Brogan leaving would be bad news for FAU
By Marcus Nelson
There was a bit of a pall at the Oxley Center on Thursday after FAU President Frank Brogan made it official that he was throwing his hat in the ring to become the next chancellor of the state university system. Many think his applying for the position is merely a formality and he will be offered, and will accept the job.
Most of the people in the athletic department I talked with all said the same thing - Brogan leaving is not a good thing.
No one is terribly excited about the thought of trying to raise money for a stadium while an interim president is providing leadership, to say nothing of the long-term prospects of hiring a new president who may or may not be enthusiastic about athletics.
I know Brogan has plenty of detractors - as anyone who sits in the president's chair would. But as far athletics goes, Brogan always supported his Owls. Seeing Brogan at most home and away football games wasn't what showed me he was a big supporter of FAU sports. It was when he took a seat at the women's basketball games or mid-week baseball games.
Some say Brogan could have done more to advance the stadium effort, but it's funny to see many who took Brogan to task for not doing enough heap on the praise now that he is apparently leaving. It's a natural reaction to facing a future with an FAU president who may not care as much about the western edge of campus as Brogan. And that's a real - and scary - possibility.