CHRONICLING ECU & C-USA SPORTS
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View
from the 'ville
Thursday,
February 9, 2006
By Al Myatt |
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Bass drawn back to ECU by
Holland's big vision
©2006 Bonesville.net
When one looks at the remarkable
transformation of N.C. State's Carter-Finley Stadium in recent years, the
influence and leadership of Jimmy Bass is evident.
Jimmy Bass, who served a stint in the East Carolina
athletic department more than a decade ago, is returning
to the Pirates to man a newly-created senior
administrative post. (Photo: ECU) |
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East Carolina athletic director Terry Holland
announced on Wednesday that he was bringing those qualities to Greenville by
naming Bass to the new position of Senior Associate Athletics Director for
External Operations.
Bass worked as Associate Executive Director of
the Wolfpack Club from April, 2000 to July, 2005, directing the strategic
planning and execution of Goal Line Drive during that time. The 5-year
campaign raised over $60 million for expansion and improvement of NCSU's
football stadium.
Bass also was intricately involved in State's
Batter Up campaign which resulted in long-needed renovation of Doak Field,
NCSU's baseball stadium. Bass also was a guiding force in the Advantage
Wolfpack Campaign which resulted in vast improvements to NCSU's tennis
facilities.
Bass had spent six months at Mississippi State
as Senior Associate Director of Athletics before accepting the new post at
ECU. He left his alma mater, NCSU, to advance his career at the Southeastern
Conference school but the chance to work with Holland was too good to pass
up.
"The opportunity at an SEC school was
wonderful, but the opportunity at East Carolina was overwhelming," said
Bass, who was in his hometown of Dunn, NC, on Wednesday. "It's an
opportunity to work with Terry Holland, who is one of the top athletic
directors nationally. The vision he has for the athletic programs and how
that fits in the overall growth of the university was the attraction."
Bass is no stranger to Greenville, having
previously served as associate AD for marketing at ECU from 1989-94 during
the tenure of Dave Hart as AD of the Pirate program.
"East Carolina has a very vibrant future and
with the new chancellor (Steve Ballard), I think the sky's the limit. Being
part of that was very attractive. When the opportunity came to our
attention, it was overwhelming."
Bass is scheduled to begin work at ECU a week
from today. The new post, which was created and will be funded as a result
of ECU's recent partnership and marketing agreement with ISP Sports, will
place Bass in a supervisory capacity for all fundraising, marketing,
promotional, ticketing and media relations efforts in addition to serving as
ECU's primary liaison with ISP.
"I know Ben Sutton, the CEO of ISP," Bass
said. "I have great confidence in what a working relationship with ISP will
mean to East Carolina. ISP certainly has a great track record across the
country."
After graduating from NCSU with a degree in
speech communications in 1978, Bass began his career in athletic
administration at Davidson College in 1979 as assistant director of the
Wildcat Club and athletic ticket manager.
"It's difficult to imagine someone with a
better professional resume for this position than the one presented by Jimmy
Bass," Holland said. "I have known Jimmy since his Davidson days, but got to
know him very well while he was Executive Director of the Seahawk Club at
UNCW and have followed his career closely since then."
Bass became UNCW's first fulltime athletic
fundraiser in 1986 as Executive Director of the Seahawk Club, overseeing
growth of membership from 250 to 1,100 during his three years there.
"Jimmy and his wife (the former Sarah Ruark)
are both from Dunn and have many ties in eastern North Carolina," Holland
said. "We are very fortunate that the timing was right for him to leave a
similar position to come back to ECU."
Bass has an appreciation for ECU's past and is
looking forward to providing direction for improvement in the university's
future.
"The thing I remember most about when I was at
East Carolina was the intense loyalty and love the alumni and fans have for
East Carolina," Bass said. "Growing up in eastern North Carolina, I was
aware of how the university grew under Leo Jenkins and I became aware of
ECU's role in the growth of the region.
"East Carolina is an economic engine that
drives eastern North Carolina. The medical school has made the quality of
life so much better. I'm looking forward to making athletics at East
Carolina a part of the excellence in the future. The people and the
university and how it's evolving — it's going to be an even more vibrant
institution."
Deja vu for Stokes
East Carolina's 64-60 overtime loss to Houston
last Saturday was a case of history repeating itself for Pirates coach Ricky
Stokes. As a player at Virginia in 1984, Stokes was part of a Cavaliers
team, coached by Terry Holland, that faced the Cougars in the Final Four.
Houston prevailed, 49-47, in overtime.
"Even back then, they were bigger, stronger
and more talented than we were," Stokes said.
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04/21/2008 07:04:53 PM
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