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78 episodes
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Travis SmithExplicit
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Date created
2019/06/27
Latest episode
2026/10/20
Average duration
33 min.
Release period
11 days
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College Athletics is a Decision Sport. Higher Ed Athletics helps aspiring athletic directors get better by interviewing the top administrators in division one college athletics.
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Oral Roberts Athletic Director Tim Johnson
2026/10/20
Tim Johnson has spent a decade at Oral Roberts, including the last 5 years in the AD chair after joining the Golden Eagles as Deputy AD in 2015 from Clemson. We covered a lot in this conversation from my visit to campus. Advice for pursuing Deputy AD jobs. Why 1st Corinthians 9:24 guides his leadership philosophy. How tough decisions can test your faith. Hiring hard and managing easy. Growing athletic director tree. Mid-Major basketball challenges. Finding new fans/donors/revenue in Oklahoma sharing a city/state with Tulsa, OU and OSU. Looking 10 years out at what college athletics looks like at Oral Roberts and places like it.
0:00 Introduction1:05 Advice for Pursuing Deputy AD Jobs3:09 1st Corinthians 9:24 - Scripture Describes the Athletic Department7:05 How Tough Athletic Director Decisions Tests Your Faith9:30 Hiring Staff at Oral Roberts - Hire Hard and Manage Easy11:55 Tim Johnson's Growing Athletic Director Tree14:25 Is Building and Sustaining a Mid-Major Basketball Team Possible Anymore20:48 Finding New Revenue Streams and Fans/Donors in Oklahoma25:16 What ORU Looks Like in 10 Years
AD Vantage empowers athletic directors with comprehensive staff data, performance analytics, and AI-powered candidate insights to make smarter hiring, compensation, and retention decisions in an era where every dollar counts. Learn more: https://www.athleticdirectorvantage.com
PILYTIX is an A.I. technology company dedicated to solutions that generate revenue, save time, and reduce costs for universities and sports & entertainment organizations. More Money. Less Time. Lower Costs. Learn more: https://pilytix.ai/
Onrise provides complete mental health Coverage for your Athletes. One call. Same-day setup. Your athletes get immediate access to peer support from retired pros, licensed clinicians, and 24/7 crisis care. Less than one in-house FTE. No hiring hassles. No initiative fatigue. Learn more: https://onrise.care
Toledo Athletic Director Tom Moreland
2026/10/06
I sat down with Toledo AD Tom Moreland inside Savage Arena to talk about his early days leading the Rockets. Tom shares details about the content, format and preparation of his introductory press conference. He explains why he pursued the Toledo job as someone that had built his career at 3 Big Ten schools. Moreland talks about Josh Whitman and the other leaders he pulled inspiration from in creating his own style. We also discuss how the department is working to build out its fan base and business portfolio not just in Toledo but in an expanded footprint. Moreland rounds out the conversation sharing how he built his internal relationships through conversations and a very detailed survey and what he took from it.
0:00 Introduction3:45 Building Out a VIP Meeting Calendar6:03 Introductory Press Conference14:23 Why He Pursued The Toledo Job18:10 Collecting Leadership Insights20:45 Chief Commercial Officer22:40 Inside-Out Approach of Toledo for New Individuals and Businesses24:41 Inheriting a New Football Head Coach as 1st Time AD27:20 Building Internal Relationships in First 100 Days
AD Vantage empowers athletic directors with comprehensive staff data, performance analytics, and AI-powered candidate insights to make smarter hiring, compensation, and retention decisions in an era where every dollar counts. Learn more: https://www.athleticdirectorvantage.comPILYTIX is an A.I. technology company dedicated to solutions that generate revenue, save time, and reduce costs for universities and sports & entertainment organizations. More Money. Less Time. Lower Costs. Learn more: https://pilytix.ai/Onrise provides complete mental health Coverage for your Athletes. One call. Same-day setup. Your athletes get immediate access to peer support from retired pros, licensed clinicians, and 24/7 crisis care. Less than one in-house FTE. No hiring hassles. No initiative fatigue. Learn more: https://onrise.care
Indiana Athletic Director Scott Dolson
2026/09/21
Scott Dolson started planning the department response to IU winning the national championship on the flight home from the game. He wanted this to be a sustainable situation at IU where they can live up to President Whitten's ambitious call to action to be excellent in everything. I made the short drive to Bloomington to sit down with Dolson and ask him questions about leadership, true presidential alignment, and a behind-the-scenes look of selecting Coach Cignetti and two men's basketball head coach searches. Dolson explains why he doesn't like to work with panickers and what it means to be a cabinet member in his opinion. Dolson shares how he learned to ask other people things he didn't know, a lesson he picked up from Bob Knight a long time ago when Dolson was a men's basketball student manager. Dolson wraps the conversation talking about the responsibility of an AD getting involved in governance at the conference level and participating in congressional conversations and the POTUS round table on saving college sports.
0:00 Introduction1:05 Sustaining Next Level of Athletic Success2:55 Dolson's Experience with President Whitten During College Athletics Chaos7:01 Compartmentalizing Meeting Subjects and Staying Focused as an AD9:57 Thought Process of Research for Position Profiles in Football and Men's Basketball Head Coach Searches17:20 Continuity of the Senior Staff22:20 Leadership Lesson Dolson Learned from Coach Bob Knight26:01 Dolson's Advice on the Cabinet Position for ADs30:43 ADs Going to Congressional Hearings and the White House Visit
AD Vantage empowers athletic directors with comprehensive staff data, performance analytics, and AI-powered candidate insights to make smarter hiring, compensation, and retention decisions in an era where every dollar counts. Learn more: https://www.athleticdirectorvantage.com
PILYTIX is an A.I. technology company dedicated to solutions that generate revenue, save time, and reduce costs for universities and sports & entertainment organizations. More Money. Less Time. Lower Costs. Learn more: https://pilytix.ai/
Onrise provides complete mental health Coverage for your Athletes. One call. Same-day setup. Your athletes get immediate access to peer support from retired pros, licensed clinicians, and 24/7 crisis care. Less than one in-house FTE. No hiring hassles. No initiative fatigue. Learn more: https://onrise.care
North Texas Athletic Director Jared Mosley
2026/09/08
The latest edition of The Modern AD is available now: https://higheredathletics.com/themodernad/
In my recent road trip to Texas, I knew I wanted to visit University of North Texas. I had interviewed Wren Baker several years ago and was familiar with UNT, but it's always better to see the growth of a place in person. The campus is beautiful and the athletic facilities are incredible. Mosley starts by providing great detail in his approach to coaching searches and what led to him hiring Neal Brown, including leaning on Baker and other ADs he regularly speaks with. I asked Mosley about his approach to communicating decisions with presidents and boards and how to prepare for a presentation. I then asked him to talk about UNT's approach to uniform patches and how the apparel contracts help or restrict the opportunities, and whether he thinks department-wide or sport-specific is the right approach for the Mean Green. We then focus back in on the AD position - asking Mosley why he selected Connor Smith as his COO, another former AD in the DFW area (Dallas Baptist). I looked to identify what specific ways the job itself is changing for Jared with all the chaos in college athletics. I try to offer him a hypothetical question at the end that he thinks is a thought activity that all ADs should be doing on their own. He didn't quite answer it, but he does offer great insight to the question.0:00 Intro and Stadium Video02:24 - Approach to Head Coaching Searches, Most Recently Football09:30 - Does being a former athlete in the sport change how you focus on the head coaching search?11:45 - How to prepare your communication and presentations with a president and board of trustees in college athletics chaos.20:08 - Uniform Patches Approach25:15 - Leadership Style After Transition as Internal AD Hire32:49 - Hiring COO Connor Smith35:26 - Evolving Role of the FBS AD Position42:11 - Hypothetical: Here's Your Budget - Outline Your Athletic DepartmentAD Vantage empowers athletic directors with comprehensive staff data, performance analytics, and AI-powered candidate insights to make smarter hiring, compensation, and retention decisions in an era where every dollar counts. Learn more: https://www.athleticdirectorvantage.comPILYTIX is an A.I. technology company dedicated to solutions that generate revenue, save time, and reduce costs for universities and sports & entertainment organizations. More Money. Less Time. Lower Costs. Learn more: https://pilytix.ai/Onrise provides complete mental health Coverage for your Athletes. One call. Same-day setup. Your athletes get immediate access to peer support from retired pros, licensed clinicians, and 24/7 crisis care. Less than one in-house FTE. No hiring hassles. No initiative fatigue. Learn more: https://onrise.care
Tulsa Athletic Director Justin Moore
2026/08/25
Another stop on the HEA Road Trip to Texas was a sit down with Tulsa AD Justin Moore. Justin is an AD that I don't see or hear do interviews too much so it was fun to ask him questions I had not heard him discuss: Going from huge Texas A&M to lead the smallest FBS institution. Football scheduling strategy to get OK State and Arkansas to come to Tulsa. Behind the men's basketball success to NIT championship. The future of March Madness. How they were able to bring back men's golf. How Joe Fields was ready so quick to be the AD at New Mexico State. Breaking down how to host a country concert at the football stadium.Sign up for an AD Chair Strategy Session with Travis: https://higheredathletics.com/strategysession/
0:00 Quick Question1:50 Introduction2:47 Going from Huge Texas A&M to the Smallest FBS Institution5:00 Counterbalancing Small Living Alumni Population7:00 Tulsa King NIL Opportunities?7:30 Men's Basketball Success - Roster Building & Retention13:30 March Madness Expansion Impact On Scheduling16:55 Football Scheduling - OK State Coming to Tulsa21:15 Bringing Back Men's Golf and How It's Here to Stay25:00 AD Tree: Joe Fields - AD at New Mexico State28:10 Helping Joe Fields Build from Academics to Everything Else to Grow33:07 Tulsa Hosted a Country Music Stadium Concert42:29 Football Field Walk
AD Vantage empowers athletic directors with comprehensive staff data, performance analytics, and AI-powered candidate insights to make smarter hiring, compensation, and retention decisions in an era where every dollar counts. Learn more: https://www.athleticdirectorvantage.comPILYTIX is an A.I. technology company dedicated to solutions that generate revenue, save time, and reduce costs for universities and sports & entertainment organizations. More Money. Less Time. Lower Costs. Learn more: https://pilytix.ai/Onrise provides complete mental health Coverage for your Athletes. One call. Same-day setup. Your athletes get immediate access to peer support from retired pros, licensed clinicians, and 24/7 crisis care. Less than one in-house FTE. No hiring hassles. No initiative fatigue. Learn more: https://onrise.careGame One is the apparel company that can outfit your teams in Adidas, Nike or Under Armour. Learn more: https://www.game-one.com/
Indiana State President Mike Godard + AD Nathan Christensen
2026/08/12
I sat down with President Mike Godard and VP/AD Nathan Christensen inside the Hulman Center last week and we covered a lot. These two started within days of each other and, entering year 3, are working to change the energy and brand of Indiana State. These two make me want to come back and work for the Sycamores again.
Timestamps:
0:00 Introduction
0:57 The AD Search During President Search
3:45 Athletic Department Annual Report - Hockey Stick Chart
8:42 Institution Identify Adopted Athletics Identity
13:50 Keeping Basketball Attendance Up Despite Dip In Success
20:35 Thoughts On Importance of FCS in EA Sports Video Game
24:18 Future of Football Stadium at Indiana State
29:55 How Often Athletics Decisions Get to President Godard
33:52 Institutional Alignment
37:20 AD Advice - Trying To Do It All
40:55 President's Opinion On Qualities of a Modern, Mid-Major AD
Check out my monthly online magazines where I cover college athletics from the presidential perspective: The Modern AD + Mid-Major ADAD Vantage empowers athletic directors with comprehensive staff data, performance analytics, and AI-powered candidate insights to make smarter hiring, compensation, and retention decisions in an era where every dollar counts. Learn more: https://www.athleticdirectorvantage.comPILYTIX is an A.I. technology company dedicated to solutions that generate revenue, save time, and reduce costs for universities and sports & entertainment organizations. More Money. Less Time. Lower Costs. Learn more: https://pilytix.ai/Onrise provides complete mental health Coverage for your Athletes. One call. Same-day setup. Your athletes get immediate access to peer support from retired pros, licensed clinicians, and 24/7 crisis care. Less than one in-house FTE. No hiring hassles. No initiative fatigue. Learn more: https://onrise.careGame One is the apparel company that can outfit your teams in Adidas, Nike or Under Armour. Learn more: https://www.game-one.com/
TCU Athletic Director Mike Buddie
2026/08/05
I stopped in to interview Mike Buddie on my recent HEA Road Trip and if you want to see a tour of their facilities watch the YouTube video introduction.
Buddie's wisdom is on full display in this interview as he covers practical things like how to get to work by knowing who should be on the list to contact when you get a new AD job. Mike shares his thought process on leaving Army for TCU, who he reached out to for counsel, and how he kept close to the challenges facing ADs outside the academies so that he could speak intelligently and truthfully in an interview. He gives his thoughts on outside industry trends and what traditional administrators like himself can do to stay ahead of the changes to college athletics. Texas is crowded with FBS schools seeking corporate deals and Buddie shares TCU's approach to make Fort Worth and its surrounding communities purple. Mike talks about how ADs care about their former schools and help their successors years after leaving the chair.
0:00 Critical. Urgent. Important.1:08 Introduction3:25 Adjusting from One School to the Next 6:40 Aligning with Chancellor Pullin7:47 Mike's Approach to Donor Briefings and Lists12:20 Texas is a Busy and Big State for FBS Schools - TCU's Strategy14:40 Mike's Decision Process for Leaving Army17:30 How Past Athletic Directors Help their Successors19:10 Outsiders Coming Into College Athletics
AD Vantage empowers athletic directors with comprehensive staff data, performance analytics, and AI-powered candidate insights to make smarter hiring, compensation, and retention decisions in an era where every dollar counts. Learn more: https://www.athleticdirectorvantage.com
PILYTIX is an A.I. technology company dedicated to solutions that generate revenue, save time, and reduce costs for universities and sports & entertainment organizations. More Money. Less Time. Lower Costs. Learn more: https://pilytix.ai/
Onrise provides complete mental health Coverage for your Athletes. One call. Same-day setup. Your athletes get immediate access to peer support from retired pros, licensed clinicians, and 24/7 crisis care. Less than one in-house FTE. No hiring hassles. No initiative fatigue. Learn more: https://onrise.care
Game One is the apparel company that can outfit your teams in Adidas, Nike or Under Armour. Learn more: https://www.game-one.com/
ADs Should Do The All Counties Tour
2026/07/26
This is a reading from the article I wrote in The Modern AD and will also be included in The Mid-Major AD this week.
If you like articles like this and also want to get more information on ADs, presidents and boards of trustees, subscribe to The Modern AD (FBS content) or The Mid-Major AD. You can also purchase issues individually.
The Modern AD: https://higheredathletics.com/2026/07/21/the-modern-ad-2/
The Mid-Major AD: https://higheredathletics.com/the-mid-major-ad/
Pepperdine Athletic Director Tanner Gardner
2026/07/22
Pepperdine Athletic Director Tanner Gardner discusses his path from management consulting to college athletics, including leadership roles at Rice before arriving at Pepperdine. He explains how Pepperdine's Christian mission shapes hiring decisions, why cultural fit is essential, and how the university's faith-based identity influences the student-athlete experience. Gardner also shares why he has been intentional about studying and working at places like Stanford, Harvard, Rice and Pepperdine. He offers his perspective on what schools like Pepperdine may look like 10 years from now with the changing college athletics landscape, and discusses whether hiring head coaches will remain one of the athletic director's primary responsibilities. He wraps with great advice on how to stay sharp and connected in a somewhat lonely job, including having mentors and an executive coach who is a former long-time athletic director. 0:00 Introduction1:45 Why Tanner Gardner at Pepperdine Made Sense Two Years Ago8:30 Knowing Your Institution Type Preference (Tanner's is high-level academic private)12:45 How Does Christianity Show Up In The AD Job for tanner?15:25 Have The Industry Challenges and Decisions Tested Your Faith?18:15 Describing a Student Athlete Experience at Pepperdine23:55 What Does College Athletics Look Like at a Pepperdine Type Schools in 10 Years?26:00 Will ADs Always Hire The Head Coaches?30:40 Chief Recommendation Officer to Chief Decision Maker Transition36:20 Advice Line: Avoiding Being Typecasted42:20 Patience for the AD ChairAccess The Modern AD online digital magazine: https://higheredathletics.com/2026/07/21/the-modern-ad-2/AD Vantage empowers athletic directors with comprehensive staff data, performance analytics, and AI-powered candidate insights to make smarter hiring, compensation, and retention decisions in an era where every dollar counts. Learn more: https://www.athleticdirectorvantage.comPILYTIX is an A.I. technology company dedicated to solutions that generate revenue, save time, and reduce costs for universities and sports & entertainment organizations. More Money. Less Time. Lower Costs. Learn more: https://pilytix.ai/Onrise provides complete mental health Coverage for your Athletes. One call. Same-day setup. Your athletes get immediate access to peer support from retired pros, licensed clinicians, and 24/7 crisis care. Less than one in-house FTE. No hiring hassles. No initiative fatigue. Learn more: https://onrise.careGame One is the apparel company that can outfit your teams in Adidas, Nike or Under Armour. Learn more: https://www.game-one.com/
The Modern AD - 2nd Edition - Available Now
2026/07/21
The Modern AD is a monthly digital publication focused on the FBS athletic director position from a higher education administration lens. The 2nd edition is out now and here I give a preview of the following contents.
Reaction to FBS AD HiresAD Press Conference Film Study: Toledo's Tom MorelandOpen AD Jobs Names & NotesPresident Backgrounds: PAC 12ADs Should Do The All Counties TourAD Backgrounds: SECTrustees & Board Chairs: MACLinkedIn Premium: The Most Underutilized Tool for Modern ADs?Deputy Dive - Haven Fields Sr.Cabinet Curiosity - VP for ResearchInterview Notes with Houston's Eddie NuñezBook Review - The Search: An Insider's Novel about a University President
Access The Modern AD: https://higheredathletics.com/2026/07/21/the-modern-ad-2/
Thanks for supporting Higher Ed Athletics and the business I'm building at TRAVIS Executive Advisory.
New AD interview out tomorrow with Pepperdine's Tanner Gardner.
Idaho State Athletic Director Pauline Thiros
2026/07/07
Pauline Thiros has studied and worked her entire adult life at Idaho State University. The Bengals Hall of Famer served on the president's cabinet as the VP for Advancement before moving into the AD position. Thiros shares the emotional state she found herself in when the opportunity to become the AD appeared, and why she went for it. Thiros talks fan support in Idaho and why she places such an importance of being visible and available in the community. The conversation turns to coaching hiring and evaluation before ending with advice for current and aspiring ADs.
0:00 Introduction2:30 Unique Journey to the AD Position7:25 Presidents Look for Institutional Passion 11:45 Alumni Advice - Good or Bad Experience? 15:40 What It Means to be a Cabinet Member Today18:55 Just How Difficult is it to be a FCS Right Now?22:27 Head Coach Hiring Philosophy26:30 Evaluating Head Coaches30:45 Fan Support in Idaho35:15 Challenges in Communicating Industry Changes to Fans39:50 What Supporters Athletic Directors Can Find On LinkedIn43:45 Final Advice from Pauline Thiros
AD Vantage empowers athletic directors with comprehensive staff data, performance analytics, and AI-powered candidate insights to make smarter hiring, compensation, and retention decisions in an era where every dollar counts. Learn more: https://www.athleticdirectorvantage.com
PILYTIX is an A.I. technology company dedicated to solutions that generate revenue, save time, and reduce costs for universities and sports & entertainment organizations. More Money. Less Time. Lower Costs. Learn more: https://pilytix.ai/
Onrise provides complete mental health Coverage for your Athletes. One call. Same-day setup. Your athletes get immediate access to peer support from retired pros, licensed clinicians, and 24/7 crisis care. Less than one in-house FTE. No hiring hassles. No initiative fatigue. Learn more: https://onrise.care
Game One is the apparel company that can outfit your teams in Adidas, Nike or Under Armour. Learn more: https://www.game-one.com/
Houston Athletic Director Eddie Nuñez
2026/06/23
Houston Athletic Director Eddie Nuñez joins HEA for a conversation on how he is operating Houston athletics two years into his tenure. Nuñez discusses his working relationship with Chancellor Renu Khator and explains why he intentionally sought out presidents earlier in his career to better understand higher education leadership (and why future ADs should do that today). I asked Nuñez how ADs are blocking out the noise of so much commentary and industry news but still making sure they stay informed. He also responds to my curiosity on which would make fans more happy, Houston's pursuit of a national championship in men's basketball, or the football program making the College Football Playoff. The conversation also explores Nuñez's thoughts on what job descriptions and verticals he needed to make to fit their vision and approach to chase revenue. We also discussed the realities of competing in the state of Texas, both on the field and in the increasingly competitive business environment that now defines modern college sports.
0:00 Introduction0:30 The Modern AD Preview4:25 Thoughts on Ryan Berryman and Jalen Dominguez at New Mexico11:05 Working with Long-Time Chancellor Renu Khator in this Era13:15 How The AD Job is Similar to College Presidents17:50 Blocking Out Industry Distractions and Extracting Good Information20:50 Isomorphism in Higher Education and College Athletics23:30 Competing Against Texas in Sports, Attention and Business 25:11 Men's Basketball National Championship or College Football Playoff Win?29:25 Reconfiguration of Job Descriptions for Revenue Generation Strategy33:48 Advice for Traditional Administrators to Stay the Course but LEARN Outside Comfort Zone
Read the first edition of The Modern AD: https://higheredathletics.com/AD Vantage empowers athletic directors with comprehensive staff data, performance analytics, and AI-powered candidate insights to make smarter hiring, compensation, and retention decisions in an era where every dollar counts. Learn more: https://www.athleticdirectorvantage.comOnrise provides complete mental health Coverage for your Athletes. One call. Same-day setup. Your athletes get immediate access to peer support from retired pros, licensed clinicians, and 24/7 crisis care. Less than one in-house FTE. No hiring hassles. No initiative fatigue. Learn more: https://onrise.careGame One is the apparel company that can outfit your teams in Adidas, Nike or Under Armour. Learn more: https://www.game-one.com/The Future Athletics Director Program from the University of Oklahoma’s Price Executive Academy is designed to help aspiring ADs develop the skills and knowledge necessary to advance their careers. Registration is now open, with a limited number of spots available through July 1. Use discount code EARLYAD at checkout to receive 15% off the registration cost. For more information, contact Executive Director Nick Tobey, MSOD, at [email protected] or visit the program page and registration links below.Program Information: https://priceexecutiveacademy.ou.edu/... (https://bit.ly/OUFutureAD)Register Here: https://bit.ly/FutureADRegistration
The Modern AD
2026/06/22
New AD interview out on Tuesday with Houston AD Eddie Nunez. Until then...some of you may have listened to me introduce HEA Insider subscription a few weeks ago. I've since rebranded it to "The Modern AD" and I want to share the first monthly edition with you for free. The Modern AD is a monthly briefing on the business, leadership, and evolution of the athletic director position from the perspective of university presidents.
Each edition features insights and short lists for AD openings, unseen AD and college president interviews, leadership hiring trends, conference-wide AD and president backgrounds, cabinet position descriptions, deputy AD profiles, and original articles on the future of the AD position.
Designed for busy practitioners, The Modern AD helps current and aspiring ADs better understand the role of university presidents and the ecosystem they work in. I hope you like it.
The first monthly edition is free and ad-free: https://higheredathletics.com/mad-june-2026/
If you feel like you got $10 worth of knowledge, consider tipping to support HEA: https://higheredathletics.com/mad-june-2026/#tip
If you're ready for next month's paid edition, subscribe today ($20/month) but don't get billed until the next edition in late July: https://higheredathletics.com/mad-june-2026/#subscribe
Western Michigan Athletic Director Dan Bartholomae
2026/06/16
Dan Bartholomae and I cover a lot in this conversation because there has been a lot going on with the Broncos. Bartholomae starts off explaining how WMU is going to play a hockey game at their football stadium next year and turning it into a weeklong community opportunity to get on the ice. We then talk about the new Kalamazoo Event Center that will be the new home of the WMU hockey and basketball programs. Bartholomae takes me behind-the-scenes of their men's basketball coaching search and that naturally leads into a discussion about scheduling games with the expansion of March Madness. The conversation ends with Bartholomae sharing his department's strategy for uniform patches and why it won't be a failure if they don't have a patch by the fall.
0:00 Introduction3:20 Hockey at a Football Stadium8:05 New Arena for Basketball and Hockey14:30 Opportunities with the Old Arena Space20:05 Men's Basketball Head Coach Search28:35 Scheduling Fallout from Expansion of March Madness & CFP33:55 Uniform Patch Strategy36:50 Advice for Almost ADsAD Vantage empowers athletic directors with comprehensive staff data, performance analytics, and AI-powered candidate insights to make smarter hiring, compensation, and retention decisions in an era where every dollar counts.PILYTIX is an A.I. technology company dedicated to solutions that generate revenue, save time, and reduce costs for universities and sports & entertainment organizations. More Money. Less Time. Lower Costs. Onrise provides complete mental health Coverage for your Athletes. One call. Same-day setup. Your athletes get immediate access to peer support from retired pros, licensed clinicians, and 24/7 crisis care. Less than one in-house FTE. No hiring hassles. No initiative fatigue.Game One is the apparel company that can outfit your teams in Adidas, Nike or Under Armour.
Fresno State Athletic Director Garrett Klassy
2026/06/01
Garrett Klassy has been the AD at Fresno State for almost 2 years and is leading the Bulldogs into the Pac-12 this summer. Expect to hear a lot in this interview, beginning with the evolving profile of the FBS AD position. I asked Garrett if he thinks FBS ADs will always be the key decision-maker for head coaching hires throughout the department or if that will maybe fall off to a deputy AD in the future as the job becomes less day-to-day involvement and more of a big picture role. Klassy is also one of several former ADs that left the chair for a P4 deputy AD job that eventually launched him back into the AD chair at a different level. Has this trend become the norm? He then talks about the relaunch of the Pac-12 and why it makes sense for Fresno State. The conversation ends with some advice for those that may feel like they came up in one area of college athletics and feel typecasted and want to still progress towards the AD job. 0:00 Introduction1:27 Why Garrett Klassy thinks he was the right person at Fresno State two years ago10:14 Will ADs always be the decision-maker on head coaching hires?17:00 ADs becoming Deputies to launch into new AD chair position20:15 Relaunch of the Pac-12 discussion26:55 Pivoting after feeling typecasted to progress towards AD chairAD Vantage empowers athletic directors with comprehensive staff data, performance analytics, and AI-powered candidate insights to make smarter hiring, compensation, and retention decisions in an era where every dollar counts. PILYTIX is an A.I. technology company dedicated to solutions that generate revenue, save time, and reduce costs for universities and sports & entertainment organizations. More Money. Less Time. Lower Costs. Onrise provides complete mental health Coverage for your Athletes. One call. Same-day setup. Your athletes get immediate access to peer support from retired pros, licensed clinicians, and 24/7 crisis care. Less than one in-house FTE. No hiring hassles. No initiative fatigue.Game One is the apparel company that can outfit your teams in Adidas, Nike or Under Armour.
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NILnomics 2025/10/20
Great info
Travis is a leader in tracking AD changes across college athletics. Truly an industry leader. Anyone in this space would be well served tuning in.
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