Category: Athletic Directors

Dr. Andrew Goodrich starts the conversation discussing how the similarities of being an FCS AD (previously at Gardner-Webb) outnumber the differences of being an FBS AD despite the incredibly low number of FBS ADs coming from that background. He then walks through the Akron AD search process being an active AD at the time. Goodrich…

Danny White joins me to talk alignment with Chancellor Plowman, including how they are both builders and change agents. The conversation first talks about his doctorate degree in higher education as the dissertation design is similar to mine. We then jump back into the concept of collective bargaining in college athletics. White explains his philosophy…

Sean Frazier joins to talk about Northern Illinois athletics and the future of the AD position in college athletics. Frazier starts the conversation explaining the strategy behind moving football to the Mountain West while keeping other sports regional with the Horizon League. Will they miss MACtion weeknight games? Sean expresses his concern about outsiders coming…

Amy Folan joins Higher Ed Athletics for a discussion about fundraising as well as her lessons learned and career journey from the Texas Longhorns to CMU. Folan shares her thought process behind the hiring of a new football coach this past offseason in Matt Drinkall who has now led the Chippewas to a bowl berth…

Justin Sell’s AD tree includes Montana State’s Leon Costello, Indiana State’s Nathan Christensen, and Ohio’s Slade Larscheid. This conversation starts with Sell breaking down each of their journeys to the AD chair and what he saw in them. Sell goes into depth on how to run a head coach search and what he looks for…

Jamie Boggs returns to the HEA podcast and the conversation picks up where we left off four years ago. Grand Canyon University is a large private Christian University in Phoenix and they are known for their men’s basketball home environment as the Havocs. Those in the industry know GCU has joined the Mountain West and…

Listen on Apple. Listen on Spotify. Rob Higgins is new on the job but you would never know that if you visited USF like I did this week. He’s a former ball boy and alumnus. You cannot use the word “potential” anymore around USF. Instead, I think the Bulls have arrived and USF is set…

Listen on Apple. Listen on Spotify. Maisha Kelly joins Higher Ed Athletics for a conversation about Drexel athletics in a post-House era. We talk about her start as a 6th grade teacher and how she built her career over time in 10 years at Bucknell leading to becoming Drexel’s AD. Kelly is working with a…

Embedded Fan. Community Insights. Listen on Apple. Listen on Spotify. Nathan Christensen joins HEA to discuss several topics, including his journey to the role, how he specifically prepared for the interview process at ISU, and the unique timing of stepping in alongside new university president, Dr. Mike Godard. Interesting tidbit for those that will interview…