OUR VIEW: Spetman will be sorely missed
Just when things started to look up for Utah State athletics, one of the great pushers behind the success departs for greener pastures.
After serving more than three and a half years as athletic director for Utah State, Randy Spetman recently announced he will be leaving to Florida State to fill the athletic director position there. Ouch. Just saying that hurts.
Spetman brought considerable experience to the athletics department, including a familiarity with competing in larger conferences, notably with his time as athletics director with the Air Force Academy from 1996-2003. He brought experience and leadership with him to USU to help establish a foundation for solid athletic programs. Under his leadership, USU entered the Western Athletic Conference in 2005, joining the likes of more established athletic programs like Boise State and Hawaii. Making this jump worried some, who feared USU wouldn’t be able to hack it in a more physical league than what the Aggie sports teams were used to facing. But Spetman’s calculations and trust in his team were correct and USU has established itself as a legitimate contender in the WAC.
But Spetman’s vision wasn’t limited to mere conference jumping, he wanted to see USU have first-rate facilities and advertisements. Under his guidance, the Athletics Center was constructed, providing world-class facilities for USU athletes and improving the image of Aggie athletic programs nationwide. Included with this construction was a plan for vastly improved health coverage for athletes. The end result is a solid program at USU that will attract future athletes to wear the Aggie blue and fighting white.
Spetman will be missed. Our loss is surely the Seminoles’ gain. But who can blame him for leaving USU, not that there’s anything bad here. That’s what a career is all about – working hard to establish a legacy of excellence and then moving on to the next great thing. Not only does he get to escape the frigid tundra of Logan and thaw out in Florida, he is going to Florida State – the Florida State. We’re talking about the Seminoles here, a premiere athletics program that has hand movements and chants that can silence any rendition of the Scotsman. The FSU football team is in the powerhouse Atlantic Coast Conference and is led by the legendary Bobby Bowden. Their overall athletics program is at a completely different level than USU’s, and Spetman has made a wise decision to take the position there.
While it may be difficult to find a new athletic director with as much vision, energy and leadership as Spetman, the fact that Florida State selected Spetman from a nationwide search says something about the quality of Spetman and the quality of individuals USU employs in its athletic programs.
Our hats go off to you Spetman. Thank you for your service to our country and thank you for your service to USU and the progress you have ushered in. You will be missed.