1.question Podcast

Psychological Resources for Oklahoma Student-Athletes or PROS is the name of the department where Dr. Dolores Christensen holds the Assistant Director position. Christensen visited @1QLeadership to talk about the structure of the department and the mental health services provided. The PROS department was the first of its kind to be housed in an athletics department. Christensen also serves as chair of the Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Subcommittee. She discusses the committee's origins, its response to the frustration expressed this summer, and what they are currently doing within athletics as a whole.

Juliana Smith, Deputy Director of Athletics/SWA at Colgate, visits @1QLeadership to discuss her background in human resources and how it relates to her current role in the department. She talks about her history working with AD Nicki Moore at Oklahoma and also gives insight into her method of evaluating information to make effective decisions. The conversation wraps on how the department and campus has made adjustments with regard to racial injustice and the global pandemic.

Torre Becton, Head Athletic Performance Coach for Football at Cal, visits @1QLeadership to follow-up on his recent 1Q episode now that the Pac-12 Conference has reversed its initial decision to cancel the 2020 football season. Becton talks about the transition in training and mentality after the announcement. He mentions the internal conversation that took place after the Big-10 announced its decision and the conversations with some players who may have lost motivation to play during the time off. 

Kevin Hambly, Head Volleyball Coach at Stanford, visits @1QLeadership to talk about some of the challenges he faced during his first year of taking over a program with historic success. The conversation also covers a diversity mentorship program created to address the lack of people of color in the volleyball coaching profession. The program involves pairing participants with head coaches throughout the industry to establish relationships, educate and prepare, and create networking opportunities.

Devin Crosby, Director of Athletics at Lynn University, visits @1QLeadership on the topic of moving forward as a country against the backdrop of frustration being expressed over racial injustice. Crosby offers insight into a way of moving forward couched within the intersection of education, leadership development, and society. The conversation also delves into emotional decisions, reactions, and understanding the why behind the decisions we make regarding people.

Tony Reno, Head Football Coach at Yale, visits @1QLeadership guest host Caruso to discuss a number of things related to being a head coach during COVID-19. Reno talks about how much the Student-Athletes want to get in the weightroom while Caruso talks about a statistic which says that athletes are most worried about not being with their teammates. Both talk about feeling sympathy for high school seniors in the class of 2021. The conversation wraps on adjusting to new ADs in Chun and Esten respectively.

Georgetown AD, Lee Reed, and Matt Behrens, supporter and former Hoyas Student-Athlete, visit @1QLeadership to discuss the Behrens family gift funding a new athletics position focusing on Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion. Behrens, a member of the 2018 Big East Champion Men's Lacrosse team, talks on the importance of standing with those who are affected by injustice. Reed talks about meeting with Student-Athletes and informing donors about what is going on, within the department, regarding racial injustice.

Torre Becton, Head Athletic Performance Coach for Football at Cal, visits @1QLeadership to discuss the adjustments the S&C-Athletic Performance coaches have had to make to, not only make sure the workouts are compliant with COVID-19 policies, but also keep the Student-Athletes motivated without a season. Becton also talks about the reporting lines that help to make the Athletic Performance aspect of Cal Athletics efficient.

Assistant Men's Basketball Coaches Saddi Washington of Michigan and DeAndre Haynes of Maryland visit @1QLeadership on leadership during the pandemic. The two cover learning from their head coaches on how to manage sudden change as a leader. Washington talks on being on the floor to play in the Big Ten tournament when the season was cancelled. He also discusses working with first-time head coach Howard. Haynes touches on being Big Ten champions and leading Student-Athletes through the loss of the season.

MELT CEO, Vince Thompson visits @1QLeadership guest host Curti to discuss the ramifications of being a major player in sports marketing during the pandemic. Thompson talks about all the parties involved in trying to devise a potential adjustment strategy for a client partnered with the SEC Conference. He also discusses moving his 1000 person internship program online for the MELT Academy and mentions the abundance of experienced people who will be willing to take lower paying jobs in the future, just to get back in the workforce.

Jordan Lewis, Alabama WBB Student-Athlete, visits @1QLeadership guest host Hilliard on leadership, pandemic challenges, SAAC and a number of other things. Lewis, currently in grad school, talks about being challenged academically during lockdown. She reflects on her early years recommending that Student-Athletes get involved with organizations outside of athletics. The conversation wraps on Alabama's SAAC and advice for younger athletes looking to be leaders.

Newly named University of The Incarnate Word AD, Richard Duran, visits @1QLeadership to discuss his path to the chair. Duran, at 31 and in the industry for just under 10 years, talks about the opportunities that have been presented to him during his career. He touches on his background in fundraising operations how it led to his experience in development. Strengthening campus relationships, doing things for the right reasons, and leading during the pandemic are all topics covered in the conversation.

Dave Brown, Founder & President of Gridiron visits @1QLeadership on the topic of scheduling college football games. Brown talks about his business setup and understanding the needs of conferences, campus, and Athletics Directors when it comes to getting games scheduled. He mentions that relationships are a heavy part of his business. The conversation wraps on the topic of scheduling during the pandemic.

Emmanual Flowers, redshirt junior football player at Michigan State, joins @1QLeadership guest host Hilliard to talk Student-Athlete to Student-Athlete about the challenges of being a college student during the pandemic. The two talk about working out, studying, and leadership among other things. Flowers also talks about speaking up in meetings about racism and social injustice with the football team and the athletics department as a whole. He also talks about adjusting to new MSU head coach Tucker.

Illinois State Deputy AD/SWA Leanna Borner visits ISU Volleyball Student-Athlete Kendee Hilliard on @1QLeadership to discuss working in college athletics. Topic covered include Bordner's role as Deputy and SWA, challenges of being a woman in the industry, and servant leadership. The conversation wraps with advice on how to get into and be successful in the industry.

Jen Baker, Director of Athletics at Johns Hopkins University, visits @1QLeadership to talk about having a direct line of communications to the country's leading hub for information regarding the pandemic. She talks about how her background in the military and in engineering helps her during her first year as AD in terms of applied problem solving. Baker also covers being creative in finding ways for the Student-Athletes to practicing leadership while at home.

William & Mary AD Huge and FB Coach London visit @1QLeadership talk about the interactions and conversations on campus as the country expresses its frustration with racism. Huge speaks on her experience engaging students for in-depth discussions. London talks about engaging his players and being forthright about his experience as a police officer prior to becoming a football coach. The conversation wraps on the potential for positive outcomes from the unified voices heard around the world.

Jessie Gardner, Assistant AD for Student-Athlete Enhancement at Alabama, visits @1QLeadership to discuss the necessities for a successful Student-Athlete Development program. Gardner talks about the strategic approach to holistic development and understanding the needs of coaches, administration, and Student-Athletes. She also lays out the fundamental aspects needed no matter the level of available resources.

Jeff Fucci, Associate AD for Capital Projects and Innovation at USC, visits @1QLeadership to discuss managing capital projects during the pandemic. Fucci, former USC Director of Football Operations gives insight on the process of deciding on materials for facilities that can't be chosen over a video call. He mentions the portfolio method of working on capital projects and explains his thoughts on short-term, mid-term, and long-term developments. Fucci also talks about donor involvement as the facilities progress toward being complete.

AJ Maestas, Founder and CEO of Navigate Research, joins @1QLeadership guest host, Diana Curti of Wakefield Research Partners, to discuss the changing landscape of Multimedia Rights (MMR). The conversation covers moving primarily from desktop to mobile in terms of marketing and touches on the need to be ready now for Gen-Z consumers. The pair also cover post-pandemic MMR and wrap the conversation on the possibility of changing the current model used by many in college athletics.