Category: Athletic Directors

Ash Puri became the VP/AD at Saint Joseph’s University in May 2026 and has built a deep connection to the city of Philadelphia after serving as AD at La Salle and a senior administrator at Villanova. I ask Ash what it’s like being an AD in such a crowded Philly sports scene. And what does…

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…

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…

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…

The latest edition of The Modern AD is available now 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…

Sign up for an AD Chair Strategy Session with Travis: ⁠https://higheredathletics.com/strategysession/ Another stop on the HEA Road Trip 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:…

I stopped in to interview Mike Buddie on my recent HEA Road Trip. 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…

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…

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…