New Missouri AD Mack Rhoades "arrived Monday armed with a 90-day plan, which he outlined Thursday in his first news conference" since taking over for Mike Alden, according to Dave Matter of the ST. LOUIS POST-DISPATCH. Rhoades' priorities start "with sorting out his staff," as he "has to hire a deputy AD and will start vetting his first candidate this weekend." He also "wants to evaluate the overall structure, roles and titles within the athletics department and its staff of 200." Rhoades: "I’ve been transparent with our staff: There’s going to be changes." Those changes will start "with MU's ticket sales efforts," as he "wants a more aggressive approach similar to professional sports teams." Rhoades: "Right now I think we’re a little bit of an inbound company, meaning that we do a really good job of taking phone calls. ... We cannot wait for people to come to us." Rhoades also "wants to immediately address facilities and develop a five-year plan for various projects," including an all-encompassing football facility "to reside just south side of Memorial Stadium." He is "opposed to adding seating capacity to Memorial Stadium until the team consistently sells out all of its home games." Rhoades said of the program, "We talk about, ‘Why not Missouri?’ Why can’t Missouri be the best athletics program in the country? Why can’t it be? I haven’t heard a good answer yet" (ST. LOUIS POST-DISPATCH, 5/1). In K.C., Tod Palmer reports Rhoades has discussed "restoring the Border War" games with Kansas AD Sheahon Zenger. Kansas "has refused to schedule Missouri" since Alden "spearheaded a move from the Big 12" to the SEC. But the logistical hurdles to restoring the rivalry "might be more intractable than any lingering hurt feelings." Rhoades said that "personnel and organizational structure, facilities and relationship-building -- with staff, the academic administration and donors among others -- are his top priorities as he takes over for Alden" (K.C. STAR, 5/1).
