Monday, April 2, 2007

Is Bruce Next?

Now that Dana is gone to Arkansas - all eyes are on AD Bruce Rasmussen. ESPN.com reported this tonight:

A source close to the situation said Creighton also is losing athletic director Bruce Rasmussen, who will go with Altman to Arkansas as his director of operations for men's basketball.

The move, viewed as a step down for an athletic director, would put Rasmussen in line for an administrative position once athletic director Frank Broyles retires, which is expected at the end of the year, the source said.

On Monday, Rasmussen dispelled that scenario.
"Obviously, I'm not in Arkansas," Rasmussen told The Associated Press. "If my bosses will have me, I plan on continuing to be here."


Here is what he told me afterwards:

Q: Is it strange to have a rumor about yourself going to Arkansas?

A: Well there have been a lot rumors about me not being the Athletic Director at Creighton (laugh). I think it's human nature that when two people have a close relationship, have a friendship - that people would suspect that that would continue, not only as a friendship but as a business relationship. I think that's human nature. But the reality is that we will continue to have a friendship but our business relationship is going to change. (- More on the one on one interview with Bruce tomorrow on the show)

So Bruce is playing the Dana Altman game. "I am at CU so that's where I am". Does that mean he is not going to Arkansas at any point? He never said that. Does that mean he isn't going to help CU get a coach and then leave? He never said that. So the speculation will continue.

My feeling - he isn't going to Arkansas....yet. You don't need to hire a director of basketball operations until the end of the summer. Plenty of time to get a coach, find a successor for Bruce with the new coaches approval and move to Fayetteville with Dana. Not being the AD and a Basketball Ops person would be a change in business relationship right?

The next phase of waiting and seeing has begun.

PS - How about Iowa? I was wrong about Gary Barta not doing anything with the head job....getting Todd Lickliter from Butler is a great hire. Nice work.

6 comments:

Jackson said...

Matt,

What's happening with the Big Bus tomorrow? Are you bailing on the Big Bus to do your show since Dana's gone?

Matt Perrault said...

NO WAY! We are going on Wednesday for sure....still on- it's the RED SOX! :)

Jackson said...

Jeesh! My bad. Seems like it's been two days since Dana left, not just one. I'm thinking the Big Bus is tomorrow. With everything you do, how can you possibly keep everything straight? You must be the hardest working guy in the media!

aaron said...

I think I will just wait and see about Rasmussen and him going to Arkansas. You are the one who did say that there was no way Dana would go to another school. Sounds like you better find some better sources if you are going to report things to the public.

Matt Perrault said...

Remember, I don't report anything. It's just what I think.

AltmanFlipFlops said...

Breaking News: Bruce Rasmussen takes the Arkansas AD job without Dana Altman.