I would also add this.
Too many porsters think that the "stated job description" of an AD is all that the job entails. They overlook the fact that the MOST effective ADs actually know how to work all the levers of power within a University, whether that is fighting for resources within the school or convincing external donors to give millions.
I like Gino a lot, and I am not saying he is the ONLY candidate or the BEST candidate, but he would certainly, on Day 1, be the most effective hire in one regard, which is being able to navigate within the UM community to get resources and engagement at all levels. There might also be a highly-experienced candidate, such as Tom Jurich, who would command a lot of respect by virtue of his past accomplishments. But other "up-and-comer" candidates like Purinton would need a few years to master the relationships and power channels that would come more quickly for a guy like Gino.
Again, that is not a blanket endorsement, it is just an acknowledgement that a lot of "Gino critics" are overlooking some very important attributes that an AD needs to be most successful.
I'd be willing to bet that most porsters don't even know what Iron Arrow is at UM (and, ****, most of the guys on the LeBatard podcast didn't know either). Iron Arrow runs UM. Gino is in Iron Arrow.
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