49ers Notebook

Head coach Will Healy and the Charlotte 49ers football team sport new branded athletics gear.

Charlotte 49ers launch a new look

During summer 2020, the Charlotte and staff, the more energized they became. 49ers Director of Athletics Mike Hill, giving a 49ers Athletics Department rolled Once we’re able to resume competition post- nod to the popular secondary “CLT” mark. out a bold new brand identity that COVID-19 and start attaching success, we’ll The project, completed by Luquire George has received a strong, growing response from have a chance to win everyone over.” Andrews, includes a deeper green, the primary Niner Nation. The centerpiece of the new look is a and secondary marks and a BoldRush tagline.

“The response to the brand rollout has distinctive mark called the “All-In C.” An “We chose to use BoldRush as part of the been really positive,” said Chris Fuller, deputy evolution from the previous Charlotte athletics brand launch to signal our state of mind as a athletics director for external affairs, who logo, it places the iconic 49ers’ gold-mining program,” Fuller added. “To let our friends oversaw the rebranding project. “Like any pick inside a collegiate-inspired “C.” and supporters know that we have every change of this nature, there have been critics, “We’re thrilled to have a new bolder identity intention of building on the momentum but the more our 49ers family has connected that not only reflects our commitment to the Charlotte 49ers had when we were all with the new look, the stronger the response excellence but encompasses the pride this forced to pause.” (Read about alumnus Todd has grown. As fans started to see it on their community has for our institution as well as our Aldridge ’92, the creative force behind the own gear and used by our student-athletes strong connection to our dynamic city,” said brand redesign, on page 58.)

Todd Aldridge stands on the court of Halton Arena emblazoned with the new logo he designed for the Charlotte 49ers.

Alum Forges Bold New Athletic Brand for Charlotte 49ers

BY PAUL NOWELL

Todd Aldridge’s connections to UNC Charlotte run wide and deep, which made creating the 49ers’ new Athletics brand a personal challenge for him when he was tasked with it.

“I was worried I was too close to the University,” said Aldridge ’92, senior vice president and executive creative director for Luquire George Andrews (LGA), a Charlotte-based strategic communications firm withs several UNC Charlotte alumni on its roster.

A distinguished alumnus of UNC Charlotte’s College of Arts + Architecture, Aldridge and his family have ties to the University that span nearly 50 years and three generations. This legacy was not lost on him when he heard about the rebranding plans.

“Would I be able to keep the fan in me out of the process?” he asked rhetorically. Then he went to work on what he calls “a labor of love.”

“The deeper we got into the discussions, the more I felt that I could better serve the Athletics Department and the agency by contributing to a design that syncs the program with the city and its many students, alumni and corporate partners,” he said.

For Aldridge, this was far from just another assignment.

“At LGA, each project, no matter the size of the client or the scope, means something not only to the businesses we partner with, but their employees and their clients,” he said. “The Charlotte 49ers brand means so much to LGA and my family, I was honored to be a part of the team.”

Todd Aldridge

Wade Bruton

With recent 49ers success in a number of areas, it was decided the time was right for a new brand — the first since 2000.

Last year, the Charlotte football team posted a winning record and qualified for the first bowl game in University history. After several subpar seasons, the men’s basketball team finished 16-13 in the last regular season.

Prior to the interference of COVID-19 in athletics schedules, 49ers women’s basketball as well as men’s and women’s soccer qualified consistently for postseason action. Other teams, such as women’s golf and track and field for both men and women, have been surprising their opponents.

Aldridge knew the outcome had to be grounded in research, a process that included online surveys, emails to alumni and in-depth interviews with key University stakeholders.

“I was especially excited to see part of that process was having a student advisory committee that provided candid feedback from one of our target audiences,” he said.

The new mark needed to be easily reproduced and standardized. And it had to be bold, simplified and smart, Aldridge said.

The new “All in C” logo puts the 49ers gold pick inside the “C,” with the letter and the symbol together instead of as individual elements. Alternate versions of

In 1996, when Halton Arena opened, LGA was asked to design the original floor. “Trying to leverage a little bit of 49er history in something new, we proposed using the old script 49ers as the mark. The alumni magazine featured it before it opened,” said Aldridge, posing with both logos.

the logo, including a CLT, 49ers and 9ers, also incorporate the gold pick in the C and the 9s.

“We kept scale top of mind,” Aldridge explained. “So many uses for sports branding elements are small. We wanted to separate from those marks and not allow other logos to overpower it.”

According to Athletics Director Mike Hill, it was important for the new athletics mark to be straightforward and clean. It was critical that it showed strong ties to the Charlotte community.

“Our competitive ascent and rise in relevance is clear,” he said. “So while we never would have planned for a rebrand in the middle of a worldwide pandemic, the time was indeed right.”

And it achieved another goal — it got people talking. “It certainly did, both within our Niner family and also at a regional and national level,” Hill said.

“They absolutely nailed it,” he said about LGA. “To have an alumnus in Todd who was so emotionally invested in the project was key to its success. As he would say, it was a true labor of love, and that was clear not only with Todd but with the entire LGA team.”

So are the fans embracing it?

“Overall, the new logo has been extremely well received. Many of our fans absolutely love it, while others are still adjusting,” Hill said. “The feedback nationally has been spectacular. It’s important that our brand be seen among other regionally and nationally recognized brands.”

Both of Aldridge’s parents worked for the University for more than 20 years. Many other family members, including his wife, sister and niece, graduated from UNC Charlotte. Most recently, his son, a Levine Scholar, earned his degree from UNC Charlotte.

Over the years, Aldridge has paid forward his positive UNC Charlotte experience. He started a student chapter of the American Institute of Graphic Arts on campus for design students. He has been a guest speaker for senior seminars, and he conducts portfolio reviews for students.

This year, he joined the UNC Charlotte Alumni Association Board of Directors, and he is teaching an online course in graphic design.

“UNC Charlotte has given so much to my family and me,” Aldridge said. “It’s an honor and privilege to have opportunities to give something back.”

Paul Nowell is a senior communications manager for University Communications.

Fall postponements to lead to busy schedule in spring

Spring 2021 is expected to be a busy time for Charlotte 49ers athletics. In August, Conference USA announced the postponement of the fall seasons for men’s and women’s soccer and volleyball due to the coronavirus pandemic after the NCAA Division I Board of Directors decided to move Division I fall championships to the spring. The only sports to compete during their regular fall seasons were football and men’s and women’s cross country.

“We want all of our teams to be well-positioned for postseason play,” said Charlotte’s Director of Athletics Mike Hill. “We spoke with our coaches, and they wanted to move to the spring to coincide with NCAA Championships. On top of that, our Mike Hill non-conference scheduling opportunities have been limited due to the majority of other conferences moving to the spring. Our student-athletes and coaches have been remarkable during this time of uncertainty, and we can’t wait to see them compete next spring.”

The move to the spring for those sports adds to an already full plate that includes baseball, softball, men’s and women’s golf, men’s and women’s tennis, and men’s and women’s outdoor track and field. Men’s and women’s basketball seasons were pushed back to an earliest-possible start date of Nov. 25, while men’s and women’s indoor track and field was impacted, too.

Individual members of the men’s and women’s golf and tennis programs competed as individuals in the fall in various tournaments, although the teams did not see action.

Find the most up-to-date sports schedules online at Charlotte49ers.com. Rose selected for C-USA Hall of Fame Accolades for Judy Rose, director emerita of the Charlotte 49ers, continue to add up. Already named to the N.C. Sports Hall of Fame and the first class of UNC Charlotte’s Athletics Hall of Fame, Judy Rose will join Conference USA’s second Hall of Fame class.

Rose led the 49ers into Conference USA as a charter member in 1995-96 and again in 2013-14, when Charlotte was invited back to the FBS conference thanks to the addition of UNC Charlotte’s football team.

One of the nation’s most respected directors of athletics (AD), Rose spent 43 years with the Charlotte 49ers Athletics Department, including 28 as AD. She became the third goalkeeper Jon Busch, who led the 49ers to woman to serve as the athletics director of an the 1996 NCAA College Cup, was inducted NCAA Division I program when she accepted as part of the league’s inaugural class. That the position in 1990. team, which reached the NCAA National

Rose is the second person to represent Semifinals in Conference USA’s second the 49ers in the Conference USA Hall of season, became the first C-USA program in Fame. Last year, Charlotte 49ers all-America any sport to reach the final four.

The 49ers Athletics Hall of Fame was established to recognize exemplary student-athletes, coaches or administrators; individuals whose contributions have brought distinction to the University’s athletics program also can be enshrined.

These are the 49ers Athletics Hall of Fame inaugural inductees:

Jon Busch

Men’s Soccer (1994-96)

“It was an honor to be part of the first team to make it to the Final Four. I am extremely proud to have been part of that moment for the team and the school. It’s an amazing award to receive that speaks volumes about the guys who I was with during those three years and the guys who came before me.”

Shareese Woods Hicks

Track and Field (2003-07)

“My fondest memory as a 49er was getting the opportunity to represent my family, my coach, my teammates and the university on the NCAA stage. My time with the 49ers was nothing short of amazing, both academically and athletically. Everyone from the professors to the athletics administration made a positive impact on the professional that I have become. My sincerest thanks to you all!”

Cedric Maxwell

Men’s Basketball (1973-77)

“It’s so cool for a little small town kid from Kinston to come to Charlotte and be honored as one of the outstanding representatives of the school. It was a marriage made in heaven. It was a young program on the uptick, and I was a young player on the uptick, and we branched into a beautiful dance. Everything happened the right way.”

Corey Nagy

Men’s Golf (2007-10)

“Born and raised in Charlotte, I have always felt a strong connection to this University, and I have wonderful memories that I will cherish forever. I was lucky to be around amazing coaches, teammates and staff, all of whom had a huge part in helping me succeed during my time as a 49er. I will be a lifelong supporter and wish this University and all of its student-athletes continued success for years to come. GO NINERS!” Judy Rose

Director of Athletics (1991-2018)

“I have so many wonderful memories from both coaching and administration. I am proud that we were able to provide our student-athletes and coaches with first-class facilities to enhance their experience and present opportunities to host conference and NCAA events. When you spend 43 years working in 49er athletics (1976 to 2018), it is difficult to key in on one memory, but I would have to say that the overall excitement at our first home football game would be it. The students, alumni, faculty, staff, along with donors and friends of the Niners, all wearing 49er apparel cheering for their team. I still get chills reminiscing about that day!“

Lee Rose

Men’s Basketball Head Coach (1975-78)

‘My three years with the 49ers were beyond special. The national stage that we all were on was, and still is, shared by those who were in Charlotte at that time. From the first-year win over N.C. State in the semifinal game of the NIT, to the NCAA Final Four a year later, we all worked hard to be the best team we could be. One of my most cherished memories is returning to Charlotte from the Mideast Regional victory over no. 1-ranked Michigan.

It isn’t always so that the community supports an athletics team. However, when the airport was filled with thousands of fans to greet us, and part of the runway was closed for our plane, the connection among the team, school and community, and the feeling of shared success and pride was simply magical.”

Dale F. Halton

Philanthropist

“I treasure my relationship with the University and especially the Athletics Department and the student-athletes. It’s a great program and a great school, and I love being involved with them.”

Charlotte 49ers basketball coaches shape teams’ culture

BY TOM WHITESTONE

For Cara Consuegra, it’s all H.E.A.R.T.

Cara Consuegra enters her 10th season as the head women’s basketball coach for the Charlotte 49ers in 2020-21. She ranks second in program history for head coaching wins, owning a 165-113 (.594) record with five postseason appearances during her tenure. She needs just 10 victories to match the school’s career standard. But, there’s something much deeper at the heart of her program.

“Our Charlotte Women’s Basketball program is built on the foundation of ‘Play with H.E.A.R.T.’ which stands for Heart, Effort, Accountability, Respect and Toughness,” Consuegra explains. “This foundation is the core of our team and is a vital part of our success in basketball, academics, leadership and character development. At Charlotte, we are preparing women to win basketball games, and, most important, to become future leaders who are prepared to make positive contributions in their communities and beyond.”

Consuegra implemented her program’s core values of H.E.A.R.T at the outset of her decade of excellence with the program. She has produced one conference player of the year, a national freshman of the week, four all-conference first team picks, six 1,000-point scorers and eight conference all-defensive team selections. Three times the 49ers have been featured on ESPN SportsCenter’s Top 10 Plays of the Day, and seven of her players have signed professional contracts post-graduation.

Respected among her peers, Consuegra boasts a pedigree that includes being a WNBA draftee, an honorable mention All-America as a senior in college and earning Most Outstanding Player honors of the Big Ten Tournament, as she guided her alma mater Iowa to an upset win in the championship game.

Ron Sanchez relies on ‘The Five Pillars’

The Five Pillars of Humility, Passion, Unity, Servanthood and Thankfulness are the bedrock of the men’s basketball culture at Charlotte. Head coach Ron Sanchez, who is in his third season, was introduced to these pillars during his coaching experience under father and son Dick and Tony Bennett at Washington State University and the University of Virginia.

“Our pillars are our foundation,” Sanchez said. “They are more than words. Our culture equals our people. When I took this job, I put a staff together that embodies these pillars, and we recruit to these pillars.”

THE FIVE PILLARS:

Humility: Know who you are Passion: Do not be lukewarm Unity: A house divided will not stand Servanthood: Make those around you better Thankfulness: Be grateful in every circumstance

“Each of these pillars is tied to the next one,” Sanchez said. “We have to be willing to serve one another. Without humility, how can you serve? And, if you are not united as a group, how passionate can you be as a team?”

The pillars were fashioned by legendary college coach Dick Bennett. Sanchez served under Bennett on his staff at Washington State for three seasons beginning in 2003. Bennett then passed the pillars down to his son, three-time National Coach of the Year Tony Bennett, who Sanchez also worked with at Washington State and later at Virginia, where he was an integral member of his coaching staff and the rebuilding of both programs. When Sanchez was hired by 49ers Director of Athletics Mike Hill in March 2018, he knew the pillars would be the cornerstone of what he wanted to build in the Queen City.

“These pillars are embedded into my fiber as a coach,” Sanchez said. “I have seen them work in constructing culture, in building programs. I truly believe that if a program values these principles, not only will they be successful on the court but off the court as well. Each pillar plays a pivotal role in what we are trying to build here at Charlotte.”

The 49ers took a major step forward last season as Charlotte finished with a 16-13 overall mark and set a school record with 13 home wins at Halton Arena. The squad posted a 10-8 Conference USA record, the most league victories by the Niners since 2005-06. Their 16 wins were the most by the 49ers since 2013-14. In addition to the success on the court, the 49ers also earned the NABC Team Academic Excellence Award for the first time in the program’s history. Graduate senior Amidou Bamba became just the second Charlotte basketball player to be named an Academic All-American.

Tom Whitestone is associate athletics director for media relations for the Charlotte 49ers.