Communication Efforts Surrounding Coaching Hire

[lionspride]

The purpose of this post is to have an "open letter" to the LMU Athletics Department, Dr. William Husak, and Staff (Media Services, Development, Ticketing/Marketing/Promotions) regarding the pending announcement of the 24th head coach of Men's Basketball.

Specifically, these are items that boosters, fans, and current students would like to see with regard to the announcement of the new coach:

1) Please make the LMU Athletics website (www.lmulions.com) as current and up-to-date as possible. I did notice that someone did remove Rodney Tention and his coaching staff from the "roster" of the Men's Basketball page. However, someone did not follow through on other pages that list the head coach and his staff. Specifically, please remove any references to the former coach and staff on the following pages.

Staff - Contact Information Page
lmulions.cstv.com/school-bio/loyo-staff-directory.html

Coaches Page
lmulions.cstv.com/school-bio/loyo-coaches-directory.html

2) When you have a final candidate, 4 hours before the press conference, please place the new head coach's information on the website (the genernal press release of his hiring, biography including recent photo, and contact information).

3) Have a press conference in Gersten Pavillion. Issue a press release the night before to all media outlets (i.e., Sportswire, local TV and cable news and sports networks) alerting them of the press conference, the location, date and time. Simultaneously, please post the press release of the upcoming press conference on the website (www.lmulions.com) and e-mail all boosters, fans, and current students (anyone else for which you have their e-mail addresses) and invite them to the press conference. Call Fox Sports Net, ESPN, CSTV, CBS2/KCAL9, NBC4, ABC7, FOX11, KCOP13 and personally invite their sports reporters.

4) Prepartion that goes into the press conference. Ensure that Husak's introduction speech is solid, positive, and provides not only a great introduction to the new head coach, but emphasizes LMU commitment to restore the winning ways in Westchester. Ensure there is a podium with the LMU Logo, backdrop of the conference board wrap-around has LMU colors/banner, microphones work. Ensure LMU Athletics sports photographer and director of media relations are in attendance.

5) At the press conference, ensure that President Robert Lawton, S.J., and Elena Bove are in attendance and have minor speaking roles. This shows and displays the universities committment to revitalize the program and support of the new head coach. Ensure all current players on the roster are in attendance. Have the cheer squad present in uniform along with Iggy, our mascot. Have any available coaches, administrators within the Athletics department in attendance.

6) Setting the atmosphere of the press conference. Have the LMU Athletics Spirit Shop open for interested boosters, fan, current students to purchase LMU gear. Have free appetisers and sodas available to all in attendance. Have the LMU band play some tunes prior to the commencement of the press conference.

7) Provide boosters, fans, and current students in attendance with any left over LMU pom-poms, LMU or WCC t-shirts, etc.

8) Have 2008-2009 season ticket information available and encourage boosters and fans to reserve their ticket today. Provide incentives ($20 off each season ticket) if they order and send their money in prior to May 15, 2008.

9) Provide media a sign-up sheet to perform one-on-one interviews with the new coach later in the week or following week.

These ideas do not cost much. There is no excuse not to have a PROFESSIONAL press conference with these nice touches. INVITE THE BOOSTERS, FAN, CURRENT STUDENTS, and MEDIA. Do it right. This is a big hire for our program and let's get it right.

.......also, don't forgot to clean out the head coaches office and the assistant coaches' cubicles.

If I have left out anything, please let me know.

[lmutex]

9) Let these people do their jobs.

[lionspride]

lmutex said:

9) Let these people do their jobs.

I would, but they keep coming up short. And I think our boosters, fans, and students would agree.

Pressure is on this administration to get this right, lmutex.

[frankieboy80]

couldn't agree more about the general incompetence of the administration about matters athletic...

[lmufan]

Hey,

I run a sports show on campus called Lion Fever, we are planning on airing the press conference when it takes place online. I will post the link and the date when it becomes available, so all of you can see it.
(we will also be posting a pod-cast of the event in its entirety for anyone to view at anytime).

Hopefully we get a great coach.

[Deleted]

thank you! I will be tuned in. I hope we get someone good too. Go lions!

[phurther]

10) Rinse and repeat.

[fanblade]

I am really happy to hear the LMU is announcing the press conference and trying to gin up support and excitement!

Can't help but not get a little excited about the future. I hope behind the scenes the administration is also laying ground work for us to become competitive as well.



lmulions.cstv.com/sports/m-baskbl/spec-rel/040408aac.html

LMU to Hold Press Conference to Announce New Coach
Bill Bayno to be introduced as new Head Men's Basketball Coach on April 9.

Los Angeles, CA (Apr. 4) -- Loyola Marymount University Athletics Director Dr. William Husak announced today that a press conference will be held on Wednesday, April 9 at 4 p.m. to officially introduce Portland Trailblazers Assistant Coach Bill Bayno as the new Head Men's Basketball Coach at LMU.

"After meeting with our President (Rev. Robert B. Lawton, S.J.) late Thursday, we have offered the position of our men's head coach to Bill Bayno," said Husak. "He has accpeted and we are excited to officially introduce him following the Final Four at our press conference on Wednesday."

The press conference will be held in Gersten Pavilion and is open to the public. For those unable to attend, it will be available live on satellite, streamed live on LMULions.com and broadcast through the Roar Network on LMU Cable Channel 6.

LMU BILL BAYNO PRESS CONFERENCE MEDIA INFORMATION
When: Wednesday, April 9 at 4:00 p.m. (PT)

Where: Albert Gersten Pavilion on the campus of Loyola Marymount

Who: LMU Athletics Director Dr. William Husak and Head Coach Bill Bayno

What: Announce Bill Bayno as LMU's 24th Head Men's Basketball Coach. Bayno has been with the Portland Trailblazers since 2005 and compiled a 94-64 (.595) record as the Head Coach of UNLV from 1995-2001.

Broadcast: Live on LMU Cable Channel 6

Website: Live streaming through Lions' All-Access

[lionspride]

So far, so go with the communication effort by LMU Athletics. But let's hope they follow through on Wednesday and the prep leading up to the event. Hopefully, behind the scenes Bayno is meeting with the current players and calling our two committed recruits.

[lionspride]

Update:

Walking around on campus today, I did not see any banner, flyers, notication of the Bayno Wednesday press conference. Did I miss anything? LMU Athletics....let's blitz the student population for this conference. Announce some give aways or something for the students. Contact them by e-mail. Also, generate incentives for season tickets holders to show up....have a drawing after the conference to give to the winner 2 free season tickets for next year. LMU Athletics should require all coaches (unless their teams are in competition that day), to attend the press conference with their team members to add to the attendance. Let's fill up atleast half of Gersten and give Bayno a very very very warm welcome.

Let's follow through LMU Athletics. Nothing worse than a press conference that has less than 100 people (those of the press and LMU administration).

[lionspride]

To give my final thoughts on the communication efforts surrounding Bill Bayno press conference:

Overall - B-

- Atmosphere - B+ very professional, nice backdrop, cheerleaders and Iggy in attendance, LMU Spirit Shop open for business
- Content - A- Husak and Bayno showed very well. Excitement and sincerity was there. Committment was shown (Lawton atleast in attendance).
- Audio - A if you were in attendance, Lions All Access - F (not streamed live....like promised, technical difficulties)
- Give away - A - Just Say Bayno T-shirts
- Attendance - C+ - 300+ people, students should have shown up, but maybe it was not publicity as well as it should have. More media should have been in attendance. Curious as why not, but maybe our communications person only issued the general PR and did not personally call the local stations.


Improvements could have been:
- get the Lions All-Access working
- publicity of the news conference to the students lacked leading up to the event
- moved up the podium closer to the bleachers. I realize the press have a special section, but it still could have been closer for the fans in the bleachers.
- Season Ticket table so alumni, fans can purchase tickets on the spot. Helps the LMU cash flow to get that money in advance.
- LMU website still has reminance of our former coach (lmulions.cstv.com/school-bio/loyo-coaches-directory.html)

[ironlions]

Very frustrating that All-access did not work. Glad it was posted later though.

[lionspride]

Apr 11, 2008 18:54:06 GMT -5 @ironlions said:

Very frustrating that All-access did not work. Glad it was posted later though.

ironlions....I thought you were coming down with something on wed. afternoon and you were going to make it live ;D Next time, you should listen to the doctor and know that LMU has difficulty with its online audio (remember a couple of the away games this year.....they had to send it back to the studio with Jake Jacobs it go so bad....and to make it worse, we would only get scoring updates every five minutes).

[Deleted]

I think the admin got their acts together well and did a good job. I'm happy the video was posted.

I think we were running on a bare bones budget this year because we were so bad. The idea that Jake Jacobs was allowed in the studio should have raised flags. I'm sure he's a nice guy but he does not need to be on the air. Anyone remember when he heard himself in the microphone and was acting screwy for about 5 minutes into the game.

[lionspride]

Apr 11, 2008 19:03:52 GMT -5 @orange said:

The idea that Jake Jacobs was allowed in the studio should have raised flags. I'm sure he's a nice guy but he does not need to be on the air. Anyone remember when he heard himself in the microphone and was acting screwy for about 5 minutes into the game.

I don't know Jake Jacobs and I am sure he is a nice guy, but LMU should OUTLAW Jacobs off the air. He is not suited for radio. We should be able to get better talent than Jacobs to do half-time and end of game summaries. Jeff Lampy, the voice of the Lions is adequate for play-by-play, but he gets a bit too excited. A bit of a homer, but you got to love that if you are an LMU LIONS fan. ;D