Barry Goldberg has been around the AU athletics department about as long as anyone. His 17 years as volleyball coach began during a period of five university president transitions, and more recently, he has gone through four athletic director changes.
In 1994, Goldberg welcomed a change and a sign of commitment when former President Benjamin Ladner was hired and promised he was here to stay. But with Ladner gone, Goldberg will endure the now-familiar transition once again.
"It's just an unfortunate situation," Goldberg said. "We finally found some stability and some growth at the university overall. Now we're going to lose some stability, but we'll have to continue growing."
In the wake of Ladner's Oct. 10 dismissal, the feeling in the athletics department is regret at the loss of a steady leader whose spending controversy has made recent budget cuts more stinging.
Ladner leaves a mixed legacy for AU athletics. The nationally ranked field hockey program was brought on campus with the 1998 opening of the Jacobs Fitness Complex. The wrestling program was salvaged three years ago by a fund-raising drive and now competes in the
competitive Eastern Intercollegiate Athletic Association.
But under Ladner there have also been losses. He made the final decision on eliminating the tennis and golf programs last spring. Scholarships were also cut from 100 to 80 in November 2003, including all 15 of the swimming and diving teams' scholarships. Assistant coaching positions have been cut.
Even with these latest reductions, the overall athletics budget increased during Ladner's time at AU. The 1994, $3.1 million budget had increased to around $7.5 million by last spring, according to figures in The Washington Post.
Ladner was at the helm for 11 years while athletics directors changed frequently. Current director Joni Comstock became the fourth in four years when she was hired in 2003, but she didn't say his departure would mean a leadership vacuum or a change of direction for AU athletics.
"The athletics and recreation department has a clear plan for our future," she wrote in an email. "This will continue."
The fact that Ladner's exile came amidst allegations of spending improprieties while teams are pressed for funds is not lost among the athletes.
"It was pretty shocking," said Julia Colarusso, a junior on the women's tennis team. "Obviously the athletics department had struggled with funds, and to learn of a misuse of funds by the president was disappointing."
Ladner also changed the leadership hierarchy between his office and the athletics department. At first the athletics director reported directly to him, which tennis coach Carol Daniels said meant more "hands-on" dealing with the department. It was later changed so that Vice President of Development Al Checcio became the liaison between athletics and the executive office.
According to some athletes, Ladner seemed distant, reflecting the broader criticism that he didn't interact with students enough. He was often seen at men's basketball games, but other athletes said they never met him or saw him at their events. Some said they would like the next president to have more of a visible presence.
"The first step is to show up, show a face at games," Colarusso said. "I understand that he was president and couldn't come to the majority of matches. I don't recall him addressing us, even after they cut the program."
Even if he wasn't always on the sideline, nobody disagrees that Ladner impacted AU athletics. He was the driving force behind the university moving from the Colonial Athletic Association to the Patriot League in 2000. Reaction to that switch was mixed.
The CAA banned AU teams from conference tournaments that year denying teams chances at automatic NCAA berths. The move to the PL, regarded as the weaker conference competition-wise, was considered a downgrade by some, and a reason to place less priority on athletics.
"Whenever he'd speak at the hall of fame dinners, banquets, he'd speak about going in the right direction," said men's tennis coach Kyle Bailey. "Then a year later, we'd lose a scholarship ... As much as he talked of athletics excellence, we could see where it was going."
But Goldberg said the rationale behind the league swap was to put AU among similar schools. While the CAA was centered south of Washington and comprised of mainly public universities, the PL was a collection of small, private northeastern schools.
"I thought it could be a good move, personally," Goldberg said. "It identified what we were going to be."
Despite many changes, the elimination of Tennis and Golf will likely remain the most controversial aspect of Ladner's legacy. But any new leadership is not expected to reverse the fate of the tennis and golf teams.
"They have to plan for the future," Daniels said. "I don't see any way they'll reinstate it. Neil Kerwin is a remarkable man as acting president...I don't think he or any new president is going to do anything drastic. By that time it's going to be after the fact, and it's not going to be reinstated."
While the Ladner story may have been disappointing and given AU unwanted national headlines, nobody had concerns that it would steer recruits away.
"I've never once had a recruit that made a decision based on the president of the university," said Chris Knoche, the head men's basketball coach from 1991 to 1997 and now a radio analyst for Maryland basketball. "I think the Ben Ladner thing was a huge issue for the kids carrying signs out there who had passion for their university. But I don't think this thing has legs outside of campus. I don't think it will compel people not to come here"
