Mayor Greenberg Gives a Special UofL Athletics Announcement

Episode Transcript

Speaker 1 (00:00):
It is eight forty six here at consecut his Morning
News with Nick Coffee on news Radio eight forty WHAS
and we have a special guest now joining us on
the line. Mayor Craig Greenberg is with us. Good morning, Craig.
I know you've got some martial news to share, and
I'm happy you're with me. I do well to share.
I'll give you the floor.

Speaker 2 (00:20):
Yes, now, I'm pleased to share share it here. First,
today is a huge day for U OFL fans. We're playing,
obviously in the College World Series, and I'm so excited
for this baseball team and coach Dan McDonald. And you know,
I've been thinking a lot about U of L has
made such a positive impact on my life. I know
it's made a positive impact on so many people around

(00:41):
the entire city. It's bigger than just sports. What it
does for this city and today's success is built on
the foundation of so many others. And so I'm thrilled
that on June twenty eighth, at ten am, right down
there in the sports in the whole, in the middle
of on Floyd Street, all of those sports things, we

(01:02):
are going to honor Tom Jurich. The city and the
u of L and Partnership together are going to have
a special recognition and honor of Tom Jurich, who was
a fantastic athletic director who built much of the facilities
that the university is playing in today that are benefiting
the entire city and is one of the key people
who built a national program that Josh and his amazing

(01:26):
team are growing and moving forward into the future today.
And so I'm really excited to be able to honor
Tom Jurich on June twenty eighth, and I wanted to
let you and your listeners know first.

Speaker 1 (01:37):
Well, thank you so much. Really appreciate it. Certainly big news,
and I believe that this will be news that Louisville
Cardinal fans are happy to hear, and they're going to
be in support of this and happy that this is
happening for Tom. Can you tell us a little bit
about how this came together. I know you've had some
recent conversations with Tom Jurich. I assume and hope that

(01:58):
he's appreciative of this and excited.

Speaker 2 (02:01):
Oh yeah, Tom's really looking forward to this. I've known
Tom for ten, probably fifteen years, and I've always admired
him as not just the athletic director, but as a leader,
as an individual who's someone who cared so much about
the city. And you know, when you become mayor, there
are lots of things that you want to do and
you start working on them and looking for the right

(02:22):
time to do certain things, and it just felt like
now was the right time to do that. Tom has
made such contributions to the city. I'm very thrilled that
U of L is supportive of this and participating with
us in this recognition, and so really this is an
opportunity for everybody who has benefited from Tom's contributions that

(02:46):
he made to our city to recognize him in a
really fun, unique way that we're going to do on
the twenty eighth at ten am to people be invited
to it as well. It's right there on Floyd Street,
right by the softball stadium, by the playground. There there's
a little plaza that we're going to do an outdoor
celebration and recognition for Tom at Louisville.

Speaker 1 (03:07):
Mayor Craig Greenberger is our guest joining us here on
News Radio eight forty whas as the mayor of this city. Obviously,
when sports are booming and going well, that's good for
the economy, good for everybody in this city Louisville athletically
as far as I don't mean just the university, but
just as the sports city that we are, I mean,
without Tom Jurich, it's hard to know if we'd be

(03:29):
in the position we are as far as the University
of Louisville being members of the ACC from your role,
I mean, is it an exaggeration? Is it fair to
say that you know his team, not him specifically. Obviously
he had a lot to do with it, but that era,
that was the Tom Jurich era at the University of Louisville.
It's not uperbole to say that we'd have really no
clue where athletics might be had it not been for

(03:49):
the great, great tenure that he had.

Speaker 2 (03:51):
Right Tom's leadership built the foundation upon which Cardinal Athletics
is thriving today. We are so fortunate. Josh is an
amazing athletic director who I respect so much. I mean,
what he is doing now with the program and the
coaches that he has in place, the leadership navigating the
whole nil and ever changing environment is incredibly impressive, and

(04:15):
I'm so excited about the future of U of L
Athletics that you know, just like me, building on the
foundation of others who have come before me in my
role and in various city leadership roles. Tom's contributions with
what got built during his time has been so helpful
to the city when you think about, you know, the

(04:35):
Young Center would not have been built without a relationship
with U of L. And what that means not athletics,
but to the entire downtown, to our entire city and honestly,
state is so important. And each one of those you know,
with stadiums or facilities that were built under Tom's leadership

(04:57):
has really made significant contribution to our city. It attracts
people to visit our city, to spend money here, to
drive the economy, and athletics are only becoming a larger
part of our society and world, and we have a
foundation upon which to build on.

Speaker 1 (05:14):
You're right, Josh ur It has a lot of good momentum,
good vibes right now over at the University of Louisville.
This news, I think, only only continues that just good
energy within the Louisville fan base, and I know a
lot of Louisville fans will be excited to hear this.
You got to tell me real quick, what's the vibes
like in Omaha. Obviously a great come from behind victory
on Sunday, and now they've got another day to continue

(05:35):
this run in the College World Series. I know you're
enjoying it being out there. What's it like?

Speaker 2 (05:39):
Well, actually I was only out there for Friday night,
so I was back on Saturday, so I've been. I
was just there for Game one on Friday night, which
we had a great half of an inning that was
a lot of fun, but unfortunately the bottom of the
night didn't work out well on Friday night. But Omaha
is you know, it's their Kentucky Derby. The whole city
is a lie. The whole area surrounding the stadium is

(06:02):
alive with all the different schools enjoying themselves and celebrating
them That's another great example of Look, we're building a
world class sports venue in the case that I think
it's called Charles Swabs Stadium or something. What that's done
for the city. You know, so too have many of
the pieces that UL has built over the years, many
of them under Tom Jorge's leadership, that have helped us

(06:24):
build even more on top of that. But it was
really unique and I'm so looking forward to tonight's game.
And this is a great team with a phenomenal coach
and it would be fun to see him win tonight.

Speaker 1 (06:35):
Maryor Greenberg, thank you for the time. Certainly some big
news will continue to discuss this throughout the day here
on news radioit forty whas. Thank you so much.

Speaker 2 (06:45):
Hey Karen, if you have a great day, go cards.

Speaker 1 (06:46):
Go cards. That's Mayor Greenberg with the big news there.
So on June twenty eighth to ten am zan on campus,
they're going to honor Tom Jurich.