The era of Missouri interim AD Wren Baker was ushered in last week when Mack Rhoades departed for Baylor, but Baker "has no intention of being a placeholder," according to Tod Palmer of the K.C. STAR. He said, "One thing I’m not made for is to sit in neutral or tread water. I want to keep advancing forward. We had some key initiatives that we’ve been working on over the last 14 months that Mack started the ball rolling and developing.” Projects like the Mizzou Made curriculum, an "extension of the Total Person Program that trades on the social-media presence stoked by former football coach Gary Pinkel, and improvements at Memorial Stadium or the Mizzou Athletic Training Complex remain paramount." Baker "doesn’t necessarily consider this interim period as an audition," but he "made no secret he’s interested in shedding the interim tag and remaining in Columbia." And he "might have a puncher’s chance if Mizzou’s significant challenges tamp down outside interest in the job" (K.C. STAR, 7/16).
A CHANGE IS GONNA COME: In St. Louis, Jeff Gordon notes Rhoades "got caught like a deer in headlights by the football team’s landmark boycott, then kept a low profile until he found other work." It was obvious Rhoades "was finished when he wouldn’t even stand up to the softball players who mocked him." But the school "can get through this crisis, just as it got through others over the years." The athletic department "must regain the trust of coaches, players, potential recruits and the freight-paying boosters." The program "must regain the respect" of its SEC rivals. UM "had a bad year, one of its worst ever." But it is "not a bad place." Change has to happen "right now, starting with the hiring of strong administrators with the vision, commitment and consensus-building skills to see this rebuilding process all the way through" (ST. LOUIS POST-DISPATCH, 7/18).
