Athletic director Bob De Carolis reflects on the 2007-08 year

CORVALLIS - The year in Oregon State athletics was filled with several highs and some lows.

Progress was made in by most sports, led by the football team finishing third in the Pacific-10 Conference, winning the Civil War in Autzen Stadium and claiming its fourth bowl game in five years under coach Mike Riley.

The men's basketball team failed miserably, but got off to a new start with the firing of coach Jay John and hiring of Craig Robinson.

Several individuals made impacts such as Saori Haruguchi winning a national title for the swim team. She and wrestler Heinrich Barnes qualified for this year's Olympics for their countries of Japan and South Africa.

However, the spring sports struggled with the baseball and softball teams not making it into the postseason after long stretches of success.

Here's a look at the thoughts athletic director Bob De Carolis shared with the Corvallis Gazette-Times on how the year went, and what's expected in the future.

How would you describe the last year, good or bad?

"Well, probably a little bit of everything. We had some high watermarks - football was a big one. Some of our sports, we are making progress in. The teams that didn't make the postseason, there was signs of improvement and moving in the right direction. I don't see any programs retracting. Everybody is getting ready to knock on the door and get into that postseason frame of mind, so that's good.

"In the classroom, they are doing great. Fifty percent of our kids are 3.0 or better. We can't ask for much better than that. They continue to do a great job of community service and leadership. From the well-roundedness, they've done a great job.

"The new end zone is great. The Sports Performance Center is a great addition. All in all, things are going well. The Civil War series, we won that again for the third time in four years. There was some great success, but a lot of work to continue to do."

What was the highlight for you?

"There were a lot of nice things that happened. I don't know if I can say one thing. Gymnastics winning regionals here was huge, some of the baseball wins, Saori winning the national championship. The Cal (football) game down there, the Civil War game."

What the biggest disappointment?

"I'm disappointed the men's basketball program didn't do better. I know Jay John really worked at it. He's a good guy and put his heart and soul into it. It just didn't make it. But, we'll try to change that."

Is there any more expansion of Reser Stadium?

"Nothing is on the immediate horizon for the football stadium. Our goal there is on the selling of it. We have to fill that on a weekly basis in season tickets, individual game tickets and BASF donations. Football pays for pretty much for everything. That's a key cog in the wheel to support the other 16 sports. That has to happen."

Any idea why that hasn't happened?

"We haven't figured it out, yet. Certainly, the product is there. I don't know if we are doing a good enough job of articulating our message. If there are other factors involved such as if it is economic. We are trying to figure it out."

How are you trying to fill the stadium?

"Last year was the first time we did target marketing, and we are expanding that as far as direct mailing and advertising efforts. You have a good product on the field, but that has not translated in a sold out situation yet. We have to get there to sustain all of our programs."

What about fixing up Gill Coliseum?

"We will be doing something this summer to the exterior of Gill. The plan is to sandblast, seal and paint it a different color. I don't know how different. We are still playing around with that. There won't be any teal in the palate. Then change out the windows and doors to give it a new look. And hopefully, the following summer attack the hardscape and landscape around the building. It's a very functional building, but it's tired. It needs a tune-up."

What about the inside?

"In the late fall in the November, December timeframe, we'll do something with the basement as far as expanding the catacombs, training facilities and building a new locker room for women's basketball. Then we'll take the rest of the space and add infrastructure. We've added activity to the building, but not the infrastructure to support it. We'll change the media room; add a new equipment room and some washer and dryers - those kinds of things."

Is anything else being built?

"And then we have the fundraising for an academic center, a track, a boathouse and do something with the second phase of the Sports Performance Center."

So there's a men's track team coming?

"The facility is the first thing. There's a four-prone approach to the track program. Phase I is to get the track and get the synthetic turf so soccer can practice on it. The second phase is raise about $5 million for an endowment to bring back men's track. Phase III is to finish the amenities around the track - stands, parking, storage and hall of fame. Phase IV is a cross country course somewhere. We have to phase the program in as the money comes in. We kickstarted the campaign last October at the track reunion. We need $4 million for the track. That's where the efforts are now."

So what's the next step for the football program?

"You are in the tough conference. It can go down in a hurry. No. 1 is keeping stability in the program and be consistently competitive. It's very fragile, and that's what 85 scholarships does for you. I think from the marketing perspective, our fans want to know we have at least a 50-50 chance of winning. And if we take care of business at home, we should win that game because we have great crowd support. And then we go on the road and battle through it and beat somebody. The goal for any team is to win the conference title. It would be nice to go to a national championship, but so many things have to line up. The feasible goal for us is the Rose Bowl at some point. Sometimes you just need a special season."

Have you heard coach Mike Riley has been dropping hints about a Pac-10 title run?

"Now it's all his kids, being recruited by him. I think that's where he feels ownership. It takes a while to build a program with the foundation you need so you don't have those peaks and valleys. And that takes stability in your coaching staff and a way you do business. And that's why Mike feels that way. He has his program set."

What do you expect out of the men's basketball team now?

"I think the biggest thing we should be expecting is patience. Particularly next year, it's going to be a transition year with a brand new system. It's going to be patience on the kids' part on learning that system and how we are going to do business at Oregon State basketball. The coaches are going to have patience to take time to teach it, and the fans have to have patience for this thing to get traction. I would hope we would see a team that plays hard with a purpose. The basketball IQ in this community is high from past success, and they are going to know if you are getting it or not getting it real soon. In the short term it's going to be tough sledding. There's no two ways about it. And if the kids keep working hard, the fan base will appreciate that. As they get better perfecting that system and the recruiting kicks in, we'll advance and move forward. And if you do it right, it's going to take some time."

What's the state of the women's basketball team after three years with LaVonda Wagner?

"I think she's moving in the right direction. She going to have some kids who have gone through the process one or two years. She won't have to rely on freshman making an impact. Now that she has them in the system, I would expect some success from that program of seeing some postseason, if that be NCAA or WNIT. That would be my expectation, but they have to stay healthy. They are not deep. But on paper, they should make some noise."

Where do you see the wrestling program after two years with Jim Zalesky?

"He redshirted his whole freshman class. His M.O. is about toughness and working hard. He's getting those kids ready to compete at the collegiate level. They learned it last year, and now they have to learn it in battle. But there's a method to his madness, and it works. They will be young, but they'll be ready. Our program is in great shape with him, and the new (training) facility will help."

Gymnastics has been steady, but waiting for the big breakthrough. Do you just let them keep working at it?

"It all comes down to performing your best on one or two days. That's hard to have it all come together at that point and time. You just keep working at it. It's not like they don't have the experience, haven't been there or know what has to happen. They understand. Now it's a matter of getting it done at the right time. They've done a great job with that program, and I know their expectations are high going into next year."

It must be nice having two Olympians with swimmer Saori Haruguchi and wrestler Heinrich Barnes, and to know OSU is developing that kind of athlete?

"It will be great to watch them and see how they do. What a great experience for them - the travel and all that. It's one of the biggest stages you are going to be on as an athlete. Forget about winning anything, I can't image walking into that stadium. The opening ceremony will send shivers up your spine. That's going be awesome."

Are you upset with the progress of Goss Stadium expansion?

"We knew it was going to be a tough go. The contractor did everything within their power to get that thing done. Construction at that time of year is big-time dicey. Mother Nature didn't cooperate as much as we wanted her to do. Going into the next year, it will be done and we won't have to worry about it and it will be the best stadium in the conference."

Any more plans for something like the Georgia series at PGE Park?

"That's the plan, to do something like that every year. I know they have talked with some big-time schools for a home-and-home series. That's a good way to kickoff the baseball season. It will always be a challenge with the weather, but it's a great park and a great way to bring one of our events up to Portland. It is the biggest fan base area."

So did you book a cruise for coach Pat Casey so he doesn't quit?

"We were going to send him to Thrill-ville, but I heard they are closing. But really, we'll sit down with him and see what his plans are. It has been a tough three years. The baseball season is a grind anyway. And then you are recruiting in the summer, working with kids in the fall and at the same time raising $6 million for the stadium. He poured his heart and soul into that thing. He raised almost every dime. It has been a wear-and-tear on him. He needs to take time for himself, get away with his family. We'll have a talk about that."

How disappointing was it that softball did not making the postseason after 10 years?

"Softball was just young. And they played better in the Pac-10, which tells you they got better as it went on. But the competition got better. If they can have a winning (overall) record in the Pac-10, you get to the NCAAs. It would be incumbent of them to come out next year with a good start, and build up the nonconference record so it's not an issue if they stumble in conference."

Do you like where the rest of the spring sports are at?

"The crew teams have done a nice job. The last few years - particularly on the women's side - they've been on the bubble of getting in. They are working hard at it. And golf has been consistent on the men's side, and it comes down to the one weekend of putting it together. We haven't been able to do that yet. It's just experience. The women have their ups and downs, but (coach Rise Lakowske) has it going in the right direction. They just need to be more consistent."

And the women's track and cross country teams?

"(Coach) Kelly (Sullivan) is doing an amazing job. It has gone quick. This is his first graduating class. For the lack of facilities, he has done a nice job. They are a super group in the classroom. They were our only sport to get publicly recognized in their APR and GPA, being in the top 10 percent."

How's the overall program doing in the APR, and is it working? You must be thrilled you didn't get a scholarship penalty?

"Now that we are figuring out how to manage it, the coaches are doing a good job of staying on the good side of that. We didn't understand it at first, and then having penalties looming over your head was disconcerting. The intent was fine. We have to stay on top of it, and figure out how to minimize problems. If everyone is taking care of business in class and not transferring, we are in great shape. We have to keep kids focused on the academics and athletics. That's a high priority for us. (Associate athletic director for academics) Kate Halischak does a good job of that. The counselors are doing a great job supporting the teams and the coaches are supporting the councilors. That's what really important."

There were only two major incidents off the field this year. Is the code of conduct still working? Al Afalava was dealt with quickly in football, but Pat Casey took a lot of heat on the handling of the baseball players accidentally shooting someone's house and car.

"Here's the problem with the code of conduct, it jumps the gun. It presumes you are guilty. It's counter to how society works. Having said that, if you wait for the legal system to take its course you may never accomplish anything. You have to strike a balance with the information you have at the outset - something happened without all the facts, but it's inappropriate - we have to do something. But we have to learn a lesson from the Duke (lacrosse) case when people jumped the gun. And that's what scares me. If this thirst for discipline before we know the whole story may cause us to make a major mistake. The code isn't the best place to go. Hopefully, the way we've written it gives the coaches enough flexibility to do something, but not sit back and wait to see what happens in the legal system. You try to balance to keep people accountable and have due process in the legal system. It was never meant to be a legal system instrument.

"Is it working? There's a framework out there that tells kids if you embarrass this university, you pay the price. You are not a John Doe or Jane Doe anymore. You are in a fish bowl and with that comes accountability and responsibility."

So it's still in place?

"I have some concerns about it, that's for sure. To implement it black-and white, no. Every incident has its circumstances. But if you don't do anything people think you are sweeping it under the rug, or you just trying to win games. That's not the case here. But I cringe when we rush to judgment before we sentence someone without all the facts. I think we need to be cautious how we proceed."

With all that is going on that you are responsible for, how are you holding up?

"I'm still above the grass, so that's good."

But is this still fun?

"That's a great question. Some topics are fun, some are not. The fun part is watching the student-athlete come in here completely lost and watch them grow the next four or five years and become productive - whatever that means. Being a piece of that, that's the most gratifying."

But are you worn out?

"I would be less than honest if I said this isn't a tough job because of the resources you have to fight for to compete in this conference. Talk about wear-and-tear, that wears at you. It's a constant battle. No one else is standing still in the conference, just look down the street. It's no different for any other business. It's about competition and building a better mouse trap, all within the educational experience. We're trying to fight that battle with the smallest administrative staff in the conference. Our people do an unbelievable job. The success we've had and where we are at with the support of our donors, quite frankly is off the charts. When people come to Corvallis after 10 years away and take a look at what we've been able to do and see the success, they are amazed.

"The question is can we keep that going? It's going to take a sustained effort from that Beaver Nation group that we need to grow. We've been pretty stagnant with the total number of donors the last five years. The great news is they've doubled their contributions. But we need more people to join the family. That's the biggest challenge. That's something we are fighting for."