Higher Ed Athletics

Travis Smith
  • 5.0 (14)
  • Sports
  • Biweekly

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.

  1. 3d ago

    St. Joe's Athletic Director Ash Puri

    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 it take to be an effective AD at a Catholic university in 2026 when college athletics is changing so much? Puri talks about how AI can help an AD and athletic department. The conversation then turns to the inside thought process behind SJU's Main Line Health uniform patch. Ash discusses how he approached the overall assessment of the athletic department when he took the job at SJU. Puri then shares his leadership style and who he models it after from others in his career. Ash also shares why it's important to look at different industries for inspiration and understanding what publications are worth the time. 0:00 Introduction0:34 Connection to Philadelphia4:20 How does a Philly AD navigate a crowded sports city11:15 What does it take to be an effective AD at a Catholic University?18:54 Initiative for Human Formation in an Age of AI26:55 Background on the SJU & Main Line Heath Uniform Patch34:45 Assessment Upon Arrival39:20 Not Having to Move for your Job41:00 Leadership Style49:30 Studying and Learning for Inspiration53:40 Course Outline for Professor Ash PuriAD 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

  2. Oct 29

    The Modern AD - 004 Edition (Full Read)

    Listen to me read the latest edition of The Modern AD, my monthly online magazine. Use the chapters to find the information and articles you're most interested in, or listen all the way through. 0:00 Letter from Travis: Next HEA Road Trip2:19 IU's Scott Dolson (interview recap)13:28 Toledo's Tom Moreland (interview recap)25:00 The Advancement Pipeline35:45 The Missing Seat47:02 D1 AD Hiring Trends + Tracker54:28 FBS AD Reactions (UCLA, FSU, Iowa State, Miami, Michigan)1:12:06 The Sports Dept AND the Athletic Dept1:24:51 Water from the Rock, Arms on the Hill

  3. Oct 20

    Oral Roberts Athletic Director Tim Johnson

    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

  4. Oct 6

    Toledo Athletic Director Tom Moreland

    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

  5. Sep 21

    Indiana Athletic Director Scott Dolson

    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

  6. Sep 8

    North Texas Athletic Director Jared Mosley

    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

  7. Aug 25

    Tulsa Athletic Director Justin Moore

    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/

  8. Aug 12

    Indiana State President Mike Godard + AD Nathan Christensen

    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/

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Ratings & Reviews

5
out of 5
14 Ratings

About

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.

Information

  • Creator
    Travis Smith
  • Years Active
    2019 - 2026
  • Episodes
    80
  • Rating
    Clean
  • Copyright
    © Travis Smith
  • Show Website
    Higher Ed Athletics

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