Higher Ed Athletics Travis Smith

Donde Plowman became the chancellor at UT-Knoxville in 2019 and will be known to the HEA audience as the person that hired Danny White to help turnaround the athletic department. Plowman identifies proudly as a builder and an organizational scientist. This interview focuses on changes she made, why she thinks Danny White was able to get buy-in with Vols fans, and shares several internal/external communication and change management techniques for new leaders.

1:20 - For those that don’t understand the role of a chancellor or president, what are some of the things you deal with in managing such a large institution?

3:05 - Can you explain the composition (people) and the purpose of the UTK Campus Advisory Board?

6:05 - How did the Peyton Manning and UT relationship evolve into a professor of practice position? Any details on what he has or will be doing in this role?

11:05 - Everyone in athletics understands how Danny White helped lead the transformation of the athletic department at UCF but I think there was some skepticism on whether he could recreate it at UT. It sure seems like the department is thriving under his leadership. Thoughts on why he was able to get the buy-in from folks in Knoxville?

16:15 - You are described as an organizational scientist with research that includes the topics of leadership, change management, and strategic decision-making. When you arrived at UT as the chancellor in 2019, or even during the interview process, what and how did you examine what needed to change?

25:40 - What would you recommend to someone new to a leadership position, like a new athletic director, and how they can come in and analyze the place to know what needs changed?

30:00 - What does a Chancellor Plowman-led Cabinet meeting look like and how often do you all meet as a group and/or individually?

35:15 - What do you think about my independent study on tying academic program review to athletic department evaluations?

Auburn AD John Cohen hit the ground running after being named to the position in October 2022. Previously, Cohen was the AD at SEC foe Mississippi State. He talks about his mentors in current SEC ADs Greg Byrne and Mitch Barnhart and how they helped shape him into an AD while still being a baseball coach. Cohen shares what a head coach experience brings to the AD chair and whether the changes in college athletics will result in more coaches looking to administration roles. Cohen talks extensively about how he has put together his senior leadership team at Auburn and what he looks for in a senior associate AD caliber position. Cohen rounds out the conversation talking about the current events in college athletics, including how he makes a decision and filters information, and what current and future ADs should know about baseball playoffs and conference realignment effects as he rolls off the D1 Baseball Committee.


1. Mentors. Can you share what you learned from being around Greg Byrne and Mitch Barnhart as a coach or administrator that helped you realize your AD potential?

2. Coaching Background. What are some specific ways you being a successful baseball coach helped you have a shorter learning curve to the AD position?

3. Coach to AD Chair. AD positions used to primarily be the next chapter for a coach. With the demands placed on coaches to continuously recruit 24/7, will we see coaches get into administration again?

4. Evaluating Head Coaches. How do you like to hire and evaluate head coaches?

5. Navigating Change. How are ADs able to navigate so many constant changes and uncertainties these last several years and looking ahead to the next 10+ years? Is there reliable information getting to you or is it trying to read or listen and determine what’s real or not?

6. Updating Presidents. What is it like trying to keep a president updated on everything right now?

7. Decision-Making Process. Lots of decisions to be made as an AD of such a high-profile branded school like Auburn. What is your process for a major decision?

8. Senior Administration Team. You have made several additions and reappointments within your senior leadership team since arriving at Auburn. How did you go about identifying the needs and finding the correct people to plug into those important positions?

9. Senior Associate ADs. What does a typical senior administration meeting look like for you?

10. Baseball Playoff Issues. What should current or future ADs understand about college baseball playoff issues in evaluation and
seeding teams?

11. Realignment Effects on Baseball. Will conference realignment we’ve seen in 2023 have any effect on college baseball and the tournament?

12. Thoughts on the Future. What will college athletics look like at this level 10 or 20 years from now?

Travis: "If you are invited to join an FBS conference, what would the institution have to consider if you're fielding those offers?" Mario: "The institution would probably have to consider how fast I could get there to sign the paperwork."

From the HEA archives in November 2021 with timeless insights. Mario Moccia is an alumnus and former standout baseball player at New Mexico State where he now serves as Athletic Director. Moccia starts by sharing how he took a different path to the AD chair than former Mizzou colleagues Ross Bjork (Texas A&M AD) and Chris Del Conte (Texas AD) by heading to an FCS school before arriving in Las Cruces. NMSU recently announced their transition from the WAC to Conference USA in all sports. This interview was recorded in the summer before conference realignment and I asked Moccia about the long-term plan for their independent football program and the positioning of the WAC, which will help the change make sense. He did say Conference USA and Mountain West were the only two likely FBS conferences. Moccia also shares all the details on their unique approach to consumable product licensing, now boasting their own beer, wine, whiskey, tequila, coffee, and even a candle. This has been an incredible (and fun) revenue generator for NMSU athletics and has other ADs wanting in on the idea. And if you've ever wondered how a football schedule is created for an independent, Moccia talks about their strategy that they probably won't miss once they begin conference play in their new conference.


0:10 AD Chair as an Alumnus
3:20 Differences in AD Jobs at Different D1 Levels
7:00 Dealing with Indirect Financial Implications in NIL for the Athletic Dept
13:50 Long-Term Strategy for NMSU Football
19:35 Scheduling Decisions of an Independent Football Program
24:15 College Football Playoff Expansion Changes to Scheduling Money Games
28:40 Innovating Licensed Consumable Products
37:40 Taste Test Event for Salsa as the Land Grant Institution
45:55 Other Potential Revenue Ideas for College Athletics
47:30 The Eventual Future of Sponsored Uniform Patches

From the HEA archives in May 2021 with timeless insights. Arizona State University as an institution is known for innovation and doing things differently. As you'll discover in this interview, the athletic department has embraced that culture of innovation under President Crow and Vice President/Athletic Director Ray Anderson. This episode is packed with campus collaborations, such as with the ASU Global Sport Institute, led by his former Stanford football teammate and agent Kenneth Shropshire, and using experiences outside of college athletics and bringing them in to help him and the athletic department prepare for the changes ahead in college athletics. Anderson is also a professor in the Sandra Day O'Connor College of Law at ASU and shares why he continues to teach class.


0:45 NFL Experience Helping in the AD Chair
2:25 Culture of Innovation at ASU
4:48 Athletic Facility Priorities
7:06 Local Resistance to ASU Changes
9:25 Adding Instead of Dropping Sports
12:52 Why You Signed Contract Extension
16:07 Agent Experience Helping Understand Changes
18:30 Professor of Law
22:05 ASU Global Sport Institute Partnership
26:36 AD Advice for Embracing Industry Changes

Jeramiah Dickey is the next guest on Higher Ed Athletics to talk about his rise to the AD position at Boise State and the behind-the-scenes work for the transformational changes the Broncos are experiencing. Intentionality is the theme I was left with after speaking with Dickey before, during and after the interview. Jeramiah explains how he learned from great ADs like Mack Rhoades, Lisa Campos and Hunter Yurachek along the way through observational learning and taking situational mental notes. He also believes strongly that you can learn things in any job to become a better AD one day, including learning from your donors that run businesses. Dickey explains the vision for their "What's Next" initiative and the steps being taken at the institutional and state level to keep building and innovating at Boise State. Dickey ends the talk by explaining his thinking about acknowledging history without being constrained by it, something I think will be important for the up-and-coming generation of athletic directors.

0:00 Introduction
0:20 Communication Style w/ BSU's President & Her Leadership Team
8:30 Getting Extra Experiences on the way to Becoming an AD
15:30 Travis Shares Journaling Hack for Professional Development
16:45 Deploying an Unbelievable Memory for Observations and Mental Notes
27:35 Behind the Scenes for the "What's Next" Initiative and Infrastructure Plan
40:10 Explaining the Approval Process of State-Funded Athletic Facility Projects
48:30 Acknowledging History but Not Continuing to Live in it

Former Racer starting quarterback Nico Yantko is now leading the Murray State athletic department. Yantko begins the conversation talking about his initial preparation for the interview and first days on the job. The conversation continues to speak heavily to his vision and decision-making. Yantko talks about the need to be quick but not in a hurry when making decisions as a new AD even when you want to do so much from day one. The switch to the MVC and MVFC is discussed as well as the recently announced presenting sponsor for women's basketball that will make admission free to the community. Yantko ends the conversation with a passionate discussion about the Dennis Jackson Leadership Program and how the department looks to support Racer student-athletes for long-term growth.

0:00: Introduction
5:40: Initial Strategy and List of Priorities During Interview and Early On The Job
11:10 Approach To Coming To A Decision
13:36 Having A Close Group Of Confidants
16:10 Realities Of The Job And How They Change The Vision
18:30 Moving Into The AD Chair From The Deputy Position
23:25 Transitioning Into The Valley
28:12 Presenting Sponsor Announcement for Women's Basketball Free Admission
32:30 Dennis Jackson Leadership Program And Recruiting To Retirement