Daryl Gross will tell you this is a big year for Syracuse athletics. ‘For three years we’ve been in transition trying to get the right people, the right coaches, the right everything,’ said Syracuse’s director of athletics. ‘It was always ‘The future’s bright. The future’s bright.’ Well, now we’re here. And we know we’re positioned well for our Olympic sports. The big question is how fast can we improve on football?’ Gross, who’s going into his fourth fall as athletic director, sat down with The Daily Orange Monday to discuss all things related to Syracuse athletics. Here are some of the highlights from the interview:
The Daily Orange: There have been reports that you have signed a contract extension through 2014. Can you comment on that?Daryl Gross: When it comes to me personally, I don’t even get into it. I plan on being here for a long time. We have a lot of things we want to accomplish and do well, and that’s about it. It’s private. I love it here. We got some great things going. I’m excited about the future, and we’re going to get some things done before I get out of here. But I plan on being here for a long time.
The premiere of ‘The Express’ is coming up (in September), how important is that going to be to the athletic department?It’s priceless. Totally priceless. You can count on two hands the number of schools that have had their university in a world motion picture like us. You think about ‘Rudy,’ ‘Glory Road,’ ‘We Are Marshall.’ I saw the movie. It is Syracuse. It’s about Syracuse. It’s just an amazing, extraordinary, priceless piece of art that the world’s going to get to see. It’s a story that should have been told years ago, and we’re excited because we feel like we’ve had a lot to do with being the catalyst to get this thing moving. And to see this come to fruition is unbelievable.
You said you got to see the movie. When was that?I saw it in New York about three months ago. It was awesome. It was the best sports movie I’d ever seen, and maybe I’m being biased, but it was emotional. It was inspirational. It was amazing. Just such a great, great movie.
Moving to football, you’ve had a chance to be around this team a little bit. What’s your sense of what they can do? Well, I think they’re better. And we’ll find out of course. Really, my opinion doesn’t matter. I’ve been doing this a long time, and only one time did I say ‘Oh, this team’s really going to be good.’ But I think we’re faster, I think we’re a little more athletic. We’re still young. I love (new offensive coordinator Mitch Browning). I think he has a great history, great pedigree and accomplishments. I don’t know what all that equals, but I think the team is better than it was last year.
Last year, you said you needed to see ‘tangible improvement’ from this team. How do you measure tangible improvement? Is that something you can quantify?It’s kind of one of those things. We’ll know if they are better than last year. I don’t think it’s that complicated. I think you’ll know, just as well as I’ll know. If it’s not good, we’ll know that too. Greg (Robinson) will know it. He’ll know it before we know it. He’s a big boy. He’s held up the Lombardi Trophy. He’s seen every level of football, on and off the field. So he’s sophisticated and he understands that we need to get better.
Did giving him that fourth year so he could have a team full of his own players play a big role in keeping him on board?Well, I think you have to look at the program, and the fact that we just changed the coach three years ago. If you’re in the football community, you go ‘I don’t know how good a property that is, that Syracuse football.’ So if you’re changing coaches quickly, there’s not a lot of logic. People on the outside will go ‘They’re bad, they’re changing coaches so quickly, that’s not really right.’ In life, you have a chance to do things that are fair, and I thought this was fair. He’s got some of his players in and he thinks they have a chance to be good players. So we’ll see.
Obviously fairness is important, but it gets to a point where your hand is forced, right?I don’t know. We’ll see.
In terms of the (Carmelo K. Anthony Basketball Center), how’s everything for that coming along?Beautiful. They’re digging out there already. That thing is going to be finished on time (in fall 2009). I’ve been assured of that over and over. Because every time I go out there and don’t see a tractor I go around screaming at everyone. But we’re proud of that. It’s going to help recruiting, just like the movie will, just like everything else will.
Some of the things that have happened this summer – wide receiver Mike Williams and defensive end Brandon Gilbeaux being suspended, three basketball players appearing in front of a grand jury – do you ever worry about how that impacts the image of SU athletics?You have to be accountable in life. I’m not going to talk specifically about these guys, because you don’t know who’s innocent and guilty in one of the cases, but in the case of any type of academic issue, you have to be responsible, you have to step up. We have enough good athletes now that if you’re not going to be responsible and not going to be prepared for what you need to do, then I send you home. It’s that simple. This is a great opportunity. To get a scholarship and play for Syracuse is a great opportunity. So we’re going to be accountable and we’re going to be responsible. And if you’re not going to be accountable and responsible, then that’s OK. We have a thousand people in line waiting to get a scholarship to come here.
How’s preparation for women’s hockey coming along?(Women’s hockey head coach Paul Flanagan) is very happy with the progress of what’s happening. It’s year one. We’ll see. It’s like an expansion team, but it’s exciting for us. Paul’s got such a great reputation as a coach with his five Frozen Fours. I think a lot of kids are attracted to him. So I can’t see him not getting this going in a reasonable amount of time. We’re not going to expect miracles, but he’s got a lot of credibility.
Pretty good Olympic games for Syracuse, winning four medals. How nice is that for the athletic department?Wonderful. From (U.S. women’s goalkeepers coach) Phil Wheddon and women’s soccer and Jim Boeheim and (U.S. women’s eight rower and SU alum) Anna Goodale and (former SU rower Helen Tanger), who swam crew for the Netherlands. To see Jim up there all the time was great. It can’t hurt recruiting, the fact that he’s been exposed to those kind of guys. But we’re going to welcome them back at a football game and do a nice little salute to them. And part of the lobby that goes from Manley to the ‘Melo’ center will have a section for Olympians as well. So all those guys will be honored in there.
jsclayto@syr.edu
Published on August 25, 2008 at 12:00 pm
