Huskie Athletics in the doghouse

External review gives U of S athletics a failing grade


By Kevin Mitchell of The StarPhoenix

An external review paints Huskie Athletics as a dysfunctional, neglected, wobbling structure in danger of collapse if things aren’t fixed quickly.

The bleak picture throws the department’s future into limbo as the university decides whether to adopt some, none or all of the 26 recommendations aimed at overhauling what the reviewers called “a time bomb on the verge of exploding.”

“We undertook this review to find out where we can do better,” university president Peter MacKinnon said Tuesday after the report was released. “We do not intend to let the review sit on the shelf.”

The study, commissioned by MacKinnon, was conducted by Dru Marshall from the University of Alberta, Darwin Semotiuk from the University of Western Ontario and well-known basketball coach Ken Shields from Victoria.

The visiting trio disclosed a bizarre arrangement where embattled Huskie Athletics director Ross Wilson raises money to cover his own salary and that of his coaches. The university funds less than 10 per cent of the department budget; coaches themselves raised nearly $302,000 in operating cash, not including scholarships, for their own programs last season.

The department is running a $750,000 deficit, largely because of a run of playoff and national-championship appearances the last few years.

The report also touched on the often ugly relationship between Wilson and his coaches, and recommended the athletic director be “a visionary leader who understands marketing and business opportunities and community relations.”

They asked that the university conduct a forensic audit to “ascertain the true costs associated with the Huskie Athletic Programs.”

Wilson didn’t return calls seeking comment Tuesday.

The report was welcomed by the Huskies coaches, who work in what was termed a “poisoned” working environment.

“I thought it was a true representation of both the pluses and minuses of Huskie Athletics,” said men’s hockey coach Dave Adolph. “It was an in-depth, detailed report.

“There are some things going on internally, within Huskie Athletics, to try and work through the poisonous environment — both through our union and the dean. It’s been an ongoing situation for a number of years. The fact they recognized it and put it in there is a credit to the reviewers.”

Adolph applauded the review’s comment that the program is “built on a precarious foundation in need of repair.” He said the Huskies’ Football Foundation, an arm’s-length group aimed at raising money for the gridiron program, is a model for the other teams.

“This has been on the verge (of collapse) for about five years,” Adolph said. “(Huskies’ football coach Brian Towriss) got saved by the foundation six years ago — absolutely saved. The rest of us went out and did our own little bit to maintain our programs.

“Do you give up and go home, or do you continue to battle? We continue to battle.”

The review called Rutherford Rink, where Adolph’s team plays its games, “an awful facility and an embarrassment” and urged the university to stop doing studies and actually build a new arena.

It noted the “depressing shadow” cast on coaches over the department mission statement, which says: “The Huskie Athletics Program pursues excellence within the parameters of the resources that are available.”

It also recommends that Huskie Athletics push for a realignment of Canada West divisions based on geography, with Saskatchewan and Manitoba teams in one division and B.C. and Alberta in another. Forty-five per cent of the Huskies’ travel budget in 2004-05 went into B.C. excursions.

The authors also urged the university to offer athlete assistance levels at least on par with other schools. The University of Regina, for example, waives tuition for its athletes — something the U of S doesn’t do.

The reviewers found it “troubling” that the three U of S integrated planning documents, which outline the school’s future plans, included just one mention of Huskie Athletics.

MacKinnon said the cost of implementing the recommendations is unknown, and he admitted that finding funds to prop up the struggling department could prove difficult.

He wouldn’t say what, if anything, will be done with Wilson’s position.
kmitchell@sp.canwest.com