Best Year Ever

Ian McCaw came in a few minutes late for an interview in early August after dropping his 8-year-old son off at Coach Scott Drew's summer basketball camp. But that's not the only reason Baylor's athletic director had basketball on his mind that morning.

Emily Niemann, junior forward for the Lady Bears National Championship team, had requested a release from Baylor the previous day. The news stunned not only McCaw, but head Coach Kim Mulkey-Robertson and fans around the state. Less than a week later, Baylor would grant Niemann a partial waiver transfer.

The loss of the team's third-leading scorer on the 2004-05 championship team was an unexpected blow in an otherwise "spectacular year" for Baylor athletics, as McCaw described it. With 12 of its 17 teams participating in NCAA postseason play, the athletics program rated a school-best 25th-place in the final 2004-05 Sports Academy Directors' Cup standings. In addition, it was the only Big 12 program and one of only six NCAA Division I-A institutions nationally to also rank in the top 10 of the most recent NCAA graduation rates report. Baylor's company at the top included Stanford, Duke, Virginia, Notre Dame and Penn State.

"Our budget is very modest, and we have fewer athletic teams compared to this extremely elite company," McCaw said. When you break out the figures, Baylor ranked 15th nationally per sport and ninth based on budget return on investment, he said. "That's very gratifying. We're really succeeding at a very good level there."

Although he credits the success to the coaches, student-athletes and staff, there also is a momentum that has been building. "A lot of our programs were in various stages of growth," he said. "I think it was a combination of a lot of factors - team chemistry and leadership, excellent coaches. It's a time of resurgence for Baylor athletics. There's a lot of momentum, and I expect it to continue."

The saying that "nothing succeeds like success" is proving true at Baylor. According to McCaw, all the right numbers are up: student-athlete recruiting, Bear Foundation participation, donor giving, licensing royalties, season ticket sales, attendance at statewide alumni events. "All the indicators we measure are up at this point," he said, "and all that is directly related to the success we had last year."

Among the victories, though, there was some unfinished business McCaw had to face. The NCAA's final report on additional sanctions against Baylor for infractions in the men's basketball program came in June (see story, next page). These included banning Baylor from nonconference play for one season, which Interim President William D. Underwood put into effect this year.

"President Underwood made the right decisions in accepting the sanctions and not appealing them," McCaw said. "It was a terrible set of facts in this case, but I do commend the University's investigative team and the response after the fact."

The men's basketball team, under head coach Drew, has some exciting recruits, but now the team will play 11 fewer games this season. "The players were very disappointed," McCaw said. "It's a trial, but it's a trial we can get beyond."\

Meanwhile, Baylor athletics continues to strengthen its compliance oversight staff. It has increased from one to three employees since McCaw came in September 2004, and he is seeking a fourth. "We've also strengthened our system and added practices. We're very encouraged."

As another self-imposed regulation, Baylor will hire an external party to review its compliance system for three consecutive years, a practice McCaw began last year. The NCAA also requires an annual report from Baylor.

"President Underwood has a great understanding of compliance because of his role on the internal investigation team, and a strong commitment to it," McCaw said. "It's gratifying to me in my position to know I have strong commitment from the highest administrative levels," adding that he and Underwood meet regularly to discuss such issues.

As he traveled around the state this summer, McCaw said it has been exciting to hear Baylor fans' expressions of pride in their alma mater. "It's exciting to see the Baylor family have something so positive to rally around, to be able to say 'Baylor is the best' at this. It's been very enjoyable to experience their appreciation."