The AthleticDirectorU Podcast

Athletics Directors Ed McLaughlin of VCU and Ryan Bamford of UMass visit with AthleticDirectorU to discuss what it takes to create a sustainable environment for success in Men's Basketball. The two Atlantic 10 Conference colleagues touch on hiring coaches, providing resources to specific sports, creating expectations, scheduling games, and much more on what they consider necessities for success in college hoops.

Mike Thomas, Director of Athletics at Cleveland State, visits AthleticDirectorU to discuss how his experiences leading athletic departments at previous FBS institutions are proving beneficial as he works to develop the organizational culture in his current role. He discusses revenue generation in addition to donor cultivation for an institution that has been around for less than 60 years.

Damon Stoudamire, Head Men's Basketball Coach at University of the Pacific, visits AthleticDirectorU to discuss a wide range of topics including recruiting, relationships with the Director of Athletics, college athletes versus professional athletes, and much more. Stoudamire also gives his insight into thoughts on the FBI investigation and the Rice Commission on College Basketball.

Athletic Directors Samantha Huge of William & Mary and Desiree Reed-Francois of UNLV visit with AthleticDirectorU to discuss this importance of early wins for a new AD. From speaking to donors, earning the trust of staff and determining which priorities to address first, Huge and Reed-Francois expound on some of the initial strategies needed for successful leadership when embarking on a new journey from the chair.

Mitch Barnhart, Athletics Director at University of Kentucky, touches on many aspects of his leadership style. Beginning the conversation with love, Barnhart mentions it as the root of all leadership. Addressing a variety of areas from communications to accountability, the lessons in this interview are numerous.

N.C. State Director of Athletics and former college basketball head coach, Debbie Yow, visits with ADU to discuss leading from the AD chair versus doing the same from a head coaching position. Yow points to accountability as a key trait in both roles, while staff synergy is essential to operate the organization at a high level. Yow also recognizes the significant increase in stressors for all jobs within college athletics over the past two decades.

Rick Hart, Director of Athletics at SMU, and Ed McLaughlin, Director of Athletics at VCU sit down with Katie Young of Witt/Keiffer to discuss the process of hiring and onboarding a first time head coach. Both executives recommend that a first time head coach hire a former head coach as a top assistant on the staff to help guide and give direction on issues that may arise. Of course, they acknowledge this isn’t always possible so the AD may have to serve as the voice of reason in certain situations. The discussions also goes into the thought process of sitting down with someone for the actual interview.

Allen Greene, Director of Athletics at Auburn University joins AthleticDirectorU to discuss being in the chair. Greene credits his father for helping to instill attributes such as respect and other core values that guide his leadership philosophy. Greene identifies finding time for himself as his biggest challenge and also addresses some of the other challenges he faced during his first year and a half as an Athletics Director.

Athletic Directors Greg Byrne (Alabama) and Josh Whitman (Illinois) sit down with ADU to discuss staying ahead of the ever changing landscape of intercollegiate athletics while maintaining uninterrupted communication with all of the stakeholders whom they depend on for success. Byrne and Whitman touch on the challenges of formulating and executing a strategic plan, while trying not to get caught up in day-to-day operations. People, communication, organization are just a few of the key components necessary to lead while keeping an ear to the ground for changes in the future.

Chris Del Conte, Director of Athletics at TCU, provides his thoughts on leadership relative to organizational change, approaching potential donors, and opportunities to lead.