Success Has Forever Changed UConn Program

The filing cabinet in Pat Meiser-McKnett’s Gampel Pavilion office on the University of Connecticut campus is impeccably organized. Tucked inside the neatly labeled folders are the housecleaning tools that can keep an athletic department on the straight and narrow course.

She reaches into the upper right-hand drawer and pulls out the file on promotional activities for student athletes.

“Two years ago we became very acutely aware of the fact that the whole world not only wants to touch the athletes but wants to get involved with them, get their autographs and be near them,” said Meiser-McKnett, the University of Connecticut’s associate athletic director for administration and compliance. “If (UConn basketball Coach) Jim (Calhoun) gets a call from the Brothers of the Poor in Waterbury (Conn.) and they want Steve Pikiell to come to an activity, Jim channels them through me. We have them fill out the form. This is the safeguard. And then we sign-off on it.

“In the last two years, we’ve probably developed 20 different forms that track key areas that have become significant to us because of the high visibility of our basketball program. Five years ago, promotional activity was not a major issue for us. Now it’s coming fast and furious.

Meiser-McKnett has forms. Lots of forms. Forms for public appearances, eligibility certification, recruiting procedures, expenses, and tests covering the rules of the 400-page NCAA Manual that coaches and administrators must know and understand. Every UConn staff member takes her test.

These are forms for the 1990s, the Age of Compliance in college athletics. Every major conference in the country has an administrator in charge of compliance. Many Division I schools have created positions with a job description similar to the one Meiser-McKnett follows.

“You can’t afford not to have a compliance officer,” Meiser-McKnett said.

The success of the Huskies’ basketball program, especially the 31-6 record and trip to the Final Eight last season, has pushed UConn into the big-time arena. The innocence and isolation that surrounded UConn’s program during leaner times no longer exists.

Now, as UConn basketball continues to grow and strives to sustain success, the filing cabinet in Meiser-McKnett’s office grows increasingly important. UConn wants to stay big, but it also aspires to keep its athletic department clean.

“That can be very hard,” says Calhoun, who is entering his fifth season as UConn’s basketball coach.

UConn has made its preparations. The safeguards are in place.

What if they weren’t?

“I’d be real nervous,” Meiser-McKnett said. “Our staff is good. The staff at the University of Connecticut has worked very hard to learn the rules. They have studied the NCAA Manual. And I feel very comfortable with that.

“If I thought we had a staff of renegades, I wouldn’t be very happy. But we have great people who really care about doing it the right way.”

College basketball’s new season is opening under a veil of probation. Eight basketball programs are on NCAA probation. That reportedly is the most ever to be serving sanctions at the same time. According to an NCAA statistician, the average for any one season is three schools.

In recent years, nationally prominent programs at Kentucky, Kansas, North Carolina State, Florida and Maryland have landed in jail. In NCAA terms, that usually means no postseason play, no television appearances, and restrictions on recruiting.

The University of Nevada, Las Vegas, the most powerful defending national champion since Coach John Wooden’s days at UCLA, begins 1990-91 on probation. Adding to the uncertainty of this season is UNLV’s appeal to the NCAA. Coach Jerry Tarkanian has offered to leave the bench if his team is allowed to play in the NCAA Tournament. As it stands now, however, the Runnin’ Rebels will not be allowed to defend their title.

“Take a look at the schools that are going on probation. It’s not the people who are winning three games a year and not making it to the (NCAA) Tournament,” said Linda Bruno, Big East Conference assistant commissioner, whose duties include eligibility, compliance and rules interpretations.

It may not be necessary to cheat to win, but if you are winning it certainly becomes more important to watch your step.

“One of the reasons it’s a whole new ballgame for us is because there’s so much scrutiny on our program now,” Meiser-McKnett said. “If we make a mistake now, there are people who are going to know about it. If we made a mistake five years ago, there were a whole lot of people who didn’t give a damn. ... There are a lot more eyes looking at Connecticut now than there ever were.”

UConn went national last season when it won the Big East Tournament in New York, then advanced to the finals of the NCAA East Regional before losing to Duke. The signs of a big-time program are everywhere. Magazine covers, national media attention, preseason rankings, network television appearances, and national coach of the year honors for Calhoun.

If that isn’t enough proof, check out the recruiting class that just signed to play at UConn. The Huskies parlayed their tournament success into a recruiting class that includes blue-chip players from New York City, Los Angeles, Seattle, Phoenix, Atlanta and Jacksonville, Fla. UConn has put together one of the top classes in the country.

“One plus one does equal two in this case,” Calhoun said. “Big-time programs can get national recruits from any place in the country.

“As much as I said we were a great program, as much as I thought this was a great place to go to school, as much as I told them we coached our brains out and looked after them, and did all the right things ... one plus one still equaled a question mark. Until we won.”

The pressure to sustain UConn’s success will be immense. Expectations from fans and the media have increased. With the promise of television revenue, more is at stake for the university. And the scrutiny surrounding Calhoun will intensify now that he has signed a four-year contract that guarantees him more than $250,000 per year before endorsements.

Calhoun says he signed into pressure the day he signed his first contract at UConn. That goes with the territory of the Big East.

Georgetown Coach John Thompson says the pressure comes from new sources all the time. When the University of Miami joins the Big East next season, there will be more pressure, he said.

“The standard for what is successful and what’s not successful is going to change in this league,” Thompson said. “It’s very difficult to sustain a certain level of competency in any kind of competitive situation. You’ll be under pressure. But I don’t think you take a college job and become overly concerned about pressure.”

The pressure to win, Calhoun says, should never blur a coach’s own convictions.

“How do I feel about cheating?” Calhoun said. “I don’t think you should ever buy anybody. It’s a terrible thing.

“The success of our program is the fact we’re able to motivate, captivate and, quite honestly, we have kids we can coach. If someone has done something illegal, how much control are you going to have over that kid? If he’s got the keys to the car, he’s got control over you. That’s something I could never involve myself with.”