Saw that the Associate AD of External Affairs position was posted. Does anyone know if Wally is leaving or taking another position with the Athletic Department?

ljax1979 said:

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Saw that the Associate AD of External Affairs position was posted. Does anyone know if Wally is leaving or taking another position with the Athletic Department?

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He is leaving

ServiceJack88 said:

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ljax1979 said:

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Saw that the Associate AD of External Affairs position was posted. Does anyone know if Wally is leaving or taking another position with the Athletic Department?

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He is leaving

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Bummer. I'm a big fan of Wally. I wonder if it's a case of "I didn't get the job" I deserved. Hard to say from my vantage point, but it feels like Wally was qualified from the standpoint of experience etc.

Wish him the best. I feel like he gave SFA a lot.

My biggest hangup with Wally is that his entire admin experience was under the tenure of one AD at one institution.

I don't think he'd have done badly, but I would have worried about the unknown unknowns he might have run into taking the role.

I hope the best for him though.

Good post, Tall Texan. I don't know Wally but it seemed like he had great ideas.

At some point I would like to see Ayo Taylor-Dixon as our AD. Alum, former athlete, high level D1 experience at a few schools. Jenny McGhee would be another great option.

ljax1979 said:

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Good post, Tall Texan. I don't know Wally but it seemed like he had great ideas.

At some point I would like to see Ayo Taylor-Dixon as our AD. Alum, former athlete, high level D1 experience at a few schools. Jenny McGhee would be another great option.

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I only had 2 interactions with Wally. Both were very satisfactory. Wally showed an excellent grasp of the metrics behind student attendance and student engagement/experience. I can't tell you how important that kind of information is , in our digital world. Where does Mike McBroom intend to take us? Idk, but hiring a "top shelf" D2 AD, is a good start. I think there's a genuine commitment to D1 athletics at SFA. Just what form will it take in the coming years.

Do we come to terms with our facilities shortcomings in baseball and pivot. To men's tennis or men's soccer. Either sport saves SFA some dinero Allows us to build in a niche sport.

ServiceJack88 said:

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Wally's last day at SFA was yesterday. He is now Sr. Associate Athletics Director for Championship Resources at Louisiana Tech. I wish him nothing but the best.

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Well deserved. Agree

A great start to The Michael McBroom Era at SFA 🪓#AxeEm x #RaiseTheAxe pic.twitter.com/S6nXrKzq2I

— SFA Athletics (@SFA_Athletics) May 15, 2024

Thanks to everyone who came out and welcomed Michael McBroom to SFA! 🪓#AxeEm x #RaiseTheAxe pic.twitter.com/1SLGtT2B95

— SFA Athletics (@SFA_Athletics) May 16, 2024

Michael McBroom talks about his core vision for SFA Athletics and what led him to choose Nacogdoches.#AxeEm x #RaiseTheAxe pic.twitter.com/4EYBl7xA70

— SFA Athletics (@SFA_Athletics) May 16, 2024

Quote:

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Jack Nation,

THANK YOU for the incredible welcome to SFA! From the first moment I stepped on campus, this has felt like home, almost like I've been here my entire life.

Why did I choose SFA? Most likely for the very same reasons you did! The People. The Place. The Possibilities.

I have been overwhelmed by the people of SFA and their pride and passion for the Lumberjacks! It's incredible! This is one of the most iconic institutions located in one of the most unique and iconic towns in all of Texas and the United States. When you combine special people in a special place with a common desire to excel and elevate SFA, dreams start to blossom into realities very quickly.

The tradition of SFA is rich. It's deep. It's generational. We must hold on dearly to all that makes this place so special. At the same time, we must move boldly and decisively into a new era of college athletics while honoring all that makes us iconic and unique. You have my promise that our traditions will remain
steadfast, but our motion will be forward and aggressive.

My pledge to you is that every single day, we will be grateful for the opportunity to represent this great institution and its people on the fields of competition. We will come to work with the mindset of getting better each and every day. We will do so with a commitment to excellence in all our endeavors.

We will play hard. We will fight. And we will win on the fields of play, in the classroom and in this community. Most importantly, we will do it the right way. Every student-athlete and coach will have an equal opportunity to compete for championships. Every fan will have an incredible experience attending our games, supporting our teams, and celebrating championships together.

Elevating all of our athletic teams and upgrading facilities are high priorities for me. I expect us to be the best in everything that we do. It will take ALL of us to reach our collective goal of becoming a championship athletic program that represents SFA in a manner that makes each of us proud.

Angie and I are the newest donors to SFA Athletics through the Purple Lights Fund. I ask that you consider joining us and show your support for the Lumberjacks with a gift of your own as we head into the 2024-25 season. In the coming months, I look forward to sharing more with you about our future plans and projects as we move boldly ahead.
Join the Purple Lights Fund
Purchase Season Tickets
Thank you again for the great honor to lead this storied program.
Thank you for your support!

Axe 'Em

Michael McBroom

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