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The University of Maine Athletic Department heads into the 2002-2003 season looking to build off of last year’s success.
Yet, despite the recent success of many Black Bear programs, the Athletic Department has undergone some changes heading into the year.
However, the changes are not on the sidelines but are rathe in the administrative department.
Perhaps the biggest change is at the top of the Athletic Department where Paul Bubb replaces Suzanne Tyler, who resigned last spring for personal reasons, as Athletics Director.
The move to athletics director is a step up for Bubb, who served as senior associate assistant athletics director since November 2001.
As athletics director, Bubb looks to continue the success of recent years. Bubb believes his role will be, “to make sure that we have the resources and the financial resources in place to allow our coaches to do their jobs.”
He will be dealing with the resources of scholarships and operating dollars. In addition to taking care of the needed resources, Bubb, “has to make sure the athletic department is following NCAA rules.”
Since coming on board earlier this year, Bubb has had to fill personnel vacancies. Bubb said, “If I were a coach, I’d be pretty happy with the people we have in place.”
Another new face in the Athletics Department is that of Rick Sanders who takes over as the interim assistant athletics director for external affairs.
Dealing with external affairs, Sanders will be responsible for the revenue that the Athletics Department generates outside of ticket sales.
He moved to Maine in the summer of 2001 and comes to his new post from the private sector.
Having been self-employed with a marketing firm. Sanders brings a vast experience in sports, both collegiate and professional, to Maine.
He was the director of marketing at Montana State University. He was also the president and commissioner of the America West Hockey League.
At UMaine, Sanders hopes to build off success the sports teams had in the 2001-2002 season.
“We want to present the facts [the success that the teams have had] to the public. We want to make sure that everybody around here knows what a special place this is,” Sanders said.
Sanders went on to say that his long-term goal is “to have a completely self-sufficient department that’s able to live within its means , with teams that are challenging for conference championships and NCAA berths every year. A situation where we are in the process of having all the facilities we need to provide a great Division I athletic program with 19 sports, with no reduction in sports.”
Yet another change is at the position of Director of Athletic Development, where Joe Roberts, who had previously been the sports information director, took over.
As Director of Athletic Development, Roberts is primilary in charge of overseeing the Black Bear Club, and working with the Friends of Maine sports groups.
Roberts said his goal will be “to continue to try to make the community aware of the success Maine sports teams have been having.”
According to Roberts, one change the Athletic Department will do this year is “try marketing toward students. In past years, we have dealt with paying customers more, as students get passes into the games, but students add to the atmosphere.” Despite the 1600 students at Saturday’s football opener, Roberts said he would have liked to have more.
The final piece in the Athletics Department’s face lift is at the position of Director of Athletic Marketing and Promotions.
Shaun Russell, a graduate of the University of Maine, takes over after doing marketing work for the Portland Sea Dogs. Russell’s main job is to sell tickets, but he would like to get more students and members of the community into the stadium.
Russell may have an uphill battle ahead of him as Maine is one of the smallest markets in the Atlantic 10 and America East. Despite the smaller crowds compared to other conference venues, Russell said, “It’s all relative because we are in a smaller market.”
In addition to the attendance disparity between Maine and other schools, Russell also has to work on the disparity between sports.
“In the winter, hockey is the thing to do. The challenge is to get basketball up there with hockey as the thing to do,” Russell said.
Although it’s still early in the fall sports season, both Roberts and Russell agree that Saturday’s football game was a great stepping stone to the rest of the season.
