Nov. 20, 2007

Nov. 19, 2007

Erie, Pa. - Director of Hockey Operations John Leisering met current Mercyhurst College AD Craig Barnett in the late 1980s when Leisering was Mercyhurst AD and Barnett was finishing a stellar hockey career as goaltender for Division III Plattsburgh State. Their paths crossed again in the early 90s when Barnett played for the Erie Panthers and followed that with a two-year stint (1991-93) as Rick Gotkin's assistant at Mercyhurst. The two were reunited one more time late last year when the Oakville, Ontario, native was hired as Mercyhurst Associate Director of Athletics. He assumed his current position August 1 following the retirement of long-time Mercyhurst AD Pete Russo. Barnett sat down with Leisering over the weekend for a no-holds-barred interview.

1. How would assess your performance over the last three months?
The last three months have been very enjoyable and rewarding. However, I don't think it's my place to assess my own performance. I am very happy with our coaches and teams as I feel they have represented Mercyhurst College in a positive, competitive way. At the same time and even more importantly, our student athletes have been very successful in the classroom.

2. What's been the most stressful situation with which you've had to deal so far?
The unfortunate and tragic situation regarding our volleyball player at the beginning of the school year was very stressful. I was amazed at the way the different departments at Mercyhurst came together and cooperated to ensure support for everyone involved. Until you go through a situation like that, you don't realize how many people this affects. While many of us were searching for answers as to how and why this could happen, the focus on the well-being of everyone that this situation touched was never compromised. In the end, how everything was handled made me feel very proud of the Mercyhurst family.

3. The most rewarding?
The most rewarding part so far is having this job. To have the support of Dr. (Tom) Gamble and Dr. (Jim) Adovasio has meant so much to me. They have given me the latitude to try new things and build a tremendous administrative team. Working with so many coaches who are both passionate about their sport and coaching for all the right reasons is very rewarding.

4. While there is plenty of anticipation surrounding Mercyhurst's move to the Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference (PSAC) next year, there are still some skeptics - those who feel we're moving into a conference with some different academic guidelines and athletic principles. How do you respond?
The one thing about administration is that there will always be skeptics. I welcome that as without them we may make some decisions without thoroughly thinking things through. My role was to look at the PSAC option for Dr. Gamble and report back to him. As we looked at the opportunities and challenges this move would provide, it became very apparent that we needed to look at this seriously as it provides so many positives for our customers - our student-athletes. This opportunity provides less travel (fewer missed class time) which relates to a savings in our budget; instant rivalries with regional schools (our students and fans relate to Slippery Rock, IUP and Edinboro more than Lake Superior State, Michigan Tech and Ferris State to name a few); play in areas in which our admissions' department recruits and markets; and allow a lot of our families to travel and watch our teams play on the road since many of the games are much closer. I honestly believe that, if the PSAC option had been open to Mercyhurst back in the 90s, this is the league we would have joined. The GLIAC has been great for us but times change and we always need to look for opportunities for the betterment of our student-athletes.

5. What's the biggest difference between working as Athletics Director at Division III Becker College and here at Mercyhurst?

Becker allowed me the opportunity to be an AD at a school that was looking to athletics for growth. By adding sports (football, hockey and lacrosse), we enhanced enrollment and, of course, provided more opportunities for student-athletes. Becker has a lot of really good people working there and it was a fun place to be. Being a NCAA III institution, there are no athletic scholarships, so the student-athletes had a passion for their sport as they were paying for their educational experience. Here at Mercyhurst, we offer athletic aid. Thus our student-athletes are simply better athletically. However, what I am most proud of is that they do the job in the classroom which is a priority. Last fall we had 40 student-athletes who achieved a 4.0gpa. This speaks volumes about the type of student-athletes our coaches recruit!

6. Take us back to the 1986-87 season at Plattsburgh when the Cardinals won their first NCAA Division III crown. What do you remember most about that year?
My memories of all four years at Plattsburgh are very fond. We went to the NCAA final my freshmen year and lost and then, in my sophomore year, we won at home. I think that week lasted an entire year when I go back to the memories. Winning a national championship can't be captured in words. What you remember the most are the relationships with friends and teammates. A good core of us keeps in touch regularly. The stories get better and better the more we talk about them! When I was at Becker, I hired my coach, Steve Hoar, as my Assistant AD/Hockey Coach and it was the best time ever despite how short of a time it ended up being. I have so much respect for him and to have had that opportunity to work with him was very special.

7. You've played-or-worked for a number of great people over the years: Steve Hoar at Plattsburgh, Rick Gotkin at Mercyhurst, Ron Hansis for the Erie Panthers, and Steve Rackley at Findlay - to mention a few. What did you learn from those folks that is helping you now as Athletics Director?
You learn just to be yourself. I believe we live life based on the experiences we've had. We choose to learn from our experiences or ignore them. I think successful people in any career have gained valuable lessons from experiences they've had. When I look at the people for whom I've been fortunate to play (especially my college coach Steve Hoar), work or coach, I believe they've had success due to their hard work, beliefs and experiences. So, I tried to take something from each of them. I hope when people judge me, they will see a little bit from each of them.

8. How much of a help to you was it that you were already familiar with the Mercyhurst campus and many of its people?
Certainly knowing some people here has helped my adjustment. People like Rick Gotkin, Adrian Spracklen, yourself, Darryl Georger, and Sue Gushie - to name a few - have made it easy and comfortable. I'm getting to know the rest of the staff but I sense they are all very professional. All of that made the transition very easy. Mercyhurst College is a special place because of the people who work here. It's that simple.

9. What are some of your short-and-long term goals for the Athletic Department?
Short-term goals are to improve communication within our department and across campus. Athletics is one of the few departments on any campus that deals with almost every other department on a daily basis. We work with faculty, academic support, financial aid, registrar, admissions, business office, IT and student life offices daily. Thus, anytime we can improve communication can only help. Other short-term goals are to make the transition into the PSAC as seamless as possible. Long-term goals include improving our facilities and continuing to look at other areas to help our student-athletes to be successful.

10. Your predecessor, Pete Russo, stayed in the chair for 18 years, far and away the longest-serving AD in the history of the college. How long do you see yourself staying?
Mr. Russo was very successful in this role and I feel privileged to have taken over for him. In fact, he himself replaced someone who laid a lot of the groundwork for who we are today....I can't remember his name......Seriously, I do feel honored to be in this role. During your term, John, and during Mr. Russo's 18 years, there have been a lot of changes. I hope to be the AD here for a long time. As long as I can make a positive impact for our student-athletes, I would like to be in this position.

11. Since you already knew some of the Athletic Department staff before you returned, how easy or difficult is it for you to treat them as you would any other staff member?
We are all professionals and are in this field for one reason: to serve our students. If we keep this in mind and make good decisions everyday, then we are doing the right thing. Sometimes it's difficult to treat everybody equal, but you must treat everybody fair.

12. You met your wife, Andrea, while at Mercyhurst the first time. What do you remember about the first time you met and when did you realize "she was the one"?
As you know, Andrea and I met on campus and were married on campus. Thus, Mercyhurst is home for us. Andrea worked in residence life back then for Dr. Gary Brown. It was Dr. Brown who actually asked me if I was seeing anyone at the Basketball Tip-Off dinner at which Dick Vitale spoke (1991 at the Shrine Club). I was scared that HE was asking about me, but later learned that he was setting Andrea and me up. Six months later we were on our honeymoon. 15 years later we have three wonderful kids and are back home in Erie!

13. Over the last few years, you've moved from Erie to Findlay, Ohio, to suburban Chicago to Worcester, Mass. How difficult has that been for your family and you?
By the time I was 20 years old, my family had moved 22 times so moving has been like second nature to me, especially as a pro athlete (note; Barnett was once in the New York Rangers' organization). It's part of the business. I think the moves we've made as a family have been positive. My kids have had the opportunity to meet a lot of people and make friends. They have seen a lot of the country and have learned to adjust to new environments. Andrea and I are very proud of them for this. However, it has been difficult as well, leaving friends, adjusting to new schools, etc. It's not always as great as dad thinks it is. We are just happy to be "home" now in Erie. Without a doubt, all the great places we lived and moved from were stepping stones for us to get back here!

14. Tell us a bit about your three children: Olivia, Braeden, and Jace.
Olivia is a daughter you can only dream of having. She is kind, loves school and is well liked by her peers. She loves to read and has a keen interest in art. Braeden is a natural athlete, He enjoys school and learning about new things. He is still trying lots of new sports and hasn't attached himself to a specific one yet. Jace is our fou- year old. He makes us all laugh...or cry! He looks up to his siblings and does a good job keeping up with them. He has the world at his feet. It will be interesting 20 years from now to see where he ends up.

15. Do you try to leave business at the office or do you discuss job-related matters with your wife?
Andrea is not only my wife but my best friend. Much of my success is due to her so I ask her for advice all the time. Her mother was a high school librarian at Meadville for 25 years and her father has been a college president for the past 25+ years. So, she is a very smart person. I would be foolish NOT to bring my work home to discuss with her!

16. Every good leader tries to surround himself with good people. You have Tony Cipollone (Associate AD) and Sara Headley (Assistant AD) working with you, among others. What are they contributing to help make your job easier?
Finally an opportunity to discuss why I love coming to work everyday. Tony, Sara, Elizabeth (administrative assistant Elizabeth Morgan), Jason (SID Jason Knavel) and Pete (Geddes, director of athletic facilities) all make work a very enjoyable place. We have our challenges, but working together helps us through all that. "Cip" has adjusted from coaching wrestling to administration very quickly. He has our office in full compliance and is involved in every decision our office makes. Sara is a pleasure to work with, I am very happy to have her as she lends a perspective that may be overlooked at times. She interacts with our student-athletes very well (that's why she is a successful softball coach) as evidenced by her role with SAAC and her new innovation, The Lake Effect!

17. Are 25 sports at Mercyhurst (given the playing and practice facilities, office space, etc.) too many, not enough, or just right? If too many, are there any plans to cut back on the number of sports? If too few, are there plans to add a sport or two in the near future?
Someone told me a few weeks ago that Mercyhurst College has the most sports than any other NCAA II school in the country. I think that is awesome! We have lots of diversity among sports, lots of opportunities to participate, and lots of opportunities to be fans. Certainly we are facility-challenged but my hat goes off to the coaches for working together and cooperating to make things work. There is not one AD in the country who wants to talk or think about cutting sports/opportunities. I think as we look at new ways to do things and to think outside the box (thanks to Dr. Adovasio), we will continue to find ways to support everybody.

18. With local and regional rivals aplenty now that many of our sports are moving to the PSAC, is it time to sell tickets for football games?
Yes, absolutely! We plan on charging for football games next year. Our facility challenges us a bit with this, but last spring we charged for the NCAA regional men's lacrosse game we hosted and it seemed to go well. I believe charging for something puts a positive "value" on the event.

19. What do you do in your spare time? How do you try to relax?
Spare time? I'm in charge of 25 sports and I thought I mentioned I have three kids! Thankfully, spare time becomes "family time" when possible. We all enjoy sports so it is part of being a Barnett. I enjoy traveling and listening to music when I can find the time.

20. What's the best advice you've ever received?
The best motto I've ever seen I used when coaching (note: Barnett started a men's varsity hockey program while at the University of Findlay). The late Tom Landry said "to get players to do what they don't want to do, in order to achieve what they want to achieve, is what coaching is all about." I love that quote and have it taped to my desk. Now in administration, I use the advice to be honest - to be honest about yourself and stand up for what you believe in.