Higher Ed Athletics

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

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.

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/

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/

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.

Auburn AD John Cohen hit the ground running after being named to the position in October 2022. Previously, Cohen was the AD at SEC foe Mississippi State. He talks about his mentors in current SEC ADs Greg Byrne and Mitch Barnhart and how they helped shape him into an AD while still being a baseball coach. Cohen shares what a head coach experience brings to the AD chair and whether the changes in college athletics will result in more coaches looking to administration roles. Cohen talks extensively about how he has put together his senior leadership team at Auburn and what he looks for in a senior associate AD caliber position. Cohen rounds out the conversation talking about the current events in college athletics, including how he makes a decision and filters information, and what current and future ADs should know about baseball playoffs and conference realignment effects as he rolls off the D1 Baseball Committee.

1. Mentors. Can you share what you learned from being around Greg Byrne and Mitch Barnhart as a coach or administrator that helped you realize your AD potential?

2. Coaching Background. What are some specific ways you being a successful baseball coach helped you have a shorter learning curve to the AD position?

3. Coach to AD Chair. AD positions used to primarily be the next chapter for a coach. With the demands placed on coaches to continuously recruit 24/7, will we see coaches get into administration again?

4. Evaluating Head Coaches. How do you like to hire and evaluate head coaches?

5. Navigating Change. How are ADs able to navigate so many constant changes and uncertainties these last several years and looking ahead to the next 10+ years? Is there reliable information getting to you or is it trying to read or listen and determine what’s real or not?

6. Updating Presidents. What is it like trying to keep a president updated on everything right now?

7. Decision-Making Process. Lots of decisions to be made as an AD of such a high-profile branded school like Auburn. What is your process for a major decision?

8. Senior Administration Team. You have made several additions and reappointments within your senior leadership team since arriving at Auburn. How did you go about identifying the needs and finding the correct people to plug into those important positions?

9. Senior Associate ADs. What does a typical senior administration meeting look like for you?

10. Baseball Playoff Issues. What should current or future ADs understand about college baseball playoff issues in evaluation and

11. Realignment Effects on Baseball. Will conference realignment we’ve seen in 2023 have any effect on college baseball and the tournament?

12. Thoughts on the Future. What will college athletics look like at this level 10 or 20 years from now?

Travis: "If you are invited to join an FBS conference, what would the institution have to consider if you're fielding those offers?" Mario: "The institution would probably have to consider how fast I could get there to sign the paperwork."

From the HEA archives in May 2021 with timeless insights. Arizona State University as an institution is known for innovation and doing things differently. As you'll discover in this interview, the athletic department has embraced that culture of innovation under President Crow and Vice President/Athletic Director Ray Anderson. This episode is packed with campus collaborations, such as with the ASU Global Sport Institute, led by his former Stanford football teammate and agent Kenneth Shropshire, and using experiences outside of college athletics and bringing them in to help him and the athletic department prepare for the changes ahead in college athletics. Anderson is also a professor in the Sandra Day O'Connor College of Law at ASU and shares why he continues to teach class.

Jeramiah Dickey is the next guest on Higher Ed Athletics to talk about his rise to the AD position at Boise State and the behind-the-scenes work for the transformational changes the Broncos are experiencing. Intentionality is the theme I was left with after speaking with Dickey before, during and after the interview. Jeramiah explains how he learned from great ADs like Mack Rhoades, Lisa Campos and Hunter Yurachek along the way through observational learning and taking situational mental notes. He also believes strongly that you can learn things in any job to become a better AD one day, including learning from your donors that run businesses. Dickey explains the vision for their "What's Next" initiative and the steps being taken at the institutional and state level to keep building and innovating at Boise State. Dickey ends the talk by explaining his thinking about acknowledging history without being constrained by it, something I think will be important for the up-and-coming generation of athletic directors.