In this episode, I speak with Dr. Micah Parker about the importance of the hiring process and how to protect culture within a business or athletics department. 

Dr. Parker was named the Director of Athletics at California Baptist University in 2009.
 
During his 10 years at the helm, the Lancers have had an unprecedented run of success, leading to Parker being named The Press-Enterprise Most Influential Sports Figure in the Inland Empire in 2015. Parker has led the Lancers from NAIA to Division II and Division I. The Lancers won the Learfield Directors’ Cup in 2018 after a steady uptick in the Standings from 2014 (26th), 2015 (16th), 2016 (fourth) and 2017 (second). CBU has qualified 70 percent of its eligible teams (66 of 94) for the NCAA postseason since 2013-14. They’ve also produced seven individual NCAA champions, with four from swimming and three from wrestling.

This past year, CBU’s first in NCAA Division I and the Western Athletic Conference, the Lancers won two WAC titles (women’s cross country and baseball) and more than 50 percent of their games. They also secured two runner-up finishes in the WAC and nine top-five conference performances. Five CBU teams (volleyball, men’s and women’s swim/dive and basketballs) also qualified for postseason tournaments featuring Division I teams, with both basketball teams hosting first-round games.

Additional Resources:

• The Strength Coach's Ultimate Guide to Hiring (from Teambuildr.com)
• 10 Tips to Guide Youth Strength Coaches Through the Inteview Process (from Simplifaster.com)
• The Hard and Soft Skills of a Strength & Conditioning Coach (from Eric Cressey)
• Improve Your Organizational Culture:  10 Quick Tips (from Growthengineering.co)