@1QLeadership Question: What role do external partnerships, internal collaboration, and campus engagement play in growing the athletics program’s visibility, revenue, and fan base?

From the 2024 PacNet Conference, Phil Wang, Sr. Associate Athletics Director for External Affairs at UC Irvine, talks about his almost 20 years at UCI. His transition from finance to external affairs, and how the department is maximizing automation and innovation with Learfield and Paciolan. 

Wang also covers collaboration with campus, the value of athletics within the university and broader community, and how the department operates with resources that could be considered limited in the context of the athletics industr. - One Question Leadership Podcast - Tai M. Brown

@1QLeadership Question: How can student-athlete development programs be effectively built and measured within collegiate athletics?

Dr. Marissa Nichols, Sr. Associate AD for Student-Athlete Experience and Director of the Cameron Institute at Cal, shares her approach to creating measurable student-athlete development initiatives—from conducting needs assessments and aligning with institutional strategic goals to setting clear metrics for measuring program outcomes like career placement, mental well-being, and alumni engagement. She also talks about the three skill sets she brings as a college athletics executive:

• Program building
•  Engaging stakeholder to get resources
• Measuring outcomes

Nichols, a future TEDx speaker, believes the direction of college athletics should be refocused on the student-athlete experience. - One Question Leadership Podcast - Tai M. Brown

@1QLeadershp Question: What are some useful elements of cultivation for fundraising in college athletics?

Mimi Hill, Sr. Associate Athletics Director at Hampton University, talks with 1Q guest host Jazmin Elliott about Hill's journey working in college athletics advancement. 

• connect and listen to donors
• personalize your engagement
• cultivate each interaction

Hill gives a few personal stories involving failure, success, mentorship and much more. - One Question Leadership Podcast - Tai M. Brown

@1QLeadership Question: How can an internship directly impact your early years as a young professional?

Brandon Fisher, Assistant Director of Student-Athlete Development at UNT, and Colby Wilson, Assistant Director of Student-Athlete Development at Pitt, discuss the mindset and competencies they learned during the NCAA Post Graduate Internship Program, and now apply during their first full-time job as young professionals. 

• Fisher - Understand how your supervisor operates
• Wilson - Advocate for yourself

When asked where they see themselves in the future. Fisher wants to merge his passion for sport with his passion for leading people, while Wilson is driven by the impact of developing talent. - One Question Leadership Podcast - Tai M. Brown

@1QLeadership Question: What role does leadership play in shaping feelings of inclusion (or exclusion) among Black women in college athletics administration?

Dr. Jennifer Jacobs, Head Volleyball Coach at Augustana University, discusses her dissertation research outcomes after interviewing multiple Black women from all divisions of college athletics. One of the key findings is that the default for leadership is to be exclusionary, meaning helping people feel included is not automatic.

• There were no inclusionary moments that didn't have direct involvement with supervisors
• Inclusive leadership is an active process

Dr. Jacobs also talked about her fundraising process at Augustana, which supports 75% of her annual budget for the volleyball program. She has raised roughly $1 million over the past few years. - One Question Leadership Podcast - Tai M. Brown

@1QLeadership Question: How can college athletics departments best support student-athletes in navigating the transition out of competitive sports, particularly in addressing the challenges of athlete identity and life after sports?

Caitlin Broadwell, Athletics Case Manager at Long Beach State, discusses the curriculum used in a class for senior student-athletes on campus. The semester long class focuses on values, developing community, find hobbies away from sports, and other foundation building aspects that help athletes feel better prepared for retiring from competition and the inevitable "Athlete Identity Syndrome" that comes with retirement. 

Broadwell, on her way to becoming a Licensed Professional Clinical Counselor, developed the curriculum used in the semester-long class for senior student-athletes. She was a multi-school and multi-sport transfer, finishing her career as a beach volleyball player at LSU. With experience from playing, research, and practical knowledge, Broadwell brings passion and purpose to the mental health in athletics industry. - One Question Leadership Podcast - Tai M. Brown

@1QLeadership Question: Are athlete injuries predictable?

Henry Abbott, Founder of TrueHoop, discusses his new book "Ballistic" which follows the story of Dr. Marcus Elliott and the Peak Performance Project (P3). Abbott talks about how Dr. Elliott's research is being used by NBA athletes to prevent injury. Similar to the way biomarkers are used to inform of possible cardiac emergencies, P3 has developed a way to process data about body movement that can detect an impending athlete injury. 

Abbott also goes into the importance of storytelling and its impact on the world of sports. - One Question Leadership Podcast - Tai M. Brown

@1QLeadership Question: Is there a success blueprint for leadership in college athletics?

Dr. Jacqui Schuman, Vice Chancellor and Director of Athletics at UMASS-Boston, asks Anthony Azama, Assistant Vice Chancellor for Student Affairs and Director of Athletics at WashU, about his blueprint for success as a leader in college athletics. Azama describes his view on college athletics and its benefits to all involved. 

• Passion does not run on fumes the way purpose does
• College athletics teaches people how to respond to failure better than anybody else on a college campus

Both Schuman and Azama were student-athletes at Vanderbilt before starting their respective journeys in college athletics administration. They reflect on their experiences and how they have shaped some of their current thoughts on leadership. - One Question Leadership Podcast - Tai M. Brown

@1QLeadership Question: What goes into an effective graduate sport administration program?

Dr. Patty Raube Keller, Sports Administration Graduate Program Director at Boston College, discusses how her background and experiences shaped her approach to building the sports administration program. After working in college athletics, she transitioned to academia to be more present for her daughter. Her doctoral focus was on the marginalization of women in college athletics.

Raube Keller focuses on practical education as all classes in the program are taught by practitioners who work in sports. The program has a heavy emphasis on technical skills and soft skills as alumni work in all areas of sport. She also talks about the new graduate program in sports analytics. – One Question Leadership Podcst – Tai M. Brown

@1QLeadership Question: Can work-life integration be a necessity when considering future employers?

Yulander Wells, Jr. , Deputy Athletics Director for Finance, Operations, Revenue & Business Strategy at Notre Dame shares how family has been an integral part of his career in college athletics. He also covers how his business background informs his leadership style, especially given Notre Dame's non-traditional approach to athletics.

Wells emphasizes the importance of integrating family into his professional life and modeling this approach for younger staff members.  – One Question Leadership Podcast – Tai M. Brown