SPARTAN REPORT News from Aurora University Athletics | December 2016
Well-rounded approach to coaching pays winning dividends It’s not whether you win or lose, but how you play the game, right? Well, not entirely. For the Spartans, losing is not really an option, according to AU Athletic Director Jim Hamad. “Trust me, no one wants to win more than AU,” he said, “but we make sure that we do it right.” And part of “doing it right,” he explained, is hiring coaches who embody and promote the university’s twin virtues of scholarship and character while pursuing AU’s overall goal of educating body, mind and spirit. “We often talk about hard work and strong character as being the two essential qualities we look for in a student-athlete,” he said. “Those are the same qualities that we want in AU coaches and staff. If we focus on these qualities, the wins will follow.” And they usually do. During 2015–2016, for example, Spartan teams won six conference championships in men’s cross country, women’s golf, women’s indoor track and field, softball, men’s lacrosse, and women’s outdoor track and field.
What’s more, for the same period, 44 percent of Spartan student-athletes were recognized as scholar-athletes, earning GPAs of at least 3.25. Some 1,500 student-athletes have been named Academic All-Conference during the last 10 years. Hiring coaches here at AU can be a long process, but it’s designed to winnow out all but the very best candidates. “We know the coaches who make it to the final interview stage are committed to providing a positive student-athlete experience and have a track record of success,” Hamad said. In the final analysis, AU coaches are measured by their performance in four major categories: » Coaches have to meet their recruitment goals and bring in the type of students that will excel in all areas at AU. » Coaches must ensure that academics, career planning and service-learning projects are of primary importance. » Coaches must create an enjoyable environment for their athletes. » And finally, coaches must win championships. It’s a tall order, concedes Hamad, but if AU’s athletics history is any indication, AU coaches have consistently risen to the challenge.