June 23, 2006
TO: Fans, Friends, and Supporters of Georgia Tech Athletics
FROM: Dan Radakovich, Georgia Tech Director of Athletics
Congratulations to Danny Hall and the baseball team on their run to the College World Series! Although the games in Omaha were heart-breaking, we should all be extremely proud of these young men and what they fought through to reach the World Series. To see guys like Mike Trapani, Jeff Kindel and Wes Hodges battling so hard just to stay in the lineup was truly amazing, and our coaching staff did a tremendous job in keeping the team on course despite the injuries and adversity.
Even more than what they did between the white lines, these young men did an outstanding job in representing Georgia Tech off the field, in media interviews and interaction with the community. All of our players signed literally hundreds of autographs and made time for so many young fans throughout the week. After such a tough loss to Cal State Fullerton, it would have been easy for Matt Wieters to go straight to the bus, but instead he graciously answered every question and signed every autograph. And he’s certainly not the only one.
I especially want to congratulate and thank the parents, families and fans who travelled to Omaha, many of whom I had the pleasure of meeting. Also I want to thank all the fans who supported our team throughout the regular season and postseason at Russ Chandler Stadium. Home field advantage makes a huge difference, and your support is vital for Georgia Tech to continue hosting NCAA events every year.
The baseball team’s trip to the World Series capped a very successful spring for the Yellow Jackets, including another fine season for head coach Ehren Earleywine’s softball team. Led by freshman slugger Whitney Haller, who led the ACC in virtually every offensive category, Tech earned its fifth straight NCAA berth and reached the regional final. We look forward to one day seeing Ehren’s team in the Women’s College World Series.
I also would like to recognize and thank Mr. Dave Dorman, former Chairman and CEO of AT&T and 1975 Georgia Tech graduate, for his recent gift of $1 million to the Alexander-Tharpe Fund. All of us in the Athletic Association and the A-T Fund thank you, Dave, for your generosity and your commitment to the future of Georgia Tech Athletics.
I want to remind our football season ticket holders to take advantage of their exclusive window to purchase three-game flex packs this month, before they go on sale to the general public. The response so far has been tremendous, and we anticipate sellouts for the Notre Dame and Miami games in the very near future.
Finally, I would like to periodically share with you some financial information that illustrates where we stand among our peers in the Atlantic Coast Conference. This information begins to demonstrate our need to take a hard look at where we are financially and explore ways that we can strengthen our position and solidify the future of Georgia Tech athletics.
Click here to review the attached charts, which show our position as it relates to operational revenue and expenses. These benchmarks are important as we look to establish a value for our intercollegiate athletics program. If we expect our coaches and student-athletes to compete in a new and very tough ACC, we must gather the financial resources to allow them to have success. I look forward to sharing this and other financial data with you throughout the summer.
Again, thank you for your positive response to “The Good Word.” While I cannot guarantee a personal response to every email that we receive, please know that they will all be read, so I do encourage your continued participation in this process. Some of your questions could become topics for future issues of The Good Word.
I also encourage you to share this letter with any Tech fan who may not have access to the Internet. Our goal is to inform and engage as many Yellow Jacket supporters as we possibly can. We welcome your feedback at goodword@athletics.gatech.edu
I want to personally thank you for your continued support of Georgia Tech Athletics as we move forward with our vision for excellence.
Go Jackets!
