Arizona Athletics: AD Dave Heeke on the right track

Arizona Athletics Director Dave Heeke has faced some difficult situations and has acted with class, transparency, and a high level of professionalism.

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Athletics Director Dave Heeke stepped into a pile of whatever when he took the job at the University of Arizona. He said he knew about some of what he was stepping into, but we know that he also got some surprises. What should be pleasing to Wildcats fans is that he has gracefully stepped through and out of it and he’s done it with class in favor of the athletes, the program, and fans.

Usually, when you step into a job, you don’t exactly know what you are getting into, but for an Athletic Director, it should be quite obvious. After Greg Byrne’s departure to Alabama, there was a wake of drama headed for Tucson, but no one knew it. Scandals between a coach and his track star, accusations from the assistant regarding the head football coach, FBI secret investigations turning up alleged violations, you name it, it seemed to happen in Heeke’s first year.

In our opinion, Heeke, a father of three sons, has done a fabulous job. He came to Tucson wanting to be a people person, build meaningful relationships with the staff and community. He wanted to engage people on every level all the time, and he has done that.

Heeke spearheaded a new indoor multipurpose training facility which broke ground recently. This indoor facility will help to recruit a ton! The heat in Tucson is always a factor with recruits, and this will help.

In addition, the Hillenbrand Softball Stadium is getting a face lift. A $15 million update to the aquatic center is underway. There was a new student services building erected and updates are progressing to the ZonaZoo in the football stadium. Also, locker rooms for many sports are in the middle of being updated and more.

But there is one thing that fans have begged for that Heeke was able to get approved that should get most people excited, especially the of-age students; BEER WILL BE SERVED!

We are still begging for WiFi in McKale and Lowell Stadium, but Heeke has told us that it will cost at least a million dollars. Yes, our AD talks to ZonaZealots, he talks to fans, he listens to athletes, he hires a search firm for finding a coach. Dave Heeke is transparent in a world where transparency has gone by the wayside, and he seems to do it with grace. He mentioned in his opening remarks when announced that he is all about the student-athletes and helping them grow to be leaders and contributors to society.

Some recent bad timing of a story from Matt Hayes at Bleacher Report published the day before Pac-12 Media Day made headlines. It changed the narrative on the day for the Cats star quarterback having to field questions that were uncomfortable putting him in a position that you would not want him to be in if you were his parent, coach or friend.

Khalil Tate tweeted out a sentiment on a particular style of play of a possible coaching candidate for the open head coaching position, and then subsequently deleted it way back in January. Tate had a voice, he had just lost the coach who recruited him and trained him, and they were both coming off a miracle season where the team and Tate performed better than most media ad experts predicted.

Now the mistake in all this was an assumption that Heeke solely listened to his QB and made his decision on a new coach based on that. Of course, Heeke with his President and the search firm he hired made their decision. But it didn’t go down the way it was reported.

There was a lot of emotions, and these coaches spend a lot of time recruiting, training and advising these players. Wildcats committed to these coaches, and they were leaving. Tate used his voice, hallelujah, he didn’t get in trouble for it, amen. What if young people weren’t allowed to speak up throughout History?

You asked for a quarterback who can lead a team, and you got one. Heeke and Robbins know they have a fantastic opportunity to learn and communicate with the players, which is cutting edge. This should help to recruit players in the football program as well, knowing that they will have a voice is huge!

In our book, Heeke and Robbins are doing a great job, and we love that they have forged relationships with the athletes and support them.

Here are some of the great improvements Heeke is spearheading on campus this summer:

https://twitter.com/AZATHLETICS/status/1021811191918645248

So far, Heeke has lived up to what he promised in this welcome press conference.

Bring on the Beer! Next, we desperately need Eegees and better WiFi! I am sure Dave Heeke can get one of those done in the next year! GO CATS! Arizona is Wildcats Country!