Houston Athletic Director Eddie Nuñez joins Higher Ed Athletics 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 Introduction
- 0:30 The Modern AD Preview
- 4:25 Thoughts on Ryan Berryman and Jalen Dominguez at New Mexico
- 11:05 Working with Long-Time Chancellor Renu Khator in this Era
- 13:15 How The AD Job is Similar to College Presidents
- 17:50 Blocking Out Industry Distractions and Extracting Good Information
- 20:50 Isomorphism in Higher Education and College Athletics
- 23:30 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 Strategy
- 33:48 Advice for Traditional Administrators to Stay the Course but LEARN Outside Comfort Zone
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