He has been on the job only a few months, but Mark Wharton already sees the growth of the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga athletic department.
He also has a vision, and he sees the Mocs' potential.
The school's newest vice chancellor and athletic director, who was introduced in late August and started working at the university in mid-September, spoke with the Times Free Press recently about his adjustment from working at Penn State University in State College, Pa., to Chattanooga, as well as his upcoming plans for the department.
Times Free Press: How has the transition been?
Mark Wharton: "I wanted to say I had an expectation. I knew - whether it be Andrew (Horton) or Laura (Herron), the whole staff are normal people, and they happen to be very very good at their niche. The learning curve was small, and having to sit in the seat, I learned a tremendous amount from player discipline to rules violations to marketing at this level and the budgets, manpower, that we do a pretty good job. There's a lot of areas that we can improve. I think that, one of the things in the 18 months before I got here, a lot of people were operating in silos and there wasn't a lot of communication. We've accelerated trying to meet as a senior staff, as a complete staff with the coaches to be able to talk about what's going on, their needs and issues. I don't think college athletics on the external side has to be complicated. My thing is I don't want to surprise people; it's like the beautiful swan above the water that looks like it's an easy job, you play golf every day, but underneath the swan is paddling as hard as it can. Behind the scenes we need to work hard but communicate and make sure we're on the same page. I think for a variety of reasons everybody kind of got in their bunker mentality and there wasn't a lot going on, which I think trickles down to the student-athletes, and we don't pay them the attention or try to fight for what they need as much. I think we've changed that in the short amount of time. It goes back to the people here. It wasn't intentional; it just happened."
TFP: I'm pretty sure I see you everywhere on campus.
MW: "It's my development background. Development people get a bad rap; all they do is ask for money. My big thing, whether it's relationships or whatever, I'm going to be who I am. If there's a need or what we need, and there's plenty of them, I think building relationships, people are more apt to think you're genuine about it and help, and I've seen that in my short amount of time I've been here with what time I can get out. We've been very successful in getting resources here, and that's exciting."
TFP: One of your biggest tasks was getting that new athletic complex built. Where are you on that?
MW: "We've had a lot of positive momentum as far as gifts. We're about $1.1 million away. When I walked in the door we were $4 million away, but we had a couple that asked out, didn't happen like I thought we were, but with the foundation stepping up and working to name it after (recently deceased All-American and UTC Hall of Famer) Bucky Wolford. There's been a lot of people in the community that have rallied to be able to make that happen. I was hoping by the end of December we'd have it wrapped up, but I'm cautiously optimistic we'll have it done by March or April and will be able to start moving dirt.
"That is very, very critical to a lot of things. My concern is that when they do that building, a third of this facility, the existing McKenzie, is going to be brand new. But you have two-thirds that's not going to be, and we have to address that. We're looking at a facilities master plan from this facility to our practice gym/weight room to Engel Stadium, to a lot of things about what we can do in prioritizing them. Once we get done with that building we're going on to the next one. The old cliché is that you're not moving forward unless there's cranes in the air, and I believe it. We need to continue to look at that. I still think one of the things we really haven't done a great, great job is fundraising for athletics. I think we continue to do better; last year they raised $16 million for the whole university, which is a record. At Penn State, we did $48 million last year, just in athletics. It's apples to oranges, but this community, there's a ton of people that love Chattanooga that might not necessarily be invested in Chattanooga because they haven't been asked, so that's what I've really tried to do is engage. I'm not going to ask somebody for money the first time. I certainly will - if all the stars align - ask the second time. I have been successful in doing that, whatever the need is, what their interests are, make sure it aligns to their giving. I'm excited about the facilities master plan and hoping that continues moving forward."
TFP: I've heard that you're very progressive in your thinking. What are you looking at to enhance the fan experience?
MW: "The reason I do this is for the student-athlete. The thing that's hitting everybody, from Tennessee to Notre Dame, is you're fighting the 50-inch flat-screen TV, the refrigerator and the nice bathrooms. The bones of this campus and this athletic facility are unbelievable, but McKenzie is the same arena as it was years ago, so what can we do as far as new carpet for the floor, to the (center-hung video board) that's going to be put in this summer, to different things that we need to enhance to show mom and dad and the donors that they can get off work, grab their wives and kids, grab a buffet meal. We're looking at limited alcohol in the facility, so mom can come and grab a glass of wine before she catches a game. We're looking at doing some creative things at Finley that enhance and make people want to come for the total experience, not only what's on the field, which will give what's on the field a plus. Can we position ourselves that if conference alignment happens, are we in the conversation? Right now, we can't. We raised $600,000 unrestricted dollars, we have $2.8 million scholarship costs, and we need to close that gap and do some things that when that happens, I want to do it or at least have the conversation. But in the short amount of time, we're making progress."
TFP: You've mentioned renovations to McKenzie and talked about the new video board. What is that going to bring?
MW: "I think it's going to be phenomenal. With the opportunity to change to LED lights, to be able to cut the lights off for introductions, to be able to have a production - whether we look into doing fireworks like UNLV - it's a community investment, because when you have things like the Southern Scuffle, we'll be able to do a lot of creative things with it. The concerts, Disney on Ice, it'll enhance what we're trying to do, which is draw.
"We need to look at this facility in itself to be able to add some pizzazz to our corridors. Our in-game venue is really, really nice, but what can we do with bathrooms, concession stands, different things as we continue to upgrade and look at our fan experience?"
TFP: The talk of conference alignment is out there. You see smaller programs like UCF not even get a chance to compete for championships, and it appears the possibility of bigger schools branching away is more and more likely.
MW: "It's concerning. The things they're doing, widening the financial gap. The tax bill they passed certainly hurts unrestricted giving, it's no longer a reduction. It's going to hurt Tennessee, Georgia, and finding creative ways, how can they make up that revenue? For us, we're doing a good job, but we have a small base that we're starting with.
"There is a ceiling, and I'm curious in five years where things go. There's already the haves and the haves-nots, but I think we have an opportunity at Chattanooga that we can keep going. Our ceiling is a lot higher. We've lost quality coaches this year in football to other programs - whether they're better or not, they're able to provide more resources than what we currently have. I think we've seen with the quality coaches we've been able to bring in, we are elite at our level. I think we can maintain success, but we will have continued problems and challenges in keeping our good talent here. With the environment and culture we have in our department, we have a better shot than most just because of the town and the people we have here in our communities."
TFP: Where do you see this department in five years?
MW: "I believe with the things that we're doing, that we're resourcing programs like the tennises and golf to be able to compete at the highest level of the Southern Conference. We can win championships in all our sports. With our men's and women's basketball and our football, we're there in the top three or four as far as resources, and I believe in the coaches we have, that we should be at the top. I think if we look strategically at those programs that we have a chance because we live in Chattanooga, and I believe this is a big tennis community, that we can give them the tools to compete for championships. In the next five years, we'll always have challenges with resources, but I think what we're going to do in the next five years that we'll be in the top of the league. We have an opportunity to show all of college athletics that we're elite at our level, and if things work out as far as expanding the Southern Conference, that we're positioned the best we can."
TFP: How do you find more money?
MW: "I believe the easiest way is through fundraising and development. Our challenges are boots on the ground and being able to get face-to-face in high-alumni areas and invite them to invest back in our program. I think we'll continue to get better in development. I think when we win, we'll be able to sell more tickets, and we need to do a better job of creating atmospheres in Finley Stadium as well as McKenzie, Frost that fans will want to go to see successful programs, but I think we need to focus on our fans, our investors in providing them the best environments to watch whatever respective sport they're coming to.
"I think we have a great opportunity with our development and resourcing in that area to be able to continue to raise money, but we're far from where I think we need to be."
TFP: Anything else going on around here?
MW: "We're working on finalizing a renewal with Leerfield Property and Mocs Sports Properties, which is going to expand our resources and show our dedication to corporate sponsorship and how important that is. We're looking at doing a self-scouting on how we market, how we do in-game fan interaction, how we do different things. We're looking at other programs, stealing secrets.
"I think you'll see in the scheduling. We'll continue it in women's basketball and talk with our coaches about bringing marquee programs in once or twice a year in basketball or softball. Any venue, when you bring SEC-caliber teams in with the chance to compete and win, it's what the community needs and what we want, to see us compete with people fans here look at and have the opportunity to win, which I think will grow our program, help us recruit and put us on the national stage."
Contact Gene Henley at ghenley@timesfreepress.com. Follow him on Twitter @genehenleytfp.