UCF's Culture Shock
- Thread starter Central Floridave
- Start date
great article. THX for sharing. We needed Danny White!...and Scott Frost to to get this place jumping! 
When I met and heard him speak, it was clear that Todd Stansbury was an empty suit biding his time til retirement. Probably brought his golf clubs, too. It's so great to have an AD really take charge to change the culture of management mediocrity.
I'm sorry. This article could have been pulled right from this message board. Mostly speculation with no substance. I agree that UCF needed a change and that Scott Frost and Danny White are big shifts in culture, but the article has no meat on it.
Just a stupid article. Who cares. Acts like the 0=12 was normal last few years, Ignores the fact we have been under the NCAA microscope, and sanctions. Not to say we were one of 6 bcs teams nationwide to win 30 games over 3 years. Yes I think Whit is doing some good things, but don't act like Stansbury was just collecting a check.
But compare the risky changes he's pursued and achieved vs. every other university prez in America. Without him, no way we get a med school, a downtown campus, an on-campus stadium, hi-tech projects in Osceola Co., enrollment growth from the Miami area, etc., etc. UCF would have stayed as a mediocre commuter school like FIU, FAU, and USF. And Orlando economic development would have what? Downtown arenas and nothing else.
Dr Hitt certainly transformed UCF from an almost "back-woods communter school" into a national institution today.
The next hire for UCF President might be the toughest/most important decision the Univ will make...as UCF will need someone who isn't afraid to dream big...as it was those dreams that helped Dr Hitt not be satisfied with the status quo.
It is the most important decision and could effect us for 10-20 yrs. Way more important than any coach. It drives everything else...including athletics. We're lucky that Hitt comes from a sports background. Not all educators at his level understand the intrinsics athletics teaches you about life.
loved it when he said this and I agree that UCF has a passionate core fanbase when you consider that we play in a low profile conference with several down seasons at the worst times that kills momentum. Considering the youth of the Program big picture & circumstances UCF has a good fanbase.
When Danny White gave an interview after his first 3 months in the job, he mentioned something very interesting. He compared the UCF fans and facilities to Ole Miss rather than Buffalo. The fact that an athletic director was no longer using that dreaded sleeping giant terminology. That UCF was close to the culture of SEC team rather than a MAC team. It was music to UCF fans ears.
When Danny White gave an interview after his first 3 months in the job, he mentioned something very interesting. He compared the UCF fans and facilities to Ole Miss rather than Buffalo. The fact that an athletic director was no longer using that dreaded sleeping giant terminology. That UCF was close to the culture of SEC team rather than a MAC team. It was music to UCF fans ears.
The cynic/realist in me anticipates another non-academic political hack like the ones hired by so many state universities. The powers that be love putting UCF in its place in the pecking order.
It seems that Orlando Mayor Buddy Dyer has sent out trial balloons for one such position, which I hope never occurs...but sadly, raising $$ and getting favors from the State Legislature/Governor is now almost if not more important vs dealing with day-to-day academic responsibilities of a State Univ.
Dr Hitt certainly was the right person to be in charge of UCF's transformation over the past 25 years...as he took advantage of then Gov Jeb Bush's decision to eliminate the State Board of Regents, who was solely in the back pocket of UF & FSU...which kept UCF "down" from almost the beginning.
A perfect hire would be someone with both private business and academic experience.
Agreed. All the more amazing that Prez Hitt did so much considering the major health problems he overcame early in his tenure. You recall how the Sentinel helped get Altman fired during hooker-gate, but insiders suspected it was because he was making reformist waves back when UCF was U Can't Finish. So the University needed a stable identity, and got a heck of a lot more!
A local pol like Dyer isn't in the cards. It will be hard to fight off the trend to appoint a departing Tallahassee name like Bondi (now that she's opted out of the gov. race) or term-limited Sen. head Andy Gardiner (a local) after his nemesis Gov. Scott leaves. Academics seem not to be essential as university presidents because Provosts basically run everything. Prez. Hitt is the hands-on visionary exception.
All this puppy love talk by players about being in love with football again is starting to get to me
hope we see some real results when the honeymoon is over...
hope we see some real results when the honeymoon is over...
The big question is how good were the past two years of recruits under GOL? All the fun in the world won't help if the talent is just so-so. For example, we went from tall, muscular, fast receivers to shorter or slower ones (or converted quarterbacks). The running backs were smaller, too, though they may fill out after a year in the weight room. We were the last team in the nation to get its first INTs -- even bad teams get interception by tips and bad throws. Our QBs had to hit every single receiver right on the hands because there was always a db draped all over him. And that was before the D entirely lost its confidence, but it looked good until then.All this puppy love talk by players about being in love with football again is starting to get to me
hope we see some real results when the honeymoon is over...
Think this is why the prudent wont go beyond predicting a 4 to 6 win season because our best talent may be the guys on the beginning and end of spectrum (Seniors and Freshmen). The seniors have to learn a new system to boot. I'm very glad I wont have to watch Key calling offensive plays and GOL's poor gamesmanship
He was very sharp when he first came in here but his control of game from sidelines took a dive at end.
He was very sharp when he first came in here but his control of game from sidelines took a dive at end.
I appreciate anyone that writes positive things about UCF, but please take a little time and proof read what you write. I'm absolutely the last person to correct another persons article, but this had so many misplaced words and other obvious errors that I even had a hard time ignoring them.
Are we sure Hitt doesn't have a clause in his contract that his former janitor at the university of Maine will take over when he retires? With a buyout for the janitor of course
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_Hitt
Didn't realize his contract was up this year. Does it end this summer?
Didn't realize his contract was up this year. Does it end this summer?
I'm still looking for a fat Hitt pic from when I attended (1997).
PLEASE someone post one. I want to relive those memories.
PLEASE someone post one. I want to relive those memories.
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