Siena Athletics

Siena Athletics 2012-13 Annual Report

Issue link: http://catalog.e-digitaleditions.com/i/149133

Contents of this Issue

Navigation

Page 1 of 11

PATSOS ERA SET TO BEGIN Dear Friends, "There is nothing permanent except change." A poster with that saying has hung in my office for the last 30 years. I picked it up while touring Mount St. Helen's shortly after its major eruption in 1980. Some people don't like change. Others grow impatient and simply want change for change's sake. Identifying the right time to make a change depends on your plans and priorities. There has been plenty of change in Siena athletics the past 14 months. We've hired new head coaches in our flagship sports of men's and women's basketball. Ali Jaques and Jimmy Patsos are proven recruiters, motivators and strategists, and they're eager and capable of returning the luster to Siena basketball. A change we made two years ago by enhancing our academic services area is starting to show its value. The numbers of student athletes taking on summer internships, attending conferences, and earning external scholarships has increased. This summer, men's basketball (Montreal) and men's 2 and women's golf (Scotland) will make foreign trips that will include an educational component in addition to competition. The future of Siena's men's basketball program now rests in the inimitable hands of Jimmy Patsos. The Saints' new leader laughed and cried during an animated April 3 press conference and pep rally as he formally assumed control of the job he admired throughout his transformative career at Loyola. "I was jealous for nine years," Patsos said. "I always really wanted to coach here. It starts with the fans and the players. In two days, I could feel why (Siena) wins so much: you're all in." "I have the utmost respect for him as a tactician and recruiter. His integrity is impeccable and he's going to do a great job at Siena." John Calipari, Head Coach, University of Kentucky "You are getting a coach who really cares about the players involved in the program and the community in general. Jimmy knows how to get things up and running in a very positive way and does it the right way." Gary Williams, Former Head Coach, University of Maryland "He's passionate, intense and knows the game as well as anyone. If anyone is going to take Siena to the next level, it's Jimmy." Brian Cashman, General Manager and Senior Vice President, New York Yankees "Pay attention when he speaks, he always has something to say. It's a different The press proclaimed "Siena message from other coaches, but you always learn something when he talks." basketball just got a lot more Scott Van Pelt, ESPN Personality interesting," and Patsos' introductory tour included dynamic national radio appearances and popular meet-and-greets up and down the East coast. "It became clear that he was more than just a personality, more than just a recruiter," director of athletics John D'Argenio said. "I talked to many coaches, and they all told me his teams all play hard, they execute as well as anyone in the MAAC, they screen as well anyone in the MAAC and his student athletes love to play for him." We created our Fan Relations office two years ago to provide a positive change to the experience fans have when buying tickets and attending our games. The staff met our goal by renewing 90 percent of men's basketball season tickets this year. Patsos turned Loyola from a one-win laughingstock to a perennial MAAC Championship contender during his nine years in Baltimore. The Greyhounds went 47-21 in his final two seasons, winning the MAAC Championship and advancing to the NCAAs for the first time in 18 years in 2012. We need to continue to make changes to our department to make sure we provide excellent services to student athletes, coaches and fans. Our coaches need to take advantage of these changes by committing to develop student athletes and teams that make us proud on and off the field. Patsos' teams reflect his personality. They play with intense passion, fearless pace and refreshing unpredictability. To paraphrase another quote, "If we aren't changing we are standing still, and if we are standing still we're moving backwards." "I just want to run, press and score," Patsos said. "I like 'first-team-to-80-wins,' and there are going to be some bumps in the road when you play like that. But that's OK. My mother kept telling me to get on the merry-go-round, and I got on the rollercoaster every time." Thanks for being a part of Siena athletics and providing resources to help us change. Go Saints! John D'Argenio, Director of Athletics On the Cover: Siena's 2012-13 Senior CLASS Award candidates. See page 3.

Articles in this issue

view archives of Siena Athletics - Siena Athletics 2012-13 Annual Report