For new Syracuse Director of Athletics Daryl Gross, the decision to come to SU was based on the ‘wow factor.’

Earlier today, Gross became the successor to AD Jake Crouthamel, who will formally retire June 30, 2005. Gross waltzed into the Iocolano-Petty Football Complex arm-in-arm with SU Chancellor Nancy Cantor, who described Gross as a ‘winner.’

‘I’ve had other jobs offered,’ Gross said, ‘and if it doesn’t make me go ‘wow,’ I never went for it. This one made me go ‘wow.”

Gross, formerly a senior associate athletic director at Southern California, is the first black athletic director in Syracuse history. At USC, Gross, 43, was in charge of directing coaching searches and contract discussions. He served as the media spokesman for the athletic department and he led the marketing and corporate sponsorship efforts. He also negotiated television contracts, created the schedules for football and men’s basketball and supervised 10 of the 19 athletic programs, all while working alongside USC Athletic Director Mike Garrett.

Cantor said Jed Hughes of the search firm Spencer Stuart looked at more than 100 possible candidates. Later, a Syracuse search committee of 10, led by senior associate dean of the Maxwell School Michael Wasylenko, narrowed the field to 40. Eight of those people were interviewed for the position, one of which was Gross, whom Cantor said was ‘the best of the bunch.’

‘This is one of the best hires the university will make in a long time,’ Cantor said.

 

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‘(Syracuse) brings so much tradition and legacy, that for me, it was such an easy decision to make,’ Gross said. ‘I can’t think of a better place to get started with my own AD job than at Syracuse. I am just thrilled.’

While Gross will officially take office after June 30, he will start day-to-day operations in late January. He said that he has some business to take care of at Southern California, but he will fly to Syracuse often and will be in Orlando for Champs Sports Bowl on Dec. 21.

Gross addressed the question of the football program by saying he will evaluate it as he will do every sport, revenue or Olympic. He praised SU head coach Paul Pasqualoni for his past achievements and insisted he was excited to work with championship-winning coaches Jim Boeheim and John Desko.

Meanwhile, he expressed gratitude for Crouthamel, who sat tucked away in the corner of the room while the press conference took place. Crouthamel will retire after 27 years as athletic director, but Gross said the AD emeritus would only be a phone call away once he takes over the office.

Gross outlined four guidelines that he will strive to achieve as head of the athletic department. The first is to win championships. During his 14 years at USC, Gross was a part of 15 national championships, including titles in water polo, women’s volleyball and football last year. The second guideline is to graduate student-athletes. The third is to make sure the department meets academic and athletic compliance. And the fourth is to run a fiscally sound department.

‘We have to provide the resources to do the things necessary to make sure Syracuse is on the forefront of college athletics,’ Gross said.

‘My job here will be to carry the flag, carry our banner, and to take Syracuse as high and as far as we can take it.’

Published on December 20, 2004 at 12:00 pm