Fort Collins – The doubling of the new men’s basketball coach’s salary from the previous staff and sweeping changes within the athletic department’s administrative offices indicate a new emphasis on spending is on the way for Colorado State.
“Our athletic budget is too low to be fully competitive. We lack the facilities we need to be fully competitive,” CSU president Larry Penley said, citing the need for improved weight room, academic and indoor practice facilities. “The board of governors and I have talked. We are examining various sources of revenue and we fully intend to move ahead.”
CSU football coach Sonny Lubick has howled about underfunding most of his 15 years there. The only improvements came from benefactor Pat Stryker for the stadium and practice field and former player Joey Porter for the locker room.
When CSU’s board of governors revealed its “stretch goals” for BCS bowl participation and regular NCAA men’s basketball tournament appearances, Penley listened.
Penley also has been listening to his handpicked, first-year athletic director Paul Kowalczyk.
Neither will say where the money is coming from to beef up the men’s basketball budget, a distant last in most Mountain West categories.
“My position is you have to invest in the program. Investing means you have to spend money to make money,” Kowalczyk said. “The question isn’t whether we have the sources of revenue to afford to do it. It’s that we can’t afford not to do it.”
Of six vacancies in the athletic department, three positions will be assigned to marketing and development. Three jobs are being created for marketing and licensing, events coordination and fundraising.
Kowalczyk said the department has been taken for granted for too long on campus and in the city.
“I think that’s part of a defeatist attitude within the department,” he said. “We need to change our culture. … We need an injection of a new and positive attitude.”
He said coaches and student- athletes need more administrative support and fans need a more customer-service oriented department.
“I’ve come in, I’ve taken a look at what I think is a program that has been underachieving. I really believe we need to change the culture here, both within the department and on campus, and frankly, within the city.”
Natalie Meisler can be reached at 303-954-1295 or nmeisler@denverpost.com.
