fans but they are not the make-up of the fan base; they’re surely not the majority of this fan base.

So here it is, the management team has set the table for the future at ISU. Now it is our time – the fans – to help put the food on that table. Show up to every single event you possibly can. Buy Cyclone apparel and wear it proud. Tell your friends of the renewed excitement in Ames, Iowa. And – donate, donate, donate.

A table set with fine china and filled with gourmet food – now that’s a feast I can’t wait to be a part of.

Iowa State Cyclones: Committed to Excellence.

[Cymon]

The Chizik hire is huge. Something that is almost as big is the $1.5 mil. for assistants. Pollard and Geoffroy showed they are not messing around.

[ISUFan22]

Amen. If the $1.5 million to the assistants is correct, that ranks #3 in the Big 12 for assistant pay - behind only Texas A&M and Texas.

So, we'd be paying our assistant football coaches better than Oklahoma and Nebraska.

The bar has been set. Time to leap over it.

It won't happen overnight, yet I do think it can happen here in Ames.

[ColoradoClone]

I think the combination of bringing in Chizik (who looks a LOT like Bob Stoops when he was hired by OU) and commitment from the AD and President (very similar to how KSU got their football program built) really makes this a super exciting time to be a Cyclone.

[Wesley]

To the Stars and Beyond.

[cycloneworld]

Good article Fan!

Remember when Geoffrey was hired as President and people questioned his committment to athletics? I remember it being a big deal that he didn't place much importance on athletics and was an all education guy.

Wow, President Geoffrey deserves a lot of credit along with Jamie Pollard for his committment to Iowa State Athletics. He doesn't get mentioned much, but he is a big reason Jamie can do his job the way he has been.

Thank you President Geoffrey and thank you Jamie Pollard.

Now it's time for the fans to step up. If you can give anything...even $100 bucks to join the National Cyclone Club, please do so. Show these guys that WE are up to the challenge as well. Let's buy a record number of season tickets, let's set a donation record, let's make the committment to ISU athletics that will give us the resources to do great, great things.

[BryceC]

I agree with everything except one thing...

While painful and hard, I must say it’s clearly for the better.

This has yet to be seen.

[ISUFan22]

Good point Bryce, it is yet to be seen. Perhaps, it looks to be for the better would have been the more appropriate choice of words.

[tec71]

Cycloneworld has really hit it on the head.

The credit has to start with the President, who not only hired Pollard but has given him the support, the resources and the freedom to run the athletic department as an integral part of the University not as just sort of an extremity barely connected to the whole.

[amyk33]

Wasn't there actually a search committee that hired Pollard? I believe that Gary Thompson was a part of that as well as some other ISU alums. All should be commended for finding him and luring him to ISU.

[Stormin]

When BVD was here, I believe that many were under the impression that President Geoffrey was not in favor of big-time athletics. Under BVD we just kind of existed and took what came to us. Then our President informed us that BVD would not be renewed. That set the stage for Pollard. I think that Pollard has our President's ear and I think they both realize the mutual benefit of a high profile athletic department. When ISU has made strides in the past it has been because we have had College President's that weren't averse to risk. President Parks was absolutely great. Iowa State Center and Jack Trice built under his leadership.

Fact is our AD Gene Smith was great and then we got BVD who wasn't good and killed our momentum. Now we have Pollard. The guy has a plan and knows how to get things done. I think exciting times lie ahead.

[ColoradoClone]

I feel Goeffrey always understood the importance of a high profile athletic department, but wasn't comfortable with the man running the show. Once he had a guy in he was comfortable with he was able to let him do his job and ensure that he had the universities support.

[raftercy]

I couldn't agree more. It is so refreshing to feel good about ISU athletics again, with a renewed hope of optimism. I think the last time I felt this good about the athletic department overall was in 2000, when the football team first made a bowl game, and before the Eustachy debacle. It's nice to feel this way again.

[BenEClone]

"He told us he's not a guy that's going to be content with five, six, seven wins, and that's exactly how we feel as players."

It seems the players also appreciate the committment. This quote attributed to Blythe - this AP writer put together a nice story.



http://stats.washingtontimes.com/cfb...21744010000101

[GBC]

The hawks will attack us with the "Commitment to Excrement" smack talk!!! We or at least i do not want to create smack for them!!!!