For those that don’t know, I started HEA in 2020 to interview ADs in hopes of studying the position as a career one day in a research setting or at an industry search firm. I will be finishing my doctorate dissertation on athletic director hiring trends in 2025-2026 academic year, so I thought it was time I start finding my own voice on the subject of AD hires and AD trends. instead of only asking the questions.

In this episode, I give my take on the AD opening and talk about the names being mentioned in Tampa Bay outlets. I also offer my out-of-left-field candidate and make a prediction on who I think will get the job - if they want it - with an in-depth reason. And I don't think the ongoing presidential search has to delay their search for a new AD.

If you are listening to this because you are interested in the AD opening at USF, then I invite you to read the HEA Briefing I completed in the show notes below. The purpose of the HEA Briefing is to give administrators an understanding of the political landscape of the institution and its location to help them improve their political IQ and awareness of trends in higher education.

USF HEA Briefing: https://higheredathletics.com/2025/06/08/hea-brief-university-of-south-florida/