In the months before formally succeeds Donna Shalala on Sept. 1, Frenk will formulate his plan for the future of UM athletics, its personnel and the resources the program needs. However, as one trustee colorfully put it: “He’s not going to be a guy who comes in and says, ‘That guy sucks, we’re getting rid of him.’” Unlike Shalala, who nearly installed close friend Barry Alvarez as football coach when she arrived at UM in 2001, Frenk isn’t not sports-oriented enough to make those calls.
Everybody has their own approach,” said Richard Fain “One of the things I think is very good is he didn’t come in thinking he had all the answers. He has a little time to learn, to talk to people. His track record shows he’s a pretty quick learner and a pretty aggressive implementer.”
Longtime UM trustee Paul DiMare, who has been a key figure in past coaching searches, said he wants to further impress that upon him.
“I think this person has a very open mind,” DiMare said. “I’d say we need to educate him how important sports are not only to the university but to the community. What people don’t realize is: it’s great to have a great football team and baseball team and everything else not only for the university, but for people who cheer for them in this area. This brings a community together. It’s had that great reputation over the years whether it’s football or baseball, even basketball, what we’ve been able to do in basketball the last few years. We’ve got to keep that going.
