Was Bill Byrne a Good Athletic Director?

[redfanusa]

Most sports enjoyed unparalleled success while he was at Nebraska.

However, I remember most fans hating him because, as "Dollar" Bill, he slaughtered a lot of sacred cows to drive up revenue for the department. He was the first to require seat licenses for football and basketball season ticket purchases, something my dad still hasn't forgiven. He allowed donation levels to drive seat location for new ticket-holders, eschewing the non-existent "waiting list" people hoped to eventually climb. He increased advertising within the facilities, and marketing without, leading to things like Pepsi bottle races, that damaged the gameday atmosphere. He also seemed obsessed with Olympic non-revenue sports in an elusive chase of the Director's Cup standings. Chasing Title IX compliance, he cut some men's programs while adding women's soccer, rifle, and bowling.

But...in retrospect, all of his changes are now standard practice around college athletics. Any program worth a darn now has seat licenses, replay screens pushing in-game advertising, apparel licensing deals, and more. Even FieldTurf, a common complaint from our opponents when installed in 1999, is found in most college stadiums now. Not many of his ideas were proven wrong.

He did the same thing at Texas A&M, though football was hampered for his first four years by the Dennis Franchione hire made without his input. The complaints from Aggie fans were similar, but so were the results. Lots of money, lots of improvements, success in Olympic sports, but...?

 

[headcard]

Yes

 

[redfanusa]

Yes

Would you change your answer if I told you Bill Byrne was not from Nebraska, but IDAHO?

 

[Harry Caray]

He was a good athletic director for non-revenue sports - especially baseball, where he hired Van Horn and had Haymarket Park built. But I felt like he let our football facilities slip and become outdated.

 

[Redd Webster]

Dude had to clean up for Devany and bring stuff up to snuff.

 

[Phillipe]

Most sports enjoyed unparalleled success while he was at Nebraska.

However, I remember most fans hating him because, as "Dollar" Bill, he slaughtered a lot of sacred cows to drive up revenue for the department. He was the first to require seat licenses for football and basketball season ticket purchases, something my dad still hasn't forgiven. He allowed donation levels to drive seat location for new ticket-holders, eschewing the non-existent "waiting list" people hoped to eventually climb. He increased advertising within the facilities, and marketing without, leading to things like Pepsi bottle races, that damaged the gameday atmosphere. He also seemed obsessed with Olympic non-revenue sports in an elusive chase of the Director's Cup standings. Chasing Title IX compliance, he cut some men's programs while adding women's soccer, rifle, and bowling.

But...in retrospect, all of his changes are now standard practice around college athletics. Any program worth a darn now has seat licenses, replay screens pushing in-game advertising, apparel licensing deals, and more. Even FieldTurf, a common complaint from our opponents when installed in 1999, is found in most college stadiums now. Not many of his ideas were proven wrong.

He did the same thing at Texas A&M, though football was hampered for his first four years by the Dennis Franchione hire made without his input. The complaints from Aggie fans were similar, but so were the results. Lots of money, lots of improvements, success in Olympic sports, but...?

Would TO have retired if Byrne wasn't the AD ?

 

[headcard]

Would you change your answer if I told you Bill Byrne was not from Nebraska, but IDAHO?

What? You're telling me, I might not even know his pa?

 

[chipotlehusker]

Also he came to the regional bb tournament in Austin "looking" for a new basketball coach.
His target was Bill Self. Met him and found him to be a nice guy. Problem with being a visionary is
that most people don't get it early....

 

[redfanusa]

Bill Byrne was blamed for the decline of football, but Frank Solich was not his preferred candidate to replace Tom Osborne. Who knows if Mack Brown would have accepted the job at Nebraska, or if he would have had any success.

I will say this: Bill Byrne was always visible at sporting events, for all sports, not just football, and he was always ready to stop and talk with fans about their concerns. Compare that to both Steve Pederson and Shawn Eichorst, who spent more time hiding under their desks than talking to fans.

When Kellen Huston punched the Missou fan on the field after the loss in Columbia, Missouri, I contacted the athletic department. The incident happened right in front of my group, and I personally saw it happen. Bill Byrne called me personally to talk about it. He asked questions, he listened to what I had to say, and thanked me for my time.

Bill Byrne wasn't perfect, but I know that I'd like take an AD like him, with the vision and the accessibility, over a Nebraska native like Steve Pederson. At the executive level, it is much more important to have vision, leadership, and confidence than having a lifelong following of the team. Just my $0.02, of course.

 

[rchrisreade]

It amazes me that at times he was viewed as an outsider when he was there. Look at the legacy he left at Oregon (including being able to work under Myles Brand), look at the legacy he left at Nebraska (our only titles were while he was in charge) and the legacy he left at Texas A&M. The question is who is the better AD: Bill or Greg Byrne, because I would take either one of them today in a heartbeat.

 

[Phillipe]

It amazes me that at times he was viewed as an outsider when he was there. Look at the legacy he left at Oregon (including being able to work under Myles Brand), look at the legacy he left at Nebraska (our only titles were while he was in charge) and the legacy he left at Texas A&M. The question is who is the better AD: Bill or Greg Byrne, because I would take either one of them today in a heartbeat.

You are giving Byrne credit for all five national championships even though he hired none of those coaches ?