The University of Northern Colorado's Sports Administration program has turned over its legacy professors which brought the UNC program to the forefront of producing several of the top level sports management instructors in the country. Dr. Alan Morse has now taken the torch, carrying it upon the retirements of three of its major professors, and serves as director of the program. Morse discusses the transition, keeping the principles of the program, set on doing tangible real-world sports research covering revenue, attendance and marketing, and how that can help both professional teams, college athletics and aspiring graduates as they enter the industry's workforce. Morse talks about program expectations, as well as the job prospects for those who graduate. Twitter: @alan_morse
Bryan Blair returns for his second stint on the podcast (Ep. 251), and speaks about his transition toward becoming focused on being an athletic director. Blair talks about some of the issues surrounding the world of the compliance, while also understanding and engaging on the revenue side. Blair discusses some of his thoughts on the issues surrounding minority hiring at the top level of sports and how the BDSE program at the National Sports Forum has helped broadened his thought-process overall. Twitter: @BToTheBlair
The role of the deputy director is explored with Dan Satter, who is in his first year in that position. Satter shares his vision of developing communication with the coaches and staff at Boston University, as well as how to make sure that he is help facilitate dialogue with the athletic director. Satter also discusses how to engage student athletes with students as well as the campus in general, including the legacy of the Bean Pot Classic. Twitter: @DSatterBU
The relationship between an athletic department and student athlete success is at its best in the small college atmosphere. Sierra College's athletic director, Lucas Moosman, has served at the Pac-12 and Mountain West level with three different Division-I institutions, but shares his experience coming to a 2-year community college of 17,000 students. Moosman talks about the financial realities of Sierra College, and how to best convey that to incoming coaches, who may not understand compliance limitations on recruiting and budget. Moosman presents insight into what it takes to be 2-year community college athletic director, who is essentially a jack-of-all-trades from dawn til dusk. Twitter: @LucasMoosman
Jim Fiore was once on the fast-track for college athletics administration stardom. After a decade of leading Stony Brook University into an FCS powerhouse, with a phenomenal turnaround, including capturing the 2011-12 UnderArmour Northeast Region AD of the Year, to being terminated by the school in 2013 amid allegations that surfaced in an ESPNW article. Fiore discusses some of his thoughts on the role of an athletic director overall, especially when it comes to developing a house-cleaning mentality entering into an athletic department in the AD chair. Fiore talks about the 2008 financial collapse of Wall Street, and how it drastically affected fundraising efforts and donors at Stony Brook. Fiore covers the issues with the allegations against him, the fallout from his termination, and what he says he's learned along the way. Twitter: @Jim_Fiore_
With the advent of the Power 5 schools starting to separate, yet be beholden to the same rules as the smaller schools, it requires a lot of patience when working at Presbyterian College, which has one of the smallest budgets in Division I athletics. James Downer oversees sports supervision, as well as compliance and other details, and tries to build a relationship with each coach and student-athlete. Downer discusses how some of the issues regarding cost of attendance will affect Presbyterian College, as well as how they plan to continue to compete at the Division I level. With an eye toward becoming an athletic director of the future, Downer has to also prepare himself for the unknown realities that may be a key or core part of the NCAA in the years to come. Twitter: @JamesDownerPC
When discussing the athletic director's chair and the challenges that go with it, a consultant is required to have a short-hand knowledge of every component that happens within that role. Mark Majeski has had over 25 years of athletic administration experience at the small college level, serving as Athletic Director at two Division III institutions. Majeski describes his time at UC Santa Cruz, which had a media storm descend on campus during the mid-1990s from national and international press due to its mascot being featured in the film 'Pulp Fiction' and whether Santa Cruz ever changed as a result, or missed on an opportunity to capitalize on the attention. Majeski also shares his tenure at Williamette University, where he served over a decade in the athletic director's position, and some of the differing challenges that rose up until the end of his tenure in 2011. Majeski details some of the issues facing college athletics, especially at the small college level, and not just financial, but philosophic, as athletic administration and coaching change with the times of both expectations from the student-athlete as well as the education system on campus. Twitter: @MajeskiMark
Overseeing a NCAA Division III athletic department means being able to handle multiple duties within the administration space. Steve Thompson isn't just the athletic director, he's also the women's basketball coach. And that's part of the diverse nature of Eureka College and athletic administration at the Division III level. Thompson discusses some of the ways that he implements fair but necessary standards for both coaches and student athletes, as well as ensures that the entire college, of which the student-athletes make up a large portion of the student body itself, is recognized through its athletic efforts. Twitter: @EurekaAD
Steve Stroud feels that those looking to move up in the sports field should think twice before hitting the application button on any open position announcement, and presents his theory on the podcast. Stroud feels strongly in utilizing a few key principles of learning about the job's details, as well as seeing who within the current organization can help guide the interested party toward a potential hire. Stroud brings several years of experience in the athletic administration realm, and discusses his passion for sports revenue, marketing and communications above all else. Stroud shares his knowledge of how to continue to drive annual fund donations, even in uncertain times with the potential loss of the IRS deduction on university gifts, and how fans see bowl games and tournament berths, when it comes to the rise of an athletic program's prominence on the national stage. Twitter: @Steve_Stroud
Kelly Higgins has served as athletic director of four NCAA institutions, driving revenue by making hard choices and trying to innovate despite not having a Division-I athletic department (save for D-I hockey at Alaska Fairbanks). Higgins discusses some of the feats he was able to pull off, such as the exempted "Top Of The World" Classic which drew in several D-I basketball teams to face D-I competition, on a regional cable network from a deal that Higgins crafted. Getting deeper into the details, Higgins talks about selling South Dakota on coaching staffs, renovating areas into fields and building a championship mentality at Fort Lewis College. Now at Alfred State, Higgins has a new challenge ahead of him, to define the identity of what Alfred State is and is not, within the perimeters of NCAA or NAIA. Twitter: @OldNumber83