One Question Leadership Podcast

Monmouth Athletic Director Marilyn McNeil talks head coach communication and if her style changes with coaches who are having significant competitive success versus others who may not be winning as regularly. McNeil also expounds on the organic and supportive nature of all her head coaches with each other, including day-to-day examples of how Hawks coaches interact and how such a culture can be built.

Sean Frazier, Athletic Director at Northern Illinois University, sits down with 1.Q contributing host Tai Brown at the 2017 NACDA Convention. Frazier discusses his early beginnings as a football coach and how/why he made the transition to administration. Frazier also touches on his time working for Wisconsin AD Barry Alvarez.

Scott Corley, Director of Athletics at Belmont University, reflects on his first year at Belmont and how his corporate lending background and overall involvement with the institution helped land him the job.

Contributing 1.Q host Tai Brown visited with Dan Satter, Deputy Director of Athletics at Boston University, during the 2017 NACDA Convention. Satter discusses the transition of working for a multimedia rights holder as an Assistant GM, to working with them as an employee of an athletics department. He also compares working at a hockey powerhouse that doesn't have football with his previous role at an FBS institution.

We hear more from the San Jose Mercury News' Jon Wilner in this episode, specifically regarding his personal shift from the College Hotline to the Pac-12 Hotline, and his thoughts on changes in the media marketplace. Wilner notes the depth of coverage he intends to push for the entire league, what mediums he'll leverage, possible storylines,and why/how the Hotline may be the first effort of its kind.

Jon Wilner of the San Jose Mercury News was scheduled to discuss his new effort, the Pac-12 Hotline, with D1.ticker. Then, news broke that Cal AD Michael Williams would not seek a new contract in Berkeley. So, the conversation shifted to the leadership dynamics surrounding the Golden Bears. Wilner noted the institution's history of taking its time on administrative hires, discussed the continued financial challenges for athletics, and speculated on how the search process may wait until new Chancellor Carol Christ decides how to approach the Bears' fiscal hurdles.

Contributing host Tai Brown visits with Michael Alford, Central Michigan's new AD. Alford discusses the similarities of different areas in revenue generation including sponsorship and development. He also touches on how his time working for "sports heavyweights" led to his current role.

Contributing host Tai Brown visits with Samford University AD Martin Newton about improving on the success of his predecessor, shuffling offices to identify team players, and using his marketing background to tell the Bulldogs' story. Says Newton, "Things that get measured get done!"

Contributing host Tai Brown visits with Arizona State Athletic Director Ray Anderson on his unique professional experiences prior to leading the Sun Devils. The pair also discuss the value of Anderson's NFL background for current football student-athletes in Tempe, hires Anderson made from outside college athletics, why adding sports to his overall portfolio is a priority, and more.

How many sitting ADs can you name who have served as an Interim AD three different times before sitting in the chair permanently? Jacksonville State University's athletic director Greg Seitz fits the bill and joins 1.Q to discuss how his interim experiences helped him realize he could head an entire department. Seitz also notes the numerous senior staffers who have helped lead the Gamecocks for the past 20+ years, and how they cumulatively provide a deep knowledge base of "internal memory" to help navigate the current state of the industry.

In this 1.Q, University of Pittsburgh Athletic Director Heather Lyke covers the importance of young administrators being intentional about who they work for, what can be learned in the process, and how the decision can impact career trajectory. Lyke reflects back to her time at Michigan when current Denver Athletic Director Peg Bradley-Doppes was a senior leader for the Wolverines and a champion of Lyke's push to get into college athletics.

TCU AD Chris Del Conte chats with 1.Q contributing host Tai Brown on fitting the mold of an executive, dressing for the job you want, but at the same time being true to yourself. Del Conte admits there was a point in his career he tried to operate according to a stereotype & as a byproduct negatively impacted his performance. Further, Del Conte notes a number of peers he's learned from - like Northwestern's Phillips to Alabama's Byrne & others - and how he translates their strengths to his style. Bottom line: Del Conte says ADs have so many responsibilities, feeling comfortable in their own skin is paramount.

In Part II of his 1.Q interview, Learfield Licensing Partners Vice President of Omnichannel Commerce Chad Phillips shares the trends he will be looking for during the upcoming NCAA football season, and reveals the key to online/digital merchandise and apparel sales. He also touches on the growing presence of Fanatics and Amazon, traditional retailers' efforts to keep pace, and macro trends to watch (see: athleisure).

Chad Phillips, Vice President of Omnichannel Commerce at Learfield Licensing Partners, talks with D1.ticker about Nike and the NBA's decision to create four uniform "editions" per team, and considers whether or not the trend will filter down to college hoops. Phillips also offers perspective on NBA jersey sales versus metrics for the collegiate space, how throwback jerseys are currently a big buy for male college students, and potential upcoming plans of Under Armour and Adidas.

Continuing the conversation with @SportsTVRatings creator Robert Seidman, today's topics include predictions of which pro sports properties ESPN will ante up for next rights cycle, the increased year-round presence of the NBA, the potential of ESPNU transitioning to the ACC Network linear play, and more.

Enjoy a good long listen today with @SportsTVRatings creator Robert Seidman, who has a long history of tracking trends in the sports and greater TV marketplace. Seidman shares his thoughts on the specific metric college athletics administrators should be focused on as it relates to the ever-evolving story of ESPN, key TV advertising insights, and the current value of live sports.

New USC Upstate AD Julio Freire offers insight on how he builds relationships with his head coaches during the early days of a tenure, a process that includes being present at as many practices and games as possible. Freire also shares his thoughts on whether there's such a thing as over-communication between an AD/sport administrator and a head coach, and the importance of making sure head coaches are on the same page.

Contributing 1.Q host Tai Brown connected with North Texas AD Wren Baker at NACDA 2017 and spoke with him about his philosophy on the future of fundraising. Baker is bullish on aspiring administrators who have experience managing an annual fund, and an understanding of how to utilize a database to target fundraising strategies to different donor segments. Said Baker, "In my mind, a time will come when your annual fund guy may be the highest-paid guy on your staff."

Contributing 1.Q host Tai Brown starts his conversation with Northern Iowa AD David Harris with an interesting question: "How much did you stick to your original first 90-day plan once you actually began as a new AD?" Listen as Harris shares his thoughts on the need for flexibility, meeting as many key donors as possible, and doing a lot of listening. Harris also shares his "non-negotiables", which he suggests new ADs execute quickly when beginning a new tenure. Key advice includes focusing on faces: "The one thing you can't delay is the people part, the relationships."

In today's episode, we head to Eastern Michigan, where AD Scott Wetherbee shares insights on how the search in Ypsilanti wrapped up - he was in church when he received the news. Wetherbee also touches on how he'll keep in touch with the Eagles senior team during his transition period, what his initial to-do list looks like, and what he learned from Mississippi State AD John Cohen on how to effectively navigate the early days of being an AD. He also shares his go-to list of peers around the nation whom he counts on for advice.

In this episode, Contributing 1.Question Host Tai Brown chats with Delaware AD Chrissi Rawak, who shares her thoughts on the value of experiential learning, and looking outside the industry for examples of how execute in a more effective manner. Rawak also talks about re-reading 'Playing to Win', co-authored by former Proctor & Gamble CEO AJ Lafley, as she enters her second year with the Blue Hens.

Contributing 1.Question Host @TaiMBrown caught up with St. John's University Athletics Director Anton Goff at the 2017 NACDA Convention. The two discuss Goff's rise from working in Student-Athlete Development to sitting in the AD chair. Goff touches on his process of connecting with the development office to tell the Student-Athlete experience story to donors. That move along with others helped lead him to where he is now.

One more time with the Daily Press' David Teel, this segment on how he structures his own content schedule in & out of competition seasons, as well as how well articles on the business of college athletics get engaged with versus game-related efforts. Teel also provides perspective on layoffs around the industry that again recently included some major names.

David Teel of the Daily Press is back on 1.Question, this time to discuss improvements the ACC has implemented on the MBB officiating front. Of note, the league started issuing separate grades to referees for the final four minutes of each game, which is somewhat akin to the NBA's approach & analysis of the last two minutes of close contests. More from Teel tomorrow, including how he builds his own content schedule & some reaction to the current state of online & traditional medias.

Lots of TV news above & now you can add this conversation to the list. Last week, sports TV scheduling expert, Matt Sarzyniak, penned on the potential future of 'Group of 5' TV rights. I caught up with Sarzniak to discuss what trends he's seeing in the marketplace, which networks may need the freight, dynamics around midweek games & lots more. Oh, you'll want to hear his prediction to the final question of the conversation: "In what exact year will 'Power 5' streaming rights revenues surpass those of traditional TV rights revenues?"

New 1.Q contributing host Tai Brown caught up with Baylor Director of Athletic Development Nick Florence during last week's NACDA Convention in Orlando. Florence, who had a sterling career on the FB field for the Bears, covers his transition to athletic administration, including challenges along the way, who he's learning from, how he's constantly crafting his skills, and how to mentor former student-athletes who transition to the administrative side of the business. Key quote from Florence: "Production matters."

The Albuquerque Journal's Geoff Grammer joins to discuss the AD search at New Mexico. Grammar provides context on how engaged & interested the Lobos fanbase is in the process, what skill set is necessary & ideal right now for UNM, if local ties will play a big role & if there's anything that would be surprising on where the search ends up.

SBD/SBJ's Michael Smith continues a conversation from the end of last week with perspective on what he'll be keeping an eye on over the next six months. "I'm really fascinated with the expense side of it. For years and years we've written about the revenue generation side and the way it has grown through media rights deals & other ways. But, there's so much money in the system." Smith also touches on the facilities arms race and how some ADs are expressing concern over how much money is being spent these days, plus a bit more.

SportsBusiness Daily/Journal's Michael Smith joins to analyze this week's huge news: Learfield acquiring Spectra & shifting back to the Paciolan brand. Smith runs through the synergies & where Learfield's existing partnership portfolio could help win more ticket business for Paciolan. Smith also touches on the competing paths for Learfield & IMG College over the last handful of years. More from Smith on Monday.

The San Jose Mercury News' Jon Wilner has been doing some heavy lifting on the financial situation at Cal over the past couple of days & provides more context in this 1.Q. Of note, Wilner details how the university's faculty views the challenges for athletics, how the state budget belt-tightening is impacting the overall institution & the athletic department, and a potential timeline of developments moving forward.

National Fastpitch Coaches Association (NFCA) Executive Director Carol Bruggeman joins 1.Q & provides perspective on the state of college softball with the WCWS Final underway. Bruggeman notes how TV ratings continue to grow, along with the trending levels of participation. Bruggeman also details thoughts on parity around the DI landscape as all 16 Regional hosts advanced to Super Regional play this year, developments on the topic of coaching contracts & the pressure to win, plus more.

D1Baseball's Aaron Fitt continues analyzing this year's NCAA Baseball Tournament selections, starting with why some non-'Power 5' came up short & why the last four in were all 'P5' programs. Fitt considers what could be done with annual scheduling to better balance the importance of the RPI, plus he explores the Clemson-Virginia debate for the last national seed. Finally, will we ever see a Baseball NIT?

D1Baseball's Aaron Fitt dives in on the NCAA Baseball Tournament selection process, including what he believes the committee got right & what it missed. Out-of-conference strength of schedule is debated, as is the difficulty of northern-based teams playing solid mid-week & early-season games. Fitt also defends why D1Baseball picked Gonzaga over Texas A&M as one of the last teams in its mock bracket, as well as how committee chairs should think about addressing the media.

New Football Bowl Association chairman Kevin McDonald shares his perspective on whether or not Leonard Fournette and Christian McCaffrey's NFL Draft outcomes might influence future football student-athletes. He discusses the FBA's views on the issue, and talks media narratives, the student-athlete experience, and the FBA's strategic plan.

Notable venture capitalist Peter Thiel's go-to interview question is, "Tell me something that's true, that almost nobody agrees with you on." In this 1.Q, Northern Colorado AD Darren Dunn says it's not one, two or three exact questions that he's interested in, but the overall body of responses from a candidate. Dunn also notes the list of 100+ questions Baylor AD Mack Rhoades created from which to pick & choose depending on the role being hired & further, on the importance of trusting your gut.

Northern Colorado AD Darren Dunn reflects on being mentored by former Missouri AD Mike Alden & how what he learned from Alden's approach helped prepare him for the next step. Dunn also runs through a number of other leaders he's worked with, including Conference USA Commissioner Judy MacLead at Tulsa, San Diego AD Bill McGillis at New Mexico, and current Baylor AD Mack Rhoades at Houston. Dunn notes the approach to leadership he's taken from each and goes into detail on Rhoades' system of hiring for fit, "The Way of the Shepherd," and digging deeper to identify the best candidate.

More on the Home Team Sports/FOX College Sports Properties' acquisition of Impression Sports & Entertainment, which comes on the heels of the pair working together on the LA Coliseum-United naming rights deal. Kyle Sherman, President of HTS/FOX, provides perspective on why Impression fits his existing portfolio, how the two plan to provide premium value to the marketplace & the model of "connecting brands with fans." Impression President Foy: "We think there's a major opportunity for more naming rights deal in college sports." Points to both new deals & expiring contracts for some facility names.

Missouri State AD Kyle Moats continues with leadership insights, this time on how he aids his staffers once they have their own team to oversee within the department. Moats is also one of the only, if not the only, athletic administrators around the nation who has worked at both Louisville & Kentucky. For the second half of this pod, Kyle relates the lessons he learned during his tenures under Louisville AD Tom Jurich & former Kentucky boss CM Newton.

Missouri State AD Kyle Moats provides perspective on how he identifies, mentors & encourages young administrators who excel within his department. Moats also compares the experience for entry-level professionals in a mid-major department versus starting in a 'Power 5' conference. More from Moats to come tomorrow.

Belmont AD Scott Corley continues his 1.Q with a review on how he & former Bruins AD Mike Strickland coordinated three weeks of information sharing in the office before Strickland officially retired last summer. Corley also provides perspective on which of his duties have taken the longest to wrap his head around & the importance of the leadership consistency of longtime MBB HC Rick Byrd.

Providence AD Bob Driscoll continues on the value of his mentoring relationship with former NBA HC Rolland Todd, as well as another with former Big East Commissioner Tranghese. Notable: "If you surround yourself with all these great people & collectively you share the success...If you make it not about you, you can create something very, very special. That takes a different kind of view in separating your ego from having to be the guy that gets all the praise."

Providence AD Bob Driscoll has led the Friars for the past 15-plus years. Given the average tenure of an AD these days is around a third of that length, I asked Driscoll how he stays fresh on the leadership front. You'll enjoy his explanation of "a conversation of possibilities" via his life coach, Rolland Todd, as well as the importance of surrounding yourself with people from whom you can always learn something, "success leaves clues." This, understanding risk, honesty with HC hires that aren't working out & more.

Washington State AD Bill Moos continued in Part II of his 1.Q. Topics: The increase of premium seating areas in new construction & his message to all types of Cougar fans, the operation of regional fundraising offices, as well as a discussion around the success ratio of fundraisers who have spent time in a regional office & Moos' advice to those generating dollars in cities away from their home campus.

Belmont Director of Athletics Scott Corley shares how the time he spent in the banking industry is benefiting him today, almost one year into the job at Belmont. Corley also discusses his outreach plan for gaining more athletic support during the early stages of his tenure. More to come tomorrow, including the challenges of coming from a different industry into college athletics.

Washington State AD Bill Moos has successfully raised money in college athletics for nearly 30 years. In Part I of this 1.Q, Moos provides perspective on how driving donations has changed over the years. Sub-topics within the conversation include college athletics' facilities arms race, the impact of premium seating additions, and Moos' recollections of the first major gift he secured.

Idaho Athletic Director Rob Spear digs in on how aspiring administrators should approach the challenge of adding sport oversight to their list of responsibilities. Spear also talks through which programs may be best for first-time facilitators, plus more.

In today's 1.Q, University of Idaho AD Rob Spear shares insights on how he manages the Vandals football program in Moscow.

Part II of Western Kentucky AD Todd Stewart's 1.Q focuses on how he interacts with current Head Coaches when there are opportunities on the table.

Western Kentucky Athletic Director Todd Stewart debuts on 1.Q with perspective on how to handle feedback with head coaches involved in a search, plus more.

Oregon State Deputy AD for External Operations Zack Lassiter continues in part two of his 1.Q by discussing the path to the AD chair and increasing diversity in leadership roles.