Mark Labarbera

[valpofb16]

Is it time to re-evaluate Marks success as an AD?

Basketball-downhill since the Drew's
Soccer- never contending , higher conf
Baseball- down hill since 2012
Football- never contending/no commitment

W soccer- down hill since 2013
Softball- down hill since 2012
W basketball-downhill never contending , higher conf
W tennis- never contending

I have seen various posts by former and current student athletes upset with the AD.

Is it time for a re-evaluation? If not now, then when?

[M]

Basketball - higher conference
Football - new field
Track - got a track

[VULB#62]

Is it time to re-evaluate Marks success as an AD?

Basketball-downhill since the Drew's
Soccer- never contending , higher conf
Baseball- down hill since 2012
Football- never contending/no commitment

W soccer- down hill since 2013
Softball- down hill since 2012
W basketball-downhill never contending , higher conf
W tennis- never contending

I have seen various posts by former and current student athletes upset with the AD.

Is it time for a re-evaluation? If not now, then when?

Valpo has 19 varsity sports. Let's be a bit more fair and list all of them. Men's golf and tennis doing well. Volleyball into the post season. T&F and swimming not so much. I would quibble with your assessment of no commitment to football. There has been an upswing in the on-field product over the past 5 years. Why some sports listed as higher conference and others not?  MSO, while not reaching the conference championship game has been consistently competitive and has taken down some nationally ranked P5 sides. That, despite not being fully funded, fully scholarshipped, and having no dedicated facility and always having to give way to football for practice times on Brown Field. Let's face it, MLB has a certain pot of money to spend. MBB is #1. WBB and VB are next in the pecking order. Then the rest fight for the remaining crumbs.

[vu72]

Is it time to re-evaluate Marks success as an AD?

Basketball-downhill since the Drew's
Soccer- never contending , higher conf
Baseball- down hill since 2012
Football- never contending/no commitment

W soccer- down hill since 2013
Softball- down hill since 2012
W basketball-downhill never contending , higher conf
W tennis- never contending

I have seen various posts by former and current student athletes upset with the AD.

Is it time for a re-evaluation? If not now, then when?

LAST CONFERENCE CHAMPIONSHIP

Men's Soccer            1996
Football                   2003
Women's Basketball  2004
Volleyball                 2005
Men's Golf               2012
Baseball                  2013
Women's Soccer      2014
Men's Basketball      2015
Softball                   2016
Men's Tennis            2017

[Midwest is Best]

Too many sports for this University may be some of the problem. Since Men's Basketball is the main focus for the most part at VU.
Why not focus on that revenue generating sport. Football as these times are, is less attractive to athletes due to the injury factor.
Since Football at VU is underfunded, why not eliminate the program and better fund MBB and other programs?

[crusader05]

Football is not going anywhere. Next to Basketball it's most likely the best revenue generating sport for the school in terms of tuition money and has been invested in significantly over a short period of time.

You lose any sports and I can see swimming being the first to go. The facilities are not great and with the town of valpo deciding to rebuild the high school and upgrade their swimming facility the hope of a town and gown partnership for a community pool is done.

[crusadermoe]

Doesn't it make sense that our successes are decreasing as our conference difficulty rises?   

Frustrating but let's not penalize him for raising the bar.

[VULB#62]

Yes.

And twice.  Right?  We eventually rose to meet the higher bar the last time. Right?  Shouldn't we wait to see about this time?  We are not in the SEC, B1G, etc. for god's sake. We are eeking out an existence in Midmajorland with a limited and defined budget that is, essentially, a subsidy from the university. No big gates in FB, no 18,000 seat sellouts for BB. This is year TWO in the MVC. Nothing in this environment happens instantaneously.

[vu72]

This is year TWO in the MVC.

Granted and very fair, however, some of our "success" goes back to Mid-Con, not Horizon or MVC.  Look at the list above concerning our last conference titles and thus, an automatic bid to the NCAAs. Now, it isn't getting easier, that is for sure, but recruiting has been an issue and will continue to be in all sports.  Can we attract the kind of athlete needed to win conference titles in the MVC?  Recruiting dollars aren't the issue.  The issue goes beyond Mark L.  It is a real challenge to get kids who can cut it academically at Valpo or who want to come to Northern Indiana.  And facilities aren't the excuse either.

[VUalum]

Just posted my thoughts on this issue in the Basketball tab under AD. Copy of an email I sent to him after graduating less than a year ago and his response.

Summary: Great person, average AD.