In a school known for its architectural prowess, Alison Cone has built something of her own
Cone has been unquestionably successful since taking over the job of Cal Poly athletic director on an interim basis in 2004 and then permanently a year later.
Cal Poly athletics have flourished under Cone, achieving things most thought highly improbable just a few years ago.
The baseball team is currently ranked 14th in the nation, its highest rating ever at the Division I level. The Mustangs are poised to make their first Division I postseason berth in school history
Cal Poly softball achieved its first top 25 ranking this season and is currently tied for the Big West Conference lead.
The women’s basketball team won a school-record 21 games last season and narrowly missed being the first basketball program, men’s or women’s, to make the NCAA Tournament at Cal Poly.
Both soccer programs have been extremely successful under Cone’s watch. The men’s team won Cal Poly’s first-ever Division I NCAA Tournament game when they beat UCLA last year.
Cal Poly football was a chip shot field goal and an extra point away from an undefeated regular season including what would have been one of the biggest upsets in college football history in bowl-bound Wisconsin.
All of this has happened in just the last year under Cone. The programs have been successful on the field, and Cone has been successful in building the community support off it.
The renovation of Alex G. Spanos Stadium has been key in allowing Cal Poly to recruit athletes who see the commitment the community has to athletics.
Why am I extolling the virtues of Alison Cone you may ask?
She has recently come under some criticism for her hiring of new football head coach Tim Walsh and new men’s basketball coach Joe Callero and I don’t think it’s completely fair.
Ironically, despite all the success that most of the programs have had since Cone took over, most athletic directors are measured by the success of their football and men’s basketball teams.
While Walsh’s hiring was a necessity based on former coach Rich Ellerson’s exodus to Army, the firing of Kevin Bromley and subsequent hire of Callero was a decision made by Cone.
Let’s face it; Cal Poly does not have the money to go around firing coaches. This isn’t Kentucky where some booster can come in and pay $2 million to get rid of Billy Gillespie after a bad season. The payout on the final year of Bromley’s contract is estimated to be somewhere around $177,000.
That is a hefty chunk of change in the scheme of things for Cal Poly athletics.
So if Cal Poly was willing to pay that to get Bromley out, the traditional thought is, they had better have the right guy in place now.
When Callero’s name surfaced as a top candidate for the job, people began to wonder who he was. He didn’t have the name value of some of the other candidates. Although Seattle University defeated the Mustangs last season, the school was virtually unknown to most college basketball fans.
The Redhawks are probably best remembered for the stellar play of Elgin Baylor — some 51 years ago.
Cal Poly has another current coach who was virtually unknown before he came here.
Men’s soccer coach Paul Holocher came to Cal Poly from tiny Division III UC Santa Cruz.
That hire turned out well for Cal Poly, and Cone was the woman behind it.
Not only did Holocher guide the Mustangs to a postseason win last year, but Cal Poly also had the third highest attendance in the nation.
Getting the community to rally around the sports programs is an integral part of Cone’s approach.
She has shown that she will hire not just good coaches, but also community activists.
Callero himself said that he wants to take his players out into the area to do community service.
Getting the community involved assures more money for the programs. More money means better facilities, better facilities means better recruits and so on.
Cone’s legacy at Cal Poly is on the line here in these next few years as we see how the new hires pan out.
I’m not going to prognosticate that Callero will lead Cal Poly to the Big West championship next year, or that Walsh will lead the football team to another No. 3 ranking, but I think we owe Cone the benefit of the doubt on her hiring procedures.
Let’s at least play out a season or two before we decide whether these coaches can get the job done.
Scott Silvey is a journalism senior and the Mustang Daily sports editor.