Roles Of Athletic Director
“If you’re a clock-watcher, this is the wrong job for you, according to Chelsea athletic director, Wayne Welton (Kalahar, 2011). Athletic directors (AD’s), who work countless number of hours daily, challenge this forward thinking or idea. Most taking on numerous roles day in and day out, only to find themselves with task incomplete of request unfulfilled. The role of the athletic director, specifically at the high school level, has changed due to an increased workload, leading to burnout, while on the colligate level, the changes in rules and regulations has seen the job transform drastically.
AD’s (Angst, 2017) oversee all aspects of an athletic program, including hiring coaches, scheduling, budget preparation, promotion, compliance and …show more content…
facility management. Athletic directors provide guidance and direction for a school’s sports program.
They prepare a budget and allocate spending on items like coach’s salaries, team travel, equipment purchases, and facility upkeep. AD’s at the high school level work with other school administrators and staff to ensure student-athletes are successful in the class and academically eligible to participate in sports. At colleges, they also typically work with a compliance officer to make sure a program is acting within conference and NCAA (or other association) rules. At the major college level, some responsibilities are delegated, but the athletic director will oversee each process. Athletic directors spend time coordinating with coaches about the scheduling of games, practices, public events, etc., in addition, to scheduling conflicts. Travel plans, transportation, trips, etc., also fall under the AD’s supervision. They also maintain a dialogue with league officials about rule changes, post-season play, etc. AD’s are responsible for allocating when the athletic facilities (weight room, fields, etc.) are utilized amongst all programs. At the collegiate level, AD’s are responsible for hiring new coaches, which is often met with heavy criticism and scrutiny. On both levels, AD’s file reports on the status of the athletic program (each team), its successes and shortcomings. They …show more content…
typically mediate disputes between athletes and coaches or between coaches. The AD provides guidance for coaches and serves as the sounding board for coaches to discuss issues or career advancement (Angst, 2017). As the responsibilities have grown, state athletic numbers have as well. In the past, administrators such as principals and superintendents usually had some sort of athletic background, so the athletic directors have usually had someone to back them up (Furr, 2015). Ohio High School Athletic Association Assistant Commissioner, Jerry Snodgrass, had this to say about the evolution of the job:
Ohio is the third largest athletic state in the country behind Texas and California. With the amount of schools and sports we have, only having one person in each of the schools with all of that responsibility is tough. With the emphasis of testing and performance in schools, the administrators have a huge educational background now. So, the athletic directors are relied on a lot to handle the entire program (Furr, 2015).
These duties and responsibilities are lengthy and time consuming, causing many in the profession at the high school level, to leave prematurely citing burnout as the main reason.
“The reasons are varied for athletic directors not staying long. But a primary factor is the move to combine the AD position with other duties. According to a survey by the National Interscholastic Athletic Administrators Association, 45 percent of athletic directors had additional duties in 2005” (Kalahar, 2011). The most common job title attached to being an athletic director is assistant principal. Hundreds of schools across the country are combing these positions due to budget constraints and cuts. In response to the increased workload, Michigan High School Athletic Association executive director, Jack Roberts, had this to say, “The principal or assistant principal has always had a hard job confined to the school day,” Roberts said. “The AD has always had a hard job going into evenings. Couple those, and you’re dealing with student discipline and long hours, and how much fun is that” (Kalahar, 2011)? Some AD’s also have other duties throughout the school day like cafeteria duty, hall monitoring, etc., adding to the daily stress level. David Sheldon, AD at Colonel Crawford in Ohio, says, “It is not just showing up, going to games and go home anymore. We still show up at seven in the morning and stay as late as we need to stay to make sure the job is done right” (Furr, 2015). AD’s must find creative ways to balance their job with their families. Generally, sporting events take place at night, not to include other responsibilities. In the end, they can spend well over 12 hours on the job on any given day. Coaches are now taking on even more responsibilities during the summer, offering various camps, clinics, travel teams, etc. This has caused AD’s to spend most if not all of their time during the summer in the office to meet the needs of coaches. AD’s on the colligate level are also tasked with same duties and responsibilities, however, they must deal with challenges on an even larger scale.
Ross Bjork, athletic director at the University of Mississippi, had this to say about the colligate level AD’s role before, compared to his or her role today:
When I first got into college athletics about two decades ago, things were simple. You had marketing plans, ticket prices, a scoreboard, and you opened the gates, and that was about it. The primary focus was on internal operations, or, as Bjork puts it, “making sure that the house was in order (Abdul-Alim, 2017).
Ensuring the everything is in order now entails much more. Bjork goes on to say:
I don’t necessarily like to use this word, but there’s more money at stake, and so the business side of it has definitely evolved,” Bjork says, rattling off a list of tasks that athletic directors must now handle: “Negotiating contracts, looking at facilities enhancements, keeping up with the coaching salary escalation and trying to pay for it, [and staying] competitive, while at the same time balancing the budget (Abdul-Alim, 2017).
These tasks do not include the changes to regulations or rules. The “20 hour” rule, which has been added in recent years, has presented a new set of challenges of college AD’s. “The NCAA mandates that when in season, each athlete can devote a maximum of four CARA, or Countable Athletically Related Activity, hours per day and 20 hours per week with one required day off (McDonough, 2016). “Twenty years ago, there was no NCAA rule on 20 hours a week,” Bjork says, referring to the limit placed on how much time student-athletes can spend participating in intercollegiate athletics. “You could practice 40 hours a week” (Abdul-Alim, 2017). “Highlighted by the explosion in popularity and professionalism of college sports, the responsibilities and expectations have vastly increased for the decision makers (AD’s). The role is catered more towards professionals that are highly trained and experienced at a managerial capacity but also must have a dynamic personality to manage the ever-evolving work place that changes quickly and without notice”. With that, universities have searched for more “businesslike” individuals to run major college athletic programs. The stakes are extremely high, especially, for Division I - Football Bowl Subdivision (FBS), Power 5 Conferences. Qualification for the AD now include the following:
• Evaluation and negotiation of multi-million (if not billion) dollar media rights deals, as well as navigation of conference network distribution and third tier rights. This includes comprehensive knowledge of revenue distributions, as well as a full understanding of what role an individual athletic department plays in the creation of content for the conference and the commitments required to meet quotas for media rights partners.
• Advanced knowledge of strategic, operational & financial business planning, including most significantly capital and investment budgeting. Planning, fundraising and oversight of substantial capital projects, like investment levels seen in professional sports (Belzer, 2015).
This approach has come with mixed reviews and often time proven disastrous.
The two most noted examples of bad hires are he hires of former Domino’s Pizza executive Dave Brandon and former NBA executive Steve Patterson. “Brandon left his post as athletic director at the University of Michigan after what one sports writer called a “tumultuous three and a half years that included an unsuccessful coaching hire (Brady Hoke) and a series of unpopular decisions involving fans, increased ticket prices, and scheduling” (Abdul-Alim, 2017). “Patterson resigned from his post as athletic director for the University of Texas after what was described as a “dysfunctional stretch that included the alienation of big-time donors, nickel and diming everyone he possibly could, and strained relationships with coaches” (Abdul-Alim, 2017). Undoubtedly, the role of an AD has changed drastically over the last 20 years. Some duties or responsibilities have change, while others “enhanced”. At the high school level, increased workloads have led to burnout, while on the colligate level, the changes in rules and regulations has caused AD’s to take a more “businesslike” approach. As sports evolve, so will the responsibilities, duties, and qualification of the
AD.
References
Belzer, J. (2015). The Dynamic Role Of The Modern Day College Athletics Director. Retrieved from https://www.forbes.com/sites/jasonbelzer/2015/02/19/the-dynamic-role-of-the-modern-day-college-athletics-director/2/#2d6e81f435aa
Furr, J. (2015). Athletic director job turnover is alarming. Telegraph-Forum. Retrieved from http://www.bucyrustelegraphforum.com/story/sports/high-school/2015/07/16/athletic-director-job-turnover-alarming/30263779/ Kalahar, G. (2011). Job of high school athletic director evolving into multiple duties, resulting in increased burnout and turnover. Retrieved from http://www.mlive.com/sports/jackson/index.ssf/2011/02/job_of_high_school_athletic_di.html
Masteralexis, L. P. Barr, C. A., & Hums, M A. (2015). Principles and practices of sport management (5th ed.). Sudbury, MA: Jones and Bartlett Learning.
McDonough, E. (2016). The effect of NCAA practice restrictions on student-athletes.
The Dartmouth. Retrieved from http://www.thedartmouth.com/article/2016/05/the-effect-of-ncaa-practice-restrictions-on-student-athletes
AD’s (Angst, 2017) oversee all aspects of an athletic program, including hiring coaches, scheduling, budget preparation, promotion, compliance and …show more content…
facility management. Athletic directors provide guidance and direction for a school’s sports program.
They prepare a budget and allocate spending on items like coach’s salaries, team travel, equipment purchases, and facility upkeep. AD’s at the high school level work with other school administrators and staff to ensure student-athletes are successful in the class and academically eligible to participate in sports. At colleges, they also typically work with a compliance officer to make sure a program is acting within conference and NCAA (or other association) rules. At the major college level, some responsibilities are delegated, but the athletic director will oversee each process. Athletic directors spend time coordinating with coaches about the scheduling of games, practices, public events, etc., in addition, to scheduling conflicts. Travel plans, transportation, trips, etc., also fall under the AD’s supervision. They also maintain a dialogue with league officials about rule changes, post-season play, etc. AD’s are responsible for allocating when the athletic facilities (weight room, fields, etc.) are utilized amongst all programs. At the collegiate level, AD’s are responsible for hiring new coaches, which is often met with heavy criticism and scrutiny. On both levels, AD’s file reports on the status of the athletic program (each team), its successes and shortcomings. They …show more content…
typically mediate disputes between athletes and coaches or between coaches. The AD provides guidance for coaches and serves as the sounding board for coaches to discuss issues or career advancement (Angst, 2017). As the responsibilities have grown, state athletic numbers have as well. In the past, administrators such as principals and superintendents usually had some sort of athletic background, so the athletic directors have usually had someone to back them up (Furr, 2015). Ohio High School Athletic Association Assistant Commissioner, Jerry Snodgrass, had this to say about the evolution of the job:
Ohio is the third largest athletic state in the country behind Texas and California. With the amount of schools and sports we have, only having one person in each of the schools with all of that responsibility is tough. With the emphasis of testing and performance in schools, the administrators have a huge educational background now. So, the athletic directors are relied on a lot to handle the entire program (Furr, 2015).
These duties and responsibilities are lengthy and time consuming, causing many in the profession at the high school level, to leave prematurely citing burnout as the main reason.
“The reasons are varied for athletic directors not staying long. But a primary factor is the move to combine the AD position with other duties. According to a survey by the National Interscholastic Athletic Administrators Association, 45 percent of athletic directors had additional duties in 2005” (Kalahar, 2011). The most common job title attached to being an athletic director is assistant principal. Hundreds of schools across the country are combing these positions due to budget constraints and cuts. In response to the increased workload, Michigan High School Athletic Association executive director, Jack Roberts, had this to say, “The principal or assistant principal has always had a hard job confined to the school day,” Roberts said. “The AD has always had a hard job going into evenings. Couple those, and you’re dealing with student discipline and long hours, and how much fun is that” (Kalahar, 2011)? Some AD’s also have other duties throughout the school day like cafeteria duty, hall monitoring, etc., adding to the daily stress level. David Sheldon, AD at Colonel Crawford in Ohio, says, “It is not just showing up, going to games and go home anymore. We still show up at seven in the morning and stay as late as we need to stay to make sure the job is done right” (Furr, 2015). AD’s must find creative ways to balance their job with their families. Generally, sporting events take place at night, not to include other responsibilities. In the end, they can spend well over 12 hours on the job on any given day. Coaches are now taking on even more responsibilities during the summer, offering various camps, clinics, travel teams, etc. This has caused AD’s to spend most if not all of their time during the summer in the office to meet the needs of coaches. AD’s on the colligate level are also tasked with same duties and responsibilities, however, they must deal with challenges on an even larger scale.
Ross Bjork, athletic director at the University of Mississippi, had this to say about the colligate level AD’s role before, compared to his or her role today:
When I first got into college athletics about two decades ago, things were simple. You had marketing plans, ticket prices, a scoreboard, and you opened the gates, and that was about it. The primary focus was on internal operations, or, as Bjork puts it, “making sure that the house was in order (Abdul-Alim, 2017).
Ensuring the everything is in order now entails much more. Bjork goes on to say:
I don’t necessarily like to use this word, but there’s more money at stake, and so the business side of it has definitely evolved,” Bjork says, rattling off a list of tasks that athletic directors must now handle: “Negotiating contracts, looking at facilities enhancements, keeping up with the coaching salary escalation and trying to pay for it, [and staying] competitive, while at the same time balancing the budget (Abdul-Alim, 2017).
These tasks do not include the changes to regulations or rules. The “20 hour” rule, which has been added in recent years, has presented a new set of challenges of college AD’s. “The NCAA mandates that when in season, each athlete can devote a maximum of four CARA, or Countable Athletically Related Activity, hours per day and 20 hours per week with one required day off (McDonough, 2016). “Twenty years ago, there was no NCAA rule on 20 hours a week,” Bjork says, referring to the limit placed on how much time student-athletes can spend participating in intercollegiate athletics. “You could practice 40 hours a week” (Abdul-Alim, 2017). “Highlighted by the explosion in popularity and professionalism of college sports, the responsibilities and expectations have vastly increased for the decision makers (AD’s). The role is catered more towards professionals that are highly trained and experienced at a managerial capacity but also must have a dynamic personality to manage the ever-evolving work place that changes quickly and without notice”. With that, universities have searched for more “businesslike” individuals to run major college athletic programs. The stakes are extremely high, especially, for Division I - Football Bowl Subdivision (FBS), Power 5 Conferences. Qualification for the AD now include the following:
• Evaluation and negotiation of multi-million (if not billion) dollar media rights deals, as well as navigation of conference network distribution and third tier rights. This includes comprehensive knowledge of revenue distributions, as well as a full understanding of what role an individual athletic department plays in the creation of content for the conference and the commitments required to meet quotas for media rights partners.
• Advanced knowledge of strategic, operational & financial business planning, including most significantly capital and investment budgeting. Planning, fundraising and oversight of substantial capital projects, like investment levels seen in professional sports (Belzer, 2015).
This approach has come with mixed reviews and often time proven disastrous.
The two most noted examples of bad hires are he hires of former Domino’s Pizza executive Dave Brandon and former NBA executive Steve Patterson. “Brandon left his post as athletic director at the University of Michigan after what one sports writer called a “tumultuous three and a half years that included an unsuccessful coaching hire (Brady Hoke) and a series of unpopular decisions involving fans, increased ticket prices, and scheduling” (Abdul-Alim, 2017). “Patterson resigned from his post as athletic director for the University of Texas after what was described as a “dysfunctional stretch that included the alienation of big-time donors, nickel and diming everyone he possibly could, and strained relationships with coaches” (Abdul-Alim, 2017). Undoubtedly, the role of an AD has changed drastically over the last 20 years. Some duties or responsibilities have change, while others “enhanced”. At the high school level, increased workloads have led to burnout, while on the colligate level, the changes in rules and regulations has caused AD’s to take a more “businesslike” approach. As sports evolve, so will the responsibilities, duties, and qualification of the
AD.
References
Belzer, J. (2015). The Dynamic Role Of The Modern Day College Athletics Director. Retrieved from https://www.forbes.com/sites/jasonbelzer/2015/02/19/the-dynamic-role-of-the-modern-day-college-athletics-director/2/#2d6e81f435aa
Furr, J. (2015). Athletic director job turnover is alarming. Telegraph-Forum. Retrieved from http://www.bucyrustelegraphforum.com/story/sports/high-school/2015/07/16/athletic-director-job-turnover-alarming/30263779/ Kalahar, G. (2011). Job of high school athletic director evolving into multiple duties, resulting in increased burnout and turnover. Retrieved from http://www.mlive.com/sports/jackson/index.ssf/2011/02/job_of_high_school_athletic_di.html
Masteralexis, L. P. Barr, C. A., & Hums, M A. (2015). Principles and practices of sport management (5th ed.). Sudbury, MA: Jones and Bartlett Learning.
McDonough, E. (2016). The effect of NCAA practice restrictions on student-athletes.
The Dartmouth. Retrieved from http://www.thedartmouth.com/article/2016/05/the-effect-of-ncaa-practice-restrictions-on-student-athletes