Boehm discusses Pitt, the Zoo and his future

Editor’s note: On Jan. 30, assistant sports editor Joe Marchilena sat down with Pitt interim… Editor’s note: On Jan. 30, assistant sports editor Joe Marchilena sat down with Pitt interim athletics director Marc Boehm and discussed the state of the program. The following is the first of two select parts of the interview.

The Pitt News: What made you want to come to Pitt?

Marc Boehm: I had a great job with the Tostitos Fiesta Bowl and I was in the bowl business for approximately 10 1/2 years and I loved every aspect of it. But I wanted to try something different and I had been in college athletics at the University of Florida for just a little bit over a year prior to getting into the bowl business. I had worked with Steve Pederson [before] and … he got the job here at [Pitt] and he called and said, “Would you be interested in being my No. 2 guy?” I’ve always been up for challenges and when I first came here, Steve laid out those challenges and there were a lot. My wife and I really loved Pittsburgh and we figured this was a place where we could raise our children.

TPN: You have three sons. Do they like Pitt?

MB: They are die-hards. My oldest son, Broderick, who is 11, when the basketball team or football team loses, there are times when tears start flowing down his face. He’s very involved. Our middle child, Christian, is very involved. They attend every single home basketball games and football games and they’re into it. My littlest son quite isn’t there yet; he’s 2 years old. We’re passionate. We bleed the blue and gold.

TPN: Do you think that having worked with the Fiesta Bowl played into Pitt getting an early invite to the Insight Bowl?

MB: My former boss, John Junker, is the godparent of our youngest son. We’re very, very close. I think that’s where it plays in. It’s the relationships that were built and the relationships that the Fiesta Bowl folks had for a lot of people here, and that’s starting with the chancellor, Steve Pederson, and, obviously, with myself. It’s those relationships that have been built, also with Walt Harris, that we were able to sneak our way in there.

TPN: On a few occasions, Pederson stated that he had no desire to leave Pitt. Do you feel any kind of resentment for him deciding to leave?

MB: No, none whatsoever. [Nebraska] is where home is and Steve Pederson loved Pittsburgh and loved this place. He cared passionately for the University of Pittsburgh and still does. In fact, when I talk to him, he still mentions “we,” so he will always be a Panthers’ fan. He wouldn’t have left for any other place than Nebraska.

TPN: What kind of grade would you give Pederson on the job he did here?

MB: An A and you can add about 20 pluses.

TPN: What do you think the next person would have to do to live up to that?

MB: The worst thing you can do is coast and maintain. A lot of times that’s what happens to the big programs, you get up to a level and you begin to coast and that’s the worst thing you can do. So the next person that comes in here has to keep making decisions, has to put the student athletes first and has to keep progressing. There still is a lot of work to be done here. We’ve got a lot of our Olympic sports now to take care of as regards to facilities. But we’ve got to get to our plateau now, which is to be the best in the Big East and … that’s to win Big East Championships. We still have a long way to go, but it’s getting there.

TPN: How interested are you in becoming the next athletics director at Pitt?

MB: I am very passionate and extremely happy here at the University of Pittsburgh. My job right now is to come in every single day and make this place a better place. We’re making decisions and the best thing that I have going for here right now is that we’ve got the best staff in college athletics, and I believe that because I’ve been at other places and I’ve seen it. As far as my interest, I take it day-to-day and I’m not worried about down the road, what’s going to happen.

TPN: Is there any specific way you could continue Pitt’s success?

MB: The No. 1 goal that we have, and I made it clear to all of our staff members, is we’ve got to continue to sell football tickets. We’ve got to sell out Heinz Field, we’ve got to get people there and we’ve made great strides. If you go back five years ago and there was hardly anybody there. Now we’ve got to make that step further and that is our No. 1 goal.

TPN: How do you plan on selling out Heinz Field?

MB: We’re going to be releasing a plan very shortly.

TPN: Sticking with attendance, earlier this basketball season the department was kind of disappointed with the student attendance. Have those feelings changed?

MB: We’re very proud of the students and what they have done to make the Petersen Events Center a great environment. I can’t tell you what it means to see the students wrapped around in the Oakland Zoo shirts in an environment that helps our basketball team win. It starts with the students and what they have done is simply amazing.

TPN: Do you think the quality of the teams that were coming in here had to do with why fewer students were showing up?

MB: I hope we get to the point that it doesn’t matter who we’re playing and that’s what the great fans do, they attend every single game no matter who you’re playing. I know it’s hard for students to attend over Christmas break and Thanksgiving Day break. But I think that, ultimately, no matter who you play, you want things to be full.

TPN: Have there been problems as far as too many students showing up for games?

MB: I think it’s going very well. Obviously, I think it’s a great idea where first come, you fill that lower bowl and then if you don’t get there in time, you’re upstairs. I think right now, we’re right on target with that number. Yes, I was maybe a little disappointed at some games that the students did not come out earlier. All the students right now are showing their true colors. The goal is to have that filled every single game. I personally am so proud of the students because they have built a great atmosphere. When I come in for a game and I see those students lined down by the street and this is two hours before the game, that’s a great scene. What I want to do is talk with some of our people to see if we can’t have all of the students inside so they’re not freezing outside.

TPN: Do you feel that the method that was used this year to sell student tickets was the best method and will it be used again next year?

MB: Anytime you’re opening up something new and it’s never been done before, you’re going to have to tweak it a little bit. Did I think it was the right thing? Yes. Do we need tweaking maybe? Yes. And that’s something we’re going to evaluate over this next year and we’re going to listen to the students to see what they want and what they prefer.