Chris Zorich New AD at Chicago State

“The main motivation for taking this job is that I see Chicago State as a hidden gem,” said Zorich. “I’m honored to become a part of the CSU family. I plan to bring together resources that I have found in places like the University of Notre Dame and help create a culture that will produce student-athletes who are encouraged to always do their best and to define success, not as much by whether they become professional athletes, but rather by a well-rounded ability to do well and be truly successful in life.”

That’s good! Looks like Chicago St basketball lives on for at least another year!

Another ND alumnus as an FBS athletic director.

He joins FSU AD Stan Wilcox, North Carolina AD Bubba Cunningham and Ohio State AD Gene Smith.

That's a clever hire for CSU.

Hope he succeeds in turning Chicago St around.
The WAC would surely appreciate it.

Let’s hope he isn’t also going to be the basketball coach too.

Posted this on the CSU sub-forum, but Ken Kavanagh was raving about this hire the minute it happened. Kavanagh was Bradley AD when they went to S16 beating Kansas and Pitt and then unraveled right after he left. Kavanagh then built upstart FGCU from the ground-up into the Sweet 16.

If references are predictors, this is about as good a hire as we could expect on the South Side. Dildy did have the Cougars alone in 4th his first year in the WAC. This program can succeed when it’s stable and has the right people like it did 4 years ago with Schumacher/Dildy.

Hire that lends immediate credibility all around, similar to Trev Alberts at Omaha. Pulling for CSU to stabilize institutionally and athletically.

It’s not even known if Chicago State gets extended on its WAC contract. Chicago St is likely the only DI school that has a limited life contract for full conference membership. This year could be the last in the WAC.

(05-03-2018 12:54 PM)NoDak Wrote:  It’s not even known if Chicago State gets extended on its WAC contract. Chicago St is likely the only DI school that has a limited life contract for full conference membership. This year could be the last in the WAC.

The WAC is not kicking Chicago State out:

http://wacsports.com/news/2018/5/1/gener...ector.aspx

Last year, the WAC Commissioner indicated in an interview that their membership was good. The WAC, just like the Summit, is not in a position to be kicking out members.

Exactly. Chicago St is safe for awhile.

(05-03-2018 11:01 AM)TerryD Wrote:  Another ND alumnus as an FBS athletic director.

He joins FSU AD Stan Wilcox, North Carolina AD Bubba Cunningham and Ohio State AD Gene Smith.

Allen Greene- Auburn

(05-03-2018 11:01 AM)TerryD Wrote:  Another ND alumnus as an FBS athletic director.

He joins FSU AD Stan Wilcox, North Carolina AD Bubba Cunningham and Ohio State AD Gene Smith.

The school doesn't have Football.

Well good luck. He'll need it.

For me the best measuring stick will be donations. Most successful D1 departments get >15% of their operating budgets from donations. Total Donations since 2012 are $625 (all donated in 2012). Chicago State operates on a $7M budget. While $1M a year would be great, I think for Chicago State even topping $150,000 would be a nice goal. Also doubling licensing/rights from $140,000 (basically the WAC rights, it was almost $0 before joining) to say $300,000 would be fair, and those two targets enough to justify his salary. Also actually selling some tickets to games would be good (2016 gate was $2,865 ... less than it costs to open the JCC for a single game).

(05-03-2018 04:22 PM)SoCalBobcat78 Wrote:  

(05-03-2018 12:54 PM)NoDak Wrote:  It’s not even known if Chicago State gets extended on its WAC contract. Chicago St is likely the only DI school that has a limited life contract for full conference membership. This year could be the last in the WAC.

The WAC is not kicking Chicago State out:

http://wacsports.com/news/2018/5/1/gener...ector.aspx

Last year, the WAC Commissioner indicated in an interview that their membership was good. The WAC, just like the Summit, is not in a position to be kicking out members.

Not even the worst of the worst.

(05-04-2018 01:19 AM)Stugray2 Wrote:  Total Donations since 2012 are $625 (all donated in 2012). Chicago State operates on a $7M budget.

I'm half a mind to start a collections plate at csnbbs for CSU. We could be their fat cat donor with access to Zorich and front row bball seats!

(05-03-2018 05:30 PM)DoubleRSU Wrote:  Exactly. Chicago St is safe for awhile.

The university isn't particularly safe, let alone the athletic program. They are still in a precarious situation.

(05-04-2018 08:19 AM)bullet Wrote:  

(05-03-2018 05:30 PM)DoubleRSU Wrote:  Exactly. Chicago St is safe for awhile.

The university isn't particularly safe, let alone the athletic program. They are still in a precarious situation.

Agreed. The school is in tremendous financial difficulty, has been embroiled in numerous institutional leadership controversies and has had extremely poor graduation numbers. The men's basketball job has been open since March 12th. They just went 3-29. In past four years, they have gone 21-107. The women's basketball program isn't much better - they had a 59-game D1 losing streak until they defeated Grand Valley.

(05-04-2018 08:49 AM)GoldenWarrior11 Wrote:  Agreed. The school is in tremendous financial difficulty, has been embroiled in numerous institutional leadership controversies and has had extremely poor graduation numbers. The men's basketball job has been open since March 12th. They just went 3-29. In past four years, they have gone 21-107. The women's basketball program isn't much better - they had a 59-game D1 losing streak until they defeated Grand Valley.

Grand Valley is DII. I think that you meant to say Utah Valley.

(05-03-2018 11:28 AM)MWC Tex Wrote:  Hope he succeeds in turning Chicago St around.
The WAC would surely appreciate it.

WAC ranked 15th last year. That was with a 1-29 Chicago State. Now Chicago St’s making moves.