The Stanford Athletics Buck/Cardinal Clubhouse

Brother-sister tandem help spark Stanford Sailing

Thu, 10 May 2012 16:15:06 PDT

Seldom do a brother and sister attend the same university at the same time, let alone compete in the same sport. In the case of Kelly and Jack Ortel, they wouldn’t want it any other way.

Kelly, ’14, and Jack, ’15, grew up in Annapolis, Maryland, and are members of nationally-ranked Stanford sailing. Both have been key contributors to the most successful team in school history, Stanford sweeping all six Pacific Coast Sailing Conference titles in Santa Barbara, California, in late April—a league first.

Varsity sailing comprises six divisions: singlehanded one-person sailing for men and women in the fall; match racing, where three people are on the boat; two-person sailing—team—in the spring, which puts your best three boats in the water against an opponent’s, with the lowest score getting a win in round-round format; and coed and women’s sailing, where there is an A and B division.

Kelly, a sophomore majoring in computer science, crewed on the team and coed racing boats, and was one of 10 all-conference sailors from Stanford . Jack, a freshman economics major, faces stiff competition every day, as three skippers ahead of him were named all-conference.

“I think it is a very unique situation, especially when they’re not the same age,” said Stanford sailing coach John Vandemoer. “It usually detracts the other sibling from coming or they choose to do something else. They work really well together and push each other a lot. They don’t sail together, but they both sail at different times in the same boat, which is also extremely rare.”

And get this: With the exception of a few squabbles over the TV remote, they seldom bicker.

“I don’t think we ever fight,” Jack said. “We fought some in high school, just because we were really competitive, mainly outside of sailing. We get along pretty well.”

Added Kelly, “Jack skippers, too, and I like sailing with him. We know each other so well that we can comment on things. We don’t get worked up over anything and help each other.”

Sailing is a part of the Annapolis culture. Many kids attend camps, Jack starting when he was a youngster and beginning racing when he was 12. He finally convinced Kelly to take up the sport when she was in the eighth grade.

“I really didn’t want to do it at first,” she said. “I was like, ‘Sailing? What is that?’ I played field hockey, swam, and did stuff like that.”

Once Kelly started, she was hooked.

“I went to practice for the first time and was amazed how hard it is and how much I didn’t understand,” said Kelly. “It was like going to field hockey practice in China where they’re speaking Chinese. It was a challenge.”

You might be surprised to learn that Stanford sailing has a playbook. It consists of three plays with an infinite number of variations.

“It’s a lot of memorization and being on the same page with all your teammates, communicating across the course,” Kelly said.

“It’s mainly staying two or three steps ahead, knowing how other boats are going to react to your reaction and what you should do then,” said Jack.

Stanford sails out of the Morrison Boathouse in Redwood City and racks up huge frequent flyer mileage to compete against the best teams in the nation. The team traveled to the East Coast seven weekends in the fall and five in the spring, often going to multiple locations. When Stanford hosts a regatta, its fleet of 18 boats, which they use for practice, are used by competitors. Significant support for Stanford sailing comes from the Buck/Cardinal Club for its annual operating expenses.

“The Buck/Cardinal Club is our team’s lifeblood to competition,” Vandemoer said. “Without the generous support of the Buck/Cardinal Club members, we would not be able to travel to the East Coast and prove we are among the best. Our team’s success is dependent on sailing against the country’s best, and as a team, we don’t shy away from competition. We go find it and the Buck/Cardinal Club gets us there.”

What is the biggest misconception about college sailing?

“It’s not at all what you would imagine,” said Kelly. “There’s so much more to it than sitting on a boat. People go, ‘Oh, where’s your martini?’ It’s challenging like chess, but the board is moving and you use the breeze to move your pieces. It’s a lot of fun, but also a long day. On weekends we’re out there from 10:00 a.m. to 7:00 p.m.”

Both Kelly and Jack will sail for Stanford in the coed national semifinals in Annapolis on Saturday and Sunday. The top 9 teams out of 18 advance to the nationals later this month near Austin, Texas.

The Cardinal coed team is ranked fourth in the country, while the women’s team is ranked third. Stanford won the team competition in 1997, but has yet to win in coed fleet racing or in the women’s division, placing third in the latter in 2008.

“They’re both part of our top boat and sail with Kevin Laube,” Vandemoer said of his sophomore skipper. “Kelly is the normal starter and light air crew; Jack is the situational and heavy crew and steps in when the breeze builds. I’m very comfortable with either of them in the boat at any time.”

Vandemoer has youth on his side. His 23-person team has only 3 upperclassmen—all juniors. Of Stanford’s 10 all-conference selections, 9 were underclassmen.

“It’s a very special situation because not only did we make history by winning all six conference championships, we’re also doing it with a very young team,” he said. “We’re starting mainly sophomores and freshmen. So it means a lot to be able to reach this level so early in their careers and get this experience right away.”

The team and women’s boats have already qualified for nationals. Now, the Ortels will try and do their part to help the coed boats join them.

“We are definitely a very competitive team going into nationals to take away at least a win in one and maybe more than one,” said Vandemoer. “Kelly and Jack are a big part of that.”

Continuing my family tradition at Stanford

Fri, 4 May 2012 07:11:27 PDT

Photo credit: Don Feria

My name is Mallory Burdette, and I am the recipient of the Curly Neal Athletic Scholarship. I am currently a junior majoring in psychology and a proud member of the Stanford women’s tennis team. I am very thankful for my scholarship, which has allowed me to fulfill my dreams athletically and academically by attending Stanford University.

As the youngest of four children, I grew up in the small town of Jackson, Georgia. All three of my older siblings played tennis, and I continued on in the family tradition as soon as I was strong enough to wield a tennis racket. My older brother Andy played tennis at West Point and both of my older sisters, Erin Burdette, ’05, and Lindsay Burdette, '10, had the privilege of attending Stanford University and playing on the women’s tennis team. As a wide-eyed 10-year-old, I watched my sister Erin clinch the 2002 national championship here at the Taube Tennis Stadium, and from then on, I was drawn to Stanford’s amazing tennis program. It was not until I came on my official visit several years later in September 2008 that I realized this great university had so much more to offer than just great sports programs. After getting to know other Stanford students, I knew that I wanted to be a part of the very unique and highly intelligent group of people that attend this great university. Most importantly, I knew that if I came to Stanford I would be pushed to excel by my peers, both in the classroom and on the court.

I have always been drawn to the field of psychology, and I automatically gravitated towards the major when I came to Stanford. Ultimately, I want to attend medical school and become a psychiatrist. Throughout my time here at Stanford I have enjoyed learning about the development of children, and I hope to work with children and teenagers as a psychiatrist. I am also planning to minor in sociology, as I have really enjoyed classes in that department as well. Even though I am now in my junior year, I have not lost my excitement for attending classes and learning in this amazing environment. From the top-notch professors to my exceptional classmates, I feel very fortunate to attend this great university!

As a co-captain on the tennis team this year, I am very excited about our season and hope we can keep building to contend for an NCAA title. It has been a lot of work, but truly an honor to be able to step up and take a leadership role on the team this year. Over the past two years, as an underclassman, I have learned how to be an effective leader from my older teammates. The opportunity to play on the team with my older sister Lindsay, who was a captain during my freshman year, was when I learned the most about how to be a great captain. I am proud to continue the family tradition of attending Stanford University, and I am grateful to the individuals who funded my scholarship for allowing me to make the most of the amazing experience that is Stanford.

Buck/Cardinal Special Feature: Luck reflects about life on the Farm

Fri, 20 Apr 2012 15:59:37 PDT

In an exclusive and wide-ranging post-Stanford career interview with the Buck/Cardinal Clubhouse, quarterback Andrew Luck, ’12 (architectural design), talks about his time at Stanford; how the 2011 team helped revitalize the program; his most memorable games; how he balanced academics and athletics; his relationship with former Stanford quarterback Jim Plunkett; why he grew a beard; what he looks forward to in the NFL; his appreciation of the Stanford football staff, professors, students, and fans; attending college with his younger sister Mary Ellen; the importance of donor support for all student-athletes; his connection to Stanford football great Frankie Albert; and what he’ll miss most about the Farm.

Additional Buck/Cardinal Clubhouse features on the Stanford Football's Andrew Luck:

12 Questions with Andrew Luck

Heisman Insider: Andrew Luck - NYC

The Quarterback Redefined: Andrew Luck for Heisman

Captains Hooked

Oliver Luck (Parent '12, '14)

Brown’s perseverance inspires Stanford gymnasts

Wed, 18 Apr 2012 11:59:21 PDT

Photo credit: Hector Garcia-Molina

Alyssa Brown might not be the most inspirational participant at this week’s NCAA women’s gymnastics championships in Duluth, Georgia, but you would have a hard time convincing Stanford coach Kristen Smyth otherwise. Given the injuries and tough luck her senior co-captain has overcome during her career, it’s a wonder she’s competing.

Brown, a human biology major from Oakville, Ontario, Canada, has been sidelined by ankle, knee, and shoulder ailments—so much so, she has often spent more time rehabbing and encouraging her teammates than scoring points.

At the end of her freshman season, she blew out her knee in the Pac-10 Championships, and many wondered if she would ever return to the sport. Brown not only came back, she led the Cardinal in three events her sophomore year and helped them finish fourth at the NCAA championships.

“It was one of the more inspiring comebacks I’ve ever witnessed since I’ve been at Stanford,” said Smyth, now in her 11^th season. “She showed a lot of resiliency and strength of character, and was our most improved gymnast.”

As a junior, Brown became more vocal for the young Cardinal. Her work ethic and calm steadiness rubbed off on her teammates and she blossomed as a leader, Smyth appointing her a team captain.

Stanford went undefeated in the regular season and had high hopes going into the regionals. However, the injury-riddled team was mentally and physically worn down and did not advance to the NCAA championships.

“Last year was one of those mystery years—I don’t think we’ll ever really know what happened,” Brown said. “We were ranked second in the country until the last meet. You can look back as much as you want. We did that to an extent to try and figure out what we could do differently this year.”

The first thing Brown did was contact fellow seniors Jenny Peter and Nicole Pechanec to formulate a game plan.

“We went on a mission,” said Brown. “We went back in the gym and talked constantly all summer, every week, about how to make the five incoming freshmen a part of it. I think we did a real good job of making sure they came in excited.”

There was only one problem. During the last day of a summer camp, Brown fell awkwardly on her right shoulder on a Slip ’n Slide.

“Slightly embarrassing,” she said.

Said Smyth, “We can laugh about it now, but it definitely wasn’t funny then. It really derailed her coming into senior year. She wasn’t sure if she was going to be able to contribute at all.”

To her credit, Brown never hung her head, and she worked harder than ever to get into great physical shape. With great support from the training staff, she surprised everyone by competing on the balance beam in the first meet. By the next meet, she added the vault, then the uneven bars at the Pac-12 Championships.

“I always knew that she would come back and do great things,” Smyth said. “She’s back out there leading the team on the floor. It’s been incredible to witness it. Nobody deserves it more than she does.”

Brown sparkled in the regionals, scoring 9.9 on the bars; won the vault with a 9.9; and has anchored on the beam with 9.875 and 9.9s most of the year.

“It’s an inspiring comeback,” said Smyth. “So much of where our team is emotionally and mentally in terms of confidence is because of what she has given and what she has done.”

Brown started gymnastics about age seven, mainly because when she was born, her left foot was turned in and her doctor thought the sport would straighten out her foot and improve her coordination. Once she got started, she couldn’t stop.

“It’s not an easy sport,” said the tough-minded Brown. “When you’re injured, you’re at your lowest low and you go up and down a lot. When I was 12, I had a few injuries—broken ankles, nothing too serious—but I couldn’t compete for a couple years.”

Brown overcame the injuries to make the national team in Canada for five years and competed in the World Championships in 2006 and 2007. She was on track to make the Olympic team in 2008, but Canada failed to qualify, sending only two individuals.

“It was very emotional and hard to deal with,” she said. “Going to the Olympics was much harder than I thought it would be. I just kept training really hard and wanted to stay in the game and know that I gave it everything I could.”

She credits her parents as her biggest driving force. Had it not been for her mother, she never would have applied to Stanford.

“I didn’t think I was capable of getting in,” said Brown. “It just wasn’t even on my radar at all. My mom said, ‘Why don’t you just e-mail the coach and see what happens? You never know.’ ’’

Most gymnasts peak before college. Brown said the biggest difference between college gymnastics and elite gymnastics is the emphasis on team and perfect routines.

“Whereas in elite, it’s how much difficulty you can throw in and how hard you can make your routine,” she said. “It’s really different. I think our (Stanford) coaches do a great job of making it fun and challenging.”

What does she miss most about Canada?

“Hockey,” said Brown.

Stanford, which qualified for the NCAA championships for the 5^th time in six years and 12^th time overall, has never finished higher than third in the team competition, accomplishing the feat in 2004 and 2008. However, in the 31 years of competition, only four teams—Georgia, UCLA, Utah, and defending champ Alabama—have won team titles.

“I think we did want it really bad,” Brown said of 2011. “I don’t know if we were cocky, but we won every meet. Maybe we let down a little bit.”

That won’t happen this week. At 18-7, Smyth has done a nice job of pacing her 13-member team to get ready for the NCAA championships. The Cardinal finished second at the NCAA regionals in Champaign, Illinois, is much healthier than last year, and has built up depth.

“We are definitely peaking at the end of the year,” said Smyth. “This is one of the most artistic teams we’ve ever had. We execute at a very high level and don’t give away a lot of deductions. We will compete with anybody in the country.”

The first step is making the Super Six. On Friday at 9:00 a.m. PDT, Stanford will compete against No. 2 UCLA, No. 3 Oklahoma, No. 6 Nebraska, No. 7 Utah, and No. 11 LSU in the morning session, with six more schools competing in the evening session. The top three teams from each session advance to the Super Six on Saturday night, when a champion will be crowned.

“I think it will be a bittersweet ending because it has been such a big part of my life for so long,” Brown said. “I’ll definitely miss it, but I’m excited for new things.”

After graduation, Brown will return to Canada to attend occupational graduate school and get a master’s degree. But first, some unfinished business remains.

“We’ve never won before,” she said of a national title. “That’s huge. There are only four teams that have in gymnastics history. To make Stanford that school that breaks in would be unbelievable.”

Sort of like her personal journey in the sport.

Football: Spring Game recap

Mon, 16 Apr 2012 12:01:57 PDT

Smith catches on quickly for the Stanford baseball team

Wed, 11 Apr 2012 20:45:15 PDT

Eric Smith wasn’t planning to catch for the Stanford baseball team this season. After spending the last two years playing as a backup infielder, the junior from La Canada, California, figured it would be more of the same in 2012. Especially with starters returning at every position except catcher and designated hitter.

But that all changed following last year’s loss at North Carolina in the NCAA Super Regional. Mark Marquess, the Clarke and Elizabeth Nelson Director of Baseball, summoned him on the plane trip home and floated the idea of Smith moving behind the plate. Aside from catching in a few mop-up innings in summer ball, Smith had virtually no experience.

“I kind of looked at him like, 'Okay.' I just thought it was a good opportunity, having played and had a little bit of success my freshman year, mostly as a designated hitter,” Smith said.

Said Marquess, “He had a funny look on his face.”

Smith started eight of the last nine games at designated hitter as a freshman and also saw time at second and third base. He batted .286 with three doubles, two triples, and 12 RBIs.

As a sophomore, he saw action in 14 games and received five starts—three at second base, one at shortstop and one as the designated hitter. Notice the word "catcher" wasn’t mentioned? Smith hit .250 with two doubles and two RBIs.

So although the idea of converting to catcher came out of the blue, Smith didn’t mind, as long as it translated to more playing time. Thus far, Smith has made the most of it, becoming the team’s starter. He has exceeded early expectations and has done a nice job handling the talented Cardinal pitching staff.

“I probably didn’t see myself playing this much so early,” said Smith, who had big shoes to fill with the graduation of defensive standout Zach Jones. “I was actually kind of surprised to see my name on the opening day roster because we have a couple other veteran catchers back. But I had a good fall and winter. Once I saw my name on the opening day roster, I never looked back.”

Entering the week, Smith leads Stanford with a .345 average and batted .538 last week. He ranks third on the team in RBIs with 21 and has already collected 29 hits. In his first two seasons combined, Smith had 28 hits.

Smith made a great first impression in the season-opener against Vanderbilt when he delivered an inside-the-park home run. Such plays are rare, and even more uncommon by a catcher.

“The right-fielder misplayed a ball and they mishandled the relay and somehow I made it all the way home,” Smith said. “It was like, ‘Okay, I’m tired, I’m tired.’ I think Coach (Dean) Stotz kind of held me up for a second. After sliding into home I was just exhausted.”

Defensively, Smith has also excelled. He has yet to make an error and has thrown out four of nine opposing base stealers.

“We were in dire straits,” said Marquess. “I think he’s been the most pleasant surprise we’ve had this year. He’s really been the difference maker.”

What has been the toughest transition moving from infielder to catcher?

“Mainly it’s the physical toll it takes on your body every day,” said Smith. “One of the big adjustments I had to make was to get more flexible with my hips so my legs wouldn’t tire as easily. I worked on that pretty much all summer and fall and improved the strength in my legs.”

The mental adjustment was equally challenging.

“You’re basically learning a new position,” said Smith. “Just the little, small catcher rules. On a bunt you go to third not toward second. Just different situations where, playing infield, that becomes second nature. Now, I have to learn all the different situational aspects of catcher.”

That includes getting to know what the pitchers like to throw and when to throw it. Fortunately for Smith, he’s good friends with Cardinal aces Mark Appel and Brett Mooneyham.

“It’s awesome working with all those guys,” Smith said. “Being with them two or three years, we already had this good relationship and all the guys were so willing to help me. They never give me guff. When they’re going good, I don’t have to do a lot of work. I just put up my glove and they hit it.”

Mainly because he has earned their trust.

“He’s proven to the pitching staff that he can handle them,” said Marquess. “He’s gotten better and better. He’s got the respect of the pitchers and that’s put everybody at ease.”

A political science major with professional baseball aspirations, Smith has also learned a lot from Marquess.

“I don’t think he’s changed much in the 3 years I’ve been here or the 35 years he’s been here,” Smith said. “One thing that is truly remarkable about 9 is that every day, whether we’re going good or going bad, whether it’s cold, rainy, or hot, whether we’re running, lifting, or having an intra-squad game, he’s by far the most enthusiastic person on that field. You can really tell that he loves going on the field and he loves coaching baseball at Stanford. I just have a ton of respect for that.”

The feeling is mutual.

“I’m really happy for him,” said Marquess of Smith. “It doesn’t always work out.”

Forever Cardinal: Feature on Notah Begay III

Thu, 5 Apr 2012 09:32:53 PDT

Notah Begay III went to Stanford to play golf, but he collected more than birdies during his stay. Much more.

Not only did he help lead the Cardinal to an NCAA Championship in 1994 and go on to win four tournaments on the PGA Tour, Begay earned a degree in economics and is putting it to great use.

The 39-year-old Begay works tirelessly to promote better health and well-being for Native American youth. This passion led him to found the Notah Begay III (NB3) Foundation in 2005.

Begay, who is half Navajo, one-quarter San Felipe, and one-quarter Isleta, is the only full-blooded Native American to play on the PGA Tour. He founded NB3 to help fight childhood obesity and diabetes among Native American kids, and has raised more than $3.2 million through his annual NB3 Foundation Challenge Golf Event to support various programs. Former Stanford teammate and close friend Tiger Woods is a regular participant in the tournament.

During the last three years, NB3 has reached more than 10,000 Native American children in 11 states through soccer, golf, and health and wellness programs. Begay's foundation helped the San Felipe Pueblo in New Mexico build the tribe's first community park and soccer field.

Begay also started KivaSun Foods, a Native American company that sources products such as Native American bison, Pacific salmon, and sweet corn that tribes have sustainably farmed and fished for thousands of years. His dream is for KivaSun to become a "globally recognized brand and to reveal to a global audience what I have known my entire life: Native America's respect for its surrounding and reverence for food produces some of the best products in the marketplace."

Begay, who lives in Dallas with his wife and two young children, also established his own consulting business and designs golf courses. Begay's third creation, his first signature design, Firekeeper Golf Course near Topeka, Kansas, was recently ranked the best new course in the country by Golfweek magazine.

"I always knew that having a Stanford degree as an athlete was going to serve me for the rest of my life," said Begay. "It's just the way the environment at Stanford encourages students to solve problems. That's what life is and certainly business. I got be very close with the Stanford American Indian Organization and stay close with the program to this day."

During his college days, Begay was too busy trying to beat teammates like Woods, Casey Martin, Steve Burdick, Brad Lanning, and Will Yanagisawa to realize what an important opportunity and resource he had at Stanford.

"I don't think it's any coincidence that some of the best start-ups in the last 15 years are products of Stanford," he said. "One of the things that I kind of took for granted was that it was such an eclectic group of students that made up the student body, that promoted different ideals and challenged each other to try out different concepts. That's something that kind of led me into my own entrepreneurship."

Begay was recently selected the recipient of the Charlie Bartlett Award by the Golf Writers Association of America and received the award last night at the Masters Tournament in Augusta, Georgia. The award is given to a professional golfer for his/her unselfish contributions to the betterment of society. Former winners include Patty Berg, Arnold Palmer, Betsy King, Tom Watson, Payne Stewart, Jack Nicklaus, Greg Norman, Lorena Ochoa, Ernie Els, and Woods.

"That's a huge accolade for our organization," said Begay, who recently spoke at the "Building Healthy Communities" panel at the Clinton Foundation Health Forum at the Humana Challenge near Palm Springs, California. "Just like so many people that went to Stanford, we want to make an impact on social change. If we can't utilize the success, whether it's by financial or intellectual means, to improve society or our own communities, then it's kind of a selfish endeavor we're on.

"I've used all the experiences that I've acquired through golf and all the great people I've been fortunate enough to meet and tried to leverage those relationships into our foundation. And that's an inspiration that comes from Stanford."

Begay has always thought outside the box. He was the first professional golfer to develop a unique putting style utilizing a putter with playing faces on both the front and back of the head, allowing him to putt right-handed for right-to-left putts and left-handed for left-to-right putts.

Although Begay's playing career has been hampered by lower back injuries, when healthy, he's a force. He shot 62 in the second round of the 1995 NCAA Championship, and he fired a 59 in 1998 at the Nike Tour Dominion Open, one of only a handful of professional golfers to break the magic 60 number in competition.

"I'm going to try and get back out there full-time if I can," he said. "I'm much closer to the end of my career than the beginning--it's kind of a crossroads for me, so if there's any way that I can find a good enough position with my body to do it, I'm going to keep going."

Admittedly, his priorities have changed.

"I want to be a good husband and a good father," said Begay. "Golf is now a distant third."

Begay still keeps in close contact with Woods. For the third consecutive year, Begay will work at the Golf Channel during the Masters as a guest analyst.

"Our friendship hasn't changed from the day we met over 20 years ago," he said. "I've been there through the good times and the bad times, and hopefully now we'll see a resurgence in his game, which I think is great. But the important thing is I think he's evolved as a person and he's learned from his experiences and hopefully he will be able to impart that in his own life down the road."

Buck/Cardinal Special Feature: Supporting a Champion

Fri, 30 Mar 2012 10:42:13 PDT

For an NCAA-record-tying fifth consecutive year, the Stanford women’s basketball team reached the Women's Final Four. It was truly a group effort, starting with an important coaching endowment from the Ishiyama family for Tara VanDeveer, the Setsuko Ishiyama Director of Women’s Basketball. But that was just the beginning.

Without endowed athletic scholarships; operating support from the Buck/Cardinal Club, which provides scholarship aid and program support for student-athletes; and the first-class Arrillaga Gymnasium and Weight Room, funded by John Arrillaga, ’60, it’s doubtful Stanford could have achieved such resounding success.

In addition, the women’s basketball program benefitted greatly from key administrators in the athletic department, everyone from tutors and compliance staff, to game management and ticket department staff.

Many of these people worked behind the scenes and received little fanfare for their efforts, but they are invaluable to the success of women’s basketball and the 34 other varsity sports on campus.

After suffering an early-season loss to Connecticut, VanDerveer rallied her team to capture a school-record 32 consecutive games. Stanford won its 11^th-straight Pac-12 Conference championship, going undefeated for the third year in a row, and captured the Pac-12 tournament for the sixth successive season.

Led by All-American senior forward Nneka Ogwumike and her younger sister Chiney, the Cardinal extended their home winning streak at Maples Pavilion to 79 games, including 45 straight against Pac-12 opponents. Among the people who helped pave the way for Stanford’s success are:

-associate head coach Amy Tucker
-assistant coach Kate Paye, '95, JD/MBA '03
-assistant coach Trina Patterson
-assistant athletic director for basketball operations Eileen Roche
-assistant sports performance coach Susan Borchardt, '05
-athletic trainer Marcella Shorty
-special assistant/video coordinator Lauren Greif
-assistant director of media relations Aaron Juarez
-administrative assistant DeeDee Zawaydeh

All have created a positive atmosphere and environment for the student-athletes to maximize their potential in the classroom and on the court. This dynamic combination has enabled the Stanford women’s basketball team to flourish, and has allowed VanDerveer to do what she does best: coach.

Additional Buck/Cardinal Clubhouse features on the Stanford women's basketball team:

Sisters in Sync

Jayne Appel '10

Stanford-Tennessee rivalry has evolved into one of the best in women's basketball

Guest Blog: Kate Paye '95

Tinkle's gamble paying off big-time for Stanford

VanDerveer, Staley match wits, mutual respect

Fri, 23 Mar 2012 13:27:49 PDT

Tara VanDerveer, the Setsuko Ishiyama Director of Women’s Basketball at Stanford, isn’t wild about coaching against Dawn Staley and her South Carolina Gamecocks on Saturday night in the NCAA Tournament Fresno Regional Semifinal. VanDerveer is a big fan of Staley and was her head coach on the 1996 USA basketball team that won the gold medal in the Summer Olympics in Atlanta.

“I’m feeling extra pressure playing against her,” VanDerveer said. “It’s kind of like the teacher and the student. But I’m very excited for Dawn and thrilled for her success.”

The ultra-competitive Staley was one of the best point guards in women’s basketball history. A three-time Olympian, she led the University of Virginia to three NCAA Women's Final Fours and was the national player of the year in 1991 and 1992. She scored a school-record 2,135 points, holds the NCAA mark for steals with 454, and departed Virginia as the all-time leader in assists with 729, since surpassed.

Staley went on to have a nice pro career in the American Basketball League (ABL) and WNBA. Last year, she was voted by the fans as one of the top 15 players in WNBA history.

VanDerveer helped mold Staley into a star, coaching her on smaller national teams before the Olympics. Rather than massage her ego, VanDerveer emphasized toughness and told her to stop committing so many turnovers.

“She pushed me,” said the 41-year-old Staley. “Tara doesn’t pull punches. She’s as straight-up as can be. I don’t have a whole lot of friends in the business. I attach myself to people I feel I have a connection with. We went to war together.”

Prior to a USA Basketball B Team practice in 1992, VanDerveer and Staley were chatting during stretching. As Staley recalls, VanDerveer said, “The coaches told me they need a point guard. Should I recommend you?”

“Yes, I would,” replied Staley.

“No, you turn the ball over too much,” VanDerveer said.

Staley didn’t like her response, but took it to heart.

“It hurt my feelings,” she said. “From that day on, I became more of a consummate player. Any point guard who plays for me has to take care of the ball and value possessions.”

As a player, Staley used to wear a rubber band on her right wrist. Whenever she committed a turnover, she snapped it. Occasionally, she still wears a rubber band, but has stopped inflicting self-pain.

“If I had to snap it for my team, I’d be drawing blood,” she cracked.

What did VanDerveer enjoy most about coaching her?

“Very hard worker,” said VanDerveer. “Very creative. She’s a winner.”

In the 2004 Summer Olympics in Greece, Staley was elected to carry the American flag during the opening ceremonies. Afterward, she sent VanDerveer a picture of the ceremony inscribed with a personal message.

“I have a picture at home with her message on it,” she said. “It’s something that I look at and is a really, really nice message.”

Turnovers aside, what did Staley learn most about from VanDerveer?

“How to study the game,” said Staley. “Tendencies. She made us think about more than your position. Opponents' strengths and weaknesses and how to dismantle them. She’s real detail-oriented.”

In 1992, Stanford assistant coach Kate Pate played against Staley in the NCAA Tournament in a semifinal game in Los Angeles. VanDerveer inserted Paye (a freshman walk-on) late, to help preserve a 66–65 Cardinal victory that culminated in a resounding title-game win against Kentucky.

“We were desperate and Tara came to the end of the bench as a last-ditch effort and put me in there,” Paye said. “All I remember about guarding Dawn was just try to keep her in front of you. I think I did a marginal job at best.”

According to VanDerveer, Staley is competitive at everything.

“To the point that she has amnesia,” said VanDerveer. “We used to play chess against each other. I don’t remember her winning one game, but she will brag how she beat me and I’m like, ‘No, Dawn.’ ’’

Staley has a different version.

“I would say law of averages, yes,” she said, when asked if she has beaten VanDerveer. “She definitely has the advantage.”

Staley, whose team is 25-9, said she won’t try and outsmart VanDerveer, whose team is 33-1 and have won 30 consecutive games.

“I won’t try to get in her head,” she said. “When it comes to this game, she’s got too many years on me. What I do know is we have to get after it and play disciplined basketball or she will make you pay.”

The Gamecocks have a talented three-guard lineup featuring Ieasia Walker, Markeshia Grant, and LaKeisha Sutton. What they lack in size they counter with smarts, aggression, experience, and toughness.

“They’re just like Dawn,” said Paye. “They’re extremely competitive and play extremely hard. I told our kids, ‘Don’t let the frame fool you.’ They play with a lot of heart, just like Dawn did.”

As proud as VanDerveer is of what Staley has accomplished, she wishes circumstances were different.

“Obviously, we want to beat them,” she said. “But I wish we were playing someone else so I could cheer for her.”

Pro Day Video Recap

Thu, 22 Mar 2012 17:48:50 PDT

Stanford Pro Day Live on ESPN3

Thu, 22 Mar 2012 10:22:51 PDT

This is the place to watch Stanford Pro Day today, here with ESPN3's live streaming broadcast starting at 11am PT / 2pm ET. Watch the renowned 2012 Stanford senior class perform before 32 NFL teams and a national media/fan audience.

NFL teams flock to Stanford for Pro Timing Day

Wed, 21 Mar 2012 08:54:48 PDT

Last year's Pro Timing Day at Stanford drew a nice crowd of NFL personnel, but many more are expected Thursday.

Pro Timing Day is nothing new at Stanford University, or at most college football programs around the country. It’s a chance for schools to showcase their players to owners, general managers, personnel directors, coaches, and scouts prior to the NFL Draft, held April 26–28 this year in New York.

That said, things will be a little different on the Farm on Thursday. Not only are all 32 NFL teams expected to be represented, ESPNU will televise the workouts live from Siebel Field starting at 11:00 a.m., and the NFL Network will also have a set on site.

In addition, more than 100 print/broadcast and Internet reporters have been credentialed to watch about 15 former Cardinal players participate in Stanford-scripted workouts, starting with interviews and classroom testing at 9:15 a.m. and culminating in field evaluations at 11:30 a.m. On a normal game day, Stanford issues 150 media credentials.

“It will be unlike any Pro Timing Day we have ever hosted,” said Matt Doyle, Assistant Athletic Director for Football Operations at Stanford. “Between the number of owners, GMs, and head coaches that will be in attendance, combined with the quality of talent that will be on the field, it should be an exciting day.”

Interestingly, Baylor University originally chose Thursday to host its Pro Day to help promote quarterback Robert Griffin III. After careful consideration, Baylor moved up its date to Wednesday, to allow NFL personnel time to evaluate both quarterbacks and their teammates separately.

“Our Pro Timing Day has been held on the same day, during finals week, for years,” Doyle said. “We didn’t have the flexibility to change the date, and we certainly didn’t plan on doing so.”

To accommodate the masses, temporary bleachers have been erected on Siebel Field and a fence has been removed from an area known as “The Fort,” where Cardinal workouts are held in privacy. Stanford could have four players chosen in the first round of the draft, headed by Luck, the projected No. 1 pick.

Offensive guard David DeCastro, offensive tackle Jonathan Martin, and tight end Coby Fleener are also highly regarded by most draft experts. All four attended the NFL Scouting Combine in Indianapolis last month, although Luck did not throw, choosing to wait until his pro timing day at Stanford, while Fleener was limited due to an ankle injury sustained in the Fiesta Bowl.

For the record, the only other times Stanford has had multiple first-round draft picks were in 1942, 1972, 1978, and 1992. The latter picks were running back Tommy Vardell and offensive tackle Bob Whitfield.

In 1936, Stanford had a school-record seven players drafted. In 2006, they had six taken. In the latter, there were 14 seniors in the class and 11 were either drafted or signed as free agents.

“Hopefully this will be a yearly occurrence for us,” said David Shaw, the Bradford M. Freeman Director of Football/Head Coach. “We always want to feel like we are supplying the NFL with great football players and great guys that are smart and tough. This class embodies all of that.”

Other players participating Thursday include cornerback Johnson Bademosi, inside linebacker Max Bergen, cornerback Corey Gatewood, safety Delano Howell, defensive end Matt Masifilo, wide receiver Chris Owusu, running back Jeremy Stewart, safety Michael Thomas, and wide receiver Griff Whalen.

“That’s a huge testament to our coaching staff, our sports medicine team, and our strength and conditioning staff, specifically Shannon Turley, for what we’ve done on the field,” said Doyle. “Pro Timing Day can have a major impact on people.”

Pro Timing Day, which dates back to the early 1990s at Stanford, has come a long way on the Farm. In 2001, it consisted of a weight room workout, a turf strip for speed and agility drills, and about a dozen scouts. Here’s a look at Thursday’s full agenda:

7:15–8:45 a.m. – Check-in at Arrillaga Family Sports Center

9:00 a.m. – Welcome and Stanford player introductions

9:15–9:45 a.m. – Player interviews and classroom testing

10:00 a.m. – Weight room evaluations

11:30 a.m. – Field evaluations on Siebel Field (Afterward, NFL personnel will be allotted additional time to work out players individually.)

1:00 p.m. – David Shaw will discuss the Cardinal's 2013 prospects In the weight room, players will be tested in the long jump, vertical jump, and bench press (255 pounds), and will be measured for height and weight, as well as arm flexibility. On-field evaluations will include a 60-yard shuttle run (for all non-linemen), a 20-yard shuttle run, an “L” drill where players run through three cones, and a 40-yard dash.

Starting at the negative 40-yard-line, Luck will throw a series of passes to his receivers, tight end, and running back, culminating in the red zone. Luck will throw from a three-step drop, five-step drop, seven-step drop, roll-out, play-action, and shotgun, and will also be pressured by a broom—yes, broom—to simulate a pass rush.

“We try and make it easy for the scouts,” said Turley, now in his sixth year at Stanford. “This will really be our most organized effort.”

Luck has been working out with quarterback guru George Whitfield, who also mentored Cam Newton of Auburn before last year’s NFL Draft.

Turley will also make himself available to NFL personnel to discuss character and work habits.

“Different teams are more thorough than others,” he said. “We try to be scout-friendly, because it’s really our players. But I have to be honest with them.”

A handful of NFL teams, including Cleveland, Dallas, Denver, and the New York Jets, will have follow-up meetings with players on Friday and continuing up until days before the draft.

“A lot of what these workouts are is solidifying how a team already feels about you,” said Shaw. “They know they like you, but they want to see you work out in person. And for guys like Chris Owusu, who just couldn’t play any stretch of time consistently for them, to get out there and run around and catch balls and be the receiver we think he is—it’s a great opportunity for Chris and all those guys.”

Shaw will mostly observe.

“I’ll be purely a spectator and a cheerleader, hoping these guys do as well as they can do,” he said.

Inspiration in His Corner

Thu, 15 Mar 2012 09:34:25 PDT

When you raise two wrestlers, you better have good homeowners insurance. At least, that's what you would think.

"Not too much broken furniture," said Deborah Mango. "Ryan was always younger than Spenser and there was a little bit of a weight difference there."

Spenser, 25, wrestled for the U.S. Olympic team in 2008, finishing eighth in Beijing, China. Ryan, 20, is a junior at Stanford University and recently won the Pac-12 Championship at 125 pounds. Beginning Thursday, he will compete for the Cardinal in the NCAA Championships in his hometown of St. Louis, Missouri.

"I'm a little bit nervous," said Deborah, who will root on Ryan with family and friends. "Nothing could keep me away. It's everything that you work for all year."

Nobody knows the meaning of hard work more than Deborah. She has spent most of her life sacrificing for Spenser, Ryan, and Natasha, 27, working the nightshift - 11:30 p.m. to 8 a.m. - as a registered nurse.

When Mango was 13 months old, his father, Thomas, was killed in a drive-by shooting outside the family home while he was getting into his car to go to work. The murder has never been solved.

"They never found out any reason or who did it," Ryan said. "A city bus driver saw him in the street and called the police. They came to our door and knocked, and my brother and sister ran outside. It was just a crazy time."

Deborah didn't have time for self-pity and put all three kids through private school. Spenser joined the Army last October and is hoping to wrestle for the U.S. Olympic team in London at 121 pounds.

"As far as my mom raising all three of us, she did an incredible job," said Ryan. "I don't know how she did it. All three of us played sports and she did it mostly on her own. She'd come back from work each morning, cook us breakfast, take us to school, run errands, pick us up, take us to practice and go straight back to work. I'm definitely grateful."

As you might expect, the family is close. Deborah credits Ryan for keeping her busy after her husband's death.

"I guess that's why I gave so much of myself to him," she said. "He helped me stay focused and gave me something to do every day because he had to be taken care of. It's been 20 years. It seems sometimes like yesterday, but it's better than it was."

Spenser played football growing up. When he was 14, he was cut from the team because, at 92 pounds, the school considered him a liability.

Fortunately for Spenser, his health teacher was also the "B" team wrestling coach and asked him to join. Spenser went on to become a two-time state champion.

"That did motivate Ryan because he was playing football as well," Deborah said. "As soon as he changed sports (fifth grade), Ryan wanted to be like his big brother."

At first, Mango wrestled at a local club. Then, he rotated between three other locations. The more he improved, the more mileage Deborah put on the car.

"We ended up like 35 miles from home every Monday, Wednesday and Friday so he would be where the competition was," said Deborah. "After that, we would go all over the countryside to various meets every weekend. That's how it all started."

Mango earned two letters in soccer and four in wrestling at the Whitfield School in St. Louis. He placed second in the state meet at a sophomore and won back-to-back state titles as a junior and senior, compiling a 95-0 record, and was named 2009 Class-1 state wrestler of the year by the Missouri Wrestling Association.

At Stanford, Mango posted a 25-15 record at 125 pounds his freshman year and placed third in the Pac-10 Championships. Last year, he finished 26-7 and placed fourth in the Pac-10s. During one stretch, he recorded 14 consecutive wins, the 10th-best streak in school history.

Mango rebounded from a knee injury to place sixth in the NCAA Championships and was named an All-American.

Mango started the 2011-12 season wrestling at 133 pounds, but changed to 125. He finished the regular season with a 25-5 mark, all five losses coming at the higher weight.

"As the year went on, I realized I could do a lot better at 125," he said.

"I made the drop pretty late in the season and had three matches at 125 going into the Pac-12s and came out with a championship. Hopefully, I can do that same thing this week."

Stanford wrestling coach Jason Borrelli likes Mango's chances. He'll need five victories to secure an NCAA title.

"They're as good as anyone's in the tournament," he said. "Ryan is a very special kid and certainly has the mind and skill set to reach the top of the podium."

Borrelli said Ryan's biggest strengths are "his quickness, strength, explosiveness and flexibility. However, his competitiveness and desire to be the best in the sport are very evident to me."

Mango is a tireless worker. Following the NCAA Championships, he'll switch to Greco-Roman and freestyle and will try to qualify for the U.S. Olympic team, although he thinks his chances for 2016 might be more realistic.

"It's a 24/7 thing," he said. "After nationals, I'll take a little break just to clear my mind. But for the most part, I train all-year round."

What does he enjoy most about wrestling?

"The fact that it's one on one," said Mango. "It's not team dependent, so if things don't go my way and I don't get a W, it's my fault and I know what I need to do to fix it. I like to win."

The easy-going Mango is self-confident, soft-spoken, and has lived with Cardinal football players the last two years. He seldom gets butterflies before a match.

"When I was younger I would get nervous and try to get pumped up before matches," he said. "But now, I just kind of relax, listen to music, and remind myself of all the things I did to get there."

A biology major, Mango is interested in attending pharmacy school and his favorite class is Psychology 102, where he is studying longevity - the study of aging and increased life spans. What has he learned? "Stay active," laughed Mango.

For a guy who is always watching his weight, it might be surprising to learn Mango loves food.

"In general, I like to eat and cook," he said. "A lot of it has to do with wrestling and a lot of it doesn't have to do with wrestling. I like cooking and trying new things. I like Shrimp Alfredo, seafood in general and I'm a big Mac and Cheese fan."

Mango went to China to watch Spenser compete in the 2008 Olympics and it would be a dream for them to make the same team.

"When I was younger, he was more like my mentor and tried to teach me everything he knew," said Mango. "As we got older and kind of got the same size, a rivalry started in high school. Now, we practice and wrestle together. We're old enough where we can separate our sport and our relationship outside of the sport. We're in each other's corners."

Which begs the obvious question: Have you ever wrestled against each other in a match?

"No," Mango said.

Who would win?

"I win," he smiled.

Making the most of my Stanford opportunity

Mon, 12 Mar 2012 09:56:44 PDT

My name is Erich Peske. I am a freshman swimmer at Stanford University and am the recipient of the Robert B. and Kristin M. Abbott Athletic Scholarship and the Lucille and Jim Cayton Scholarship. I grew up approximately 30 minutes south of campus in Los Gatos, where my Stanford experience began. Everyone wore Stanford sweatshirts, knew people who went to Stanford, and attended Stanford sporting events. I had no idea that I would be one of the few to live the Stanford life. It is truly an honor to learn, achieve, and compete at this school.

I had my ups and downs in school until my sophomore year in high school, when I realized that I needed to accomplish and achieve something memorable and fantastic for my family, my friends, and myself. I readied myself for a strenuous last few years of high school, hoping I would be accepted to an excellent university. With this work, I was accepted to Stanford University, and it was then I knew that I would have the opportunity to accomplish this task. The only problem with Stanford was the price of a high-end, private institution. My family would have struggled significantly to find a way to pay for my education were it not for the generous individuals who funded my athletic scholarships. Because of those scholarships, I was able to quickly make my decision, with the support of my parents, to attend Stanford.

Now, because of my scholarships, I swim on one of the fastest and most decorated teams in the country, with a chance to win an NCAA title this year and for the next three years, all while pursuing one of the best educations in the world. I will be given the opportunity of succeeding in any field I choose, whether engineering, liberal arts, or medicine. As of now, I am interested in biology, mathematics, and engineering, and I hope to attend medical school or graduate school once I finish my undergraduate degree.

Competing at such a high level on such an elite team involves a lot of pressure. I have to schedule my whole week out before it starts, find a way to fall asleep in the freshmen dorms by 10:30 each night, and not fall behind on my problem sets and papers, all while training 20 hours a week with a group of athletes that push me to my greatest limits and fullest potential. Such is the difficulty of being a student-athlete at Stanford University, but with it come the great discipline and rewards one gains as a result of his or her dedication to athletics, school, and other various extracurricular activities.

Though I spend much of my time swimming and doing schoolwork, I enjoy learning about and eating cuisine from around the world; taking and editing photographs; driving cars; staying up to date on technology; listening, discovering, and writing music; and traveling the world.

I want to thank my generous donors for their gracious endowments. Not only have they allowed me to attend Stanford University for four years, but they will open up opportunities outside of my education and swimming for the rest of my life because of the friends, teammates, and family I will meet.

Buck/Cardinal Special Feature: Marquess still going strong on the Farm

Fri, 2 Mar 2012 12:06:44 PST

For Mark Marquess, the Clarke and Elizabeth Nelson Director of Baseball at Stanford University, the term "student-athlete" is not lip service. He takes great pride in seeing his players earn their degrees and estimates that more than 90 percent graduate.

In 2010, 12 former Cardinal players competed in the major leagues, and 9 completed college degrees. According to a Wall Street Journal survey, that’s a rarity. It found that in 2009, only 26 major-league players and managers held degrees.

“What makes Stanford such a special place is that the academics are very important,” Marquess said. “Our players are very motivated and want to be the best in all phases of their life. Their dream is to play in the major leagues, but the reality is less than 1 percent make it.”

And what about the other 99 percent? Marquess's 30-plus years on the Farm have taught him that if they have Stanford degrees, they will still have access to incredible opportunities.

How donors fuel the Cardinal's success: An inside look at Stanford Athletics with Bob Bowlsby, the Jaquish & Kenninger Director of Athletics

Wed, 29 Feb 2012 11:37:13 PST

Q: What is the biggest misconception about the $87 million operating budget for the Stanford athletic department?

A: I think the biggest misconception is that right now we’re awash in cash, and that certainly isn’t the case. That $87 million operating budget is a lot of money, but we pay almost 43 percent of that in salaries, benefits, and other compensation (approximately $37.5 million) and another 23 percent (approximately $20 million) to the university for room, board, books, tuition and fees. So an investment in personnel and student-athletes accounts for nearly 70 percent of what we spend each year, and those costs only continue to rise.

Q: Where does the revenue come from to fund 35 sports?

A: Our largest source of revenue is private support. When you total up the endowment yield and expendable gifts, the total accounts for nearly half (40 percent) of our annual revenue. Gate receipts and television revenue make up another 27 percent, and support from the university, NCAA, and Pac-12 Conference contributes another 18 percent. When you rely heavily on private support, as we do, you always have to be mindful of your revenue streams and look for ways to enhance opportunities to support the program.

Q: Does Stanford offer financial help for student-athletes to train and qualify for the Olympics?

A: We do that through our own programs. We don’t provide any separate support, although we pay their way to go to national championships and world championship events. It’s a collaborative process between us and their national governing body in their individual sports. The U.S. colleges and universities continue to be the single largest developmental conduit for our nation’s international competition and especially our Olympic teams. So we, like everyone else, are helping with that process.

Q: How many endowed scholarships does Stanford award?

A: We have about 340 endowed scholarships and roughly 500 student-athletes receiving at least a partial scholarship. We have nine sports that don’t have any scholarship endowment, and we have another seven or eight that are only partially funded by scholarship endowment. At the present time, that $19 million of scholarship expense is about $2 million a year more than we garner from our scholarship endowments. So we’re actually going into our pocket for about $2 million worth of scholarships a year. We are actively trying to close the $2 million per year gap through fundraising. There’s another misconception—that all our scholarships are endowed. They really are not. What we do have instead are some very old, very large scholarship funds that are yielding well more than the original donor intent. I wouldn’t be surprised if we’re funding the largest number of scholarships in the country and most of them are paid for by endowment.

Q: Approximately how much does it cost to fund a four-year football scholarship?

A: The scholarship costs about $53,500. And then it costs us $1,200 just to outfit the recipient with protective equipment and uniforms that are required. With coaching, training room support, and other administrative costs, you’re probably talking about $25,000 to $30,000 each.

Q: How much money will each Pac-12 Conference school receive from the new television contract, and when does it start?

A: It’s helpful to begin by looking at the contract in aggregate. First-year proceeds are $185 million for the conference, compared to $58 million we were taking in previously. This will be divided among the 12 schools with a half-share going to the conference—our first-year share will be about $16 million. The value ramps up over time to about $320 million in year 12 of the contract. The contract goes up about $1 million per school per year. To put that in some context, when Stanford’s tuition and fees increase 4 percent, which is pretty standard, that’s $1 million in additional costs to our department. When our salary policy for the department is 3 percent, which is pretty standard, it’s another $1 million in new costs. So just those two expenses are going up $2 million a year on a modest profile, and the TV contract is going up $1 million a year. Eventually, those lines cross and the upside of the contract doesn’t cover expenses anymore. Then there’s the issue of our current finances. We receive about $16 million in year one (2012–13), but this year we got about $10 million from the previous deal. So the real upside is about $6 million in the first year. We have a number of outstanding commitments we need to honor with some of the additional money. We have about $7.5 million in accumulated debt that goes back more than 10 years. We need to address that. The institution and the DAPER Investment Fund have also helped us with some bridge financing over the last couple of years that we’re going to have to get out from under. By the time you pay the debt and what we’ve been bridge financing, we’re going to have about $1.5 million left in upside. Are we glad to have the money? Absolutely. Is it going to allow us to do some things that we wouldn’t have been able to do before? Yes. But we aren’t going to be awash in cash anytime soon.

Q: Why is it so important for alumni and supporters of Stanford Athletics to contribute to the Buck/Cardinal Club?

A: The importance is really punctuated by what I just said. Private support is a huge part of what it takes to run our program every year. It has been a very fundamental portion of what we have relied on in years past and I don’t see that importance or reliance diminishing in years ahead. We want to do everything first-class here. We want to arm our students and our coaches with the tools that it takes to be successful at the very highest levels. To do that at Stanford, with the small recruiting pool and some of the other challenges we have, we need to do all the little things well. Private support allows us to do the big things and also the little things that are the difference between being average and really outstanding. Really outstanding is what we want to be.

Q: How is the money allocated?

A: We go through a zero-based budgeting process every year. It starts with the sports administrators working with each of the coaches, and the coaches submitting what they see as their upcoming needs relative to scheduling, recruiting, travel, and equipment. There’s a little bit of pushing and shoving that goes along with it, but eventually we arrive at a certified budget that we all agree on. We’ve been fortunate to be able to keep the ink black at the end of the year and that’s certainly our commitment going forward.

Q: Is bowl money divided equally among Pac-12 Conference schools?

A: Conference members budget for one BCS bowl game each year, and that game is typically the Rose Bowl. The Pac-12 Conference takes in about $25 million from that game. The participating team gets about $2 million of that to cover expenses and the rest is divided equally among the member schools. Split 12.5 ways, that equals $1.85 million per school, and the conference share is about $925,000. In the case of other BCS bowl games, we get about $6 million for going to the Fiesta Bowl. Our expense allotment was about $1.4 million plus airfare for going to that game, and then the remainder of that $6 million was distributed among the conference members. The upside of going to a second BCS bowl game is a lot of exposure and a little bit of extra money. It amounts to about $400,000 per school. It isn’t the largesse it sometimes seems. And that’s been one of the misconceptions; people think that the second BCS bowl game is worth the same as the first one, which it isn’t. We probably will not be able to pay for the coaches’ bonuses out of the bowl proceeds, but all other expenses for the trip will be covered from our expense allocation. Bowls are expensive for the participants. Last year at the Orange Bowl, every time we fed the football team breakfast, it was $19,000, and it wasn’t exactly the Sunday Brunch at the Fontainebleau.

Q: Going forward, what is your biggest challenge as athletic director?

A: It’s always attracting and retaining the best people and keeping the best coaches here. Anytime you’re winning, people are going to come after your coaches. I also think it’s so important that people who come here embrace what Stanford is. You can’t resist what Stanford is; you have to embrace that we have the highest academic standards in all of college athletics. We have graduation rates in our program that are the same as the rest of the student body on campus. We work very hard to make sure that people we hire to come in as coaches, administrators, and support staff understand that they’re working with a smaller recruiting pool. We work with amazing kids—they’re the best in every way—but there aren’t as many of them out there as there are that go to good old State U. That’s a big challenge.

Q: How is Stanford different from other top athletic programs in terms of revenue streams?

A: Our athletics program would be dramatically different today had people not had the vision to establish endowments 20, 30, and 40 years ago. We wouldn’t be sponsoring 35 sports, we wouldn’t be winning the championships we’re winning, and we wouldn’t be able to do the kinds of things that we do today were it not for those visionaries. It is without question the biggest difference between us and other institutions that we compete against. Our athletics endowment is much larger than other institution’s. I wouldn’t be surprised if it was as large as the combined athletic endowment of the rest of the Pac-12 together. It makes a huge difference, because we don’t sell out a 110,000-seat stadium seven Saturdays a year—the primary revenue-generator at many other schools. For us, we’re harvesting more than $20 million off our endowment. Without that money, we aren’t supporting 35 sports and we aren’t winning championships like we are today.

Q: How does Stanford continue to hold its own against big schools like Michigan, Ohio State, and Texas?

A: The biggest thing that a coach at Stanford has to do is find the kids in small towns and large cities across the United States who are good enough to compete at their local state university. It’s finding the kid in East Overshoe, Tennessee, who’s good enough to play in the SEC or the Big Ten, and is bright enough to benefit from a Stanford education. We have to convince that young person that Stanford is a good move for them. It’s easier in some sports than it is in others. But that’s the task the coaches have. If they do it well, they’ll have great success here.

Trisha Stevens: Hall of Fame Inductee

Wed, 29 Feb 2012 08:34:43 PST

Stan Spencer: Hall of Fame Inductee

Wed, 29 Feb 2012 08:33:34 PST

Mhairi McKay: Hall of Fame Inductee

Wed, 29 Feb 2012 08:32:41 PST

Kerri Walsh: Hall of Fame Inductee

Wed, 29 Feb 2012 08:29:18 PST

Jay Mortenson: Hall of Fame Inductee

Wed, 29 Feb 2012 08:27:03 PST

Don Griffin: Hall of Fame Inductee

Tue, 28 Feb 2012 10:09:53 PST

Bob Whitfield: Hall of Fame Inductee

Tue, 28 Feb 2012 10:06:46 PST

Exclusive video interviews: Hall of Fame Inductees

Mon, 27 Feb 2012 12:43:03 PST

This week the Clubhouse will be bringing you exclusive video interviews with the 2011 Stanford Athletics Hall of Fame inductees. Stay tuned!

Alex Kim: Hall of Fame Inductee

Mon, 27 Feb 2012 12:39:12 PST