Nona Richardson has to multitask at her job daily; a mediator of sorts for staff, coaches and student-athletes, Richardson explains some of the intangibles of her job, as well as NCAA compliance issues. Richardson talks about “The Davis Way” moving forward into Division-I athletics, as well as some of the principles that guide the department as a whole.
Andrew Doeschot has risen through the St. Louis University Athletic Department ranks from his start at the ticket office to his current role as an associate athletic director. Doeschot talks about the ticket sales impact of hiring the late head men’s basketball coach Rick Majerius had on the Billikens. Doeschot also discusses the role of the athletic department within the university’s mission and maintaining expectations while keeping within a budget.
In less than a year on the job at Ole Miss, Ross Bjork has made a name for himself as its athletic director. His football coach, Hugh Freeze, signed the No. 1 recruit in the nation, defensive end Robert Nkemdiche, only a few months after the team went 7-6 in 2012 compared to a 2-10 in 2011. Bjork details his ideas on leadership during times of highs and lows in an athletic department and talks about some of the major issues facing college athletics, especially those in the Southeastern Conference; particularly the Ed O'Bannon lawsuit with its financial ramifications looming over the NCAA's operations, whether the BCS should split the haves from the haves-nots in several divisions, and how to properly maintain prevent fan expectations from expectations as an athletic director with the reality of the job ahead. Also discussed is Bjork's twitter strategy, why he hasn't logged into his LinkedIn account in over 5 years, the lost art of handwritten notes, and the best practices of networking in the world of college athletics. Twitter: RossBjorkAD
Ryan Flynn has been the CEO of Baseball New Zealand since 2011 after a 5 year stint as the Director of Guam Baseball Federation. Flynn considers the New Zealand program to be one of the fastest growing in the world, there are some credentials to back up that claim. New Zealand has 3 players under contact by MLB teams, was invited to the World Baseball Classic qualifiers in Nov. 2012 and has an IBAF World Ranking of 29. New Zealand's history with baseball goes back to 1888 when Albert Spaulding hosted exhibitions in Auckland during his Asian tour. A firm believer that it can take hold in New Zealand as a hotbed for MLB talent development, Flynn talks politics, program building, Major League Baseball’s involvement, and promoting the game in general. @NZBaseball
University of Memphis Professor & Associate Dean Richard Irwin knows the bad rap that some sport management degrees earn in the field. The Memphis program has set itself apart by focusing on revenue streams & sales management. Irwin talks about the state of ticket sales in college & professional sports, as well as the Sports Sales Combine in Atlanta where 40-50 prospects will train for opportunity to join professional teams after the course’s culmination. http://www.sportsalescombine.com
O’Day spent 7 years at the helm of his alma mater’s athletic department, overseeing the Griz football team that went 77-17, appeared in two FCS national championship games and secured a conference title every year but one season during that stretch. Yet, Montana’s student-athletes had trouble off of the field, including nine sexual assault allegations in a two-year period, which led to the March 29, 2012 dismissal of O’Day and head football coach Robin Pflugrad, who had just won coach of the year in the conference. O’Day talks about running a successful school program on a tight, FCS budget, the stresses of being an athletic director or coach in today’s college landscape, and his new work in the realm of social media with Division I institutions. Twitter: @JimODay57