What to expect in the Moos era

In 1992, Nebraska traveled to the Pacific Northwest and brought University of Oregon athletic director Bill Byrne to Lincoln to lead Cornhusker athletics.

It was a homerun hire. Not only did Nebraska reach the pinnacle of football glory three times in Byrne’s 11-year tenure, but he also spearheaded such innovations as suites and giant, big-screen, instant replay scoreboards at Memorial Stadium.

Now, Nebraska’s betting another former Oregon Ducks athletic director will generate the same kind of success and stability.

Bill Moos, who was named Sunday to replace Shawn Eichorst as Nebraska’s new director of athletics, spent 12 years atop Oregon’s athletic department, turning it into a national powerhouse in football, among other things, before walking away in 2007.

In retirement, he lived the life of a rancher in eastern Washington until 2010 when he said he got the itch to “get back into it.”

Taking over the athletic department at his alma mater, then-woeful Washington State University, Moos oversaw a dramatic turnaround both on and off the field and in more than just football. Washington State’s football team is currently ranked 15th in the Associated Press poll.

What is Nebraska getting in Moos (pronounced Moose)?

Based on interviews with several college athletics administrators and observers, Moos, 66, seems to check all the boxes for Nebraska. He’s a man with few question marks during an athletics administration career that spans 35 years.

Moos is a seasoned administrator with Power 5 conference credentials, he’s known for being the adult voice in the room during tough negotiations, and he’s a big thinker. He’s also a football guy, having starred as an all-conference offensive lineman at Washington State in the early 1970s.

“He’s a very talented administrator and will be a great fit at Nebraska,” said Bob Vecchione, executive director of the National Association of Collegiate Directors of Athletics.

Larry Scott, who has worked with Moos for many years as commissioner of the Pac-12 Conference, was even more effusive in his praise. “We’re sorry to lose Bill...the entire conference is sorry,” Scott said in an interview Monday with HuskerOnline. “He’s highly regarded, very well liked, and he brings a ton of experience” to the A.D.’s job.

Then there are some intangibles. Moos is comfortable off the cuff in dealing with coaches, staff, student-athletes, and the media.

He also is fine holding court in big cities or small towns, whether it’s wearing jeans into Main Street coffee shops, or rubbing shoulders in more button-down surroundings with the likes of Oregon superbooster and Nike founder Phil Knight, whom he’s had a sometimes problematic relationship with and is documented in a chapter of the 2013 book “The System: The Glory and Scandal of Big-Time College Football.”

But perhaps most importantly, added Scott, Moos has a deep appreciation for student athletes. One son played football at Arizona State, another is on the University of California’s football roster. His wife, Kendra Moos, also played sports.

“Being a father of student athletes is a huge benefit,” said Scott. “It gives him an additional perspective, and it grounds you in why we all” work in college athletics. Coincidentally, Nebraska president Hank Bounds also played and coached at the college level.

When it comes to football, added Scott, he expects Moos to be “very hands on.”

Moos is Nebraska’s newest million-dollar man.

His five-year contract comes with a base annual salary of $1 million, plus undisclosed incentives. His predecessor, Eichorst, also earned in the $1 million range.

At Washington State, Moos was under contract until April 2020, at $500,000 annually, according to the Seattle Times.

Interestingly, in terms of base salary, Moos is the second highest-paid athletic director in the Big Ten conference. He’s behind Wisconsin’s Barry Alvarez who earns $1.15 million annually, but ahead of Ohio State’s Gene Smith, who earns $991,210 in base salary. Iowa’s Gary Barta earns $550,000 and Michigan’s Warde Manuel makes $800,000.

As dean of athletic directors in the Pac-12, Moos’ voice carried a lot of weight in the room as the conference expanded geographically and through its television and marketing reach .

Perhaps his biggest accomplishment came at a critical juncture when the conference negotiated a new television contract several years ago.

In the past, schools in the major television markets, especially UCLA and USC, received a majority of the revenues, partly because their game were most frequently televised. On the other hand, schools like Washington State in smaller markets outside of Los Angeles, Seattle and Phoenix, received far less of the pie.

That changes, in large part, thanks to Moos. He fought for equal tv revenue-sharing and he got the votes, essentially out-maneuvering USC and UCLA, in what resulted in a 12-year, $3 billion television contract with Fox and ESPN.

That’s akin to Iowa State holding firm against the Texas schools and Oklahoma -- and winning.

The Pac-12 contract more than quadrupled the conference’s television revenue from $58 million a year in 2009 to an average of $250 million a year between 2012 and 2024.

“Bill, as one of the most experienced athletic directors, carried a lot of weight and influence in the room,” Scott said. “He’s a very good listener and a very collaborative decision-maker.”

There was no bigger beneficiary of the tv deal than the Cougars of Washington State, said Scott.

Whether in Pullman, Eugene or Missoula, Moos throughout his career has earned reputation for setting goals and hitting targets. He has spearheaded significant facilities improvements, built up donor lists, endorsed academic achievement, and made the tough decisions on hiring and firing coaches in the key revenue sports of football and men’s basketball.

His accomplishments are well documented. Among them:

*At Pac-12 doormat Washington State, Moos was responsible for hiring football coach Mike Leach, and men’s basketball coach Ernie Kent. He oversaw a $130 million remodeling of the school’s football facilities, and fundraising contributions nearly doubled to $13.1 million in fiscal 2017 from 2010.

Impressively under Leach, the football team has gone to three bowl games in the past four years.

On Monday, Leach called Moos a “very honest, straightforward guy,” and the best athletic director he’s ever worked with.

But there’s always a price to success, and Moos has drawn some criticisms.

The athletic department is projected to close this current fiscal year with an $8.5 million deficit, largely because of stadium improvements, according to the Seattle Times. That number has decreased since projections in the spring of being $10.6 million in red ink. Before this current year, the department closed the last three fiscal years with deficits of more than $10 million, the newspaper said.

That could be a cause of concern at Nebraska, where the athletic department is among the few in the country operating at a profit. In particular, football, men’s basketball and women’s volleyball are money-makers. But should an $8.5 million deficit be a red flag?

“Deficits are a common denominator when one has multiple facility enhancements, just like you would when you remodel your home,” said Vecchione of the athletic directors association.

There also may have been some friction between Moos and new Washington State president Kirk Schulz, who was previously at Kansas State. Citing unnamed sources, the Seattle Times said Schulz thought Moos was not active enough in fundraising, especially in cultivating big donors.

Moos did not tell his bosses before Sunday’s hiring announcement that he was leaving Pullman. There is also some speculation that Moos sought several times for a contract extension, but discussions were put on ice by Schulz.

Neither Schulz nor Moos could not be reached for comment Monday.

*Moos spearheaded the rebuilding of the University of Oregon athletic program as its director from 1995 to 2007. By courting Knight, the Duck alum, Moos had the funds to develop state-of-the-art athletic facilities, including a football stadium overhaul, and an increase in the number of women’s sports, and many other bells and whistles.

All the while, the football team went from no profile to national power.

Oregon’s athletic department budget grew from $18.5 million in his first year to more than $40 million by 2007 -- and became self-sufficient. Student-athlete academic awards were also numerous.

*Even during his five years as athletic director at Montana, the school upgraded facilities, the basketball team went to the NCAA tournament several times and football prospered.

At each stop, Moos left behind football programs that were in much better shape than they were when he took over.

Of course it helps to have Nike’s founder writing some big checks. Moos’ career path has been intertwined with Knights’ not just at Oregon but at Washington State.

Which raises the question, why did Moos leave Oregon?

At least, it was partly because of Knight’s money and ever-growing influence on athletic department affairs, according to “The System: The Glory and Scandal of Big-Time College Football.”

One chapter in the book outlines their relationship.

“On the one hand,” the author’s noted, Moos’ job as athletic director “was made a lot easier thanks to Knight’s giving. But when Knight’s vision clashed with Moos’ administrative approach, the job lost its luster. It was a battle Moos knew he couldn’t win.”

When asked by the authors why he left Oregon for life on the ranch, Moos said he’d “rather step in it than put up with it.”

But it also appears Moos’ relationship with Knight has been repaired. As noted in the book, Moos received a congratulatory call from Knight after taking the Washington State job.

One of Moos’ first order of business was to work with Nike to repair the Cougar’s brand -- with Knight pledging to send his best design team to Pullman.

Now, Moos is at Nebraska. It’s an Adidas school.

Questions, comments, story ideas? Steve Rosen covers business of sports topics. Contact him at sbrosen1030@gmail.com.