Higher Ed Athletics

I sat down with Toledo AD Tom Moreland inside Savage Arena to talk about his early days leading the Rockets. Tom shares details about the content, format and preparation of his introductory press conference. He explains why he pursued the Toledo job as someone that had built his career at 3 Big Ten schools. Moreland talks about Josh Whitman and the other leaders he pulled inspiration from in creating his own style. We also discuss how the department is working to build out its fan base and business portfolio not just in Toledo but in an expanded footprint. Moreland rounds out the conversation sharing how he built his internal relationships through conversations and a very detailed survey and what he took from it.

• 0:00 Introduction
• 3:45 Building Out a VIP Meeting Calendar
• 6:03 Introductory Press Conference
• 14:23 Why He Pursued The Toledo Job
• 18:10 Collecting Leadership Insights
• 20:45 Chief Commercial Officer
• 22:40 Inside-Out Approach of Toledo for New Individuals and Businesses
• 24:41 Inheriting a New Football Head Coach as 1st Time AD
• 27:20 Building Internal Relationships in First 100 Days

Scott Dolson started planning the department response to IU winning the national championship on the flight home from the game. He wanted this to be a sustainable situation at IU where they can live up to President Whitten's ambitious call to action to be excellent in everything. I made the short drive to Bloomington to sit down with Dolson and ask him questions about leadership, true presidential alignment, and a behind-the-scenes look of selecting Coach Cignetti and two men's basketball head coach searches. Dolson explains why he doesn't like to work with panickers and what it means to be a cabinet member in his opinion. Dolson shares how he learned to ask other people things he didn't know, a lesson he picked up from Bob Knight a long time ago when Dolson was a men's basketball student manager. Dolson wraps the conversation talking about the responsibility of an AD getting involved in governance at the conference level and participating in congressional conversations and the POTUS round table on saving college sports.

• 0:00 Introduction
• 1:05 Sustaining Next Level of Athletic Success
• 2:55 Dolson's Experience with President Whitten During College Athletics Chaos
• 7:01 Compartmentalizing Meeting Subjects and Staying Focused as an AD
• 9:57 Thought Process of Research for Position Profiles in Football and Men's Basketball Head Coach Searches
• 17:20 Continuity of the Senior Staff
• 22:20 Leadership Lesson Dolson Learned from Coach Bob Knight
• 26:01 Dolson's Advice on the Cabinet Position for ADs
• 30:43 ADs Going to Congressional Hearings and the White House Visit

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

PILYTIX is an A.I. technology company dedicated to solutions that generate revenue, save time, and reduce costs for universities and sports & entertainment organizations. More Money. Less Time. Lower Costs. Learn more: https://pilytix.ai/

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. Learn more: https://onrise.care

The latest edition of The Modern AD is available now: https://higheredathletics.com/themodernad/

In my recent road trip to Texas, I knew I wanted to visit University of North Texas. I had interviewed Wren Baker several years ago and was familiar with UNT, but it's always better to see the growth of a place in person. The campus is beautiful and the athletic facilities are incredible. Mosley starts by providing great detail in his approach to coaching searches and what led to him hiring Neal Brown, including leaning on Baker and other ADs he regularly speaks with. I asked Mosley about his approach to communicating decisions with presidents and boards and how to prepare for a presentation. I then asked him to talk about UNT's approach to uniform patches and how the apparel contracts help or restrict the opportunities, and whether he thinks department-wide or sport-specific is the right approach for the Mean Green. We then focus back in on the AD position - asking Mosley why he selected Connor Smith as his COO, another former AD in the DFW area (Dallas Baptist). I looked to identify what specific ways the job itself is changing for Jared with all the chaos in college athletics. I try to offer him a hypothetical question at the end that he thinks is a thought activity that all ADs should be doing on their own. He didn't quite answer it, but he does offer great insight to the question.0:00 Intro and Stadium Video02:24 - Approach to Head Coaching Searches, Most Recently Football09:30 - Does being a former athlete in the sport change how you focus on the head coaching search?11:45 - How to prepare your communication and presentations with a president and board of trustees in college athletics chaos.20:08 - Uniform Patches Approach25:15 - Leadership Style After Transition as Internal AD Hire32:49 - Hiring COO Connor Smith35:26 - Evolving Role of the FBS AD Position42:11 - Hypothetical: Here's Your Budget - Outline Your Athletic DepartmentAD 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.comPILYTIX is an A.I. technology company dedicated to solutions that generate revenue, save time, and reduce costs for universities and sports & entertainment organizations. More Money. Less Time. Lower Costs. Learn more: https://pilytix.ai/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. Learn more: https://onrise.care

Another stop on the HEA Road Trip to Texas was a sit down with Tulsa AD Justin Moore. Justin is an AD that I don't see or hear do interviews too much so it was fun to ask him questions I had not heard him discuss: Going from huge Texas A&M to lead the smallest FBS institution. Football scheduling strategy to get OK State and Arkansas to come to Tulsa. Behind the men's basketball success to NIT championship. The future of March Madness. How they were able to bring back men's golf. How Joe Fields was ready so quick to be the AD at New Mexico State. Breaking down how to host a country concert at the football stadium.Sign up for an AD Chair Strategy Session with Travis: https://higheredathletics.com/strategysession/

• 0:00 Quick Question
• 1:50 Introduction
• 2:47 Going from Huge Texas A&M to the Smallest FBS Institution
• 5:00 Counterbalancing Small Living Alumni Population
• 7:00 Tulsa King NIL Opportunities?
• 7:30 Men's Basketball Success - Roster Building & Retention
• 13:30 March Madness Expansion Impact On Scheduling
• 16:55 Football Scheduling - OK State Coming to Tulsa
• 21:15 Bringing Back Men's Golf and How It's Here to Stay
• 25:00 AD Tree: Joe Fields - AD at New Mexico State
• 28:10 Helping Joe Fields Build from Academics to Everything Else to Grow
• 33:07 Tulsa Hosted a Country Music Stadium Concert
• 42:29 Football Field Walk

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.comPILYTIX is an A.I. technology company dedicated to solutions that generate revenue, save time, and reduce costs for universities and sports & entertainment organizations. More Money. Less Time. Lower Costs. Learn more: https://pilytix.ai/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. Learn more: https://onrise.careGame One is the apparel company that can outfit your teams in Adidas, Nike or Under Armour. Learn more: https://www.game-one.com/

Trying something new to bring expert advice to the industry by asking ADs to answer a one question prompt to be shared anonymously by me on the HEA podcast, free newsletter and both The Modern AD and The Mid-Major AD. Links below if you want to participate or share with someone.

Mistakes ADs Make: https://higheredathletics.com/mistakes-ads-make/

Executive Assistant Advice for ADs: https://higheredathletics.com/executive-assistant-advice-for-future-ads/

Interested in leading athletics at a Catholic university in San Antonio, TX? The UIW AD search is being coordinated with KC Smurthwaite of Athletics Admin. KC and I regularly talk about the AD industry so I had to share this update with you all. Check out the UIW Athletic Director Search Page: www.UIWAD.com

I sat down with President Mike Godard and VP/AD Nathan Christensen inside the Hulman Center last week and we covered a lot. These two started within days of each other and, entering year 3, are working to change the energy and brand of Indiana State. These two make me want to come back and work for the Sycamores again.

Timestamps:

0:00 Introduction

0:57 The AD Search During President Search

3:45 Athletic Department Annual Report - Hockey Stick Chart

8:42 Institution Identify Adopted Athletics Identity

13:50 Keeping Basketball Attendance Up Despite Dip In Success

20:35 Thoughts On Importance of FCS in EA Sports Video Game

24:18 Future of Football Stadium at Indiana State

29:55 How Often Athletics Decisions Get to President Godard

33:52 Institutional Alignment

37:20 AD Advice - Trying To Do It All

40:55 President's Opinion On Qualities of a Modern, Mid-Major AD

Check out my monthly online magazines where I cover college athletics from the presidential perspective: The Modern AD + Mid-Major ADAD 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.comPILYTIX is an A.I. technology company dedicated to solutions that generate revenue, save time, and reduce costs for universities and sports & entertainment organizations. More Money. Less Time. Lower Costs. Learn more: https://pilytix.ai/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. Learn more: https://onrise.careGame One is the apparel company that can outfit your teams in Adidas, Nike or Under Armour. Learn more: https://www.game-one.com/

I stopped in to interview Mike Buddie on my recent HEA Road Trip and if you want to see a tour of their facilities watch the YouTube video introduction.

Buddie's wisdom is on full display in this interview as he covers practical things like how to get to work by knowing who should be on the list to contact when you get a new AD job. Mike shares his thought process on leaving Army for TCU, who he reached out to for counsel, and how he kept close to the challenges facing ADs outside the academies so that he could speak intelligently and truthfully in an interview. He gives his thoughts on outside industry trends and what traditional administrators like himself can do to stay ahead of the changes to college athletics. Texas is crowded with FBS schools seeking corporate deals and Buddie shares TCU's approach to make Fort Worth and its surrounding communities purple. Mike talks about how ADs care about their former schools and help their successors years after leaving the chair.

• 0:00 Critical. Urgent. Important.
• 1:08 Introduction
• 3:25 Adjusting from One School to the Next
• 6:40 Aligning with Chancellor Pullin
• 7:47 Mike's Approach to Donor Briefings and Lists
• 12:20 Texas is a Busy and Big State for FBS Schools - TCU's Strategy
• 14:40 Mike's Decision Process for Leaving Army
• 17:30 How Past Athletic Directors Help their Successors
• 19:10 Outsiders Coming Into College Athletics

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

PILYTIX is an A.I. technology company dedicated to solutions that generate revenue, save time, and reduce costs for universities and sports & entertainment organizations. More Money. Less Time. Lower Costs. Learn more: https://pilytix.ai/

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. Learn more: https://onrise.care

Game One is the apparel company that can outfit your teams in Adidas, Nike or Under Armour. Learn more: https://www.game-one.com/

This is a reading from the article I wrote in The Modern AD and will also be included in The Mid-Major AD this week.

If you like articles like this and also want to get more information on ADs, presidents and boards of trustees, subscribe to The Modern AD (FBS content) or The Mid-Major AD. You can also purchase issues individually.

The Modern AD: https://higheredathletics.com/2026/07/21/the-modern-ad-2/

The Mid-Major AD: https://higheredathletics.com/the-mid-major-ad/

Pepperdine Athletic Director Tanner Gardner discusses his path from management consulting to college athletics, including leadership roles at Rice before arriving at Pepperdine. He explains how Pepperdine's Christian mission shapes hiring decisions, why cultural fit is essential, and how the university's faith-based identity influences the student-athlete experience. Gardner also shares why he has been intentional about studying and working at places like Stanford, Harvard, Rice and Pepperdine. He offers his perspective on what schools like Pepperdine may look like 10 years from now with the changing college athletics landscape, and discusses whether hiring head coaches will remain one of the athletic director's primary responsibilities. He wraps with great advice on how to stay sharp and connected in a somewhat lonely job, including having mentors and an executive coach who is a former long-time athletic director. 0:00 Introduction1:45 Why Tanner Gardner at Pepperdine Made Sense Two Years Ago8:30 Knowing Your Institution Type Preference (Tanner's is high-level academic private)12:45 How Does Christianity Show Up In The AD Job for tanner?15:25 Have The Industry Challenges and Decisions Tested Your Faith?18:15 Describing a Student Athlete Experience at Pepperdine23:55 What Does College Athletics Look Like at a Pepperdine Type Schools in 10 Years?26:00 Will ADs Always Hire The Head Coaches?30:40 Chief Recommendation Officer to Chief Decision Maker Transition36:20 Advice Line: Avoiding Being Typecasted42:20 Patience for the AD ChairAccess The Modern AD online digital magazine: https://higheredathletics.com/2026/07/21/the-modern-ad-2/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.comPILYTIX is an A.I. technology company dedicated to solutions that generate revenue, save time, and reduce costs for universities and sports & entertainment organizations. More Money. Less Time. Lower Costs. Learn more: https://pilytix.ai/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. Learn more: https://onrise.careGame One is the apparel company that can outfit your teams in Adidas, Nike or Under Armour. Learn more: https://www.game-one.com/

The Modern AD is a monthly digital publication focused on the FBS athletic director position from a higher education administration lens. The 2nd edition is out now and here I give a preview of the following contents.

• Reaction to FBS AD Hires
• AD Press Conference Film Study: Toledo's Tom Moreland
• Open AD Jobs Names & Notes
• President Backgrounds: PAC 12
• ADs Should Do The All Counties Tour
• AD Backgrounds: SEC
• Trustees & Board Chairs: MAC
• LinkedIn Premium: The Most Underutilized Tool for Modern ADs?
• Deputy Dive - Haven Fields Sr.
• Cabinet Curiosity - VP for Research

• Interview Notes with Houston's Eddie Nuñez
• Book Review - The Search: An Insider's Novel about a University President

Access The Modern AD: https://higheredathletics.com/2026/07/21/the-modern-ad-2/

Thanks for supporting Higher Ed Athletics and the business I'm building at TRAVIS Executive Advisory.

New AD interview out tomorrow with Pepperdine's Tanner Gardner.