One Question Leadership Podcast

Tai Brown caught up with Footballscoop.com owner, Scott Roussel, at the American Football Coaches Association's 2018 national coaches convention. The man behind the scoop discusses his role in gathering "intel" while keeping sources confidential for over 10 years. Roussel specifically addresses how he has been able to create and maintain an environment for trust and credibility. He also touches on the truth about Athletic Directors and their relationship with his website.

Tai Brown talks with Mike London at the 2018 American Football Coaches Association's national convention. London, Head Football Coach at Howard University, discusses the investment the school has made in athletics, and specifically football as it works to establish itself as a player at the D1-FCS level.

Tai Brown visits with Tim Cassidy, Senior Associate Athletic Director for Football Operations at Arizona State University. With 35 years of experience, Tim has been involved with numerous football coaching transitions. In this conversation, Cassidy talks about the ups and downs of being a constant in a very precarious profession.

Tai Brown catches up with Kyle Vasey, Assistant Athletics Director for Strategic Planning at University of Alabama. With data analytics playing an ever-increasing role in strategic decisions, Vasey's position enhances the department by offering input in the business side, as well as the competition side of Alabama athletics. This could be a possibly be a position replicated across the industry.

In the second of two parts, Tai Brown continues his conversation with Keri Becker, Athletic Director at Grand Valley State University, about her background as a long time head softball coach and how that helps in her current leadership role. Becker also touches on continuous learning as she strives to keep up the successful momentum.

Tai Brown visits with Keri Becker, Director of Athletics at Grand Valley State University. In the first of a two part conversation, Becker talks about sustaining success as she is a year and a half into leading a program that has won 12 of the last 14 Learfield NACDA Director's Cups. She also speaks on avoiding complacency and staying motivated no matter the outcome of a competition.

Football Bowl Association Executive Director and former Sun Belt Commissioner Wright Waters checks back in with 1.Q to discuss this year's bowl landscape, developments around student-athletes skipping post-season play, the impact of ESPN Events and more. Waters also offers an interesting perspective on how the saga around the Fiesta Bowl back in the late 2000s impacted bowl leadership.

Tai Brown visits with Mike Sinquefield, Sr. Associate Athletic Director for Internal Affairs at TCU. Sinquefield has made the trek from Equipment Manager, to Director of Football Operations, and now a senior leadership post in athletics administration. He discusses servant leadership and valuing people as traits providing tremendous benefit to the leaders he has served.

Tai Brown visits with Dr. Brandon Martin, Athletic Director at California State University, Northridge. Dr. Martin talks in great depth about how his focus on professional development has helped him in his current leadership role. He also discusses how focusing on career enhancement amongst his staff has helped create a healthy buy-in within his department.

Tai Brown visits with Van Malone, Defensive Coordinator at Southern Methodist University, to discuss the aspects of preparing for the opportunity to interview for a head coaching position. Coach Malone, completing his third year as a DC, talks about his process of educating himself in the nuances of leadership from an assistant coach's perspective, as a coordinator, and possibly in the future, as a head coach.

Tai Brown visits with Dr. Linda Livingstone, President at Baylor University. In the first year of her presidency, Dr. Livingstone emphasizes how intercollegiate athletics can be transformative to an institution's culture. A former Student-Athlete herself, Livingstone addresses the aspects of being on a team that have provided guidance throughout her career.

Tai Brown visits with Dr. Robert B. Sloan, President at Houston Baptist University, to discuss the process of moving the athletics program from NAIA to NCAA Division I, and subsequently, starting a football program. Sloan touches on the variety of benefits of having visibility through athletics.

From Now On President & CEO Sue Thaden checks back in with 1.Q to discuss how her entrepreneurial background allows her to connect with leaders in college athletics. Sue also covers Patrick Lencioni's 'The Ideal Team Player' and how despite all the digital communication platforms available, she still relies upon a healthy dose of face-to-face conversations to effectively communicate with her team.

Raycom Media Camellia Bowl Executive Director Johnny Williams discusses the prime-time slot his game has this year on the first day of bowl play, the community-wide effort in Montgomery & the uniqueness of Cramton Bowl. Williams, who has plenty of department-side experience on his resume as the former AD at Troy and as a senior-leader at Alabama, notes the history of the city and the value it brings for student-athletes who engage in pre-game activities. "Overall, at the end of the day, these kids are student-athletes & this is part of their learning experience as college students."

The Pac-12 Hotline's Jon Wilner visited with 1.Q again to discuss his recent football oversight framework recommendations for the Pac-12 as the league continues to battle brand challenges. The timing of the conversation worked out quite well with the Pac-12 releasing its 2018 FB slate yesterday morning, allowing Wilner to provide context on his suggestions, as well as analyze improvements he sees in the '18 slate.

Contributing host Tai Brown stepped into the compliance world to speak with David Batson, Senior Associate Athletics Director, Athletic Compliance at Texas A&M. Batson talks about the way to say no to head coaches and athletic directors without suppressing creativity. When developing a culture of compliance, Batson speaks to education and continuously wanting to help coaches to be successful.

Dr. Ingrid Wicker McCree, Athletic Director at North Carolina Central University, visits @TaiMBrown on the 1.Question Podcast to discuss her success at hiring assistants as head coaches. She identifies empathy as one of the most important skills she looks for when evaluating current assistants for future leadership positions. Dr. Wicker McCree also touches on the importance of professional development experiences for her and her staff.

DePaul AD Jean Lenti Ponsetto covers a bunch of interesting ground on 1.Q in connection to her personal pre- & in-game agenda, some back story on how the new Wintrust Arena came to be, the benefit of driving more students & alumni to games, and how the new building will change her lens of analyzing success for her Men's & Women's Basketball programs.

In this edition of the 1.Q, co-contributor Tai Brown visits with Long Beach State Athletics Director, Andy Fee. Only six months into the position, Fee talks about which aspect of the interview process was the most challenging to prepare for. He also talks about how his transition from working in facilities and events to development helped him prepare for his current position.

In this edition of the 1.Question Presidential Series, co-contributor Tai M. Brown visits with Youngstown State University President, Jim Tressel. Coach Tressel speaks on how his time as a national championship winning coach helped him when he assumed the presidency. He also addresses the challenges that coaching didn't prepare him for such as the sheer number of people, departments, students, etc. that fall under his leadership. - One Question Leadership Podcast

Turnkey Search Managing Director Gene DeFilippo touches on how the latest MBB-FBI developments could impact search firms and the search process for new Head Coaches in the near future. DeFilippo points to the "team" of leaders who together execute a search, also wonders if new tools will be introduced to the marketplace to more effectively look through the backgrounds of candidates.

Turnkey Search Managing Director, Gene DeFilippo, reviews how he assembled a team to help conduct an AD search when he sat in the chair, the hyper importance of confidentiality for search firms & all parties involved, the growth of firms talking to agents of HCs, the Nebraska hiring of Bill Moos, interacting with university presidents & chancellors, plus more.

Kansas State Athletic Director John Currie is the first ever 1.Q guest as he joins to review the reasons for fundraising and facility successes in Manhattan.

1.Q co-contributor Tai Brown visited with Jenn Strawley, No. 2 in command at University of Miami, to discuss her involvement in hiring new football coach, Mark Richt. Strawley touches on presenting candidates to the search committee, and helping Coach Richt with the on-boarding process.

Conference USA will move their basketball championships to the new Ford Center at the Star sports facilities owned in part by the Dallas Cowboys in Frisco, Texas. 1.Q co-contributor @TaiMBrown caught up with Commissioner Judy MacLeod to discuss the decision to move the game from a Conference USA campus to a third party facility.

Tai Brown visited with Glenn Wong of ASU Sports Law to discuss the state of law in college sports. A leading expert on the topic, Wong covers a number of items including recent happenings and pending cases that could have a tremendous effect on intercollegiate athletics.

Visiting with the constant flow of high-level executives who attend the 2017 Women Leaders in College Sports national convention, 1.Q co-contributor Tai Brown catches up with Kathy DeBoer, Executive Director of the American Volleyball Coaches Association. Coach DeBoer gives an update on the state of the game on campus, the concerns of those who coach the game (early recruiting), and much more.

The Daily Press' David Teel provides context to the Athletic Director hire of Carla Williams at Virginia. Teel covers comparisons to recent AD selections around the ACC, the challenge of Football and revenue that Williams will soon tackle, how Williams' leadership style may be different compared to former Cavaliers AD Littlepage, and her thoughts on hiring a new #2.

In this teaser 1.Q, Matt Roberts sat down with Neil Mandt, Founder & CEO of MANDT VR. Mandt speaks to how athletic directors and advanced marketing leaders can look to utilize new technology to enhance the fan experience. More to come from this interview!

While visiting the 2017 Women Leaders in College Sports National Convention, contributing host Tai Brown sat down with Conference USA Senior Associate Commissioner/Chief Operating Officer, Keisha Dunlap. Dunlap focuses on her 14 year tenure, and how her longevity has allowed her to rise within Conference USA.

Coach to Cure MD has been the partner cause for the American Football Coaches Association since 2008, most visible via the large patches and other branding worn by coaches around the nation on the fourth weekend of every September. Coach to Cure MD founder Brad Todd joins 1.Q to recount how the alignment came to be, the involvement of some notable current and former FB Head Coaches, and why pushing for advances in the treatment of Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy is a total campus effort.

Visiting the 2017 Women Leaders in College Sports National Convention, contributing host Tai Brown sat down with Glenn Wong, Executive Director of the Sports Law and Business Program at Arizona State University. Wong discusses the new collaboration with Women Leaders that will provide data on the demographics and career trajectory of NCAA Division I and Division III directors of athletics.

Visiting the 2017 Women Leaders in College Sports National Convention, contributing host Tai Brown sat down with 2017 Women Leaders Division 1-FBS Administrator of the Year, Nona Richardson, current Senior Associate Athletic Director and Senior Woman Administrator at the University of Utah. Richardson speaks about her career and how she made the transition from coaching to administration.

Visiting the 2017 Women Leaders in College Sports National Convention, contributing host Tai Brown sat down with 2017 Women Leaders Division 1 Administrator of the Year, Tamica Smith-Jones, current Director of Athletics at the University of California-Riverside. Jones speaks on creating an environment for success through setting expectations and telling the story of Riverside athletics. She also speaks on how she plans to maintain that success in the immediate and long-term future.

In this quick interview from the 2017 NACDA Convention, contributing host Tai Brown visits with Brittney Whiteside, Senior Associate Athletic Director/Senior Women's Administrator at Appalachian State University. Whiteside speaks on the importance of being selective with who you work for and the importance of having personal champions during career progression.

In part two of his interview, New Mexico State AD Mario Moccia dives into strategies of how to deal with negative media members. Notes Moccia, "I never understood why there'd be animosity with anyone in the media. [...] I always thought, 'I'm going to be friendly with these folks,' and if I screw something up, it deserves to be in the newspaper." Moccia also notes which current and former ADs he thinks do the best job working with their local media.

New Mexico State Athletic Director Mario Moccia starts his two-part 1.Q with thoughts on how an athletic director at his/her alma mater has the ability to offer a different perspective to constituent groups than a leader from the outside. Moccia also touches on the 'change agent' nature of being an Athletic Director and how an inherent understanding of where an institution has been can be a major advantage. More from the Aggies' boss tomorrow.

Tai Brown revisits his old stomping grounds to speak with Todd Berry, Executive Director of the American Football Coaches Association. In this 1.Q, Coach Berry speaks on the involvement of the FBS head coaches in the NCAA legislative process through input from coaches at the AFCA National Coaches Convention and representation on the NCAA Division I Oversight Committee.

Contributing host Tai Brown visited with Coaches Andrew Althoff and Josh Nelson from Baylor University to discuss science and technology within the Strength and Conditioning/Athletic Performance industry. During the conversation, these two expert practitioners touch on some simple tools that have helped to improve everything from efficiency in communication, to the health and well-being of student-athletes.

We're up to 19 Athletic Director openings nationally - 18 if there's not technically a vacancy at Louisville yet - and some of the chairs may end up being filled by an existing leader from within the organization. That's the path Illinois State Athletic Director Larry Lyons took with the Redbirds and in today's 1.Q, Lyons starts with the biggest challenges for a new AD from within. Additional items covered include the importance of a new AD quickly wrapping their arms around the budgetary situation and what questions should be asked in order to do so.

In today's interview, Tai Brown talks leadership development with Jeff Hathaway, AD at Hofstra, including the mantra that "the role of a leader is to create and maintain and environment that people want to be a part of." Hathaway discusses developing this type of environment with limited resources, and finding happiness when former staffers and student-athletics go on to successful careers in athletics.

NMFishbowl.com's Daniel Libit is back for Part II of his 1.Q and finishes with advice on how New Mexico Athletic Director Eddie Nunez should approach his new role in Albuquerque. Prior to perspective for Nunez, Libit opines on who really profits from his website, if and when he'll conclude his coverage of the Lobos and if there's a national business model he's exploring.

NMFishbowl.com Editor Daniel Libit has raised eyebrows over the past 11 months in his role as "the independent watchdog of UNM Lobos Athletics". Libit joins 1.Q to provide background and context on NMFishbowl.com, where it may be going next, if there's a business to be built using his model, and more.

On the heels of yesterday's blockbuster announcement from Learfield and IMG College, SBJ/SBD's Michael Smith checks in to discuss the details of the partnership, what questions remain, how the industry may be impacted, and what effect the "deal of decade" will have on other companies in a variety of verticals.

San Diego State Athletic Director John David Wicker reviews football's major success over the past few seasons, including a big win over Stanford last Saturday that set an all-time high in gross gate revenue for the Aztecs. Wicker notes the opportunity ahead for his department to capture the complete attention of the marketplace with the exit of the NFL's Chargers, plus how much time he spends on a weekly basis working through football's facility future.

Ed Stewart, Big 12 Senior Associate Commissioner for Football, speaks with 1.Question Host Tai Brown on his role as Senior Associate Commissioner for Football, and the task of bringing back the Big 12 Conference Football Championship Game.

Matt Doyle, Senior Associate Athletic Director/Director of Football Operations and Player Programs at Stanford University, visits with 1.Q contributing host Tai Brown to discuss working for multiple head coaches and athletics directors at one institution. Doyle also addresses the progression of the "Director of Football Operations" position and gives his thoughts on why the position could lead to the Athletic Director chair.

With both the University of California and the University of Virginia looking for a new Athletic Director, 1.Q checks back in with former Boston College/Villanova Athletic Director and current Turnkey Search Managing Director Gene DeFilippo. DeFilippo provides insight on how candidates who may have a profile that's attractive for two concurrent openings should proceed transparently. DeFilippo also notes a search firms role in make sure they're putting candidates forward who will take the job.

Contributing host Tai Brown caught up with Ken Kavanagh, Athletic Director at Florida Gulf Coast University, at the 2017 NACDA Convention. Kavanagh discusses the advice he gives his sons who want to work in sports business and also insight given to those who currently work for him as they consider career progression.

In Part II of Monmouth Athletic Director Marilyn McNeil's 1.Q, the Hawks' boss dives into if athletic directors can be too involved off their own campuses with added leadership roles. McNeil reflects on a number of high-profile opportunities she took on (NCAA, NACWAA, FCS) with the ancillary benefit of raising the profile of the university. However, she knew when it was time to pull back & spend more time back on campus. In closing, McNeil compares and contrasts FCS leadership with those from the 'Power 5.'