Talking New AD Blake James with Locked on Canes Host Alex Donno
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Today we are joined by Locked on Canes host Alex Donno to talk about new Boston College AD Blake James. Make sure to check out his podcast wherever you get your podcasts or on Youtube. You can also follow him on Twitter @AlexDonno
BC Bulletin: Blake James came into a pretty tough situation at Miami after the Nevin Shapiro scandal fall out. What were his expectations when he was hired, and how did he navigate some of the sanctions and challenges that came to the Hurricanes?
Alex Donno: The fan expectations were not very high at the moment he was named AD, as it was a troubling time for Miami athletics. The Hurricanes were in the midst of evolving sanctions for the football program and the tenures of his predecessors Kirby Hocutt and Shawn Eichorst, who he replaced were uneventful. When Eichorst bolted, James was already on staff running ticketing and development and served as interim AD during the search. I didn’t get the sense that Miami ran a very serious or ambitious search before ultimately promoting Blake to the AD job in earnest.
He navigated the sanctions as well as can be expected. Miami, under James’ and then-president Donna Shalala’s leadership, fought hard in legal battles with Shapiro’s lawyers and the NCAA to try and get fast resolutions to the sanctions. In the meantime, Miami behaved responsibly in limiting their scholarships and self-imposing a bowl ban to show institutional control.
BC Bulletin: Football is obviously king everywhere, can you talk a little about his development of that program, and where he succeeded and fell short?
Donno: Lack of development and ambition for the football program is ultimately where James fell short of the mark at Miami. He did well in hiring Mark Richt in 2016 but replacing Richt when he abruptly resigned after the 2018 season was a mess. Defensive coordinator Manny Diaz had departed just weeks earlier to become the head coach at Temple. Rather than opening up a full search to replace Richt, James acted quickly, and reportedly behind the backs of the board of trustees to bring Diaz back from Temple to become Miami’s head coach. Miami had to pay a multi-million dollar buyout to Temple just to bring back their own defensive coordinator. Diaz ultimately failed as Miami head coach and that surely had a lot to do with James’ termination.
BB: Fundraising is a big part of the AD job, how was James in terms of developing donors and building new facilities on campus.
Donno: Certain things with football did work under James. Miami improved their facilities under his watch including the construction and fundraising of an indoor practice facility. Ticket sales went up despite mixed results on the field. These parts of the athletic director job are his strength. He’s very organized and experienced at raising funds.
BB: Hurricanes fans have been overwhelmingly negative about his tenure, what led to such a fallout?
Donno: Hurricanes fans associate James with some of the worst times in the history of Miami football. In reality, we can’t blame him 100% for anything. Before former president Shalala stepped away, she didn’t prioritize football for investments, focusing more on the medical school and general academics. It’s fair to say that James likely had to deal with tons of red tape from the administration, but wasn’t seen as someone who fought very hard to get through the red tape. He is perceived by some as a bit of a “yes man” who wants to please everyone but not rattle any cages to get things done. He’s viewed as someone who lacks the ambition to think big when it comes to competing for championships.
BB: Final question, James clearly didn't work out at Miami, does have any traits that you think could make him successful elsewhere.
Donno: James is easy to get along with, organized, and aggressive when it comes to raising funds and selling tickets. He’s likely to get along well with university administrators and accomplish academic and fundraising goals. However, if Boston College wants to be very ambitious in improving the quality of the football team on the field, he hasn’t yet proven to be dynamic in this area.