1.question Podcast

Chris Fuller, Deputy Athletics Director for External Operations at Syracuse University, visits with @TaiMBrown on the 1.Question Podcast to discuss the similarities and differences between the corporate sales & marketing industry and athletic development in college athletics. Fuller goes into the interesting intricacies of university fundraising campaigns such as how much money is actually available to use after a successful campaign. This is an excellent peek behind the development curtain.

Paul Winters, Head Football Coach at Wayne State University, joins @TaiMBrown on the 1.Question Podcast to discuss how his very visible role as football coach is and should be a benefit to the athletics department as a whole. From development, being an ambassador for the university, and providing community service, Coach Winters speaks to the variety of ways he and his program support the university and the wider Detroit community. (Recorded during the 2018 AFCA Convention)

Stevie Baker-Watson, Associate VP & Director of Athletics at DePauw University joins @TaiMBrown on the 1.Question Podcast to discuss group dynamics. Baker-Watson has served on dozens of NCAA committees and working groups designed to improve the state of college athletics. In this discussion, she shares her insight on how successful groups can function to produce effective outcomes.

Dr. Pat Ivey, Assistant AD for Athletic Performance at Arkansas State, visits with @TaiMBrown on the 1.Question Podcast to discuss the influence held by those in the Strength & Conditioning/Athletic Performance position. Coach Ivey expounds on the variety of evaluation methods that strength coaches face, such as reporting to the football coach, a sport admin, and possibly the director of athletics. He also touches on the process of implementing a sports psychologist into the fold during his time at Missouri.

Albany State's AD, Sherie Cornish Gordon, visits with @TaiMBrown on the 1.Question Podcast to discuss the leadership challenges involved with combining two athletics programs from two very different institutions. When Albany State University absorbed Darton State College, Gordon had to outline expectations and a vision for the new Golden Rams athletics department, all while maintaining success on and off the field. Of note - all this took place during her first year on the job.

Brian Streeter, Director of Athletics at Penn State - Behrend, visits with @TaiMBrown on the 1.Question Podcast to discuss the benefits of longevity and continuity at one institution. Streeter has been at Penn State - Behrend for 21 years, with coaches on staff that have been there for longer than he has. During his tenure, he has added 16 sports to the portfolio. The conversation touches on avoiding complacency by realizing every year as a new year and being fair to every sport, coach, and student-athlete.

Larry Lyons, Director of Athletics at Illinois State, visits with @TaiMBrown on the 1.Question Podcast to discuss maintaining a strong and stable financial status throughout a tumultuous budgetary period within the state of Illinois. He touches on relationships with faculty and staff on campus and how combining success in athletics and academics has helped to strengthen the financial model used by the Redbirds.

Matt Bassett, Assistant Vice President & Director of Athletics at Le Moyne College, visits with @TaiMBrown and the 1.Question Podcast to discuss developing a successful campus-wide program geared toward enhancing the Student-Athlete (SA) experience. The L.E.G.U.P program is a mission and culture driven initiative which includes aspects of self-assessment by every SA in the athletics department. Bassett gives insight on taking the initiative from an idea to implementation.

Kelley Kish, Director of Athletics at Lake Erie College, joins @TaiMBrown on the 1.Question Podcast on her 101st day on the job. With that milestone as the backdrop, the conversation centered around her process of learning the new environment, making decisions, fulfilling the strategic plan of the institution, and developing relationships with staff and everyone around her. With a notable excitement about the challenges ahead, Kish gives insight into the mind of a first-time AD.

Jean Boyd, Executive Sr. Associate AD at Arizona State, rounds out his conversation with @TaiMBrown on the 1.Question Podcast with specifics on how the NFL setup will work for the Sun Devils. Boyd mentions messaging to Student-Athletes, recruiting, and continuity amid changes as major benefits of the new structure. Seamless communication also seems to be a major factor.

Jean Boyd, Executive Sr. Associate AD at Arizona State, joins @TaiMBrown on the 1.Question Podcast to discuss the NFL-type setup that the Sun Devils have implemented for the football program. In the first of a two part interview, Boyd touches on the new concept which allows the head coach to be free to do the coaching, recruiting, etc., while a leadership structure is put in place to manage many of the other executive level responsibilities. 

Andy Carter, Director of Athletics at Minot State University, visits with @TaiMBrown and the 1.Question Podcast to discuss the interesting moment in time which exists after a coach leaves a program and before a new coach is hired. Carter expounds on setting expectations for the Student-Athletes of the respective sport where a new leader is being considered. He emphasizes that this group has a voice but not necessarily a vote.

Hope College sets the standard for attendance in NCAA Division III Men's & Women's Basketball. Co-Athletic Director, Tim Schoonveld joins @TaiMBrown on the 1.Question Podcast to discuss the process of engaging fans and consistently leading in fan attendance. 

Coach Robin Fralick has been a head coach for a total of three basketball seasons - all at Ashland University. During that span, she has amassed nearly 100 wins and a NCAA DII National Championship. Coach Fralick took a few minutes during this year's undefeated regular season to visit with @TaiMBrown and the 1.Question Podcast to talk about fan engagement. With Student-Athlete involvement and support from the athletic administration, The Purple Swarm has proven to be an asset in Ashland's WBB success.

Coach Mel Tjeerdsma, Director of Athletics at NW Missouri State University, visits with @TaiMBrown on the 1.Question Podcast. Coach Tjeerdsma, three time national champion football coach, discusses his transition to Director of Athletics and how he has approached the chair with a fair perspective while maintaining his passion for football.

Sam Atkinson, Associate Athletic Director of Communications at Gallaudet University joins @TaiMBrown on the 1.Question Podcast. Atkinson explains the intricacies of telling the athletics story of the world's only university in which all programs and services are specifically designed to accommodate deaf and hard of hearing students.

Jacqie McWilliams, Commissioner of the Central Intercollegiate Athletic Association (CIAA), joins @TaiMBrown on the 1.Question Podcast. McWilliams, in her fifth year leading the CIAA, discusses the intricacies of hosting the conference's basketball tournament in a city (Charlotte) which boasts a significant number other sports attractions. She also touches on how her background directing NCAA Basketball tournaments helped prepare her for such an undertaking.

Paul Plinske, Director of Athletics at University of Nebraska at Kearney, joins the 1.Question podcast to discuss UNK's recent announcement that it will drop three sports as part of a campus-wide plan to close a $3.4M budget deficit.  Plinske addresses stabilizing the department, facilitating student-athlete transfers, and outreach to donors and alumni.  Key takeaways include necessity of an open line of communication and guiding principle of taking care of one's people.

Warde Manuel, Director of Athletics at Michigan, visits with @TaiMBrown on the 1.Question Podcast to discuss his role in ensuring that all sports feel valued within the athletics department. Acknowledging that the majority of media coverage goes to football and basketball, Manuel dives in to developing an internal culture of celebrating all sports and their respective Student-Athletes.

Keith Hackett, Director of Athletics at Cornell College, visits with @TaiMBrown and the 1.Question Podcast. Hackett talks about leading while facing budget cuts and budgetary restrictions. He specifically discusses the difficulty of cutting sports. A key takeaway that Hackett identifies is that no matter the size of the budget, making responsible, tough financial decisions is one of the key responsibilities of anyone in the chair.