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<P>A successful athletic department has to do four things: It has to win, educate its student athletes, pay its bills and abide by the rules. Today: Winning--competitive success.
<P>In talking about competitive success we have to start with two premises: (1) Everybody wants to win all the time, and (2) Nobody wins all the time.
<P>What, then, is an acceptable level of competitive success for the Auburn Athletic Department?
<P>Defining acceptable levels of competitive success is an exercise in subjectivity. In football, for example, no season is considered a success without a season-ending victory over Alabama. In basketball the Alabama games are important, but getting to and making a good showing in the NCAA tournament is considered the true measure of a successful season. In certain Olympic sports, SEC and NCAA championship results are the only measures of success.
<P>The Athletic Department's strategic plan, its road map and guideway to the future, defines competitive success thusly: "Auburn's intercollegiate athletic teams should compete for, and win, championships at a rate and level comparative to other institutions in the upper echelons of the SEC which is recognized as one of the nation's most competitive, most successful conferences."
<P>That is our goal in this and every year: to compete for and win championships at a rate and level comparable to the best programs in the SEC. We may not win them all, but we want to, and intend to, win our share. How do we propose to do that?
<P>Auburn has always believed in the human touch and the worth of the individual. Success at Auburn begins with people, people who make up teams, people who coach teams, and people who provide administrative, professional and technical support to those who coach and play.
<P>We will endeavor to recruit only the highest quality athlete in terms of ability and character, young men and women who will be an asset to Auburn as students, as athletes, and as alumni. While our primary recruiting area will continue to be the Southeastern United States, in particular the states of Alabama, Georgia, and Florida, coaches will be allowed and encouraged to recruit nationwide in their efforts to build and enhance Auburn's image as a national program.
<P>We will continue to hire the best and highest quality coaches, administrators, and support personnel available in terms of ability, and professional and personal integrity. We will compensate those coaches, administrators and support personnel in a manner comparable to other SEC institutions as measured by SEC salary surveys and SEC averages. Departmental employees not included in SEC salary surveys will be compensated at a rate equal to other University employees having the same or similar responsibilities.
<P>Auburn can not expect championship performance for average or below average compensation. Competitive success (winning) has to matter, and it will matter, just as graduation rates, compliance and fiscal responsibility will matter in determining the length and financial rewards in coaching contracts. Similar criteria will be used to evaluate administrative and staff performance and compensation.
<P>Auburn coaches and players deserve the best support services available. These include, but are not limited to, academic counseling, medical care and treatment, equipment, facilities, fields and grounds, Media Relations, Marketing and Promotion support and, where appropriate, dietary and dormitory support. All of these areas must be incorporated into an effective, cohesive effort to give our coaches their best chance to bring quality student athletes to Auburn and to give those quality athletes Ð and Auburn Ð their best chance at winning championships.
<P>Because football and basketball generate the financing needed to operate the entire athletics program, it is only natural that the competitiveness of these sports be of primary concern. Successful football and basketball programs are not a matter of choice. To a program such as Auburn, it is a matter of survival. This does not mean, however, that other sports will be denied financial resources they need to be successful competitively.
<P>So, what is competitive success at Auburn?
<P>It's winning championships on the state, regional and national levels.
<P>In that order.
<P>In Two Weeks: Educating Your Student Athletes


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<P ALIGN=CENTER><I>&copy; 1999 Auburn Network, Inc.</I></P>

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	<TITLE>David Housel Column</TITLE>

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	<TABLE border=0 cellspacing=0 cellpadding=0 width=450><td>
	<H1 ALIGN=CENTER> <IMG ALT="Housel's Desk " ALIGN =CENTER WIDTH=434 HEIGHT=102 BORDER=2 SRC="../pic/housldsk.jpg"> </H1>
	<BR><BR>

	<P>A successful athletic department has to do four things: It has to win, educate its student athletes, pay its bills and abide by the rules. Today: Winning--competitive success.
	<P>In talking about competitive success we have to start with two premises: (1) Everybody wants to win all the time, and (2) Nobody wins all the time.
	<P>What, then, is an acceptable level of competitive success for the Auburn Athletic Department?
	<P>Defining acceptable levels of competitive success is an exercise in subjectivity. In football, for example, no season is considered a success without a season-ending victory over Alabama. In basketball the Alabama games are important, but getting to and making a good showing in the NCAA tournament is considered the true measure of a successful season. In certain Olympic sports, SEC and NCAA championship results are the only measures of success.
	<P>The Athletic Department's strategic plan, its road map and guideway to the future, defines competitive success thusly: "Auburn's intercollegiate athletic teams should compete for, and win, championships at a rate and level comparative to other institutions in the upper echelons of the SEC which is recognized as one of the nation's most competitive, most successful conferences."
	<P>That is our goal in this and every year: to compete for and win championships at a rate and level comparable to the best programs in the SEC. We may not win them all, but we want to, and intend to, win our share. How do we propose to do that?
	<P>Auburn has always believed in the human touch and the worth of the individual. Success at Auburn begins with people, people who make up teams, people who coach teams, and people who provide administrative, professional and technical support to those who coach and play.
	<P>We will endeavor to recruit only the highest quality athlete in terms of ability and character, young men and women who will be an asset to Auburn as students, as athletes, and as alumni. While our primary recruiting area will continue to be the Southeastern United States, in particular the states of Alabama, Georgia, and Florida, coaches will be allowed and encouraged to recruit nationwide in their efforts to build and enhance Auburn's image as a national program.
	<P>We will continue to hire the best and highest quality coaches, administrators, and support personnel available in terms of ability, and professional and personal integrity. We will compensate those coaches, administrators and support personnel in a manner comparable to other SEC institutions as measured by SEC salary surveys and SEC averages. Departmental employees not included in SEC salary surveys will be compensated at a rate equal to other University employees having the same or similar responsibilities.
	<P>Auburn can not expect championship performance for average or below average compensation. Competitive success (winning) has to matter, and it will matter, just as graduation rates, compliance and fiscal responsibility will matter in determining the length and financial rewards in coaching contracts. Similar criteria will be used to evaluate administrative and staff performance and compensation.
	<P>Auburn coaches and players deserve the best support services available. These include, but are not limited to, academic counseling, medical care and treatment, equipment, facilities, fields and grounds, Media Relations, Marketing and Promotion support and, where appropriate, dietary and dormitory support. All of these areas must be incorporated into an effective, cohesive effort to give our coaches their best chance to bring quality student athletes to Auburn and to give those quality athletes Ð and Auburn Ð their best chance at winning championships.
	<P>Because football and basketball generate the financing needed to operate the entire athletics program, it is only natural that the competitiveness of these sports be of primary concern. Successful football and basketball programs are not a matter of choice. To a program such as Auburn, it is a matter of survival. This does not mean, however, that other sports will be denied financial resources they need to be successful competitively.
	<P>So, what is competitive success at Auburn?
	<P>It's winning championships on the state, regional and national levels.
	<P>In that order.
	<P>In Two Weeks: Educating Your Student Athletes


	<CENTER><P><A HREF="main.html" target="_top">TABLE OF CONTENTS</A> \| <A HREF="../main_afi.html" target="_top">PROGRAM
	INDEX</A> \| <A HREF="http://www.aunetwork.com" target="_top">HOME</A></P></CENTER>

	<P ALIGN=CENTER><I>© 1999 Auburn Network, Inc.</I></P>

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