AD Nero looking to build fan base

ORONO – He said he “loves” lobster. He isn’t concerned about the temperature difference between Miami, Fla. and Orono, saying with a grin, “My body is much more used to New England than it is Florida.”

Johnston, R.I., native and 1987 Providence College graduate Patrick Nero, the senior associate athletic director at the University of Miami, was introduced as the new University of Maine athletic director at the Buchanan Alumni House Thursday afternoon.

Nero’s reputation is that of a highly organized, fund-raising guru. He directed a $100 million capital campaign at Miami.

But he said that’s just one of the hats he expects to wear at Maine.

“I expect to be a leader internally with the staff, coaches and students and then a spokesperson externally. I’ll wear both of those hats at the same time,” said the 37-year-old Nero, who signed a three-year contract that will pay him $125,000 per year. He expects to start on April 15. He will replace interim AD Paul Bubb.

Raising funds in a state facing a large budget deficit will be a challenge but Nero is optimistic.

“First and foremost, fund-raising is really about sacrifice and people contributing and giving to a common cause,” said Nero.

In talking with people on campus and across the country, Nero said, “the one thing that always comes out pretty clear is that are so many people that care about this program.

“So it’s going to be a matter of identifying everyone that can help this program grow and continue to prosper. From a fund-raising standpoint, there’s great opportunity to be successful. It’s going to take a great amount of people to continue to move the program forward.”

He said the student-athletes and the students on campus “have to be the most important thing that we do every day. They are here to grow, here to be educated, here to learn and part of that has to be understanding a little bit of the responsibility that they carry as a representatives not only of the university but of the state of Maine.”

Nero said securing support in the southern part of the state is going to be a “primary point of attack.”

“It is the major population base and we have to have a presence there,” said Nero. “I commend the coaches who have given up a home game to play at their second home in Portland. That’s very important. We will continue to do that and we have to continue to find ways to get more visibility. I want to get the entire state behind our athletic program.”

He said it will be crucial to “build a fan base that identifies with the university, very similar to what the University of Connecticut has done with their programs.”

He intends to sit down with the coaches and discuss their particular situations and expectations.

“I hope in all of our sports that we can compete at the conference level. Some of our sports [i.e. men’s hockey, football] compete on a national level and that should be a goal every year. You see that in most schools. They’re able to compete for national championships in two or three sports, year in and year out.

“But for other sports, competing for a conference championship is a wonderful year. A lot of it is based on what we can afford to compete in,” said Nero.

Nero has impressed members of the coaching staff, including former Providence College classmate Paul Kostacopoulos, the Black Bear baseball coach.

“He is the right guy at the right time,” said Kostacopoulos. “He has great people skills. He’s engaging. People will like him immediately. People will want to listen to him. He’ll roll up his sleeves and get after it. He’s a hard worker.”

Maine men’s soccer coach Travers Evans said after an hour-long sitdown involving several other coaches and Nero, “everyone left that room energized and really excited that his vision of where Maine athletics could be was one shared by the coaching staff as well. He made a terrific first impression.”