Many people in athletics are aware that Tarleton State has reclassified recently from D2 to D1-FCS with aspirations to eventually join the FBS ranks as the institution grows. But I have always been more interested in learning about Tarleton State the institution and behind-the-scenes of President Hurley's leadership style. This conversation is packed with wisdom that can be applied to either the presidency or the AD chair. The conversation begins with an institution profile and explaining the new projects going on at Tarleton, including a new convocation center (Arena). We talked about the unique role of the First Lady of Tarleton State, Kindall Hurley. From there the conversation turns to how Dr. Hurley leads his cabinet and he provides advice on how to prepare to eventually serve on a President's Cabinet for those aspirational ADs. President Hurley talks about how he and Parker Executive Search identified Steve Uryasz as the next AD of the Texans. I ask Dr. Hurley if he agrees with me that the "Modern AD" is more like the president's job than ever before. We briefly talk about the reclassification from D2 to D1 and the difficult decisions that are ahead for future school leaders in both divisions. As the Chief of Staff position continues to evolve in college athletics, I was sure to ask President Hurley about his own Chief of Staff, Dr. Credence Baker, to better understand the role and how much of an institutional expert the person needs to become to excel in the role.