Blame the ISU administration if you want to pinpoint our constant struggles in athletics. It’s no secret that ISU President Gregory Geoffroy does not make athletics a priority at Iowa State. The thing the administration fails to look at is that athletics is one of the best investments that can be made within the university. Going to postseason play means big payouts (depending on the bowl or event, of course). Likewise, fans are more likely going to pack the stands at athletic events if there’s a competitive and fun-to-watch team on the field/court/etc. Winning cures a lot of things and returns money to the ISU budget if the cards are played right.

So why do we have a lame-duck athletic director on a “year-to-year” contract basis who basically settled when he hired Wayne Morgan after being turned down by four higher qualified and successful head coaches? It goes back to the administration: Athletic Director Bruce Van De Velde is merely a puppet who has done nothing but make cuts and alienate fans and students with his poor decisions. Until the administration fires him and hires a qualified athletic director, giving him or her the power to clean up Van De Velde’s mess, we’ll have to settle for mediocrity.

Time and time again Van De Velde has mishandled fragile situations where more professional handling and exploration for alternative solutions may have ended without upsetting Cyclone Nation.

I think Morgan is a great recruiter and a great person, but he does not have what it takes to be a head coach in a major Division I conference. Unfortunately, until we get rid of our athletic director first, no one better will probably want the job if they have to work for Bruce.

Travis Simpson

Alumnus

Des Moines