1.question Podcast

Eugene Marshall, AD at Hampton, visits @TaiMBrown to discuss Hampton's move from the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference (MEAC) to the Big South. Marshall discusses the process of explaining the benefits of the change to the University's constituency. He also talks about the innovative mind of Hampton's president, Dr. William Harvey, who has led all of the major changes at the school since 1978. With Harvey's support, Marshall has taken the Pirates to new heights in academics, as well as athletics.

Kenny Boyd, Sr. Associate AD for Student-Athlete Health & Wellness at Baylor, chats with @TaiMBrown about the collective health & wellness leadership position which is relatively new on campuses nationwide. Overseeing the areas of Athletic Medicine, Athletic Performance, Sports Nutrition, & Mental Health, Boyd goes into detail about evaluating the position and communicating with the AD as a part of the executive staff. The emphasis is to protect Student-Athletes by having an independent medical structure.

Jeff "Mad Dog" Madden, longtime Strength & Conditioning coach, joins @TaiMBrown to give insight on the S&C profession and why education and professional development is an important aspect to the health and well being of Student-Athletes. Madden also talks about his relationship with Mack Brown and DeLoss Dodds while at Texas. He recalls that Dodds' would try to spend time with every person that was hired on his athletics staff, making the point to tell them to never embarrass the university.

Jay Moran, Director of Intercollegiate Athletics at Southern Connecticut State, visits @TaiMBrown to discuss his dual role as AD and Mayor of the town of Manchester. Moran has served the Manchester community for almost 11 years giving back to a town that poured into him during the loss of a daughter. The tough task of balancing priorities between the two very important leadership positions is on full display throughout the conversation. Moran key point is that he has a passion for life and people.

Dr. Nancy Hixson, CEO of Air Force Academy Athletic Corporation (AFAAC), visits @TaiMBrown to discuss the complex setup of the revenue generation arm of Air Force Academy Athletics. As CEO of AFAAC, Hixson works very closely with Air Force AD, Col. Jenn Block, but runs the business side of athletics as a separate entity. With oversight over all revenue generation aspects, the structure and business relationship between AFAAC and the athletics department proves to be very complex yet very beneficial.

Scott Noble, Director of Athletics at Western New Mexico, and @TaiMBrown discuss Noble's four cornerstones for organizational success. Selflessness, Discipline, Work Ethic, and Kindness guide the actions of the athletics staff and Student-Athletes at Western New Mexico. The conversation goes into each value and how it is defined within the organization. Noble also explains how he implements and evaluates the principles on the individual level and for the department as a whole.

Big move in the ticket sales space as former IMG College SVP & current Taymar Ventures Founder/CEO Dyer links up with Elevate Sports Ventures to create Elevate On Campus. First partner: Kentucky. Dyer, of course, oversaw the build of IMG College Ticket Solutions & later ran the IMG Learfield joint venture unit. Elevate On Campus was formed as "a joint venture created to support ticket sales, strategy and service for intercollegiate athletics and university venues."

Mike Williams, former Director of Athletics at Cal, joins 1Q host, @TaiMBrown, as the two rehash Williams' experience leading the Golden Bears. Fresh off of a four-year stint in the chair, Williams discusses the accomplishments of the department during his tenure. Emphasizing mission driven leadership, he celebrates increasing the Academic Progress Rate, winning multiple team championships, and enhancing the overall Student-Athlete experience for those who were under his charge.

Jason Penry, Vice Chancellor for Advancement at Arkansas State, joins @TaiMBrown to discuss the similarities & differences between athletics development and university advancement. During the conversation, Penry offers advice to those who want to work in development emphasizing experience in some form of revenue generation and working closely with the advancement team. He closes the conversation referencing the importance of collaboration between athletics and the university when it comes to fundraising.

Jennifer Williams, Interim AD at Alabama State, joins @TaiMBrown to discuss development at HBCUs. Williams, the 2018 Women Leaders in College Sports FCS Administrator of the Year, discusses the similarities in fundraising at Historically Black Colleges & Universities and Predominantly White Institutions. Explaining two traditional approaches to development, she praises both methods as effective. Williams also discusses how her philosophy on Student-Athlete experience has expanded since assuming the chair.

Noreen Morris, Commissioner of the Northeast Conference, joins @TaiMBrown as the two discuss the process of creating the NEC Front Row network. Morris, eight years into her tenure, discusses how she made technology a priority in her initial strategic plan. The NEC Front Row as the digital network for the conference has been considered one of the biggest assets of the league. Morris also talks about the newest technological initiatives which include implementing instant replay with better camera angles.

Kevin Anderson and @TaiMBrown get together for part 2 of their leadership conversation. Anderson, former Maryland & Army AD, talks avoiding assumptions when interviewing for leadership positions. He also defines vulnerability in terms of its benefit to leadership with regard to sharing true feelings and receiving advice on overall direction. Anderson rounds out the discussion on the critical importance of staying focused on Student-Athlete well-being amid the many distractions within the college athletics industry.

Kevin Anderson, former AD at Maryland & Army and veteran of the college athletics industry, visits @TaiMBrown as the two discuss leadership. In the first of a two part conversation, Anderson touches on preparing for leadership and the traits needed to be successful prior to and during any leadership role. He stresses the importance of being authentic and vulnerable. On the topic of developing company culture, Anderson mentions that those who listen and observe are usually more successful.

Callie Dale, Associate Director of Football at Stanford, joins @TaiMBrown as the two discuss managing personalities among football coaches, providing support to the athletics department, and being the head coach's point person. Dale, a woman in an industry dominated by men, talks about onboarding new assistant coaches while learning their individual communication styles. With regard to her role assisting the head coach, she says it helps with football operations as a whole because of the immediate access.

Josh Gordon of the Sports Conflict Institute joins @TaiMBrown to discuss the process of building a successful organizational culture. Gordon, consultant to multiple athletic departments, corporations, and sports teams talks about the importance of going beyond stating core values, but communicating them in terms of behavior to avoid misinterpretation. He emphasizes being deliberate in developing culture similar to strength training and game planning, stressing the importance of discipline and structure to be successful.  

Glenn Caruso, Head Football Coach at University of St. Thomas, joins @TaiMBrown to discuss the intricacies of helping a team focus on the upcoming season without being weighed down by the challenges or success of the previous season. Coach Caruso talks about being process oriented vs focusing on results and how that helps his teams recalibrate each year. The conversation rounds out with Caruso's philosophy on F.A.M.I.L.Y. and how it applies to his players passing on the legacy of the programs overall culture but maintaining their individual identity as each team is different.

Woody McCorvey, Associate AD for Football Administration at Clemson, joins @TaiMBrown as the two discuss McCorvey's 46 years in the game. In his current role, MCorvey works with football operations and athletic administration on a staff with a number of colleagues that he coached during his career on the sidelines. He discusses his concerns for Student-Athletes being recruited as the amount of money involved has grown tremendously. He also mentions some of the player development tools used in the program.

Vince Volpe, Deputy AD & COO at University of Texas at Rio Grand Valley, joins @TaiMBrown as the two discuss Volpe's specific role in creating the department's strategic plan. Emphasizing how valuable the experience was for him and his colleagues, Volpe expresses appreciation for Vaqueros AD King for creating a culture of inclusive leadership. He also touches on core values, measurable outcomes, and even relates his contribution to creating the plan to a transformational experience from early in his career.

Charles Guthrie, Director of Athletics at Wisconsin Green Bay, joins @TaiMBrown as the two discuss Guthrie's first six months in the chair. A former two-year college and Division II AD, Guthrie discusses how his previous experience helps him with his current role. He also talks about his process of calling the campus community stakeholders prior to arriving on campus to establish key relationships early-on. To round out the conversation, Guthrie touches on his methods of engaging Student-Athletes.

Jamie Zaninovich, Deputy Commissioner & COO at the Pac-12, joins @TaiMBrown to discuss leadership from the conference perspective. Zaninovich, former Commissioner of the West Coast Conference, discusses the decision making process when weighing concerns from a multi-layered constituency. Communication plays a strong part in finding the collective interest when dealing with 12 different institutions - each with its own President, AD, FAR, sport Coaches, Compliance office, and of course, the Student-Athletes.