Without giving away any trade secrets, what is your process and criteria for evaluating and hiring head coaches that have been successful? What are the key attributes you look for in candidates? How has that changed over your six years in the chair?
Hitting the hard questions first! Hiring, regardless of role, is the most important thing we do. While I don’t think there is anything magical about our process, we are consistent in a few areas. First, we always include two of our head coaches on the search committee. This promotes collaboration in our department and our coaches take this responsibility seriously. Next, we identify the criteria most important to the involved sport. Does the level of success of the program allow us to target successful sitting head coaches or are we looking for someone to complete a rebuild? As we work our way through each round of the process, our team works collaboratively to create an open search that develops as deep a pool as possible and to ensure that we are finding the best person to lead our students.
We are looking for individuals who want to help our students reach their potential. We need them to understand Trinity and where we are headed, as well as the competitive landscape in the NESCAC. It sounds trite, but it is crucial to hire individuals who have a clear plan on how to recruit, retain, and develop students. We look to match our overall vision for the department with the candidate’s vision for the sport, as well as understand their philosophy on holistic student, development, including leadership development.
While the principles have not changed significantly, engaging our current coaches and utilizing their expertise to attract and evaluate candidates is our process’s most beneficial evolution.
What is up next for the Bantams on the facilities front? And what impact will the Ferris Athletic Center have on the department once completed next summer? More broadly, how are you prioritizing future facility projects among other initiatives?
Hard hats are required in Hartford this summer! We are in the midst of the largest building project on campus in 20 years. It's a 40,000-square-foot addition to the existing Ferris Athletic Center that will open next spring. This space will serve as the front door to our athletic department and impact nearly every student on campus. The building will feature a new student fitness center, studios for fitness classes, a rec gym, new varsity squash courts, and a new weight room for all students. Team meeting spaces and athletic department offices will also be greatly improved. In addition to benefiting varsity, club, and recreational athletes, this addition will allow us to expand community partnerships and usage.
Once this new space is completed, we will refocus our attention on our existing facilities and identify areas that require renovation or expansion. Input from coaches, athletes, and staff is crucial in this process. All facility projects must align with the strategic goals of the athletics department and the College as a whole. Does it enhance our ability to compete at the national level? Does it contribute to a positive student experience? We're fortunate as an urban institution to have all of our playing fields within the boundaries of our 100-acre campus and we take pride in keeping them in great condition.
What is your opinion on the implementation of the NCAA Power Index in 2024-25? As a department with several postseason appearances last year, do you have any concerns about implementing NPI in certain team sports?
I strongly support the principles of the new NPI (NCAA Performance Index). In our previous process, committees had to rely on their interpretations of data. While most committees did good work, it's common to see deserving teams being left out and teams with little hope of postseason play earning at-large berths. With the limited number of at-large berths available in many sports, there are always teams that have great seasons but don’t get rewarded with NCAA tournament appearances. Over time, the NPI will help bring clarity to the path to the postseason. A similar system, the Pairwise, has been used for ice hockey and has proven to be effective. The Pairwise takes head-to-head results into account, and I believe incorporating this aspect into the NPI would be beneficial.
Having been on sport committees in the past, I can say that having a system in place is far better than spending hours debating the value of a tie during selections. The NPI will remove the influence of the strongest voice in a committee room from making those determinations.
I'll admit, I will miss "doing the math" for our coaches to give them a sense of where they stood for potential at-large berths and tracking D3 Twitter for insights in several sports. However, with adjustments over time, the NPI should bring fairness and consistency to the selection process.
How are you pushing to grow revenue and resources for your department, knowing you are in one of the more competitive and highest resource leagues in DIII? What emphasis have you placed on fundraising in your role and in the department?
We look at everything. With rising fixed costs, like travel, officials, and apparel, inflation in general, and higher expectations of our students and families, the expense line is increasing for everyone.
We assess all the revenue areas regularly. We look at market competitiveness - are we charging enough for a field/space rentals without pricing ourselves out of business? We look at the expense associated with revenue generation and the hidden costs on staff or space – does charging admission for a particular sport generate enough revenue to merit the expense we incur in managing it as well as strain on human resources? We look at new opportunities – where can we leverage current department and campus resources?
Ultimately, fundraising is crucially important to our success and we spend a lot of time on it. A significant portion of our operating budget comes from annual giving, so our partnership with Advancement plays a key role in consistent results. While it is fun to think about ways we can generate passive revenue, we know that the most straightforward pathway to increased resources is through the success of our annual giving and endowed athletic funds. The time and energy spent pays off in increased resources, but also in building engagement among our alumni, families, and community members.
There’s more and more being put on our communications and athletic training staffs than ever before. How do we not burn out our staff? What are you doing to help alleviate that?
In any area - communications, sports medicine, equipment, events and facilities, and business operations – demands are constantly increasing. Communications and sports medicine are particularly affected, with the growing need for video and social media in communications, and longer seasons of coverage, and increased student needs in sports medicine.
We are always learning and we encourage our managers to listen to their staff and provide autonomy when possible. We want everyone in our department to have the ability to advocate for themselves and as much flexibility as possible. Due to lean staffs, we have to trust our staff to work independently and we encourage staff to prioritize their well-being. We also want managers to model healthy practices and use vacation time to recharge.
As an effect of Covid-19, we are open to remote work solutions when our students are away from campus. For instance, between Commencement in May and early August, we encourage areas to split the week in the office. We have observed no loss in productivity and receive positive feedback from staff who can work from home or elsewhere during the summer months. This approach greatly helps during the overlap periods throughout the school year.
It feels like we can’t go a week without another major NCAA development, be it legal, legislative, etc. As you see it, what is the path forward that is best for DIII? Are you concerned about the future and its impact on institutions like yours?
It does feel like an additional part of the job description to stay on top of the latest headlines involving the NCAA and the courts. Division III athletics has its own unique position within the NCAA, with a focus on academics, student development, and community engagement. It's crucial for us to keep the updated Division III philosophy statement in mind as we adapt to future changes. Leaders need to be engaged and well-informed on all aspects.
I am closely monitoring the Dartmouth NLRB case and the other upcoming NLRB decisions on athletes as employees. Although Division III student experiences differ from those in Division I, many points made in the judge's ruling could be relevant to our campuses.
The saying "the only constant is change" often comes to mind. Change is inevitable, and we must be active participants in shaping a promising future for Division III.
