Incoming Richmond AD John Hardt gets thumbs-up from coaches
John O'Connor·Yesterday
John Hardt, Bucknell's director of athletics for 18 years, will take over as the University of Richmond's athletic director in January. UR introduced him at a public event at the Robins Center on Nov. 15.
Hardt was an all-state defensive lineman in 1979 at Charles City (Iowa) High and played at the University of Iowa, where he earned an English degree and a law degree. Before taking the AD job at Bucknell, a member of the Patriot League, Hardt worked in athletic administrations at Syracuse and Michigan State.
"Some of the people who participated in the hiring process just thought he was fantastic and a slam dunk for this place, guys that I trust," said Richmond football coach Russ Huesman. "I like the fact that he has a football background. ... He played. So to me, that kind of made me feel better about him.
"We have connections through different people that I've worked with that he knows, so we'll be familiar with each other pretty quickly."
Said Spiders basketball coach Chris Mooney: "I had met him a few times. ... I have known the Bucknell (coaches and administrators). I think it's terrific. Obviously, he's done a great job at Bucknell, which is a similar school. I'm excited to have him join the team."
Hardt's thoughts on-
Coming to Richmond:
"My wife, Carole, and I have discussed this at length, that we really didn't envision ourselves leaving Bucknell. It was a great opportunity. My wife works at the university, as well. We have a huge network of Bucknell alums and friends. It's a very good situation. And (Richmond) is probably, if not the only, one of the very few that I would have even contemplated making a move away from Bucknell.
"The institutions share so much in common as far as their commitment to the student and the athlete - the equation of student-athlete - that it seemed like a natural opportunity for me to look at. I was enticed also with the larger competitive stage and playing at a higher level, and still doing it the right way with real scholar-athletes."
Balancing athletics and academics:
"I think places like Richmond are uniquely situated to do that really well. I think it's very helpful that all of our classes here at Richmond are taught by full professors and not by (assistants). And I think the faculty here, just like at Bucknell, will go the extra yard to make certain a student, if they are struggling in any way, gets that extra help they need to be successful.
"I also think our enrollment management people do an excellent job of vetting and reviewing applicants here and, as the graduation rates show, they do an outstanding job of admitting those students who are going to have success here on campus at Richmond."
Recruiting:
"I think what happens when you have high academic standards like Richmond does, it really narrows your field and pool of prospective student-athletes. And so it really ratchets up I think coaches' expectations when they identify a high Division I-caliber prospect that's also a high academic qualifier, that they'll be given an opportunity to succeed in the classroom. I think the history here, by and large, is one that supports that model. I think the success on the courts and the playing fields also suggest that this is a place that can successfully support that model.
"I think Richmond, much like Bucknell, has a certain cachet to it and a certain segment, a certain niche, in the recruiting world. ... I do know that the league-wide academic index that the Patriot League has, which Bucknell is a part of, levels that playing field. And so I do think it gets amped up in a league such as the A-10, where you don't have that consistent academic profile from school to school."
Challenges at UR:
"Every place I've worked during my career had challenges. The only things that change are the color schemes, right? We're changing in our orange-and-blue challenges for blue and red here at Richmond. I think everywhere I've been also, resources are always a challenge. Of course, it's relative. I was at Michigan State and I think our budget my last year was about $70-some million dollars. I think my budget last year at Bucknell was about $27 million. Everybody's stretched, and I'm sure Richmond has some challenges, too, even though from an outside perspective it looks like there's robust support and good resource support for all of our varsity programs."
Changes at UR:
"My plan of attack is going to be get situated, get my feet on the ground, and then listen very carefully to all of our staff, all of our student-athletes, our head coaches, and then make some assessments whether any changes are necessary. I don't come with preconceived plan for change. And so we'll just have to play that a little bit by ear as we go. I don't have plans, certainly nothing imminent, to bring anyone with me from Bucknell to Richmond."
