4
Friday, April 18, 1975
University Daily Kansan
Walker satisfied with progress
Clyde Walker has been athletic director at the University of Kansas less than two years. But in that time, he reorganized the athlete department, he now presides as student body member, seen a football coach resign and has lived through a furlor about student ticket prices. Walker discussed these topics and others in a March 28 interview with Kansan reporter
KANSAN: You've been at KU almost two
weeks and you've met you satisfied with
your accommodation.
WALKER: Yes. I think I am. We have goals that we hope to accomplish. Certainly, we are not at the point that we have accomplished all these goals, but I would have to say we are satisfied with the progress we have made at this point.
KANSAN: What do you think your main accomplishments have been?
WALKER: Number one probably is bringing the athletic department under better financial control. We have been able, for all practical purposes, to balance our budget during this two-year period. At the same time, we are forecasting the same kind of budgetary conditions for next season. It is also part of all financial problems across the country, this is a big accomplishment as far as we're concerned.
The second thing is that we've been able to make a lot of improvements in our facilities. This was one of the main objectives I had when I came here. We've always wanted to improve progress in this area, although we have a lot of things we would still like to do.
KANSAN: What changes or improvements still need to be made?
**WALKER:** We still have a lot of work to be done on Allen Field House. We want to clean up all the grass inside and the cleaning of the building on the outside. The next thing of utmost importance is the addition of football dressing facilities in the building, as there are any football dressing facilities as such.
There's an awfully lot of work to be done
at Memorial Stadium. We need two more tennis courts to have a good tennis program. It's very difficult to have a match in the stadium if there are no work to be done on our baseball field
Some of these are long-term objectives. The two most immediate goals, as I mentioned before, are the continued renovation and maintenance of the construction of new football dressing facilities.
KANSAN: What mistakes do you think you've made since you've been here?
WALKER: Well, I'm sure that any time anybody is in a position that's in the public eye, you certainly make some mistakes. The important thing is to keep them to a minimum. Don't tell your finger my finger on what you say are mistakes. I guess there are some things that I might do.
differently or handle differently. I don't particularly feel I've made any glaring mistakes, but maybe in the way of handling certain things, hoping they would come out a little differently as far as the news media were concerned.
KANSAN: Could you specify what those things were?
WALKER: The handling of the student ticket price increase last year. I would have liked for that to have come out differently. They had been done, but the way it came out could have been handled differently. Maybe Coach Farbaugh's resignation could have been handled differently as they are the news who are talking about it. Think twice two things stick out in my mind.
KANSAN: You've often said that you've wanted to establish a first class athletic program at KU. Given the current poor financial situation in college athletics, it is still practical to strive for a first class program here?
WALKER: I think we're caught in something here, and that's competition. Before we would want to consider cutting down on any phase of our program, I hope it would come from national or conference legislation rather than internal legislation. If we eliminate recruiting or scholarships or cut down on our program, we'd up not being able to compete with the schools that do recruit and give scholarships.
KANSAN: Have you received much pressure from alumni and contributors to cheat to reach that goal of a first class program?
WALKER: I certainly have not. This is one of the statements I made when I first came here, that this will never be an objective of ours. I disapprove of that sort of thinking completely. I happen to believe that you don't have to do those sort of things to build the type of program that we would like to have.
KANSAN: Many colleges are eliminating funding for minor sports because of the financial squeeze. Do you anticipate that happening here?
WALKER: I say this: "I'll do everything in my power to see that it doesn't happen. I don't want it to happen. I believe very much in a well-rounded athletic program.
I do not anticipate any curtailment of our program. In fact, I feel very fortunate that we have been able to increase certain aspects of our program. When people talk about college athletics in being serious difficulty, and that we ought to cut out this and cut out that, I take the opposite approach. We should and additional source material be provided. To date, we have been successful in that approach. Again, I hope that we would not have to cut back on anything until it's done on a conference or national level.
KANNAN: The number of administrative positions in the athletic department have doubled since you've come here. Why do you think that the assistants as the previous athletic director?
WALKER: I think sometimes you have to spend money to make money. The athletic department was considerably understaffed when I came. I think organization is the key to any business and I think you need proper administrative personnel to accomplish this.
I feel very strongly that nobody can be successful without surrounding himself with good people, people who know what they're doing. I feel our athletic department and the coaching staff for a long time and I attribute this to the fine people that I have working with me.
KANSAN: Couldn't the program be run just as efficiently with half as many people?
WALKER: No. If I did, then we would be attempting to do that. I don't feel that we are overstaffed. I think it's such a big operation that the day is gone when it's a
one-man operation, as it had been many years ago. It's a little more complex than it seems. The director spends the amount of time necessary visiting with alumni and attending the meetings that are necessary to keep the program running, supportive people to handle the program.
KANSAN: Many of the people you have brought into the department have been from outside Kansas, and many have been from the South. Is there a certain reason for this?
**WALKER:** No reason except that in my opinion the best people available for the job are the ones who have done it.
KANSAN: Have you received much criticism for doing this?
WALKER: Not really, except it seems that a person in my position receives a certain amount of criticism for doing anything. But nothing beyond that.
KANSAN: The Student Senate has voted to increase its support of the athletic corps.
you expect the student season football and
the basketball ticket prices to go down next week.
WALKER: Yes, I certainly do. I'm very pleased that they will go down. At the present time, it looks as if the tickets will be $10 for football and $10 for basketball. I will be pleased anytime that we can do anything to help you, including ticket prices or adding priorities or anything for them because I feel that they are an integral part of our program. I'm
KANSAN: When you first came here, you said a good relationship with the students was important. Last year a resolution was introduced in the Student Senate calling for your resignation. Last year's student body president called for your resignation. How do you see your relationship with the students in view of these events?
very appreciative of the student support that we have and I'm living it will compel
WALKER: Evidently, it isn't as good as I would like for it to be. Again, misunderstandings and lack of communication have probably resulted in some of this. Probably, the biggest concern the students had had was the increase in ticket prices last year, although this was something the athletic board approved of.
KANSAN: You held a number of open
weekdays in your year. This week you
haven't. Why is that?
Probably this is the one thing that created any type of feelings that exist. I felt that I got blamed for something that should have been in my ears ages on a basis on just so much per year.
WALKER: We had one in the fall and plan to have one more this spring. One of the reasons when I started it was to see if they were willing to nautis at these meetings have been so small that it would be foolish to continue them if they are something the students don't want. However, I will continue them at a periodic opportunity to say what's on their mind.
KANSAN: What is your opinion of the press?
WALKER: The press is something we very badly need. We're appreciative of all the fine things that the press does for us and the University of Kansas.
It's very difficult for one person to communicate with every student. I have made a concentrated effort since I've been here to meet and talk with any individual or groups of students to discuss our athletic programs, and also to give my opportunity to talk about our program or to try to straighten out any of their misconceptions.
It wasn't just the students. We asked the same thing of our alumni and friends of the University. Ticket prices to the general public were increased. We feel now that we have things at the level at which they should be.
I guess my biggest objection to the press would be the misquoting; the things that are hard to recognize that you may have said, and you should not do that in the negative reporting. I like to approach
See Walker page 11
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