Replacing Bob Driscoll won't be easy at PC but it has two internal candidates to consider
PROVIDENCE — Bold vision and continuous advancement.
Those two characteristics defined Bob Driscoll’s tenure as Providence athletic director. Who will carry them forward?
Driscoll will retire in June after spending 21 years with the Friars. You could realistically argue the school hasn’t enjoyed another period in its history where it’s taken this many steps forward in terms of visibility, campus footprint and success on a national level. Facility upgrades, conference realignment, two NCAA championships — Driscoll's impact at Providence will be felt long after he finally departs for his winter home in Florida.
“The school is on the map,” said John Rooke, the longtime men’s basketball radio voice of the Friars. “The school has great numbers. The school is having unbelievable success athletically. The facilities are as good as you’re going to find anywhere on any campus — especially for a school of this size.
“It’s amazing. The man knew what he was doing.”
It’s incumbent upon school president Rev. Kenneth R. Sicard to make what will certainly be one of the most important decisions of his young tenure. Rev. Philip A. Smith hired Driscoll away from the University of California in January 2002 and Rev. Brian J. Shanley empowered him to operate as he saw fit. Sicard will be offering a significantly improved job than the one Driscoll accepted and Shanley helped further, as the Friars sit comfortably in a new Big East with a strong fundraising base and qualified coaching staff.
“The athletic program at PC has represented us so, so very, very well — something we can be so proud of,” Sicard said. “That is one of the things I will expect from our next athletic director. Keep that same kind of integrity that has really defined the way Bob has run things.”
Deputy athletic director Jill LaPoint would be a groundbreaking internal hire as the first woman to run the Friars department. She’s been at the school since November 2000 and has a strong background on the administrative side. Senior associate athletic director for external relations Steve Napolillo has been the department’s central fundraising figure since his 2003 hiring, with the Friars topping $7 million in annual cash donations and more than $100 million in Driscoll’s tenure.
“One of the things I said to Father was, ‘If an organization is broken and the culture is bad and you’re not having success, maybe you look someplace else,’ ” Driscoll said. “‘But if it’s going well, the best organizations look from within. They look at their teammates, the people who helped us get there.’
“And we are a great organization — we’ll continue to be so.”
Providence’s institutional competency was on full display following the 2018-19 men’s basketball season, as Michigan seriously pursued coach Ed Cooley to replace John Beilein. The Friars were able to offer an immediate contract extension, one that will carry Cooley into at least the second half of the 2020s and pay him well north of $2 million annually. Providence had the personal relationships and resources in place to keep arguably the most important public figure on its campus.
“It’s just hard to retain high-level players and coaches who are committed to the school,” Cooley said on Saturday. “That commitment gave (his wife) Nurys and I the commitment to try to continue to move forward.
“Yes, it’s home and it’s great and all that. But at the end of the day, you need the resources in order to try to compete at the highest level. We feel we are compensated not just in salary but in resources to be successful — charter flights, the brand we have with Nike, practice facilities, nutrition.”
Driscoll hopes to stay on with the Friars in a consulting role, available to Sicard, the administration and the coaching staff if required. He’ll devote the majority of his time to his wife, Cathy, their three adult children and their first grandchild. Driscoll ticked off a working list of goals for the next five months and the future — a campus practice bubble for lacrosse and soccer, endowments for individual scholarships and coaching positions, a new television contract between the Big East and Fox Sports, an extended men’s basketball relationship with Madison Square Garden and more.
“It really is unlimited,” Driscoll said on Saturday. “The college has a new strategic plan. The athletic department is going to be a big part of that. We’re the brand for the institution. We’re on national TV (against Butler, a 69-62 win) today.
“You want to attract admissions and you want to raise money? Winning athletics is really, really critical. We have a lot of great things, but there’s still stuff that has to happen.”
bkoch@providencejournal.com
On Twitter: @BillKoch25
This article originally appeared on The Providence Journal: Providence College begins its search for a new athletic director, to replace the retiring Bob Driscoll
