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Gold and Black Illustrated, Vol 27, Digital 1

Gold and Black is a multi-platform media company that covers Purdue athletics like no one else.

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GOLD AND BLACK ILLUSTRATED VOLUME 27, ISSUE 1 18 ness after returning home from his team's exhibition tour to Spain with a new boss. "All the coaches that he's worked with that I've talked to have all said great things about him," Painter said. "It's a great sign when you hire somebody and get that kind of (feedback) from really successful men's basketball coaches." Respect On A National Scale One doesn't get selected as chair of the 10-member NCAA men's basketball selection committee without being respect- ed by his or her peers. The fact the Bobinski was the group's leader in 2013 easily raises his profile as a national figure and didn't hurt when trying to secure the Purdue job. "You do not get appointed to that job unless you have an enormous respect and credibility in that community," Dan- iels said during the introductory press conference. Dan Gavitt, a vice president with the NCAA who is intimately involved with the selection process, concurs. According to Gavitt, Bobinski's no-nonsense approach made him very successful in the highly scrutinized position. "He's direct, he's candid, and he's honest," said Gavitt, who has developed a strong relationship with Bobinski in re- cent years. "He gains the trust of people very quickly. I knew during the year I worked on the basketball committee with him, he has a very good relationship with the basketball me- dia across the country. That's a very media-intensive position all year long. They appreciated his accessibility and his can- dor." Media And Social Media Friendly (Sort Of) Based on Gavitt's comments and Bobinski's reputation for not being easily rattled, it is not surprising he has a repu- tation for being media friendly. He likes to talk sports and seeks out the most knowledgeable people he can whether it be national or local. Mike DeCourcy, a national college basketball writer for Sporting News and BTN analyst, recalls the days when Xavi- er's SID would leave an empty seat on press row next to De- Courcy when he would occasionally attend Musketeers' games. "I wasn't even covering Xavier at the time and would only see less than a handful of games a year," DeCourcy said. "That left me wondering why there was an empty chair. He would come down and sit next to me and we'd talk for half the game. He liked to hear my perspective on what was going on in the college basketball world and where Xavier fit. "It was always great to get a chance to visit with him be- cause he's a really down-to-earth guy." When it comes to social media, Bobinski admits to being a little more cautious. He has had a Twitter account since 2012, but like most athletic directors, he seems to keeps its role in perspective. "People want to take it very seriously and act like it is groundbreaking journalism, but it's not," Bobinski said. "It's opinion, it's fact, it's real time. You have to take it with a grain of salt and not over emphasize its importance, but it is important to recognize that it can be an effective tool that in some ways can be very useful." When it comes to fan message boards, however, Bobinski learned his lesson a long time ago to steer clear. "People tell me things that are on there and there are use- ful bits of information provided by passionate fans," Bobinski said. "I learned long ago that for my sanity and a reasonable blood pressure level, I stay the heck away from message boards and blogs." Farm, Family And Purdue When one thinks of Long Island, a potato farm isn't the first thing that comes to mind. But for Bobinski's family, that was his life during his earliest days. And it played a role in his emotional development. Sometime around his eighth birthday, Bobinski's father sold the farm and took up a career in law enforcement. He served a half-dozen years on a police force before spending 22 more as a plain-clothes detective. His mother was a school li- brarian and fostered Bobinski's constant quest for knowledge. "Given the nature of his work, he wasn't at all of my games, but he was at this game," Bobinski recalled with detail as if it were yesterday. "I think I pitched a two-hitter, and was 2-of-3 at the plate, and we won the game 3-1. It was a good day. "On the drive home he asks, 'Hey, what happened in that third at-bat where you popped up to short?' That's the only thing he cared about. "I'm not paralyzed by perfectionism and I've gotten over all The Bobinski Athletic Timeline 1976-79 Pitcher, Notre Dame 1984-89 Ticket and business manager, Notre Dame 1989-94 Associate A.D., Naval Academy 1994-98 Athletic Director, Akron 1998-2004, 2006-12 Athletic Director, Xavier 2013-2016 Athletic Director, Georgia Tech

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