University of San Francisco Athletics

When he was hired as USF's Director of Athletics in May of 2011, Scott Sidwell envisioned a broad-based athletic program anchored by the department's Four Pillars of Success -- excel in the classroom, win at the highest levels of competition, engage in the community and become leaders in the world. Four years later, developing programs of national distinction, graduating students with meaningful degrees, maximizing potential revenue streams and upgrading aging athletic facilities remain vital benchmarks of success for USF's intercollegiate athletic program.
 
While the success of USF's two most high-profile sports – men's and women's basketball – were tabbed as being central to the success of realizing this vision, Sidwell also raised the competitive bar and expectations for 13 other programs to compete annually for conference championships, be perennial postseason participants and eventually win a national championship and a WCC Commissioner's Cup.
 
Under his leadership, USF student-athletes combined for an all-time high grade point average of 3.3 while teams such as women's golf and women's track and field boast collective grade point averages which rank among the top-10 in the country among their respective sports. Two Dons – Bradley Zimmer (baseball) and Jana Soethout (track) -- earned All-America honors in 2013-14 and most recently, men's tennis duo of Bernardo Saraiva and Nils Skajaa won an ITA Championship.
 
Various business units within the athletic department – academic counseling, compliance, finance, communications, marketing, community relations and sports performance – have been significantly strengthened over a four-year period.
 
As far as USF's athletic program has come over the last four years, its most transformative years still lie ahead with the launch of a capital campaign focused on facility upgrades.
 
USFDons.com recently caught up with USF's director of athletics to get his thoughts on the overall state of the Dons' athletic program and his plans to successfully meet the significant challenges facing USF in the rapidly changing world of intercollegiate athletics.
 
How would you describe the state of USF Athletics right now?
I think we are poised for sustainable success for a long period of time. You look at how we build the foundation of success based on our Four Pillars and we are seeing consistent results on a high level. We've had all-time highs in grade point averages for our students who represent our institution in NCAA Division I athletics and our APRs (Academic Progress Rating) are solid and steady. We tied for fourth this season in the Commissioner's Cup and had a chance to place in the top three but didn't finish as strong as we needed to.
 
Our goal is to win the Commissioner's Cup. We need all of our programs competing at a high level with a chance to win a conference championship each and every year and participate in postseason play. That's the focus of our athletic department. When we have the opportunities to enhance our programs, we are going to do it. We are going to take a look at how we are scheduling across the board in order to create more opportunities for our teams to earn at-large bids in the upcoming years.
 
We need to continue to be aggressive and raise expectations around winning. We've had some highs but have also experienced some lows. We are in a position right now where we feel those lows will be the exceptions and not the rule.
 
The structure and culture of our department is strong enough to support these goals. Our business model is solid and we continue to build strong relationships within the community as evident with our work with San Francisco RBI, Harper for Kids, St. Vincent de Paul and the St. Anthony Foundation. Our student-athletes are much more engaged and embrace the values of the University.
 
Now that you've been in your position for four years, what are some of the things you are most proud of?
One thing I'm most proud of is we are executing on our Four Pillars of Success – excel in the classroom, win at the highest level, engage in the community and become leaders in the world. We have 50 athletes in the athletic department who I meet with on a regular basis and we talk about their concerns and how we can get better. We take them through some leadership exercises and I can't think of anything I can do better with my time than engage with our students who are athletes to help them be better students, athletes, people and leaders.
 
I am really excited about our future. We have a lot to look forward to. We've got a significant capital campaign that is ready to commence. We're off and running. It's an exciting time for our department.
 
I'm also proud of the culture shift I've seen within our department. We made some significant changes in many areas then went about the business of building out our platforms for success. We established the Dons Fund, which gives people the opportunity to give to their desired area of need. There was a process we went through in rebuilding a lot of our business units within our department which has made us stronger and more efficient. We've adopted the mindset of going from "good to great" which we've seen in some but not all of our areas.
 
We've also had many programs, cross country and track and field, for example, achieve personal bests. Our basketball programs have participated in the NIT each of the last two seasons and baseball has made two regionals in the last five years. Our tennis programs are starting to rise to a national level.
 
We've seen a shift to where we believe our athletic department can become a national power and consistently compete in the postseason. I want people to look at our program and say they do it the right way. Our students are doing great in the classroom and we compete athletically on a high level. That's the culture I wanted and am now seeing evolve.
 
What was your assessment on the recently concluded athletic year?
I thought we did a lot of things really well and in some cases we did things great. Bernado (Saraiva) and Nils (Skajaa) winning an ITA championship was huge. Our women's basketball team played in the championship game of the WCC Tournament and earned a WNIT berth. I constantly ask myself if we are moving in the right direction or not. We are in a very strong place academically and now it comes down to what we need to do to give our teams the best opportunity to win.
 
That's the next evolution for us. Up until the last month of the season, we were in a position to finish second or third in the Commissioner's Cup but we just didn't finish strong enough. That happens. We had some programs this past year that didn't compete at the high level we thought they would but we were still in position to have a successful year.
 
The women's basketball program showed marked improvement this year under Jennifer Azzi. Comment on the job Jennifer is doing and the next step for that program.
First and foremost, Jennifer has done a nice job in building a structure for her program to sustain success. They are building depth within their program and from a talent level are competing on a much higher level. Jennifer is a tremendous representative of USF, in the community and within women's basketball circles. We are lucky to have her. I think we'll continue to see success from that program. Our expectations are to go to the NCAA Tournament and win. She is at the doorstep and I think she'll have the opportunity to breakthrough very soon.
 
Eddie Soto did a tremendous job in his first season as head coach of men's soccer program. Do you feel the men's soccer program is close to becoming regular NCAA Tournament participants again?
Men's soccer is our most storied program with six national championships. It is a program that has had a lot of success over the years. Eddie Soto comes in and says we are going to play a little different style and breaths some new energy into the program. They beat two top-25 teams and go down to the final weekend with a chance to win a conference championship. That's not going away. That's the position we want all of our teams to be in each and every year.
 
We should be a national power in soccer. We have been before and it's time to get back into that arena and play deep into the postseason. Can we win national championship in men's soccer? I think we can. We have the resources and a plan for a significant stadium upgrade in the years ahead. That's how we need to think.
 
Let's shift to men's basketball. USF has made just one NCAA Tournament appearance in 30 years. Is it realistic to think USF can become a title contender in the WCC and a regular NCAA Tournament participant?
I think it is. We talk each and every day about how can we put ourselves in position to win a conference championship. Two years ago, we had our best season in 30 years in terms of wins and went to the NIT. We were all disappointed when we weren't able to sustain that success this past year. We have to build ourselves into a position to sustain success.
 
There is not a day I don't walk into this office and don't think we can compete on a high level in men's basketball. We're just two years away from a top three finish in the league. We have to provide better resources and take a look at our recruiting model. Rex (Walters) has done a good job in the seven years he has been here in getting the program into a stable position in some of the metrics we value. When he started, there was an 880 APR and we were docked scholarships. There were a lot of issues within the program. A few short years later, that has stabilized and now we are up to a 960 APR and climbing.
 
We're shooting for 100 percent retention. Are there going to be situations along the way where some students decide to leave our institution? Yes, and that's unfortunately a part of what we deal with. They leave for a variety of reasons; some feel they want more playing time, others leave to play at programs that compete at a higher level than we currently do, or they just wanted a different institutional experience.  That's ok, it's something we all deal with in higher education.  Our job is to provide our students with as much support as possible.  We wanted the best labs for our students, so we built the Lo Schiavo Center for Science and Innovation.  We want the best facilities for our athletes, so we are planning on significantly upgrading all of our athletic facilities.  We want great faculty, great coaches, and the best experience for all USF students, not just those that represent the institution in Division I athletics.
 
When you look at our record over the last seven years and we have the fourth-best record in the WCC. Are we happy with a fourth place finish? Absolutely not. The big change will be how we support the program and manage expectations. If we want to win a conference championship in men's basketball, everyone in our department, institution and community that cares about the program will do what they need to do to reach that goal. It's a collaborative effort.
 
I will say this candidly. The only thing standing in the way of USF being successful in men's basketball and competing on a national level is our ability to execute on our plan to put us in a position to win. We can provide the resources but have to demand at the same time that is what we need to do to be successful. We are addressing some national issues such as cost of attendance. We need the support base to understand that's the world in which we live in.
 
We recently had a group of myself, Rex, Frank Allocco, Charlie Cross (Vice President / Finance) and Mike London (Associate Vice President / Facilities Management) visit Creighton to take a look at their facilities. We visited with their athletic director and head coach and shared ideas. Creighton is a good model for us, as is Villanova.
 
What is the road map for sustainable success within the men's basketball program?
We can't be satisfied with tying for third in the WCC, making the NIT and thinking that is as good as it gets. It's about us. If our support base wants us to compete at a high level then we will do what we need to do to get there. But it starts with us. We need to improve our facilities, raise more money and fill our gym. We need to put all of these things in motion because that is what it's going to take.
 
We need to constantly take a look at our recruiting model to see if we are attracting kids who have been a part of winning programs and who are committed to competing at a high level and know what the culture is like. You combine the recruiting, the culture, the coaching, support and facilities and at the center of that is the general feeling how you move forward. It's realty a mindset of saying we are going to do it and constantly look for ways to reach that goal.
 
One of the biggest aspects of our future success centers around our facilities campaign. We have renderings for a new practice facility and significant renovations to Memorial Gymnasium and are currently in the fundraising stage to get those projects off the ground. We are working hard every day to get to that critical point where we can say this is going to be a reality.
 
We have plans for a new club level on the west side of the gym which will give some fans the opportunity to enjoy a premium experience at our basketball games and at the same time provide funds to help support our program. We're trading 500 seats in the upper level priced at $20 for 250 opportunities that will range from $2,000 and up. That's the type of resources we need to generate and we think there is a captive audience who will want to engage in a high-level experience at our men's basketball games.
 
Catch us up on the plans to upgrade USF's athletic facilities?
The process really began two years ago when we laid out a master plan for athletics that fit into the University's larger master plan. It was a significant step because it was the first time that I'm aware of that athletics was included in that process and demonstrates that our department is now being looked at on a University-wide scale. The next phase was creating concepts and sharing ideas of what we want to do with certain areas on campus. We engaged with an architectural firm that produced beautiful renderings.
 
We prioritized our projects to include a complete renovation of Benedetti Diamond, which we will start this summer, the War Memorial Gym Complex, which includes a new club level and a basketball practice facility. The crowning jewel will be the War Memorial Gym project, which will eventually become more than just a basketball facility.
 
The third is Negoesco Stadium soccer facility. It's a great location but we need better stands, concession areas, restrooms, locker rooms and offices for our soccer programs to have a top-flight facility.
 
I believe all three projects are attainable and it's a major component to the future success of our athletic department.
 
Can you speak to the fundraising plan that will carry these projects to completion?
Our development office has been tasked with building out a structure to launch into a major capital campaign which will propel the University forward in a number of ways, from increased scholarships, endowments and new academic programs, to name a few. Our athletic fundraising staff is now aligned with University Development in order to maximize the number of people we plan to solicit.
 
We have the proper structure and alignment with our development office and believe there is a deep enough pool. Last fall, Tom Malloy, then chairman of the Board of Trustees, made the largest gift ever to athletics and one of the largest gifts from one individual in the history of the University. That was a huge statement in that the chairman of the board of trustees believes in what we are doing and challenges others to follow his lead. We've seen some other significant commitments, as well, so we are well into it. We are making progress but we are still in what is called the quiet phase.
 
What message would you like to give to the USF community regarding this fundraising effort?
What I would like to say is we're coming to see you and we're going to ask for your support. We hope there are many people who share in our vision and want to see our programs excel on a high level.  This not just in athletics, but for USF as an institution, take a look around our campus and you can see a tremendous amount of effort being put into upgrading everything we do, starting with our facilities.  It's up to USF. Being able to build facilities, create a culture and recruit on a high level takes a collective effort. It's about us. Strategically, we've decided this is where we want to go and now it's time for people to jump in.
 
It's certainly been a transformative year for collegiate athletics as new legislation has given more autonomy to the power five conferences. Do you view that as a positive development?
I do because it's about the well-being of students and I oversee those that compete for us athletically. At the end of the day, these students represent their institutions when they walk out onto that court, field, track, course and field of play. They are wearing a USF jersey that represents something larger than themselves, they represent all of us. There's great value in that for any institution, we have to continue to provide for them with the means to compete on a high level.
 
What are some of the measures USF will be taking to address college athletics changing landscape?
Last spring, legislation was passed which allowed for unlimited meals for student-athletes. We jumped in and set up a nutrition station that is accessible during the day to allow our athletes to refuel. We have a nutritionist and mental coach to give our teams a competitive edge. We have also addressed cost of attendance with some of our programs and are now offering multi-year scholarships as opposed to one-year renewable grants. We are putting things in place which mirror what is happening at the national level.
 
It's all permissive. As an institution, we can choose what we want to be a part of legislatively. The thing that hasn't changed in most of our programs is if we win a WCC championship they get an automatic berth into the NCAA Tournament. In that sense, not much has changed. Just because the power conferences have more resources doesn't mean we can't compete very strategically on a national level. It's not about matching dollar for dollar. Our concentration remains on what we can do to give our programs the best chance to win a conference championship or gain an at-large berth into the NCAA Tournament.
 
How will the hiring of Father Fitzgerald as University President impact the future of the athletic department?
The alignment between any university president and athletic department is an absolute key for success. Father Paul and I are in absolute agreement and alignment of what we want our athletic program to be and he is excited about the benchmarks we are seeing but we want more. In my first conversation with him, he left me with very clear expectations of what he would like to see, which was to always uphold the values of the institution, excel in the classroom and win doing it the right way. We are now poised to have a high degree of sustainable success because our president believes athletics plays an integral role in the larger landscape of the University.
 
We have a strong alignment with the President, the board of trustees and supervision on the vice president and faculty representative level with Charlie Cross and Jeremy Howell. Our AD Oversight and AD Circle groups are very strong and made up of people who share in our vision and believe in our vision. We have very strong engagement points that are lined up very well for us. It's not about what one person can do. It takes a team of supporters, trustees, former athletes, alumni and everyone who touches USF to come together and help us reach our goals.

Our coaches are constantly recruiting to attract the best student-athletes who believe in the mission of USF. What would be your some of your selling points of USF?
I have the opportunity to speak on this a lot because I visit with so many prospective students and their parents throughout the year. What I say to them is you are arguably in the best city on the world at a time that economically, it has never been better. San Francisco is booming. USF is the only Division I institution in San Francisco and is faith-based and has tremendous values. When you get here, we provide the resources, the support and the culture that you are going to need to be successful. If you do the things you are asked academically and within your program, who are going to walk out of here with a USF degree. Then, you'll be able to sit across the table from a prospective employer and tell them about your USF experience. You'll be able to talk how you were able to balance the demands of being a Division I athlete with a rigorous academic schedule. Let them know you embraced the values of USF by getting involved in our community programs, which taught you the importance of service, humility and acceptance. If you excelled in the classroom, you'll graduate with a meaningful degree. If you commit to winning at the highest level, you'll learn to be a great teammate and what it takes to perform under pressure. If you engage in the community, you'll learn lessons that will last a lifetime. Through our leadership programs, you'll define who you are and what your priorities are. If you can articulate all that in a job interview, you're getting hired. Whatever you chose to do with your life, you'll have the tool kit to be successful because of USF.