Athletics upgrade

[ironlions]

lmulions.cstv.com/genrel/060608aab.html

This is a nice temporary fix. Hopefully with some winning seasons we can get a new arena in the works. We can play our home games in the Forum while its being built ;D

Go Lions

[fanblade]

This is an excellent move. A beautiful little building and should help give the coaches more room and a better setting to do their work. I have to assume this is the end of the wrap-around AD offices for Gersten since the 20 year master plan did not include it. I like your optimism about us filling the forum up. A few tourney runs will get us working on the new arena.

A look at the Men's Basketball Offices (for those familiar with the old, these are HUGE improvements)





Interesting to see the release mentions 15 of the 21 sports will move to this new center. Seems to me everyone currently in Gersten is making the move. 3 sports M/W Water Polo and Swimming were already in Burns and other than Cheer I do not know know of the other mystery sports LMU offers.

[lionspride]

Bayno's hiring got this going. Of those on this board that have seen the dungeon of Gersten, one can understand that it is not suitable for DI basketball coaching offices. I could not see Max Good or Jason Levy sitting in a cubicle like Steve Wachs & Co. did. Bayno's hiring made this happen.

For those of you that left the basketball team on your own accord, this is yet another tell-tell sign that the LMU Administration is making a HUGE COMMITMENT to athletics and rebuilding the pride. Bayno is getting it down on the recruiting trail and with administration politics.

Just Say Bayno!

[Deleted]

has anyone checked out the offices? They are done and they are purdy.

[lionboy]

I took a tour around them. They are very nice and will suit the new staff well. Very nicely appointed interior and I love the print on the chairs!

[lambdachi1988lion]

Just looked around them and they are outstanding!
I love the comittment the school is finally making.

Go Lions

[ldawg]

From the Loyolan.

According to women's basketball Head Coach Julie Wilhoit, the LMU Athletics Department now has a substantial "wow factor."

Over the summer, Leavey Center, a building that was formerly used for student housing, underwent significant renovations and became new offices for all of the athletic department coaches. The facility is now broken down into different "suites," with two levels of luxurious offices made to house coaches, assistant coaches as well as a space for student-athletes to work and relax.

Both men's and women's basketball get a suite of their own, with a common area, a large head coach's office and four other offices for either assistant coaches or study areas. Each office, as well as the common room, has a flat screen television, which can be used to look over game tape.

The other sports share suites, but regardless, every coach has received a space that is a significant upgrade from the cubicle they were working out of just six months ago.

Prior to this school year all of the coaches' offices were actually cubicles on the bottom floor of Gersten Pavilion. There was no privacy, hardly any space to do productive work and nowhere for student-athletes to unwind.

"For example, we had 800 square feet for 23 coaches working out of cubicles. There was no privacy, and more importantly, no atmosphere," said Athletic Director Dr. William Husak. "Not only was it less productive, but it was also a bad statement to prospective athletes. Our new offices show recruits that we have a high quality institution."

Wilhoit strongly agrees that this new facility is a big resource when it comes to her recruiting.

"The thing for me is that you could put me under the bleachers and I could recruit because it is really about the passion and the belief in the program," Wilhoit said. "But when you create an environment like we have now, the facility makes a statement to everyone who walks in here without me even having to say a word. It definitely gives us a leg up since we're competing with every other D-1 school in the country. [The building] has an absolute wow factor."

The idea for the offices to move was the result of a commitment from Fr. Robert Lawton, S.J. to find a space for the coaches to do their work. After identifying a space that would work and receiving many generous gifts from private donors, the plan was put into action and completed just before the school year began.

Senior Athletics Associate Director Betty Werner, who passed away just before the school year began, put a lot of work into making this move happen. "This was her project," said Husak. "She really wanted to do something for the coaches."

And one thing Husak, Werner and the Athletics Department worked extremely hard at was making sure that every coach got exactly what they needed.

"We did try to get input from all of our coaches and individualize the spaces as much as possible," said Husak. "Some assistant coaches wanted to share offices while others didn't, so in that situation we would either build a wall or not build a wall. We listened to how each [coaching staff] wanted to operate."

These differences in each team's space are highly visible, as cross country and crew each setup their smaller suites so that they could have a lounge area. Most of the other smaller suites don't have that.

Furthermore, the coaching staffs now have the ability to personalize their area. For example, the women's basketball lounge area has a flat screen television that runs tape all day containing highlights from their own games as well as team photos. The lounge's walls are covered with plaques and photos recognizing the team's past achievements. And while Wilhoit is extremely thankful for her luxurious office and high-class team lounge area, she is most grateful for having the opportunity to give her assistant coaches their own offices for the first time.

"This space gives a recruiting edge, a working edge but most of all, my biggest joy is being able to give my staff their own office with a door."

Wilhoit went on to point out the importance of giving her staff some privacy, as many one-on-one coach to player talks go on in these offices, and it is only right to give them that privacy that they deserve.

With all this work that has already been done to improve the conditions for the teams and coaches, the Athletic Department is not done yet. Over the summer, they moved the soccer field 25 yards to the south in order to make room for an athletic annex. Construction for the new building, which will house locker rooms for both soccer teams as well as the softball and baseball teams, a strength room, a ticket office and laundry room, will begin early next semester.

"Everyone has already given such positive feedback about the new offices," said Husak. "It is so exciting for me and for our future. Honestly, I'm giddy over it."