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.

Pauline Thiros has studied and worked her entire adult life at Idaho State University. The Bengals Hall of Famer served on the president's cabinet as the VP for Advancement before moving into the AD position. Thiros shares the emotional state she found herself in when the opportunity to become the AD appeared, and why she went for it. Thiros talks fan support in Idaho and why she places such an importance of being visible and available in the community. The conversation turns to coaching hiring and evaluation before ending with advice for current and aspiring ADs.

• 0:00 Introduction
• 2:30 Unique Journey to the AD Position
• 7:25 Presidents Look for Institutional Passion
• 11:45 Alumni Advice - Good or Bad Experience?
• 15:40 What It Means to be a Cabinet Member Today
• 18:55 Just How Difficult is it to be a FCS Right Now?
• 22:27 Head Coach Hiring Philosophy
• 26:30 Evaluating Head Coaches
• 30:45 Fan Support in Idaho
• 35:15 Challenges in Communicating Industry Changes to Fans
• 39:50 What Supporters Athletic Directors Can Find On LinkedIn
• 43:45 Final Advice from Pauline Thiros

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/

Houston Athletic Director Eddie Nuñez joins HEA for a conversation on how he is operating Houston athletics two years into his tenure. Nuñez discusses his working relationship with Chancellor Renu Khator and explains why he intentionally sought out presidents earlier in his career to better understand higher education leadership (and why future ADs should do that today). I asked Nuñez how ADs are blocking out the noise of so much commentary and industry news but still making sure they stay informed. He also responds to my curiosity on which would make fans more happy, Houston's pursuit of a national championship in men's basketball, or the football program making the College Football Playoff. The conversation also explores Nuñez's thoughts on what job descriptions and verticals he needed to make to fit their vision and approach to chase revenue. We also discussed the realities of competing in the state of Texas, both on the field and in the increasingly competitive business environment that now defines modern college sports.

0:00 Introduction0:30 The Modern AD Preview4:25 Thoughts on Ryan Berryman and Jalen Dominguez at New Mexico11:05 Working with Long-Time Chancellor Renu Khator in this Era13:15 How The AD Job is Similar to College Presidents17:50 Blocking Out Industry Distractions and Extracting Good Information20:50 Isomorphism in Higher Education and College Athletics23:30 Competing Against Texas in Sports, Attention and Business 25:11 Men's Basketball National Championship or College Football Playoff Win?29:25 Reconfiguration of Job Descriptions for Revenue Generation Strategy33:48 Advice for Traditional Administrators to Stay the Course but LEARN Outside Comfort Zone

Read the first edition of The Modern AD: https://higheredathletics.com/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.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 Future Athletics Director Program from the University of Oklahoma’s Price Executive Academy is designed to help aspiring ADs develop the skills and knowledge necessary to advance their careers. Registration is now open, with a limited number of spots available through July 1. Use discount code EARLYAD at checkout to receive 15% off the registration cost. For more information, contact Executive Director Nick Tobey, MSOD, at [email protected] or visit the program page and registration links below.Program Information: https://priceexecutiveacademy.ou.edu/... (https://bit.ly/OUFutureAD)Register Here: https://bit.ly/FutureADRegistration

New AD interview out on Tuesday with Houston AD Eddie Nunez. Until then...some of you may have listened to me introduce HEA Insider subscription a few weeks ago. I've since rebranded it to "The Modern AD" and I want to share the first monthly edition with you for free. The Modern AD is a monthly briefing on the business, leadership, and evolution of the athletic director position from the perspective of university presidents.

Each edition features insights and short lists for AD openings, unseen AD and college president interviews, leadership hiring trends, conference-wide AD and president backgrounds, cabinet position descriptions, deputy AD profiles, and original articles on the future of the AD position.

Designed for busy practitioners, The Modern AD helps current and aspiring ADs better understand the role of university presidents and the ecosystem they work in. I hope you like it.

The first monthly edition is free and ad-free: https://higheredathletics.com/mad-june-2026/

If you feel like you got $10 worth of knowledge, consider tipping to support HEA: https://higheredathletics.com/mad-june-2026/#tip

If you're ready for next month's paid edition, subscribe today ($20/month) but don't get billed until the next edition in late July: https://higheredathletics.com/mad-june-2026/#subscribe