1.question Podcast

Warde Manuel, Director of Athletics at Michigan, visits with @TaiMBrown on the 1.Question Podcast to discuss his role in ensuring that all sports feel valued within the athletics department. Acknowledging that the majority of media coverage goes to football and basketball, Manuel dives in to developing an internal culture of celebrating all sports and their respective Student-Athletes.

Keith Hackett, Director of Athletics at Cornell College, visits with @TaiMBrown and the 1.Question Podcast. Hackett talks about leading while facing budget cuts and budgetary restrictions. He specifically discusses the difficulty of cutting sports. A key takeaway that Hackett identifies is that no matter the size of the budget, making responsible, tough financial decisions is one of the key responsibilities of anyone in the chair.

Craig McPhail, VP of Athletics at Lees-McRae College visits with @TaiMBrown on the 1.Question Podcast. McPhail discusses how the "Vice President" title has enhanced his leadership on campus. He also touches on preparations for the arrival of a new president in an environment where Student-Athletes represent 40% of the total student enrollment.

In part 2 of the conversation with Dr. China Jude, Sr. Association AD for Admin & SWA at Wyoming, discusses her approach to learning as much as possible in her new position and how her previous experience as a Director of Athletics will help lead to success in this new role.

Dan Schumacher, Director of Athletics at UW-Eau Claire, visits 1.Question Podcast co-host @TaiMBrown at the 2018 NCAA Convention. Schumacher, currently in his third AD job, discusses doing your best due diligence to understand the issues you may face when taking on a new leadership role. He points out that problems are usually deeper than the eye can see.

Dr. China Jude, Senior Associate AD for Administration & SWA at Wyoming, visits the 1.Question Podcast to discuss her career up to this point. In the first of two parts, Dr. Jude discusses her thought process during her very successful tenure as the Director of Athletics at Queens College. Conference championships, core values, and revenue generation highlight the discussion points in this interview.

Tim McMurray, Director of Athletics at Texas A&M Commerce, visits with 1.Question to talk about the Lions NCAA Division II football championship and the athletic department's "Best in Class" initiative which puts heavy emphasis on providing an excellent Student-Athlete experience. McMurray talks about culture, resources, opportunities, and people being the driver for success at TAMU-Commerce.

In the second part of his 1.Question interview, Coach Tim Teykl, Director of High School Relations at University of Houston, discusses the role he plays within the football program, and ultimately, the athletics department as a whole. Coach Teykl also discusses the emphasis on compliance, promoting other sports at Houston, and helping other programs in the state set up similar positions.

In the second part of his 1.Question interview, Coach Shaw addresses what he sees as a major deficiency in the development of young people today. He mentions the responsibility that coaches (and leaders in general) have in teaching humility, and emphasizing the importance of self-evaluation. 

@TaiMBrown visits with Julie Soriero, Director of Athletics at MIT, during the 2018 NCAA Convention. Soriero, a former coach and longtime administrator, discusses the aspects of positioning oneself for career advancement. The 2018 NCAA President's Pat Summit Award winner also touches on the topic of women in leadership positions within athletics.

@TaiMBrown visits with David Shaw, Head Football Coach at Stanford University, at the 2018 AFCA Convention. Coach Shaw talks about his philosophy on communicating with recruits, "Start as you mean to go on." Essentially, he saying that coaches should be the adult in recruiting conversations. Shaw also discusses the differences in communicating the same message to today's youth.

1.Q Co-host Tai Brown visits with Tim Teykl, Director of High School Relations at University of Houston, during the 2018 AFCA Convention. The discussion centers around the concern people have about the growing number of staff members within college football programs. In the first of a two-part conversation, the long time coaching veteran contrasts the reasons why the High School Relations position is necessary with a look at how college football programs handled the responsibilities in the past.

Tai Brown visits with Valerie Cleary, Director of Athletics at Portland State University, during the 2018 NCAA convention. Cleary discusses the thought process needed, as a leader, to be able to make tough decisions. She mentions the difficulty ADs face when deciding to eliminate a sport. As we hear from many seasoned executives, core values play a major role in the process.

Tai Brown talks with Dr. Brian Hainline at the 2018 NCAA Convention. Dr. Hainline, Chief Medical Officer for the NCAA, addresses the medical concerns that are currently on the forefront of the minds of all who are involved with Student-Athletes. The biggest issue he identifies is mental health. Hainline discusses best practices provided by the NCAA, including a simple teaching module which touches on the ABCs of mental health, which can be found at www.ncaa.org/ssi

Tai Brown visits with David Cutcliffe, Head Football Coach at Duke University, during the 2018 AFCA Convention. Coach Cutcliffe, known for hiring and developing young coaches, discusses his philosophy on creating a culture for success; specifically with young professionals. He also talks about how the environment created by Kevin White, Duke Athletic Director, has allowed for success in leadership development.

Tai Brown sets up shop at the 2018 NCAA Convention and visits with Rob Carolla, Director of Communications at College Football's 150th Anniversary. Carolla discusses the organization designed to spearhead college football's sesquicentennial celebration. The NCAA and the College Football Playoff are among the parties involved.

Tai Brown caught up with Footballscoop.com owner, Scott Roussel, at the American Football Coaches Association's 2018 national coaches convention. The man behind the scoop discusses his role in gathering "intel" while keeping sources confidential for over 10 years. Roussel specifically addresses how he has been able to create and maintain an environment for trust and credibility. He also touches on the truth about Athletic Directors and their relationship with his website.

Tai Brown talks with Mike London at the 2018 American Football Coaches Association's national convention. London, Head Football Coach at Howard University, discusses the investment the school has made in athletics, and specifically football as it works to establish itself as a player at the D1-FCS level.

Tai Brown visits with Tim Cassidy, Senior Associate Athletic Director for Football Operations at Arizona State University. With 35 years of experience, Tim has been involved with numerous football coaching transitions. In this conversation, Cassidy talks about the ups and downs of being a constant in a very precarious profession.

Tai Brown catches up with Kyle Vasey, Assistant Athletics Director for Strategic Planning at University of Alabama. With data analytics playing an ever-increasing role in strategic decisions, Vasey's position enhances the department by offering input in the business side, as well as the competition side of Alabama athletics. This could be a possibly be a position replicated across the industry.