From The Chair with Mike Hamilton

St. John's Mike Cragg - Director of Athletics

St John's AD Mike Cragg joins this week's "From the Chair." Mike and I discuss his 30 year tenure at Duke, including his insider's perspective on Coach K's career and success. We also spend time on St John's basketball history and the future of the Big East....we wrap up discussing the Hill to Laettner pass to beat Kentucky and his best memories from the events of his career..... See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/priv...

Texas Tech's Kirby Hocutt - Director of Athletics

Texas Tech AD Kirby Hocutt joins this week's version of "From the Chair." Kirby addresses the number of K-State football staff/team members for the '90s in leadership roles in today's environment and then unpacks the power of relationships and those who impacted him. We also discuss the necessity of having relationships that build your leadership capacity, what he has learned about hiring coaches, thoughts around today's most burning concerns and the future of Red Raider Athletics. ...

Stephen F. Austin's Ryan Ivey - Director of Athletics

Stephen F Austin AD Ryan Ivey joins this episode of “From the Chair.” Ryan and I discuss diving into change at a new institution, honoring the past but looking to the future, implementing a new and challenging vision, establishing values and setting expectations, moving SFA Athletics from the Southland to the WAC, hiring head coaches, a mentor’s role in creating aspirations and much, much more….  See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https...

South Dakota's David Herbster - Athletic Director

Joining me on today's "From the Chair" is University of South Dakota AD David Herbster. David and I discuss the post-season run of the WBB Program, the Eric Peterson MBB hire, lessons from his three different stops as an AD, how to navigate the position you're in, lessons from the last 24 months, the future of D1...and the correct pronunciation of Coyote.... See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-inf...

Kent State's Randale Richmond - Director of Athletics

Kent State AD Randale Richmond joins this week's episode of "From the Chair." Randale speaks to being a "statistical anomaly," recounts influencers and influences in his life, opportunities accessed and experiences gained. We also talk about "internal backgrounds" in sport administration, his meticulous interview preparation, the power of transformational leadership and what's next once you get an AD opportunity.  See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Priva...

Northern Illinois' Sean Frazier - Vice President/Director of Athletics and Recreation

Joining this week's episode of "From the Chair" is NIU AD Sean Frazier. Sean and I dive in on his work nationally around DEI over the last two years and his insights on growth in this area - both in the student athlete arena and well as in administrative leadership roles. We also talk about his personal growth as a leader during the pandemic and with a major change in his football program. We discuss his candid and insightful thoughts on the portal, NIL and the D1 Transformation Com...

SMU's Rick Hart - Director of Athletics

Listen in to today's episode of "From the Chair" with SMU AD Rick Hart. Rick and I discuss being a third generation athletic administrator, the evolution of the student-athlete experience and today's opportunities as a result. We also dive in on the future of D1 Athletics post-Transformation Committee, college athletics' historical communication patterns and then finish with a discussion of SMU Athletics and its place in the DFW Metroplex. A good listen- tune in.... See Privacy Pol...

Oregon's Rob Mullens - Athletic Director

Listen in to this week’s guest on “From the Chair,” Oregon AD Rob Mullens. Rob and I discuss AD tenures, his engagement with the Olympic/Paralympic ThinkTank, renovations at historic Hayward Field, maintaining a student-athlete focus, the impact Penny and Phil Knight have had on the University, hiring Dan Lanning and more.... See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Florida State's Michael Alford - VP and Director of Athletics

Florida State VP and Director of Athletics Michael Alford joins this episode of " From the Chair." Alford discusses lessons learned from working with some of the sports most iconic leaders at places with big brands. He details his leadership philosophy centered around critical and clear communications, and why he uses proactive data analytics assessments in hiring, but also in evaluating talent. He also dives in on his decision to risk leaving an FBS AD job to head to a legendary de...

North Dakota State's Matt Larsen - Director of Athletics

LA Tech's Dr. Eric Wood - Director of Athletics/Vice President

Dr Eric Wood, Director of Athletics at Louisiana Tech joins this episode of “From the Chair.” Eric discusses the idea of maximizing the job you’re in, taking advantage of chances to expand your skill set, lessons learned from serving on his alma mater’s Board of Trustees, serving as a first year AD in midst of all that faces college athletics today and much more…. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-...

Georgia's Josh Brooks - Director of Athletics

a See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Syracuse's John Wildhack - Director of Athletics

Syracuse Director of Athletics John Wildhack joins this week’s episode of “From the Chair.” John unpacks serving as AD at his alma mater and what drives him. He discusses his 30 years at ESPN, producing college football’s first broadcast while there, the evolution of media, technology and broadcast production and what’s next. Lastly, he also shares lessons learned in the last 24 months of the pandemic. Listen in….. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Priv...

Tulane's Troy Dannen - Director of Athletics

Join us for this week's edition of "From the Chair" with Tulane Director of Athletics Troy Dannen. Troy spends time on his role on the NCAA Constitution Committee, the outcomes this far and what to anticipate next over the next twelve months. We also visit about Tulane's historical contingency plans around hurricane activity and a number of stories from this Fall's displacement to Birmingham. All that and more on this week's edition.... See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/priva...

Georgia Southern's Jared Benko - Director of Athletics

Listen in to today’s episode of “From the Chair” with Georgia Southern Director of Athletics Jared Benko. Jared weighs in on his experience at four SEC schools, creating standards of excellence as a new AD, philosophy behind mid-year coaching changes, what he looks for in coach hires, what he saw that stood out with new FB Coach Clay Helton, where the Sun Belt landed in conference realignment, how we will navigate CoVid in 2022 and lastly, his love of the grill and specifically… bri...

DePaul's DeWayne Peevy - Vice President and Director of Athletics

On today’s episode of “From the Chair” we are joined by DePaul University Vice President and Director of Athletics DeWayne Peevy. Dwayne discusses “Dreaming Big,” being given a chance to grow and learn under Kentucky AD Mitch Barnhart, his relationship with Coach John Calipari and his thoughts and plans to return Blue Demon Basketball back to national relevance and success.  See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#d...

Kansas State's Gene Taylor - Director of Athletics

Listen in to this episode of “From the Chair” as we are joined by KState Director of Athletics Gene Taylor. Gene provides insight on working with legendary administrator Jack Lengyl, moving North Dakota St from NCAA D2 to D1, setting the foundation for success there, working through a transition plan w Hall of Famer Coach Bill Snyder and then closes with some candid discussion about realignment news earlier in 2021 and his most recent appointment to the CFP Committee. See Privacy P...

Montana State's Leon Costello - Director of Athletics

Montana State Director of Athletics Leon Costello joins “From the Chair” on this week’s episode. Listen in as Leon discusses strategic plan assessment, hiring to cultural fit, facility sequencing, the Brawl of the Wild, Big Sky football success and much more… See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Oregon State's Scott Barnes - Vice President and Director of Intercollegiate Athletics

Join us this week on “From the Chair” as Scott Barnes, VP and Director of Intercollegiate Athletics at Oregon State is our guest. Scott discusses AD and Presidential alignment, reflections from serving as Chair of the NCAA Basketball Committee, “punching above your weight class” in pursuit of Championships, the 2021 post-season basketball run by the Beavers, Reser renovations and more… See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.co...

Southern Miss's - Jeremy McClain - Director of Athletics

Joining us on this week’s “From the Chair” is Southern Miss AD Jeremy McClain. Jeremy discusses his trek from Houlka, MS to a successful baseball career and ultimately back to his alma mater Delta State. He became AD at age 30 with no athletic administration experience and has now moved on to AD stints at Troy and his current role at Southern Miss. We will talk about hiring tendencies, stepping outside your comfort zone, taking chances, Southern Miss and the decision to move to the ...

Memphis' Laird Veatch - Vice President and Director of Intercollegiate Athletics

University of Memphis AD Laird Veatch is up on this week’s “From the Chair”. Listen in as we discuss how Memphis is bouncing back from CoVid, conference realignment and where Memphis sits in the equation, his thoughts on the CFP and possible expansion, his time with LEARFIELD and applied lessons to his job as an AD today, playing for Bill Snyder, adopting a son, a politically correct assessment of Memphis BBQ…..and more.  See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and Californ...

Washington State's Pat Chun - Director of Athletics

This week’s “From the Chair” features Washington St AD Pat Chun. Pat discusses the arrival of new PAC12 Commissioner George Kliavkoff, the Alliance, what it means to have great Presidential alignment, development strategy, doing more with less but still expecting championship performance, the flag waver society, the Palouse, and whether Lane Kiffin or Mike Leach is a better Twitter follow. All that and more….. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy N...

Eastern Michigan's Scott Wetherbee - Vice President/Director of Athletics

This week’s “From the Chair” features Eastern Michigan AD Scott Wetherbee. Join us as Scott discusses mentors and his career path, what it means to “outwork” people in college athletics, how he has honed his fundraising chops at EMU leading to the University’s biggest gift in history, what it looks like to engage a student body when your athletic facilities are off-campus, the ins and outs of the transfer portal and more….  See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and Califo...

Vanderbilt's Candice Storey Lee - Vice Chancellor • Athletics and University Affairs and Athletic Director

Vanderbilt AD Candice Storey Lee joins “From the Chair” and discusses the decentralizing of NCAA activity around allowing conferences to set the standards for educational related benefits being distributed to student-athletes, her career at Vanderbilt and the advantages of her length of time on campus, the importance of having smart people around you who are willing to challenge you in the right way, her perspective on how athletics has approached race relations and some of the majo...

Boise State's Jeramiah Dickey, Director of Athletics

Join us as Boise State University AD Jeramiah Dickey talks starting a new job during a pandemic, hiring a coach within his first week on the job, conference realignment for Boise State, and his favorite place to eat Mexican! All that and more on this episode of From the Chair. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Charlotte's Mike Hill, Director of Athletics

Charlotte AD Mike Hill joins “From the Chair” and discusses the role former Florida AD Jeremy Foley played in his career and in his leadership philosophy, the excitement on the Charlotte campus with the University trajectory, new athletic and institutional branding and the progress being made in Football since its launch in 2013. Mike also gives his thoughts on NIL, the role Chris Fuller plays on his staff and lastly….what’s on his surprising Spotify playlist and what band he’s seen...

Tennessee's Danny White, Vice Chancellor/Director of Athletics

Join us as University of Tennessee AD Danny White unpacks what it has been like growing up in a family steeped in athletic administration experience, why he chose to come to Tennessee, why Josh Heupel was his choice for football coach and his excitement around seeing UCF’s upcoming move to the BIG12. All that and more on this episode of From the Chair….. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info. ...

Ohio University's Julie Cromer, Director of Athletics

Ohio AD Julie Cromer joins “From the Chair” for an informative discussion on her perspective as both a long term NCAA staff member and a senior level staff member and AD on campus to offer insights on historical context around governance, communication gaps and what might be forthcoming as the industry examines the future of the college athletic model. Julie also unpacks how evidence based decision-making informs her coaching hires and in the midst of this year’s realignment news, w...

Utah State Vice President & Athletics Director John Hartwell

Join us as Utah St AD John Hartwell dives in on his philosophy on new coach hires, how he led his MBB search without a search firm involved and why fit matters among other key factors in the hiring process. We will also look at John’s career track, thoughts on leadership development for the industry’s rising stars, John’s thoughts on recent conference realignment and pick up a real estate tip along the way.  See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Not...

Utah State's John Hartwell, Vice President & Athletics Director

Join us as Utah St AD John Hartwell dives in on his philosophy on new coach hires, how he led his MBB search without a search firm involved and why fit matters among other key factors in the hiring process. We will also look at John’s career track, thoughts on leadership development for the industry’s rising stars, John’s thoughts on recent conference realignment and pick up a real estate tip along the way.  See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Not...

Texas A&M Director of Athletics Ross Bjork

Join us as Texas A&M AD Ross Bjork discusses a host of topics including his career track and mentors, personal lessons learned from the pandemic, how to manage through leadership transitions, why coaching continuity matters, the most recent realignment news and the future of the NCAA. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Texas A&M's Ross Bjork, Director of Athletics

Join us as Texas A&M AD Ross Bjork discusses a host of topics including his career track and mentors, personal lessons learned from the pandemic, how to manage through leadership transitions, why coaching continuity matters, the most recent realignment news and the future of the NCAA. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

From the Chair with Mike Hamilton Returns Soon!!

New episodes coming soon!! See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Whit Babcock (Virginia Tech)

Whit Babcock, Director of Athletics at Virginia Tech, joins Mike Hamilton on the From the Chair Podcast as the two discuss Babcock's involvement in the transition of legendary football coach, Frank Beamer, playing a football game at the Bristol Speedway, and advice to those looking to become athletic directors.

Wren Baker (University of North Texas)

Wren Baker, Vice President & Director of Athletics at North Texas, joins Mike Hamilton on the From the Chair Podcast as the two discuss Baker’s path to his current position. From graduate assistant to middle school principal to AD and head basketball coach, Baker’s background is highlighted throughout the discussion. The two also dive into UNT’s recent success in athletics and how the department’s momentum can be traced to its strategic plan.

Chris Del Conte (Texas)

Chris Del Conte, Vice President of Athletics at Texas, joins Mike Hamilton on the From the Chair Podcast to discuss his recent move to join the University of Texas. Del Conte talks about the massive size of the department and his approach to bring success to the department. He discusses how his background shapes his philosophy on people, relationships, and why he works in athletics. He also discusses his philosophy on being present, dressing nice, and the importance of first impressions.

Desiree Reed-Francois (UNLV)

Desiree Reed-Francois, AD at UNLV, talks about how an major accident in her family led to her career in athletics. She reflects on working with legendary coaches such as Pat Summitt and Frank Beamer. The discussion also touches on the benefits of diversity as she has hired former student-athletes, as well as a number of people from different ethnicities to work in her department. Throughout the conversation, Reed-Francois emphasizes the importance of having a purpose for working in college a...

Hunter Yurachek (University of Arkansas)

Hunter Yuracheck, Vice Chancellor and Director of Athletics at University of Arkansas, discusses his unique situation of being hired less than 24 hours before the new football coach was named. He heaps praise on the Chancellor and the interim AD, Cromer Peoples, for simultaneously executing two major searches in a relatively short period of time. He also talks on the outstanding job done by his predecessors, Jeff Long and legendary Coach and AD, Frank Broyles. Speaking on culture, Yurachek e...

Sean Frazier (Northern Illinois University)

Sean Frazier, Director of Athletics at Northern Illinois University, discusses how his experience with college ice hockey as an NCAA D2 & D3 AD helped propel him to his current position. He roots his leadership philosophy in getting the right people in the right positions, developing them, and empowering them to be able to do the job on a daily basis. Speaking about his mentors, Frazier is very hearty in his appreciation for his development under Barry Alvarez and others he has learned from ...

Gary Barta (Iowa)

Gary Barta, Director of Athletics at the University of Iowa, discusses his battle with prostate cancer and his staff's adjustment to his absence. He also speaks about his concerns with college athletics, specifically identifying money as the root of most if not all issues. The tenured AD recalls legendary summer retreats with others who serve in the chair as being very instrumental in developing many of the relationships that exist in the industry today.

Joe Parker (Colorado State)

Joe Hamilton, Colorado State Director of Athletics, talks about the benefit of having a new on-campus football stadium. CSU decided to build the new digs as opposed to renovating the existing stadium which was located four miles off-campus. Hamilton discusses how this decision and execution has brought a new energy on campus. The conversation also touches on his leadership influences, the importance of detaching every once in while, and who he follows on Twitter.

Todd Stewart (Western Kentucky)

In this episode of From the Chair, host Mike Hamilton speaks with Todd Stewart, Director of Athletics at Western Kentucky. Stewart discusses how his background in communications and media relations provided excellent training for his current role leading an athletics department. He also discusses the benefits of the relatively recent conference move and how it has proven to be a successful transition.

Mark Coyle (Minnesota)

In this episode of From the Chair, show host & former Tennessee Athletic Director Mike Hamilton speaks with Mark Coyle, Director of Athletics at University of Minnesota. Coyle discusses how his experiences working in multiple FBS conferences helped shape his style and leadership philosophy. Having hired three football coaches to three different institutions in a span of six years, Coyle relays a healthy understanding of the uniqueness of every search process. The conversation also delves int...

Lee Reed (Georgetown)

Lee Reed, Director of Athletics at Georgetown explains his motto of “Student-Athlete driven, Coach centered, Administrator assisted.” Reed goes into depth on the impact of his time spent away from college sports, managing a portfolio of McDonalds restaurants. This wide ranging conversation also touches on recent head coaching hires, making the decision to accept a new position, the reasons he attends the NACDA Convention, and the people in the industry who had the biggest influence on his ca...

Dan Radkovich (Clemson)

In this episode of From the Chair, host Mike Hamilton speaks with Dan Radakovich, Director of Athletics at Clemson University. Radakovich talks about how a note on a napkin from his football coach led to a new athletics facility. Radakovich covers how important it is for athletic administrators to support coaches by giving the coach the resources needed to be successful. Also, as he serves his final year on the College Football Playoff selection committee, Radakovich identifies what he belie...

Mitch Barnhart (Kentucky)

Former Tennessee AD Hamilton visits with Kentucky’s Barnhart in the latest edition of From The Chair from ADU. Barnhart talks on the importance of matching resources with expectations, as well as the enthusiasm Mbb coach Calipari brings to UK. Climbing Mt. Kilimanjaro, running marathons, and serving on the bball selection committee...much more.

Mark Ingram (UAB)

AthleticDirectorU is proud to introduce our newest feature, From the Chair with Mike Hamilton. Mike Hamilton, former Director of Athletics at Tennessee, will have intimate conversations with sitting AD's on their backgrounds, leadership philosophies, and contemporaneous issues in college athletics. In the first edition of From the Chair, Mark Ingram, Director of Athletics at UAB, talks about his journey from earning a scholarship as a walk-on football player, to being hired as the AD to ...