Thorr Bjorn

[pk77]

Dear Insider, so you want a person leading our football operations whose record at URI the last 15 years in a fcs division is like 58 wins and 100 losses.

Plus you think his D1 basketball program is good. his record the last 15 years is at .500.

you think this is an upgrade ! this is the new blood that you want !

[InnervisionsUMASS]

you think this is an upgrade !

Since we suspect this to be the case, I'll state this as such: Please remember who he is replacing... so, yes, I think this is a massive upgrade.

[Used to be VOR]

Thorr is the best, and if he were to become AD I would have hope for this department in way I have not in a long time.

Welcome home big man!

[vanmeter]

Pk

You’re 100% wrong. John Nitardy, Director of Development, initiated the point system. In addition you are the only
Person I know who ‘lost’ his season tickets. Many were relocated due to point system but you are the only one who ‘supposedly’ lost his tickets.

[InnervisionsUMASS]

Thank you sir. Bummer about the Turtle Tavern and those living above it. Just glad it sounds like everyone got out safe.

Thank you, tough loss for the community. It was a good place, a dive but in a good way... and the bar itself (under multiple names/owners) had been around for a century or so. I know the family that owned the building/bar and lived there as well, and one of the other tenants, so it hits close to home. Appreciate the mutual aid from your town that night, that situation could have been much worse for the surrounding area if not for the help.

[vanmeter]

URI football
2023. 6-5
2024. 11-3
2025. 7-2
This year bear StonyBrook 38-17. We lost to Stony Brook.

[InnervisionsUMASS]

URI football
2023. 6-5
2024. 11-3
2025. 7-2
This year bear StonyBrook 38-17. We lost to Stony Brook.

Mixing games up... you mean Bryant. You have the right score, though.

[MikeUMA]

I very very much doubt that Thorr is giving up an AD spot to work for Ryan Bamford. My guess is Bamford is gone within 6 months.

This is what I suspect also.

I'd have more respect for UM leadership if they just cleaned house right now and brought Thorr in to replace Bamford, but if it ends up being a short term succession, OK, but that presents its own problems...

I'm not really comfortable with Bamford remaining in charge and Thorr basically running football. What if this plan doesn't work? Both are dismissed after a couple/few years? I would be f'ing livid if Thorr would have to the fall for that and Bamford retains his job. I can't see a world where Bamford would survive that, but then what? Does Bamford go and Thorr takes his job? That itself is a bad look because it was Thorr's job to help make football better.

And what if the unspoken plan is indeed that Bamford is gone by the end of Spring 2025? Thorr replaces him, but then do we replace Thorr's chief of football role? If we don't, then why did we need that role in the first place?

The whole thing, as currently stated, is still messy.

[Camby4Life]

Guess I’m in the minority here but I’m not as high on this move as the rest of you. UMass just loves to bring back former employees. Whipple and DB couldn’t turn it around and I’m not expecting Thorr to be the answer either.

[cox'n]

Pk

You’re 100% wrong. John Nitardy, Director of Development, initiated the point system. In addition you are the only
Person I know who ‘lost’ his season tickets. Many were relocated due to point system but you are the only one who ‘supposedly’ lost his tickets.

I was going to write pretty much the same thing. My seats were relocated, but I didn't lose them. Besides, if I had season tickets and enough money to make a major donation I'd expect great seats, too. It's funny, we all hope rich people or successful businesses will support UMass sports in a big way, but then some of us are shocked when the donors get special treatment. Personally, I'd rather watch a great team from bad seats than watch a bad team from great seats.

[Steve81]

Pk

You’re 100% wrong. John Nitardy, Director of Development, initiated the point system. In addition you are the only
Person I know who ‘lost’ his season tickets. Many were relocated due to point system but you are the only one who ‘supposedly’ lost his tickets.

I was going to write pretty much the same thing. My seats were relocated, but I didn't lose them. Besides, if I had season tickets and enough money to make a major donation I'd expect great seats, too. It's funny, we all hope rich people or successful businesses will support UMass sports in a big way, but then some of us are shocked when the donors get special treatment. Personally, I'd rather watch a great team from bad seats than watch a bad team from great seats.

Well said. Did comment on his same post on Ryan Bamford thread on the Football subforum.

[69MG]

Personally, I'd rather watch a great team from bad seats than watch a bad team from great seats.

That is one of the best, most to the point, quotes I've seen in a while. It applies to all sports.

[InnervisionsUMASS]

I very very much doubt that Thorr is giving up an AD spot to work for Ryan Bamford. My guess is Bamford is gone within 6 months.

This is what I suspect also.

I'd have more respect for UM leadership if they just cleaned house right now and brought Thorr in to replace Bamford, but if it ends up being a short term succession, OK, but that presents its own problems...

I'm not really comfortable with Bamford remaining in charge and Thorr basically running football. What if this plan doesn't work? Both are dismissed after a couple/few years? I would be f'ing livid if Thorr would have to the fall for that and Bamford retains his job. I can't see a world where Bamford would survive that, but then what? Does Bamford go and Thorr takes his job? That itself is a bad look because it was Thorr's job to help make football better.

And what if the unspoken plan is indeed that Bamford is gone by the end of Spring 2025? Thorr replaces him, but then do we replace Thorr's chief of football role? If we don't, then why did we need that role in the first place?

The whole thing, as currently stated, is still messy.

Again, ripping the Bamford bandaid off is tricky with his contract. I don't think anyone here realistically thinks Bamford is around for "a couple/few years"... you're looking at maybe til June. Why would Thorr take this if it isn't a transition? And why would UMass open another position for $400k to do part of the work an AD should be doing? Especially when we know that lower level "grunt-type" staff members make pennies? That certainly wouldn't be a good look on the U.


When this "unspoken plan" is fulfilled, as I suspect it will be, there shouldn't be a need for the "new" position that was created here for Thorr. If anything, they might finally hire a "Football GM" instead, and at a much lower $ figure.

[Quann]

Personally, I'd rather watch a great team from bad seats than watch a bad team from great seats.

That is one of the best, most to the point, quotes I've seen in a while. It applies to all sports.

You need a D1 FBS quality stadium though to compete. That’s just the reality of big time football. Thorr got the stadium reno through at URI, hopefully he can do the same here.

[vanmeter]

I think there are others coming with Thorr