HEA Insider

To continue demonstrating how I think about AD openings as I work to break into executive search, here are my shortlists for Toledo, Kentucky, Oregon State and Wisconsin. I try to base these names off reality (contracts), trends and situational needs of the institutions. I do not use sources for these names and no one has influenced me to mention their names. These are not predictions but instead the names I would reach out for to measure interest if Higher Ed Athletics was leading the search.0:00 Introduction3:45 Toledo9:35 Kentucky20:30 Oregon State27:38 Wisconsin

Devin Crosby joined HEA to talk in-depth about New Haven's 5-day decision to reclassify from D2 to D1. Under his watch New Haven raised $9 million to help support the transition. The first half of the episode is about institutional vision and alignment. Then the conversation shapes into advice on how ADs can think creatively to solve problems, like manufacturing a football rivalry with a local non-conference school. Crosby has spent much of his career in D1 but he was also a D2 AD at Lynn University for 8 years. We talked about how aspiring D1 ADs could benefit from applying to D2 AD jobs.0:00 Introduction1:30 The 5-Day D1 Decision7:25 AD Vantage - Where Victory is Vetted8:50 Raising $9 Million the Same Year13:00 The Blueprint After the Decision21:20 Manufacturing a Football Rivalry23:30 The South Florida Showdown25:10 Onrise - Mental Health Care for Athletes26:43 Leadership Style & Empathy31:35 Should D1 Administrators Consider D2 AD Jobs?37:10 Advice for Aspirational ADsAD Vantage empowers athletic directors with comprehensive staff data, performance analytics, and AI-powered candidate insights to make smarter hiring, compensation, and retention decisions in an era where every dollar counts. Learn more: https://www.athleticdirectorvantage.comOnrise provides complete mental health Coverage for your Athletes. One call. Same-day setup. Your athletes get immediate access to peer support from retired pros, licensed clinicians, and 24/7 crisis care. Less than one in-house FTE. No hiring hassles. No initiative fatigue. Learn more: https://onrise.care

Eric George joined the Rice Owls in late 2023 after 4 years at Clemson where he started as the Senior Associate AD/CFO before being promoted to Deputy AD. He is a business-minded strategist with a CPA that has worked for some incredible athletic directors. This conversation is mostly focused on how George thinks in his job, how he learns from others, and how he and his wife processes opportunities that led him to Rice and the ones that he will have in the future. I finish by asking Eric about the trend in FBS AD hires going younger lately and how that might change his approach. Eric is very focused on his deputy role at Rice and learning from Tommy McClelland, but I know he will be a great AD for some school at some point. 0:000 Introduction2:25 Proud Rice Initiatives So Far # 15:45 HEA: AD Chair Strategy Sessions7:18 Proud Rice Initiatives So Far # 28:50 AD Vantage - Where Victory is Vetted10:10 Learning from Great Athletic Directors13:55 Studying Athletic Director Content & Interviews16:35 How Eric Keeps Thoughts Organized for Future AD Role23:55 Career Design & Processing Opportunities33:40 Onrise - Mental Health Care for Athletes34:41 Balancing AD Ambitions with Deputy AD Demands37:20 The Evolving Role of the FBS Athletic Director42:40 FBS Presidents Taking Chances on Younger First-Time ADsHEA is presented by PILYTIX, an AI tech company for higher education institutions and sports organizations. Increased Donations. Fast, Effective Targeting. Improved Performance. Learn more: ⁠https://pilytix.ai/AD Vantage empowers athletic directors with comprehensive staff data, performance analytics, and AI-powered candidate insights to make smarter hiring, compensation, and retention decisions in an era where every dollar counts. Learn more: https://www.athleticdirectorvantage.comOnrise provides complete mental health Coverage for your Athletes. One call. Same-day setup. Your athletes get immediate access to peer support from retired pros, licensed clinicians, and 24/7 crisis care. Less than one in-house FTE. No hiring hassles. No initiative fatigue. Learn more: https://onrise.care

The idea of "AD Film Study" is to watch a handful of athletic director press conferences and break them down in a way that I think can help future ADs in preparing for their introductory press conference, whether that be in their words or understanding the settings of the press conferences. At the end I offer a list of final thoughts and tips based on what I observed.I watched Bryan Blair (Syracuse), Roger Denny (Oklahoma), Kevin White (Charlotte) and Ryan Berryman (New Mexico) press conferences. Each situation was different when you think about it. Blair was the G6 sitting AD that is now joining the P4. Most Syracuse fans expected it to be someone with ties to the university and Blair had to introduce himself to the fan base. Denny was a surprise hire at Oklahoma coming from Illinois when everyone thought Oklahoma would go industry outsider or at least hire a sitting AD. Kevin White was the P4 deputy from Clemson, likely seen as an aspirational peer school to Charlotte from an athletic department perspective, and had more of a traditional pathway to the AD chair. Ryan Berryman was the interim that everyone seemed to know would be the permanent AD despite his young age.And if you want to support the HEA Road Trip I'm planning, please consider donating 5, 10 or 20 bucks via my HEA Stripe accountIf you prefer reading, I wrote a very long article of my notes for each of these press conferences on the HEA website0:00 Introduction3:38 Bryan Blair - Syracuse10:45 Explaining the HEA Road Trip11:45 Roger Denny - Oklahoma25:00 Custom HEA Briefings + Career Mapping Conversations27:30 Kevin White - Charlotte41:20 Ryan Berryman - New Mexico52:25 Final Thoughts & TipsHEA is presented by PILYTIX, an AI tech company for higher education institutions and sports organizations. Increased Donations. Fast, Effective Targeting. Improved Performance. AD Vantage empowers athletic directors with comprehensive staff data, performance analytics, and AI-powered candidate insights to make smarter hiring, compensation, and retention decisions in an era where every dollar counts.Onrise provides complete mental health Coverage for your Athletes. One call. Same-day setup. Your athletes get immediate access to peer support from retired pros, licensed clinicians, and 24/7 crisis care. Less than one in-house FTE. No hiring hassles. No initiative fatigue.

Ziggy Siegfried has been the AD of the Evansville Purple Aces since April 2022 after serving as the AD at CSU Bakersfield for 8 years. Siegfried hosted me for a visit in Evansville and gave me a tour of campus before sitting down for a wide-ranging conversation. Fighting for Evansville Fan Market Share. Donor Fatigue, Revenue Generation & Naming Rights. Uniform Patch Strategy. Deputy ADs as Basketball General Managers. Hiring Coaches. Most Difficult Decisions. Getting High School and College ADs in a Room Together. visit www.HigherEdAthletics.com to check out my D1 AD Hiring Trends + Tracker and my new D1 AD DirectoryHEA is presented by PILYTIX, an AI tech company for higher education institutions and sports organizations. Increased Donations. Fast, Effective Targeting. Improved Performance. Learn more: ⁠https://pilytix.ai/AD Vantage empowers athletic directors with comprehensive staff data, performance analytics, and AI-powered candidate insights to make smarter hiring, compensation, and retention decisions in an era where every dollar counts. Learn more: https://www.athleticdirectorvantage.comOnrise provides complete mental health Coverage for your Athletes. One call. Same-day setup. Your athletes get immediate access to peer support from retired pros, licensed clinicians, and 24/7 crisis care. Less than one in-house FTE. No hiring hassles. No initiative fatigue. Learn more: https://onrise.care0:00 Introduction3:23 City of Evansville Market Share with USI in Town7:10 ONRISE Partnership8:14 Communication Approach with Donors & Fans10:28 Donor Fatigue, Revenue Generation, Naming Rights17:10 Uniform Patch Strategy & Considerations24:03 Deputy ADs are Basketball GMs, too29:13 AD VANTAGE: WHERE VICTORY IS VETTED30:30 Coaching Hires36:30 Most Difficult Decisions as an AD39:39 Best Moments as the Purple Aces AD42:17 High School and College ADs in a Room Together

Lee De Leon joined the Blue Raiders in 2021 as Deputy AD after a long career at some incredible places, including Louisiana, New Mexico, Arizona and Houston on his way to becoming a young first-time AD at Abilene Christian from 2014-2018. We've seen a recent trend of several young ADs being hired as first-time ADs at New Mexico State, Austin Peay State, New Mexico and UL Monroe. So I start the conversation asking specifically about what it felt like being such a young AD trying to learn things at ACU. This conversation predominantly talks about institutional fit, including why his one year at Purdue was a life lesson in fit. We also talk about the evolving role of the Deputy AD and why his time as an AD feels similar to what he does now at MTSU. De Leon shares how he's changed as an administrator in the past five years and what he's learned from longtime MTSU AD Chris Massaro, including why they get paid to hit the curve balls. Faith is incredibly important to Lee, and he talks about the beginnings of "ADs for Christ" and how he sees it as ministry in the industry he's worked 20+ years in so far. I have no doubt Lee will be an AD again soon. HEA is presented by ⁠PILYTIX⁠, an AI tech company for higher education institutions and sports organizations. Increased Donations. Fast, Effective Targeting. Improved Performance. ⁠AD Vantage⁠ empowers athletic directors with comprehensive staff data, performance analytics, and AI-powered candidate insights to make smarter hiring, compensation, and retention decisions in an era where every dollar counts.⁠Onrise⁠ provides complete mental health Coverage for your Athletes. One call. Same-day setup. Your athletes get immediate access to peer support from retired pros, licensed clinicians, and 24/7 crisis care. Less than one in-house FTE. No hiring hassles. No initiative fatigue. 0:00 Introduction1:40 What it was like being an AD so young3:47 Onrise - Mental Health Care for Athletes4:46 Working at a Christian University6:40 How different AD jobs are at the places Lee's worked11:40 Evolving as an administrator the past 5 years14:25 AD Vantage - Where Victory is Vetted15:45 Career Mapping in the De Leon family27:30 What Lee is working on now to become a better future AD again30:25 Lee's personal mission statement31:40 ADs for Christ and Kingdom Coaching

This conversation is absolutely loaded with strategic advice for current and aspiring ADs. Chance Miller brought new ideas to Coastal Carolina, including wild halftime shows and free concessions at football games. Chance explains where the ideas come from and how they've worked so far at Coastal. Despite being hired in 2024, Chance is already working with a new president (and served on the presidential search committee) and explains how that transition has worked up to this point. Miller goes in-depth on what he was evaluating last fall before making the decision to hire a new football head coach, and shares what he was looking for in the search. He also discusses the strategy Coastal Carolina is taking with uniform patch sponsorships across the athletic department. The conversation ends with BYOD (Bring Your Own Deputy) as I ask Miller to explain why it was important for him to bring Deputy AD Andy Humes with him from University of South Carolina. If you will be interested in AD or Deputy AD jobs between now and the next 2-3 years, fill out the new HEA Candidate In-Take Form so you can be added to Travis's executive search database: HEA is presented by PILYTIX, an AI tech company for higher education institutions and sports organizations. Increased Donations. Fast, Effective Targeting. Improved Performance. AD Vantage empowers athletic directors with comprehensive staff data, performance analytics, and AI-powered candidate insights to make smarter hiring, compensation, and retention decisions in an era where every dollar counts. Onrise provides complete mental health Coverage for your Athletes. One call. Same-day setup. Your athletes get immediate access to peer support from retired pros, licensed clinicians, and 24/7 crisis care. Less than one in-house FTE. No hiring hassles. No initiative fatigue.0:00 Introduction0:15 Free Concessions at Football Games7:05 Onrise: Mental Health Care for Athletes8:10 President Transition14:15 Football Coaching Change Decision (AD Vantage)21:30 Uniform Patch Deal25:00 BYOD - Bring Your Own Deputy

In this episode, Travis studies the AD search at Syracuse from the perspective of who he thinks a board and new chancellor would (or should) select. One outsider. One Commissioner. Two Sitting FBS Athletic Directors. If you will be interested in AD or Deputy AD jobs between now and the next 2-3 years, fill out the new Candidate In-Take Form on the HEA website so you can be added to the HEA database as it turns into an executive search business.HEA is presented by ⁠PILYTIX⁠, an AI tech company for higher education institutions and sports organizations. Increased Donations. Fast, Effective Targeting. Improved Performance. ⁠AD Vantage⁠ empowers athletic directors with comprehensive staff data, performance analytics, and AI-powered candidate insights to make smarter hiring, compensation, and retention decisions in an era where every dollar counts.⁠Onrise⁠ provides complete mental health Coverage for your Athletes. One call. Same-day setup. Your athletes get immediate access to peer support from retired pros, licensed clinicians, and 24/7 crisis care. Less than one in-house FTE. No hiring hassles. No initiative fatigue.

In this episode, I sit down with John Daniel of the University of Cincinnati to discuss the modernization of one of the most innovative athletic departments in the country. John shares insight into Cincinnati's record-setting financial year, the institution's critical support before full revenue distribution from the Big 12 Conference kicked in, and how the House Settlement has once again reshaped their financial landscape. We also explore his unique reporting line to both the athletic director and the university's CFO—an experience that is clearly preparing him for a future cabinet-level role. JD walks through his preparation and thought process for potential athletic director opportunities and the stops he's had up to this point in his career. I invited JD on the show because as the top deputy in a forward-thinking department like UC, I believe he won't be a deputy much longer.HEA is presented by PILYTIX, an AI tech company for higher education institutions and sports organizations. Increased Donations. Fast, Effective Targeting. Improved Performance. AD Vantage empowers athletic directors with comprehensive staff data, performance analytics, and AI-powered candidate insights to make smarter hiring, compensation, and retention decisions in an era where every dollar counts.Onrise provides complete mental health Coverage for your Athletes. One call. Same-day setup. Your athletes get immediate access to peer support from retired pros, licensed clinicians, and 24/7 crisis care. Less than one in-house FTE. No hiring hassles. No initiative fatigue. 0:00 Introduction2:00 Modernization of the Athletic Department5:30 Onrise6:35 Record Financial Year11:35 Reporting Line with University CFO18:50 Projects JD Thinks is Preparing Him to be an Effective AD23:20 AD Vantage27:10 What to Look for in Job Opportunities29:27 Titles Aren't Everything, But the Data Says it Matters32:30 How JD Prepares for Opportunities40:20 Why JD is Ready to Become an AD in the Evolving World of College Athletics

I spent about 12 hours researching this situation and looking at the potential candidates for this position and I kept coming back to why it will likely be Ryan Berryman. I have never met or spoken to Ryan Berryman nor have I talked to any sources about this position since I use my own filtered analysis, not sources, to look at these searches. Berryman is the perfect institutional fit and he will give them long-term stability in the AD chair. Despite only being 32 years old, Berryman has an incredibly impressive background to lead the Lobos. I also explain why I think UNM is doing this search before finishing the president search. To have some fun, I muted out the other names I came up with on my shortlist for the job if it's not Berryman, and will post the unedited version in a reaction video if it doesn't end up being Berryman. HEA is presented by PILYTIX, an AI tech company for higher education institutions and sports organizations. Increased Donations. Fast, Effective Targeting. Improved Performance.AD Vantage empowers athletic directors with comprehensive staff data, performance analytics, and AI-powered candidate insights to make smarter hiring, compensation, and retention decisions in an era where every dollar counts.Onrise provides complete mental health Coverage for your Athletes. One call. Same-day setup. Your athletes get immediate access to peer support from retired pros, licensed clinicians, and 24/7 crisis care. Less than one in-house FTE. No hiring hassles. No initiative fatigue.

In this episode, I narrate parts of 3 previous AD conversations I had with Duke's Nina King, Cornell's Nicki Moore, and North Carolina's Bubba Cunningham. Nina shares about replacing Coach K just a few days on the job and goes in-depth about the Chief of Staff position for an AD. Nicki talked about the difference between being a power school administrator that leaves for a small school AD job. She then talks about the identity change Colgate went through to better align both athletics and the rest of campus. Bubba did this interview 2 days after finishing a quick and confidential search for his men's basketball coach. He talks about how difficult it is to keep that process secret from even some of his most trusted colleagues. He also shares how 20 years at Notre Dame before becoming the AD at Tulsa, Ball State and North Carolina shaped his career. Both Nicki and Bubba share advice to aspirational ADs.HEA is presented by PILYTIX, an AI tech company for higher education institutions and sports organizations. Increased Donations. Fast, Effective Targeting. Improved Performance. AD Vantage empowers athletic directors with comprehensive staff data, performance analytics, and AI-powered candidate insights to make smarter hiring, compensation, and retention decisions in an era where every dollar counts. Onrise provides complete mental health Coverage for your Athletes. One call. Same-day setup. Your athletes get immediate access to peer support from retired pros, licensed clinicians, and 24/7 crisis care. Less than one in-house FTE. No hiring hassles. No initiative fatigue.

If the AD search breakdowns and interviews have been helpful, please consider financially supporting HEA with a tip. CollegeAD reported this week that there are 5 finalists for the Charlotte AD job, including 2 sitting ADs and 3 P4 Deputies. I do not think they will hire a sitting athletic director. In this video, I outline who I think those deputy candidates could be or at least outline why the job profiles of each could be a sign of who Charlotte decides to hire. I do not have sources and this is all my own analysis based on studying positions and schools. HEA is presented by PILYTIX, an AI tech company for higher education institutions and sports organizations. Increased Donations. Fast, Effective Targeting. Improved Performance. AD Vantage empowers athletic directors with comprehensive staff data, performance analytics, and AI-powered candidate insights to make smarter hiring, compensation, and retention decisions in an era where every dollar counts.Onrise provides complete mental health Coverage for your Athletes. One call. Same-day setup. Your athletes get immediate access to peer support from retired pros, licensed clinicians, and 24/7 crisis care. Less than one in-house FTE. No hiring hassles. No initiative fatigue.

Come for the insights, stay for the Landman behind-the-scenes NIL story. Ryan Peck has learned from some incredible athletic directors, most recently Wren Baker, Jeremiah Donati, and now Mike Buddie. In this conversation, Peck definitely shares what he's learned from the deputy positions, but I wanted to see how an up-and-coming senior administrator is carving out his own experiences in the job, too. Peck was on the steering committee for the university's strategic plan and was able to learn and share insights with other university stakeholders across campus in what will certainly prepare him for the president's cabinet role one day as an AD. Peck also talks about the impact of TCU being heavily featured in the latest season of Landman and how they were able to create NIL deals for their athletes to be extras on the show. I asked Ryan how he considers and prepares for certain opportunities that have or will come his way. To round out the conversation I ask Peck his thoughts on schools potentially looking at more outsiders for AD openings and what his approach is and will continue to be for his career. I hope you like these new installments of interviewing the next generation of athletic directors as college athletics continues to evolve.HEA is presented by PILYTIX, an AI tech company for higher education institutions and sports organizations. Increased Donations. Fast, Effective Targeting. Improved Performance. AD Vantage empowers athletic directors with comprehensive staff data, performance analytics, and AI-powered candidate insights to make smarter hiring, compensation, and retention decisions in an era where every dollar counts. Onrise provides complete mental health Coverage for your Athletes. One call. Same-day setup. Your athletes get immediate access to peer support from retired pros, licensed clinicians, and 24/7 crisis care. Less than one in-house FTE. No hiring hassles. No initiative fatigue.0:55 Learning from Wren Baker, Jeremiah Donati, Mike Buddie & Others6:20 Onrise: MENTAL HEALTH CARE for ATHLETES8:18 Experience on TCU's Strategic Plan Steering Committee16:13 AD Vantage: COACHING HIRES17:30 LANDMAN comes to TCU - NIL Deals for Athletes as Extras24:08 Decision-Making Process for Career Mapping34:21 How does Ryan Peck Prepare for Job Opportunities40:25 Thoughts on Outsiders as ADs and Learning from Pro Sports for College Role

Since 2026 is the 250th birthday of America, and I'm reading books about the American Revolution, I thought it made sense to ask Army Athletic Director Tom Theodorakis to join HEA for a conversation. Theo shares what it feels like every day at West Point and why it is such a special place. I asked him what perspective he gets from working at different institution types, including P4 schools, another military academy, and even The Ivy League at Harvard. The conversation turns to outlining his vision going into his second year in the AD chair. We discuss what it takes to put on an Army/Navy game and what it will take to keep it from being changed as the College Football Playoff dates continue to change. It's safe to say the game won't be in July. Theo explains how Army has to continue to think about what college athletics looks like at their institution since they do not do House, NIL, and the transfer portal is not the same for them. He also communicates what athletics means at West Point and what the future leaders of our nation's Army learns from the experience, including failure and trying to build up muscle memory of winning in tough situations. HEA is presented by PILYTIX, an AI tech company for higher education institutions and sports organizations. Increased Donations. Fast, Effective Targeting. Improved Performance.AD Vantage empowers athletic directors with comprehensive staff data, performance analytics, and AI-powered candidate insights to make smarter hiring, compensation, and retention decisions in an era where every dollar counts.Onrise provides complete mental health Coverage for your Athletes. One call. Same-day setup. Your athletes get immediate access to peer support from retired pros, licensed clinicians, and 24/7 crisis care. Less than one in-house FTE. No hiring hassles. No initiative fatigue.0:00 Introduction0:40 Experiencing West Point Daily as AD1:55 Perspective from Army, Harvard, UCLA, Arizona, Air Force6:52 Transitioning from 1st Year to 2nd Year as AD11:20 Visit Onrise.CARE for Mental Health Athlete Care12:20 What it takes to put on the Army/Navy Game18:45 How do you protect the Army/Navy Game Date?22:00 Institutional Collaboration at West Point27:05 Deciding to complete a Doctorate in Education31:35 Aspirational Advice: Get out of your Comfort Zone

Dr. Andrew Goodrich starts the conversation discussing how the similarities of being an FCS AD (previously at Gardner-Webb) outnumber the differences of being an FBS AD despite the incredibly low number of FBS ADs coming from that background. He then walks through the Akron AD search process being an active AD at the time. Goodrich talks about the decision to pursue a doctorate in higher education and how it serves him today as an AD. The conversation turns to an in-depth discussion about evaluating and hiring head coaches, including what data points he focuses on to complement his qualitative approach. Goodrich says Akron is ready to go with jersey patches and talks about the thought process they went thru in December.www.HigherEdAthletics.comHEA is presented by PILYTIX, an AI tech company for higher education institutions and sports organizations. Increased Donations. Fast, Effective Targeting. Improved Performance.HEA has partnered with AD Vantage for AD Insights and Coaching Hires. AD Vantage empowers athletic directors with comprehensive staff data, performance analytics, and AI-powered candidate insights to make smarter hiring, compensation, and retention decisions in an era where every dollar counts.0:00 Introduction0:25 FCS and FBS Similarities Outnumber the Differences4:50 Tactical Strategy Preparing for Akron Search Process8:45 Did Name Leak Early at Akron?11:10 Decision to Pursue a Doctorate Degree and How it Helps an AD17:40 AD VANTAGE: Importance of Evaluating Head Coaches and Prepared for Searches29:00 Men's Basketball Optimism This Season34:51 Approach to Jersey Patch and Facilities Naming Rights38:05 Being a Branch of the Kevin White AD Tree

Danny White joins HEA to talk alignment with Chancellor Plowman, including how they are both builders and change agents. The conversation first talks about his doctorate degree in higher education as the dissertation design is similar to mine. We then jump back into the concept of collective bargaining in college athletics. White explains his philosophy of building a strong administrative team and why launching former deputies into AD jobs is a good thing despite needing to constantly replenish. I ask Danny about the pro sports model we're seeing in college athletics and how current athletic administrators can keep moving forward despite the hype of outsiders coming for AD jobs. HEA is presented by PILYTIX, an AI tech company for higher education institutions and sports organizations. Increased Donations. Fast, Effective Targeting. Improved Performance. HEA has partnered with AD Vantage for AD Insights and Coaching Hires. AD Vantage empowers athletic directors with comprehensive staff data, performance analytics, and AI-powered candidate insights to make smarter hiring, compensation, and retention decisions in an era where every dollar counts.0:00 Introduction2:10 Dr. White's Doctorate Dissertation5:25 Change Agents7:55 Becoming a Builder: Born or Developed?13:35 Collective Bargaining in College Athletics17:25 Danny's CBA Plan & Athletes.Org Plan21:20 Launching Tennessee Deputies into AD Jobs & Replenishing Roles Within31:22 Advice to Administrators Concerned about Outside Industry People Coming for AD Positions

To kick off 2026, I react to recent AD hires at Baylor, Colorado and ULM, and give my thoughts on several openings, including at Oklahoma, Cal, Charlotte, New Mexico, Rhode Island, Washington State, Delaware, New Orleans, Wagner and Austin Peay State. I also share why I don't expect San Francisco to do a search.Watch and subscribe on YouTube: 1:30 Baylor Reaction2:50 California Reaction to Co-AD Model and Candidate Interest4:30 Oklahoma Thoughts & Prediction8:12 Colorado Reaction10:28 New Mexico Reaction & In-House Prediction12:16 Charlotte Hires TurnkeyZRG15:59 UL Monroe Reaction17:50 Rhode Island - Search Firm or Committee Only?18:28 Austin Peay State Thoughts21:10 Washington State Reaction to Interim Activity21:45 Delaware Likely Naming Interim to Permanent Soon22:28 Why I think San Francisco won't do a Search24:03 New Orleans Delayed by System Structure - Possible Rebrand for Next AD?27:30 Wagner goes with Collegiate ConsultingHEA is presented by PILYTIX, an AI tech company for higher education institutions and sports organizations. Increased Donations. Fast, Effective Targeting. Improved Performance. HEA has partnered with AD Vantage for AD Insights and Coaching Hires. AD Vantage empowers athletic directors with comprehensive staff data, performance analytics, and AI-powered candidate insights to make smarter hiring, compensation, and retention decisions in an era where every dollar counts. Watch my interview tutorial with CEO Tanner Stump as he walks me through a mock head coach hire on the platform.

AD Vantage Founder and CEO Tanner Stump walks me through how to hire a Head Coach with their platform. From a program comparison report and looking at several coaching metrics to creating my own watch list that updates metrics every day, come with us as I hire the next great women's volleyball head coach.AD Vantage empowers athletic directors with comprehensive staff data, performance analytics, and AI-powered candidate insights to make smarter hiring, compensation, and retention decisions in an era where every dollar counts. Learn more: https://www.athleticdirectorvantage.comHEA is presented by PILYTIX, an AI tech company for higher education institutions and sports organizations. Increased Donations. Fast, Effective Targeting. Improved Performance. Learn more: ⁠https://pilytix.ai/

Sean Frazier joins to talk about Northern Illinois athletics and the future of the AD position in college athletics. Frazier starts the conversation explaining the strategy behind moving football to the Mountain West while keeping other sports regional with the Horizon League. Will they miss MACtion weeknight games? Sean expresses his concern about outsiders coming into the profession without having an understanding of higher education and the importance of realizing that forgetting about any individual sport could cause an AD to lose their job. Frazier discusses what metrics he thinks are most critical when he is evaluating head coach searches. The conversation shifts to the College Football Playoff and Sean shares his opinion on expansion and the idea of a G6 playoff alongside the CFP. Travis asks Sean to recreate his career if he woke up today as a 30 year old administrator and what he would do to stick out on his journey to become an Athletic Director.0:40 Moving Football to Mountain West & Other Sports to Horizon8:10 Will NIU Miss MACtion?12:10 Biggest Concerns for AD Profession in the Future26:20 AD Vantage: Metrics Frazier uses in a Head Coach Search37:52 Thoughts on College Football Playoff & Creating a G6 Playoff46:35 Sean Recreates his Career as a 30 Year Old AdministratorHEA is presented by PILYTIX, an AI tech company for higher education institutions and sports organizations. Increased Donations. Fast, Effective Targeting. Improved Performance. Learn more: ⁠https://pilytix.ai/ HEA has partnered with AD Vantage for AD Insights and Coaching Hires. AD Vantage empowers athletic directors with comprehensive staff data, performance analytics, and AI-powered candidate insights to make smarter hiring, compensation, and retention decisions in an era where every dollar counts. Learn more: https://www.athleticdirectorvantage.com

Julie Roe Lach is the commissioner of the Horizon League for a few more weeks before transitioning into an Executive VP position with Pacers Sports & Entertainment. The conversation begins with addressing that job change and then giving her Mount Rushmore of Horizon memories. We talk about the congressional coalition known as the Tenacious Ten and how the conferences are working together to keep their positioning in the future of D1 membership decisions. Roe Lach shares why soft skills, diplomacy and alignment with the different presidents and chancellors and ADs is so important to be an effective conference commissioner. We discuss her role as chairwoman at the Indiana Sports Corp and that transitions into a discussion about outsiders potentially coming for AD jobs. Julie talks about Northern Illinois and the regional strategy to add them as a full member while the football program goes to the Mountain West. Roe Lach ends the conversation with advice for the next commissioner of the Horizon League. The search is underway with Parker Executive Search.0:10 Starting New Job w/ Pacers Sports & Entertainment3:15 Horizon League Celebration at NFL Stadium6:05 Mount Rushmore of Horizon Moments11:15 Congressional Coalition - The Tenacious Ten16:00 What Commissioners Talk about Together18:00 How to be an Effective Conference Commissioner21:40 Co-founding College Sports Law Practice at CCH+A24:25 Chairing the Indiana Sports Corp to Bring Events to Indianapolis28:38 Potential Outsiders for AD Jobs34:20 Explaining the Northern Illinois Strategy for the Horizon League40:35 Words of Encouragement for the Next Horizon League CommissionerHEA is presented by PILYTIX, an AI tech company for higher education institutions and sports organizations. Increased Donations. Fast, Effective Targeting. Improved Performance. Learn more: ⁠https://pilytix.ai/HEA has partnered with AD Vantage for AD Insights and Coaching Hires. AD Vantage empowers athletic directors with comprehensive staff data, performance analytics, and AI-powered candidate insights to make smarter hiring, compensation, and retention decisions in an era where every dollar counts. Learn more: https://www.athleticdirectorvantage.com

Amy Folan joins Higher Ed Athletics for a discussion about fundraising as well as her lessons learned and career journey from the Texas Longhorns to CMU. Folan shares her thought process behind the hiring of a new football coach this past offseason in Matt Drinkall who has now led the Chippewas to a bowl berth in his first year. The conversation shifts to creative new revenue strategies her department is looking into and how to refine traditional approaches. Folan discusses the pro sports model ability to be innovative with 1-2 sports but how college athletics needs to take that approach across the entire department. She also mentions how college athletics gets no revenue from sports gambling when it would significantly limit the sports gaming opportunities if they didn't play those college games.0:00 Introduction 2:15 Decision to Finally Pursue an AD Job 6:10 Experience Working with Former Texas AD DeLoss Dodds 11:45 AD Vantage Question – Football Head Coach Search Paying Off 20:35 MAC Football Night Games – Challenges & Opportunities 25:28 Breaking Fundraising Records 28:52 PILYTIX Question – Is Donor Fatigue Real? 32:35 Creative Revenue Strategies 38:25 Amy Folan During a CMU Basketball Game HEA is presented by PILYTIX, an AI tech company for higher education institutions and sports organizations. Increased Donations. Fast, Effective Targeting. Improved Performance. Learn more: ⁠https://pilytix.ai/HEA has partnered with AD Vantage for AD Insights and Coaching Hires. AD Vantage empowers athletic directors with comprehensive staff data, performance analytics, and AI-powered candidate insights to make smarter hiring, compensation, and retention decisions in an era where every dollar counts. Learn more: https://www.athleticdirectorvantage.com

Power 4 Athletic Director jobs don't open too often. Baylor is one of only 4 current Power AD jobs open, with the others being Cal, Oklahoma and Colorado. This is the only one that appears to be a quick hire because it was unexpected. There have been 21 Power AD hires since 2024 with 8 of those hires coming from sitting Power ADs and 5 from deputy AD positions at Power schools.Below are many names I think will be mentioned as potential replacements. Let me be clear, I think some of these ADs would simply say no, but I suspect they'll get a call from a search firm about the opening.I am not making a prediction on the next Baylor AD as I look to transition into executive search and I want to put more emphasis on the profile of the position and potential candidates for institutions to consider – not me making predictions on what I'd do. These mentioned names are simply based on my own research and understanding of situational factors.2:00 Jeramiah Dickey - Boise State AD4:47 Wren Baker - West Virginia AD6:05 Jeremiah Donati - South Carolina AD7:15 Jared Mosley - North Texas AD9:20 Bryan Blair - Toledo AD11:25 Amy Folan - Central Michigan AD13:04 Scott Woodward13:44 Hunter Yurachek - Arkansas AD14:41 Ryan Peck - TCU Senior Deputy AD15:56 Marcus Sedberry - Wisconsin Deputy AD/COO16:52 John Daniel - Cincinnati Senior Deputy AD/COO17:50 Brady Hart - Tennessee Deputy AD/CROHigher Ed Athletics is presented by PILYTIX, an AI tech company for higher education institutions and sports organizations. Increased Donations. Fast, Effective Targeting. Improved Performance. Learn more: ⁠https://pilytix.ai/HEA has partnered with AD Vantage for AD Insights and Coaching Hires. AD Vantage empowers athletic directors with comprehensive staff data, performance analytics, and AI-powered candidate insights to make smarter hiring, compensation, and retention decisions in an era where every dollar counts. Learn more: https://www.athleticdirectorvantage.com

Justin Sell's AD tree includes Montana State's Leon Costello, Indiana State's Nathan Christensen, and Ohio's Slade Larscheid. This conversation starts with Sell breaking down each of their journeys to the AD chair and what he saw in them. Sell goes into depth on how to run a head coach search and what he looks for in candidates and provides a timeline and stresses anticipation. We talk about Jackrabbit fans and whether there is pressure to join FBS after continued football success.Higher Ed Athletics is presented by PILYTIX, an AI tech company for higher education institutions and sports organizations. Increased Donations. Fast, Effective Targeting. Improved Performance. Learn more: ⁠https://pilytix.ai/HEA has partnered with AD Vantage for AD Insights and Coaching Hires. AD Vantage empowers athletic directors with comprehensive staff data, performance analytics, and AI-powered candidate insights to make smarter hiring, compensation, and retention decisions in an era where every dollar counts. Learn more: https://www.athleticdirectorvantage.com

I believe aspiring athletic directors need to know more about the role of college presidents and what it means to be a member of the cabinet. I asked Kent State VP & University Secretary Dr. Char Reed to talk to me about her role as the chief of staff to the president. Reed explains why she is heavily involved in athletic director hires and gives some insight into the search that ultimately brought Randale Richmond to Kent State. Get your notebook and pencil ready for this conversation because Dr. Reed gives perspective that every prospective AD needs to hear.Higher Ed Athletics is presented by PILYTIX, an AI tech company for higher education institutions and sports organizations. Increased Donations. Fast, Effective Targeting. Improved Performance. Learn more: ⁠https://pilytix.ai/HEA has partnered with AD Vantage for AD Insights and Coaching Hires. AD Vantage empowers athletic directors with comprehensive staff data, performance analytics, and AI-powered candidate insights to make smarter hiring, compensation, and retention decisions in an era where every dollar counts. Learn more: https://www.athleticdirectorvantage.com

Grand Canyon University is a large private Christian University in Phoenix and they are known for their men's basketball home environment as the Havocs. Those in the industry know GCU has joined the Mountain West and Boggs gives details on the decision and the ROI of the move. We talk about her process of a head coaching hire from A-Z and how she evaluates her head coaches, too. GCU has recently partnered with a local TV network to regularly air multiple GCU sports broadcasts - something I think more athletic departments need to try and replicate. The conversation is bookended with advice for those aspiring to be an AD in this new era of college athletics, including why she puts out social media videos documenting the day in the life of a D1 AD. Higher Ed Athletics is presented by PILYTIX, an AI tech company for higher education institutions and sports organizations. Increased Donations. Fast, Effective Targeting. Improved Performance. Learn more: ⁠https://pilytix.ai/HEA has partnered with AD Vantage for AD Insights and Coaching Hires. AD Vantage empowers athletic directors with comprehensive staff data, performance analytics, and AI-powered candidate insights to make smarter hiring, compensation, and retention decisions in an era where every dollar counts. Learn more: www.athleticdirectorvantage.com

I give my thoughts and predictions on the Charlotte and Austin Peay State AD openings. Charlotte is in a strong position as an institution and athletic department if they can get football to be a winner in the Queen City. President Licari at APSU did an interview with CSA Search & Consulting's Drew Turner and provided lots of clues for what he's looking for in the next Govs AD - I react and give a prediction on the profile background of the next AD.Higher Ed Athletics is presented by PILYTIX, an AI tech company for higher education institutions and sports organizations. Increased Donations. Fast, Effective Targeting. Improved Performance. Learn more: ⁠https://pilytix.ai/www.HigherEdAthletics.com

Rob Higgins is new on the job but you would never know that if you visited USF like I did this week. He's a former ball boy and alumnus. You cannot use the word "potential" anymore around USF. Instead, I think the Bulls have arrived and USF is set to be the next power conference school. This is the most aligned institution I have ever studied and a plan is in place to win the building, win the campus, win the community, and then win the country. Higgins had been the executive director of the Tampa Bay Sports Commission for 20+ years and brought several large events to the city, including NCAA tourneys, Super Bowls, and WrestleMania. He's now ready to put the new on-campus football stadium to good use with events and naming rights when it opens in September 2027. Higher Ed Athletics is presented by PILYTIX, an AI tech company for higher education institutions and sports organizations. Increased Donations. Fast, Effective Targeting. Improved Performance. Learn more: https://pilytix.ai/

Jim Dries, CEO of PILYTIX, joined HEA to talk about the increased donor fatigue in the world of college athletics right now, and why coaching buyouts will probably make fatigue worse. He explains why just throwing more fundraisers at the solution is not necessarily the right play. Instead, athletic departments need to rethink their qualified donor pool and use the data they probably are already collecting to be more strategic and efficient in their approach. I ask Jim what future ADs should know about the problem of donor fatigue and future of fundraising best practices to prepare for the interview.

There have been 245 D1 AD hires at 211 unique institutions since January 2020. The Deputy AD position is by far the most popular immediately prior job with 84 of those hires and another 70 were previous ADs moving to a different chair. In this video I update my thoughts on the remaining 15 D1 AD jobs still available after a handful of hires were made in the back half of September. Bookmark my D1 AD Hiring Trends + TrackerVisit www.HigherEdAthletics.com

There were plenty of clues about institutional alignment in the Rob Higgins hire at USF. I break down why I accurately predicted him getting the job months in advance as a case study in institutional fit and how boards/presidents operate. College athletics is a copycat industry. The Danny White AD tree branches continue with Utah State's hire of Cameron Walker. I explain why more presidents will hire to replicate the UT model than automatically looking at candidates outside the industry.www.HigherEdAthletics.com

Maisha Kelly joins Higher Ed Athletics for a conversation about Drexel athletics in a post-House era. We talk about her start as a 6th grade teacher and how she built her career over time in 10 years at Bucknell leading to becoming Drexel's AD. Kelly is working with a new president and she shares how the department put together a 25-page document to help onboard him to the current and future positioning of the Drexel Dragons. I asked Maisha if it's still just as important to win in men's basketball if your team is going to be ripped apart the following year.0:00 Introduction0:20 Teaching Career Before Athletic Administration Career4:35 Comparing Normative Career Patterns of ADs to Maisha's Career9:45 Did 10 Years at One Stop Help or Hurt AD Search?12:00 Keeping in Touch with Other ADs15:40 Assessment Document to Onboard New President23:30 Drexel Athletics Strategy in the Post-House Settlement28:30 Athletic Department Aspirational Peers - Who are Drexel's? How to Study Them?36:25 Do Non-Football D1 Schools Look at Men's Basketball The Same Importance Today?www.HigherEdAthletics.com

Jason Penry absolutely lights up when you ask him to talk about fundraising.. A seasoned administrator in both athletics and university administration, Penry now spends his time consulting and teaching. He agreed to join me for a deep-dive episode about the topic of fundraising. I asked Penry what he would tell someone that has limited or no experience in fundraising and is on the track to be an AD.

Rutgers president called an audible to land Keli Zinn and Stanford's president recruits their "unicorn candidate" in former Nike CEO John Donahoe. In this episode, I share my thoughts and explain what both searches clearly had in common.

In this episode I break down my thoughts and predictions for every D1 athletic director opening as of July 31st (and about 20 minutes before Stanford chose their AD). This is the best way to force myself to put in the effort to study institutional situations and see how I did after the AD hires are announced. See the timestamps/chapters for the opening(s) you're most curious about. If you know a good search firm that might want me to do this for them, please put me in touch so I can stop making videos about every opening publicly. 0:45 - Listing out the 18 AD Openings3:40 - Troy5:28 - Stanford8:22 - Cal10:15 - South Florida12:50 - Delaware14:33 - New Mexico State17:30 - Utah State18:16 - Austin Peay State20:49 - Bucknell21:35 - Cal Poly23:13 - Gardner-Webb24:17 - South Carolina State27:21 - Southern Utah30:29 - CSU Northridge31:40 - New Orleans33:28 - UC San Diego34:30 - UC Riverside36:46 - Oklahoma37:23 - Closing

This is a breakdown of Power, FBS, FCS and I-AAA athletic director hires since 2020 and a closer look at the AD hires since 2024. Since beginning my doctorate program in 2020, I've been closely tracking D1 athletic director hires, compiling data and identifying patterns. What started as a research interest has grown into a deeper focus on the AD position itself—and more recently, on the college presidents and chancellors who make the decisions to hire or fire.This post presents a few (but not all) key trends in AD hiring since 2020, marking the first in a series of studies I plan to write about in the weeks ahead. My goal is to provide leaders with insights to benchmark their institutions and help prospective athletic directors help forecast or course correct based on where they want to go next.

Marshall reportedly brought 5 AD candidates to campus last week, including 4 sitting ADs and a P4 executive via CollegeAD. The Rutgers search nears 1 calendar year. Reaction to Ryan Alpert and President Cabrera's press conference. Utah State is bringing in Sandy Barbour and, I think, Huron Consulting. Is this the next popular play call for interim presidents since we have so many recently retired ADs?

The AD Rundown is me sharing the thoughts and notes of what I studied in the last week. This is specifically athletic director news and interviews from various sources.Longest Tenure D1 ADsCal Co-AD Model - Brilliant or Indecision?Upcoming Stanford AD Decision The Gene Smith-Ross Bjork Transition Playbook that UNC and Oklahoma are DeployingDanny White: Collective Bargaining Proposal, SBJ AD of the Year, Change AgencyGeorgia Tech Selects UT's Ryan AlpertDiana Sabau Leaving Utah State for Deputy Role at Maryland3 Great Interviews: Troy Dannen (CALS), Dan Bartholomae (The Journey), David Harris (Connect)

This Marshall AD opening seems like the hardest to predict candidates, or at least where they will come from outside of one name: Jeff O'Malley. The VP/AD at Lamar University, O'Malley served as a top administrator at Marshall Athletics for 20 years and was the interim AD during Covid-19 and the move to the Sun Belt Conference before Spears was ultimately hired instead. O'Malley accepted the position at Lamar shortly after Spears came on board. Would he come back?Since there aren't any other obvious candidates, I decided to research recent AD hires at the same membership level of Marshall. I have been putting together an AD hiring spreadsheet for my dissertation and that guides me in some of my thought processes. The data is split on whether it will be a sitting AD, a power school deputy AD, or a Sun Belt Conference deputy. I do offer one potential name besides O'Malley but it seems difficult to predict.Marshall HEA Briefing: https://higheredathletics.com/2025/06/11/hea-briefing-marshall/

Here are my thoughts on the different candidate types and potential names for the AD opening at Georgia Tech. Predictions are new for me, but I figured I'd lay out my thought process and end with a prediction to see if I at least had the candidate type or position profile correct. Please note I have not spoken to anyone at all about these names – they're all based on my observations and frameworks of thought. I spend a great deal of time investigating an opening, which you can see for Georgia Tech in my HEA Briefings article linked below.Georgia Tech HEA Briefing: https://higheredathletics.com/2025/06/15/hea-briefing-georgia-tech/

Dr. Kevin White joined Higher Ed Athletics to discuss his new book, The Good Sport: Reflections on a Full Life in College Sports. The former multi-stop AD (Loras College, Maine, Tulane, Arizona State, Notre Dame, Duke) talks about his experiences and the importance of political IQ and the art of anticipation. This book and conversation should be mandatory consumption for current and future ADs from beginning to end. 0:00 Introduction4:25 Travis Takeaways from the Book7:18 Kevin's Quote about his Father and How it Steered his Career13:00 Day One Advice for a New AD: Find the Power Influencers19:10 Art of Anticipation or Political IQ - You Gotta Have Both23:15 The Need to Look Further Ahead in College Athletics24:45 How to Build Up Political IQ28:40 Being a Truth Teller has No Off-Ramp30:25 The Kevin White Athletic Director Tree38:50 "Loaves and Fishes" + Why Loras College was the Perfect First Assignment42:30 Attending Harvard's Institute for Educational Management for Aspiring Higher Ed Leaders46:00 Always Felt like there was a Plan for My Life + Seminary Story52:25 Mount Rushmore of Former Athletic DirectorsBuy the book on Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/Good-Sport-Kevin-White/dp/1622181166/ref=sr_1_1?crid=2PZ67KOA2XBPF&dib=eyJ2IjoiMSJ9.CJBbnS8LDu_D-z3oMVk-gA5nzJDhV8egE_aUNO0r29NhVpxWGoiAQg3HTmd0ZFCLfseg_7uoPM7VgPgGPAXu7sTHBVuww4XunnRUgGEXR9Q2GkTVE152fVg5bYnw6Az_3xzgpOaH6PJpbpLzJc8Szg7W9FsIt70alURO2kBMhnJLhXMPQT0UaGHCoFB9pDrSzgRcucdX7ImE20Gmq8vB6zynPGz9rG3RfCB9wEp4Cq0.Kguh_nxQXGhldolHXPGonbMkrdTiGTZgIs6j1JGvZgs&dib_tag=se&keywords=the+good+sport+kevin+white&qid=1749874551&sprefix=the+good+sport+kevin+whit%2Caps%2C165&sr=8-1

For those that don't know, I started HEA in 2020 to interview ADs in hopes of studying the position as a career one day in a research setting or at an industry search firm. I will be finishing my doctorate dissertation on athletic director hiring trends in 2025-2026 academic year, so I thought it was time I start finding my own voice on the subject of AD hires and AD trends. instead of only asking the questions.In this episode, I give my take on the AD opening and talk about the names being mentioned in Tampa Bay outlets. I also offer my out-of-left-field candidate and make a prediction on who I think will get the job - if they want it - with an in-depth reason. And I don't think the ongoing presidential search has to delay their search for a new AD.If you are listening to this because you are interested in the AD opening at USF, then I invite you to read the HEA Briefing I completed in the show notes below. The purpose of the HEA Briefing is to give administrators an understanding of the political landscape of the institution and its location to help them improve their political IQ and awareness of trends in higher education.

www.HigherEdAthletics.com. Nathan Christensen joins HEA to discuss several topics, including his journey to the role, how he specifically prepared for the interview process at ISU, and the unique timing of stepping in alongside new university president, Dr. Mike Godard. Interesting tidbit for those that will interview with a search firm - Christensen was asked in two different AD searches about who he hangs out with in the industry at conferences, etc. Relationships matter. Christensen discusses the strategies he's been bringing to Terre Haute in the past year, the strength of ISU's consistent and committed athletic administrators (60ish years at ISU among three top administrators) and how that foundation supports a new era of leadership. We also dive into pressing topics in college athletics—from the emotional impact of the transfer portal on mid-major programs like ISU's men's basketball team, to ISU's decisions and strategies with financial decisions, like life after the expected NCAA House settlement. He ends the conversation with three areas he thinks are important for aspiring athletic directors: being a visionary...having emotional intelligence...and a strong political IQ.0:00 Introduction1:40 Preparing for the ISU AD Search7:45 Strategies he thought could work at ISU early on11:00 Being President Godard's first hire and working together on a big agenda15:30 Consistency of ISU Athletic Administration21:20 Education level of donors/fans after Men's Basketball complete roster overhaul in 202426:40 Explaining the Investor Society to help increase fundraising efforts28:40 ISU's plans for the House Settlement33:00 Three pieces of advice for aspiring ADs (Visionary, Emotional Intelligence, Political IQ)

Matt Roan was announced as the AD at James Madison University in April 2024 after previously serving as AD at both Eastern Kentucky (EKU) and Nicholls State. He was the youngest AD in the country at Nicholls State and talks about how those early days prepared him for his role today. The conversation turns to how ADs can interact with a new incoming president that didn't hire them, and how to prepare to interact with other cabinet members. Roan gives his opinion on how law school helps ADs, leaning on his own experience. Roan and Smith share their thoughts on the athletic department organizational structures moving forward, and discuss trends in AD hires. 0:00 Introduction 0:20 Strategic Changes to Ticket & Revenue Models 5:10 Early Experiences as a Young AD 9:45 The Decision to Leave EKU for JMU 12:10 Strategies to Keep the Dukes at the Top 17:55 Advice for Working with New Presidents that didn't Hire You 22:25 Being a Good Cabinet Member as an AD 26:15 Trends in AD Hires and Law School Article 31:20 Future Organizational Structures of Athletic Departments 35:00 Researching Industry Problems

Dr. Sharon Gaber is the fifth chancellor at UNC Charlotte and is the latest campus CEO to join Higher Ed Athletics for a wide-ranging conversation. The talk begins with Chancellor Gaber explaining the strategic plan that has helped Charlotte inch closer to its goal of being a R1 research university. The conversation turns to cabinet leadership and Dr. Gaber gives advice to aspirational athletic directors that may not fully understand what it means to be the athletic director on a university-wide cabinet. Dr. Gaber shares details on the $70 million football stadium renovation as part of the Evergreen Athletics Facility Master Vision. She also shares how the original plan of phase one was a $60 million renovation until it was decided to add $10 million in institution trust funding to add a cafeteria. Smith asks Chancellor Gaber, who as an academic is an expert in city and regional planning, if they are preparing themselves to join a power conference one day. The conversation quickly turns to a back-and-forth about what the new CFP could mean for Group of Five institutions, too. Dr. Gaber agrees that a modern athletic director role is similar to that of a college president/chancellor, and gives advice to those in or preparing for the modern AD position. The conversation ends with parting advice for aspirational athletic directors from the perspective of a university chancellor and what characteristics are most important. See a full transcript on my website: https://higheredathletics.com/2024/11/19/unc-charlotte-chancellor-sharon-gaber/ 0:00 Introduction 0:20 Nearing R1 Research Status 4:20 Strategic Plan "What's Next" 7:56 Normative Career Pattern of a University Chancellor 13:23 Describing Leadership Style for the Chancellor's Cabinet 16:07 How can an aspirational AD ready themselves to be a good Cabinet member? 25:55 $70 million Stadium Renovation 31:43 Preparing for Power Conference? 34:38 Thoughts on the CFP as a Group of 5 35:36 Why a Modern AD is similar to Presidents/Chancellors 40:06 Parting Advice for Aspirational ADs from Chancellor Gaber

Many people in athletics are aware that Tarleton State has reclassified recently from D2 to D1-FCS with aspirations to eventually join the FBS ranks as the institution grows. But I have always been more interested in learning about Tarleton State the institution and behind-the-scenes of President Hurley's leadership style. This conversation is packed with wisdom that can be applied to either the presidency or the AD chair. The conversation begins with an institution profile and explaining the new projects going on at Tarleton, including a new convocation center (Arena). We talked about the unique role of the First Lady of Tarleton State, Kindall Hurley. From there the conversation turns to how Dr. Hurley leads his cabinet and he provides advice on how to prepare to eventually serve on a President's Cabinet for those aspirational ADs. President Hurley talks about how he and Parker Executive Search identified Steve Uryasz as the next AD of the Texans. I ask Dr. Hurley if he agrees with me that the "Modern AD" is more like the president's job than ever before. We briefly talk about the reclassification from D2 to D1 and the difficult decisions that are ahead for future school leaders in both divisions. As the Chief of Staff position continues to evolve in college athletics, I was sure to ask President Hurley about his own Chief of Staff, Dr. Credence Baker, to better understand the role and how much of an institutional expert the person needs to become to excel in the role. 0:00 Institutional Profile 6:05 Discussing New Arena & Growth 8:50 First Lady of Tarleton State 12:57 Explain your Cabinet Leadership Style & One-on-Ones with the Vice Presidents 17:49 Leading the Cabinet & Advice for Newcomers to a President's Cabinet 21:23 Behind-the-Scenes of the Recent AD Search 26:43 The New Modern AD Approach. Similar to a President's Job? 33:33 The Hardest Part of NCAA Reclassification from D2 to D1 40:14 The Future of D2 Membership & Difficult D1 Decisions 44:19 Explaining the Chief of Staff Position & Necessary Skillset 50:07 Parting Advice for Aspirational ADs 56:51 Concluding Thoughts

Jeff Mitchell was named the AD at Ball State in February 2023 and has the Cardinals flying in the right direction. Mitchell starts with an explanation of how he evaluates a football game himself and then with his team. He then gives some advice to aspiring ADs on how to prepare and what to expect in joining a president's cabinet. Smith asks how far out an AD can realistically look and prepare for without getting distracted by what needs dealt with in the day-to-day changes. Mitchell talks about his communication strategy with BSU stakeholders by joining and giving updates on the athletic department's weekly podcast, "This Week In Ball State Sports." The conversation turns to an Indiana-specific question (Travis resides in Indianapolis) about how BSU can find pockets of new fans in a state that loves their college and professional sports teams. Mitchell has both a JD and MBA, which he feels he uses every day in the job, and Smith uses it as another Public Service Announcement advocating for lifelong learning and encourages listeners to take some classes or a new degree if their institution offers tuition benefits for employees. Finally, Mitchell shares the behind-the-scenes details of how he morphed into Charlie the Cardinal mascot for a promotional video. See it here: https://youtu.be/6VIlNwTsSIY?si=EZj8R9n4G9subVFU 0:00 Introduction 0:50 Evaluating Football Game Days 5:00 Institutional Profile 6:30 Preparing to Join a President's Cabinet 12:50 Early Evaluations as an Incoming AD 17:55 Looking Too Far Ahead in College Athletics 21:55 Communication Strategy with Weekly BSU Athletics Podcast 27:25 Finding New Pockets of Fans in Sports-Crazed Indiana 32:35 JD + MBA = AD 40:45 Charlie the Cardinal or Jeff the AD?

Blair joined HEA for a wide ranging conversation about Toledo athletics and his philosophy as a "modern athletic director." Recorded the morning after the season/home opening football game, Blair discusses game day improvements and how him and his team solicit feedback and think critically about their game day management, including in-game note-taking, fan surveys and a fan council. He emphasized the importance of creative thinking and community engagement, highlighting initiatives like the dunk tank and flyover. Blair shared insights on Toledo's Rise Together strategic plan, drawing from his experience at Washington State. The conversation includes the importance of collaboration with media members like the Toledo Blade help tell the story of the Rockets to the Toledo community. Smith asks about any trends spotted in recent AD turnover and whether we will see more sitting ADs at lower sub-divisions move into Power Four deputy positions in the future. Smith also shares how Blair's approach to the position seems similar to that of a university president/chancellor, and Blair acknowledges that the role is probably just the new requirements of a modern day athletic director. Access video + full transcript here: https://higheredathletics.com/2024/09/02/rocket-talk-with-toledo-vp-ad-bryan-blair/ 0:20 Institutional Profile 3:41 Football Game Day Improvements 8:12 Evaluation Process During/After Games 11:16 Secret Fan Research 15:28 Protocol Checks and Balances for Large Donations 19:10 Working Relationship with the Toledo Blade for Storytelling 25:47 Strategic Planning and How His Mind Operates 35:19 The Modern Day Athletic Director Operates like a President 39:25 Trends in AD Hires and Backgrounds 42:59 Idea Sharing/Stealing in College Athletics 46:45 What Skill or Area is Blair Trying to Improve On 49:53 Book and Podcast Recommendations (Smith and Blair)

Listen to this history lesson on American higher education with Dr. Michael Benson, the president of Coastal Carolina University and author of a biography about Daniel Coit Gilman, a pioneer in higher ed as the 1st president of Johns Hopkins University. Benson and I focus on how the then presidents of Cornell, Harvard and Michigan helped the trustees of JHU write the job description of the presidency that led to the hiring of Gilman. The discussion didn't stick only to history, but instead we used the past to talk about present day higher education across the country and certainly at Coastal Carolina. Benson explains why he thinks writing is an important skill and how writing this book changed him as a university president. 00:20 Trustees Attempt to Define the JHU President Job Description 12:20 Public Lectures for the Baltimore Community 16:48 Coastal Carolina's Presidential Signature Series 19:10 Older Generation Leaders Stepping Aside for Young Leaders 23:58 How Writing the Book Changed Benson as a College President Watch the interview on YouTube: https://youtu.be/F9BewhbRVrw

President Benson spoke with me about several changes within the Chants athletic department, including why former AD Matt Hogue wanted to switch roles at the university. Benson described his quick and quiet search process with the help of Joe Moglia and former Mizzou AD Mike Alden that ultimately landed them new AD Chance Miller. Benson talked about the newly announced convocation center/arena and why the penny sales tax in South Carolina is so useful for new projects like this, but also why being in a wetland area raises the price tag and slows down the build. We both share our thoughts on what prospective ADs should consider in whether to apply for a job and how to research a place before the interview with a president. The conversation ends with a fun discussion on whether President Benson will be playing as the Chants in dynasty mode of the newly released NCAA Football video game, and what it can do for a university in trying to attract people to campus. Access Video + Transcript: https://higheredathletics.com/2024/07/17/president-of-the-chanticleers-michael-benson-talks-chants-athletics-video-transcript/ 00:09 Behind Former AD Matt Hogue's Departure & Search Process Leading to Chance Miller 04:12 Details & Funding Source Behind New Convocation Center/Arena 08:13 The Approval Steps for New Convocation Center/Arena 11:40 How Presidents Monitor Government & Legal Changes in College Athletics 14:22 Advice for Evaluating AD Jobs & Preparing for Interviewing with Presidents 19:15 Will President Benson Be Playing NCAA Football Video Game in Dynasty Mode as the Chants? 20:20 The Opportunity for Institutional Visibility from NCAA Football Video Game

Luke Bosso is entering year two of his tenure as AD of the Jaguars at a transformational time for the university. Formerly IUPUI, the institution officially changed to IU Indianapolis as of July 1, 2024. The athletic department has been hard at work for the launch of the IU Indy Jaguars for over two years since the breakaway between Indiana and Purdue Universities was announced. Behind the scenes of Bosso's tenure has already included hiring a new men's basketball coach and identifying USA Track & Field as a partner for a new 4,500-seat on-campus arena. Bosso has dramatically increased fundraising and the number of corporate sponsors, too. Smith, an IU Indianapolis alumnus and current IU employee/doc student, offers a good back-and-forth with Bosso as they look ahead at the future of the IU Indianapolis Jaguars. Watch the Video: https://higheredathletics.com/2024/06/30/iu-indianapolis-athletic-director-luke-bosso-video/ 0:15 IUPUI is now IU Indianapolis - What it means for Athletics 6:45 The definition of a non-traditional AD hire - Why it made sense 9:15 What IU President told him he needed to focus on 13:10 Learning curve as a new AD and evaluating the department 16:55 Discussing the newly announced 4,500-seat on-campus arena 24:02 Evaluating men's basketball leading up to coaching change 28:00 Conducting his first big coaching hire 37:43 Thoughts heading into IU Indy Jaguars era and the new academic year

Donde Plowman became the chancellor at UT-Knoxville in 2019 and will be known to the HEA audience as the person that hired Danny White to help turnaround the athletic department. Plowman identifies proudly as a builder and an organizational scientist. This interview focuses on changes she made, why she thinks Danny White was able to get buy-in with Vols fans, and shares several internal/external communication and change management techniques for new leaders. 1:20 - For those that don't understand the role of a chancellor or president, what are some of the things you deal with in managing such a large institution? 3:05 - Can you explain the composition (people) and the purpose of the UTK Campus Advisory Board? 6:05 - How did the Peyton Manning and UT relationship evolve into a professor of practice position? Any details on what he has or will be doing in this role? 11:05 - Everyone in athletics understands how Danny White helped lead the transformation of the athletic department at UCF but I think there was some skepticism on whether he could recreate it at UT. It sure seems like the department is thriving under his leadership. Thoughts on why he was able to get the buy-in from folks in Knoxville? 16:15 - You are described as an organizational scientist with research that includes the topics of leadership, change management, and strategic decision-making. When you arrived at UT as the chancellor in 2019, or even during the interview process, what and how did you examine what needed to change? 25:40 - What would you recommend to someone new to a leadership position, like a new athletic director, and how they can come in and analyze the place to know what needs changed? 30:00 - What does a Chancellor Plowman-led Cabinet meeting look like and how often do you all meet as a group and/or individually? 35:15 - What do you think about my independent study on tying academic program review to athletic department evaluations?