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BY JERRY MILANI
NEWJERSEYNEWSROOM.COM
Most sports fans, especially those following Rutgers, now know a great deal about the Scarlet Knights' new head men's basketball coach Mike Rice. However what many may not yet know about is the brand of apparel that Rice partnered with at Robert Morris, a brand that is making some strong inroads into the New Jersey area now, and with Rice coming to New Brunswick, may be poised for an even bigger splash.
The name of the company is Crons, an acronym for "Come Ready Or Never Start," and it is the brainchild of former University of Pittsburgh player and serial entrepreneur Pat Cavanaugh. The brand got amazing exposure outfitting the Colonials over the last two seasons as they made it to the NCAA Tournament, almost as much for their business model as for their quality outfits. Cavanaugh bills Crons, which is not sold at retail yet, as a "motivational company rather that an apparel company."
With over 500 schools in 27 states from local rec leagues to partnerships with the Atlantic 10 and the Big South Conferences, Crons provides not just apparel to those groups that are part of the company. It provides incentive programs, motivational and goal setting opportunities, and paths for anyone who is involved with the brand to build self-esteem and a sense of community both on and off the playing field.There are approximately 30 schools or youth organizations in New Jersey alone – many closer to Philadelphia but the number is growing, who have embraced the Crons plan as a way to raise funds and motivate young people.
The brand connected with Rice while the Rutgers head coach was an assistant at Pitt, and when other apparel brands showed disinterested in working with Robert Morris, Cavanaugh stepped in. The result was a ride to success for both. Cavanaugh, who was a key part of the Panthers Big East success in the 1980's, is also no stranger to New Jersey. He recently took a few minutes to speak with New Jersey Newsroom about the brand.
NJNR: Some people have called Crons "another Under Armor." Can you explain briefly what sets the brand apart?
PC: I always explain to people that we are not an apparel company, we are a motivational company. The Crons brand is all about motivation. We exist to help people achieve their goals no matter what the odds. We all can use the Crons mentality as we take our journey toward our goals. People want to celebrate this Crons attitude that has made them successful. That's our value proposition. Sure, we have great products in terms of apparel quality, style and performance. But it's all about the motivation and the message. Everyone can relate to "Come Ready or Never Start." It transcends all race, religion and background. We literally weave our message into our garments that motivate the person wearing them to achieve their goal.
NJNR: You have had a number of schools in New Jersey, mostly in the south, join on. Why is New jersey an important market?
PC: New Jersey has a special place in my life. I attended West Point Prep in Ft. Monmouth and my basic training at Ft. Dix after graduating high school. I learned some of my best life lessons in New Jersey. In terms of our brand, it's important because of the wide diversity of people, the rich heritage in athletics at all levels, academics and business as well as its location between New York City and Philadelphia.
NJNR: Mike Rice helped make a splash at Robert Morris with Crons. What are your thoughts on what Mike means for Rutgers?
PC: Mike will bring our "Come Ready or Never Start" mentality to Rutgers and take their program to a new level. He is a true Crons Guy. As excited as they are today to have Mike on board, they have no idea just how much they are going to like him as time goes on. The best thing about Mike is he is sincere and he will challenge everyone that's a part of the program to get better on a daily basis. That's a formula for success at any level. It's contagious. He'll do a great job!
NJNR: How big is the company and who are your chief employees/contacts in the state?
PC: We have almost 500 schools, teams and organizations in 26 states now around the country. Our focus currently is Team business although we will be testing our retail concept this year. Our representatives, called Crons Head Coaches, Ambassadors of the brand if you will, total 200-plus and is growing rapidly. We have a number of Head Coaches in New Jersey and are looking for more. Our Achievers Director of Training, Anthony Griggs, is from New Jersey and is an outstanding representative of our brand.
NJNR: You have started an achievers program, and one group involved is the Atlantic 10 Conference. Can you tell us how the A 10 deal works and how other conferences may get involved in the future?
PC: We work with the Atlantic 10 in a couple different ways. We provided the Student-Athlete Gifts for all the Atlantic 10 Conference Championships for all sports for over 4,500 Student Athletes. We recently introduced our Achievers Program, which teaches students how to set goals and manage goals to their SAAC representatives (Student-Athlete Advisory Committee). We hosted a one-day leadership program at our headquarters that included one representative from each of the 14 member institutions, Athletic Directors and Conference representatives. The Atlantic 10 does a good job of promoting transferable skills for its student-athletes that can be used after graduation. I think it says a lot about Bernadette McGlade, their commissioner (who also has some strong New Jersey ties), that we could coordinate such a special day for their student-athletes. Other conferences can contact us for similar partnership opportunities by visiting crons.com.
We have had several conferences request similar opportunities because of the Achievers Program.
