Massachusetts Gov. Charlie Baker Selected To Be The Next NCAA President
Massachusetts Gov. Charlie Baker selected as the next NCAA president.
Baker will conclude his second term as Gov. in January and begin his new post March 1. He has no previous collegiate administrative experience. He has spent most of his career in Massachusetts state government but spent a decade in health care administration.
Baker attended Harvard and graduated in 1979 with a BA in English, where, by his own admission, he was a C-student-turned-B-student. He later said he went to Harvard "because of the brand" and wrote, "With a few exceptions... those four years are ones I would rather forget". While at Harvard, Baker played on the JV basketball team. He then attended Northwestern where he received an MBA.
December 15th, 2022 at 1:38 PM ^
Beta - I would enjoy an interview / conversation between Baker and Joel Klatt.
P.S. - I hope you and your family will have time to spend together during the upcoming holidays.
Go Blue!
December 15th, 2022 at 6:17 PM ^
Now that would be a great conversation, wouldn't it? Would love to be there, wouldn't you? Knowing me, I would try to steer it. 😉
And thanks! Yes, I will be fortunate enough to have the family around me for quite a bit starting mid-week next. Hope you also get great quality time too with yours.
Best...
Go Blue!
December 15th, 2022 at 1:14 PM ^
While I was in MA, serving on an athletic committee of my institution, I had a chance to meet him. He is very personable and asked some good questions. This is an excellent choice. He could have won another term if he wanted to run for Gov.
December 15th, 2022 at 1:20 PM ^
No one better than an English major to sort out knotty, real-world problems. But where does he stand on the important issues: Imagism, deconstruction, the Beats, Melville’s use of allegory and the utter suckitude of Theodore Dreiser?
December 15th, 2022 at 1:22 PM ^
Just what I would want to jump into at the ripe old age of 66.
December 15th, 2022 at 6:20 PM ^
Right? Old enough to not care too much about ruffling feathers, young enough to be able to push hard for solutions.
December 15th, 2022 at 1:39 PM ^
C-Bake!!! What up???
December 15th, 2022 at 1:51 PM ^
He has no previous collegiate administrative experience.This is probably a good thing.
December 15th, 2022 at 2:36 PM ^
I know nothing about this Governor (party, level of extremism within their party, etc…). I just know what I know from the title of this thread. With that caveat, I immediately think less of anybody who gets that role, and I only assume they are a good old boy focused on the best interests of other good old boys.
that said, I will go read the thread and hopefully be refuted by others who know Mass. politics better than I do.
December 15th, 2022 at 2:38 PM ^
Charlie Baker is about as "extremist" as a loaf of Wonder Bread!
December 15th, 2022 at 2:37 PM ^
No worries about anything drastic with Charlie Baker. Talk about go along to get along, definition of Charlie Baker. He'd have trouble deciding today was Thursday without poll testing first!
December 15th, 2022 at 2:37 PM ^
Who cares honestly the NCAA president is a joke.
December 15th, 2022 at 3:21 PM ^
As a MA resident...Baker is fine if you're looking for a replacement-level administrator who won't do too much to piss anyone off but also won't do a ton to shake anything up or be innovative. Sounds like a great fit for the NCAA.
December 15th, 2022 at 3:30 PM ^
My vote was for Jay Bilas.
December 15th, 2022 at 3:39 PM ^
Bilas would have been a very interesting choice. I'm not sure if he would have been interested in the position.
December 15th, 2022 at 11:14 PM ^
Charlie's a good guy.
December 16th, 2022 at 1:00 AM ^
It’s an impotent position
December 16th, 2022 at 10:31 AM ^
Like this thread, lots of interesting avenues of conversation coming out of it.
I'll put my 2 cents in as a MA resident and, technically, elected, rep (Boston Dem ward committee); I think that Baker did a very good job as Governor. Now tbh GOP govs have an easier job in MA because as long as they agree on the major cultural/tribal issues, they can wield veto power over legislation the is too extreme in any direction without any pushback because they don't have to deal with Dem primary electorate and GOP's alternative is to have no power whatsoever.
Now it's likely Baker is seeking to take back rents lost while in public office as opposed to the private sector, as per usual for ex-electeds. It strikes me that given how toothless the NCAA is these days, I would suspect that he figured it would be a low-pressure job.