Welcome to another episode of the Hangin’ with the AD podcast, where we talk leadership, culture, and the journey through athletics with those who are making an impact in the world of sports and beyond. In today’s episode, we’re sitting down with Alex Demczak—a former Division I quarterback at the University of Missouri who has since become a bestselling author, speaker, and entrepreneur. Alex co-wrote The Sale with Jon Gordon, a book that puts integrity at the center of personal and professiona...
Jul 03, 2025•57 min•Season 6Ep. 141
Welcome back to another episode of the Hangin’ with the AD Podcast, where we sit down with athletic directors and leaders who are shaping the future of high school sports. Today, we’re excited to bring on someone who knows a thing or two about building championship-level programs—both on the field and in the front office. We’re joined today by Jason Brett, the athletic director and assistant principal at Houston County High School in Warner Robins, Georgia. And yes, for those listening outside t...
Jun 19, 2025•57 min•Season 6Ep. 140
Today we bring you another edition of our Single Topic Series as we dive into the emerging world of AI and how it fits into the world of the athletic administrator. We head to Pearl Mississippi and speak with Chris Chism who serves as the Superintendent of Schools for the Pearl Public School District who is becoming a go-to resource in the space of AI.
May 20, 2025•37 min•Season 6Ep. 139
Welcome to another episode of the Hangin’ with the AD Podcast. This week we head west to Texas and sit down with leadership author and speaker Stephen Mackey. The episode kicks off with Mackey outlining his "6 Habits of Championship Character," a blueprint for cultivating student-athletes who pursue excellence in every aspect of life. He shares insights on whether these habits follow a specific order and which habit he believes is the essential starting point when developing champions from scrat...
Apr 29, 2025•1 hr 6 min•Season 6Ep. 138
Welcome to a special Masters Week edition of the Hangin’ with the AD Podcast. Today we have the distinct honor of sitting down with a man who stands at the helm of one of the most revered institutions in all of sports—Fred Ridley, Chairman of Augusta National Golf Club. In this conversation, recorded just days before the azaleas bloom and the world turns its eyes to Augusta, Chairman Ridley takes us inside the inner workings of an event that has become synonymous with tradition, excellence, and ...
Apr 07, 2025•57 min•Season 6Ep. 137
Today we stay closer to home and sit down with author and speaker Clay Scroggins. His book “How to Lead When You're Not in Charge” is a must for anyone whether they are in a position of leadership or not. Everyone answers to someone, and Clay left us with some great nuggets as we all look to get better in the space and place, we are in currently. Let’s settle in and get to know Clay Scroggins.
Apr 04, 2025•58 min•Season 6Ep. 136
Today we stay a little closer to home but revisit the college ranks and sit down with Jim Peeples who serves as the Director of Athletics at Piedmont College in Demorest, GA. Jim is a product of being surrounded by some of the best in the business when he was younger, and he talks about how it shaped him into the leader he is today. He is an intentional servant leader and he left us with some great leadership lessons in this conversation. Let’s settle in and get to know Coach Jim Peeples....
Mar 17, 2025•1 hr 3 min•Season 6Ep. 135
Today is the first for the podcast as we head to South Dakota and sit down with retired AD Joey Struwe. We discuss his military service and how it influenced his leadership as an AD and how, as leaders, we must continually place a focus on the “little things” in order to lead effectively. Let’s settle in and get to know Joey Struwe.
Feb 24, 2025•42 min•Season 6Ep. 134
Today we sit down with Benj Miller who is an entrepreneur, speaker, author, podcast host, and the Co-Founder and CEO of System and Soul, which is a business leadership development company. We talk about the common principles between the athletic and business worlds, the rewarding of failure amongst those we lead and understanding that success is not a straight line. Let’s settle in and get to know Benj Miller.
Feb 06, 2025•49 min•Season 6Ep. 133
Today we head back to the great state of Oklahoma and sit down with Amanda Snider who serves as the Deputy Director of Athletics at Broken Arrow High School in Broken Arrow, Oklahoma. She spoke about the importance of always doing your best because you never know who is watching and the demands the AD position can place on both your work and home families. Let’s settle in and get to know Amanda Snider.
Jan 28, 2025•51 min•Season 6Ep. 132
Welcome to season 6 of the Hangin’ with the AD Podcast. We kick off this season with a top tier AD in the country in Emily Barkley of Union High School or Tulsa Union in Tulsa, Oklahoma. Emily talks about the power of the team that surrounds any athletic leader and the role they play in the success of the overall department and the support they provide the leader in any building. She also speaks to the power of alumni coming back to coach and work at their alma mater and how powerful that can be...
Jan 18, 2025•47 min•Season 6Ep. 131
We wrap up 2024 with a great conversation with retired athletic director Jean Ashen. The long-time athletic director at North Salinas High School in Salinas, California, Jean talks to us about the close friendships that are made in the athletic administrator community, leading through change, and being an impactful leader to those we serve daily. Let’s settle in and get to know Jean Ashen.
Dec 25, 2024•1 hr 22 min•Season 5Ep. 130
Today we sit down with the last piece of the Pure Athlete podcast in former athletic director and co-founder of Pure Athlete Brad Williams. We talk about marketing your program to your community and building your brand both inside and out with vison and hard work. Let’s settle in and get to know Mr. Brad Williams.
Dec 22, 2024•1 hr 3 min•Season 5Ep. 129
Brian Dodd sits down with us for the 5th instalment of his Top 10 Sports Leadership books list. Get ready to fill up your Amazon cart as Brain gives us some great ideas for our next book! CLICK HERE to visit Brian's website and see the full list.
Nov 22, 2024•53 min•Season 5Ep. 128
Today we head out west again and sit down with Tol Gropp who serves as the Activities Director at Timberline High School in Boise, Idaho. We talked about the importance of increasing your capacity and learning from failure in order to be your best self and navigating the demands of being an athletic administrator today. Let’s settle in and get to know Mr. Tol Gropp.
Nov 20, 2024•44 min•Season 5Ep. 127
Today we head to the great state of Louisiana and sit down with Mister Kirkwood who serves as the athletics director and head boys basketball coach at Holy Cross School in New Orleans, Louisiana. Mister believes in training the next generation of leaders up while surrounding yourself with good people in the process. Let’s settle in and get to know Mister Kirkwood.
Nov 05, 2024•37 min•Season 5Ep. 126
Today we head back west to sit down with Xavier Antheaume who serves as the Director of Athletics and Title IX Compliance for the Clark County School District in Las Vegas, NV. We talk about the power of communication, positivity, and the desire to find fulfillment in the job of athletic administration. Let’s settle in and get to know Xavier Antheaume
Oct 21, 2024•1 hr 2 min•Season 5Ep. 125
Today we head to Virginia and sit down with one of great veteran leaders of our profession in Dick Kemper, the retired former Executive Director of the Virginia Independent Schools Athletic Association. Dick spoke to us about the power of not only continuing your professional development by taking LTC courses through the NIAAA but also giving back by teaching courses as well. We also talk about the courage needed to lead and the power of building positive relationships to help one grow in their ...
Sep 28, 2024•1 hr 1 min•Season 5Ep. 124
Today we head a few miles north and check in with Kelly Fish. Kelly is the Assistant Head of School for Advancement and Strategic Initiatives at Currey Ingram Academy in Brentwood, TN and served as the athletic director there for 11 years previously. A Bruce D. Whitehead Distinguished Service Award in 2023, Kelly grew up surrounded by athletics and educators who have impacted how she leads as we talk about leading through change and the importance lessons learn through education-based athletics ...
Sep 12, 2024•45 min•Season 5Ep. 123
Today it’s back to the college ranks for a conversation with a leader we have had on our short list for some time in Greg Byrne, who serves as the Director of Athletics at the University of Alabama. We talk about the importance of continual growth as a leader and learning from those on our team to ensure the overall department reaches it greatest potential. Let’s settle in and get to know Mr. Greg Byrne.
Aug 29, 2024•1 hr 3 min•Season 5Ep. 122
Today we stay close to home and head down to Milledgeville, Georgia and check-in with Wendell Staton who serves as the Director of Athletics for Georgia College and State University. This is a powerful conversation about keeping the first thing first as a leader and not getting lost in the job, which we all know if easy to do. Let’s settle in and get to know Mr. Wendell Staton.
Aug 16, 2024•1 hr 14 min•Season 5Ep. 121
Today we stay a little closer to home and head south to Lakeland Florida as we sit down with CMAA Dan Talbot who serves as the Senior Director of Athletics for the Polk County School System. We talk to Dan about a NIAAA course he has helped develop on managing tragedy within an athletic department. This is a heavy topic but one we need to lean into because, more likely than not, the skills learned from this upcoming course will be needed at some point in our careers. Let’s settle in and get to k...
Aug 02, 2024•52 min•Season 5Ep. 120
Today we head north and meet with Dr. Troy Urdahl who serves as the Director of Athletics, Activities, Facilities, & Transportation at St. Anthony Village High School in St. Paul, Minnesota. We talk about how to get better each and every day and defining our leadership purpose as we guide those we serve. Let’s settle in and get to know Dr. Troy Urdahl.
Jul 19, 2024•43 min•Season 5Ep. 119
Today we have the pleasure of introducing you to an AD who is not a stranger to success. Tim Selgo was at the helm at Grand Valley State University in one of the most successful runs of any university at any level. It’s our hope that you lean in today and learn from one of the best to ever do it. Let’s settle in and get to know Mr. Tim Selgo.
Jul 04, 2024•59 min•Season 5Ep. 118
There is a saying that if you are the smartest person in the room…you need to find another room. Well, we found a much smarter room today as we sit down with Jennifer Baker who serves as the Associate Vice Provost and Director of Athletics & Recreation at Johns Hopkins University. A military veteran, Jennifer speaks to how her service has benefitted her in her role as well as other leadership lesson she has learned along the way. Let’s settle in and get to know Jennifer Baker.
Jun 20, 2024•58 min•Season 5Ep. 117
Today we wrap up our back-to-back episodes with two of the three co-hosts of the Pure Athlete podcast as we sit down with former Major League Baseball standout and current broadcaster Jeff Francoeur. Jeff talks about the coaches who poured into him, and we dive deeper into the importance of both youth and interscholastic sports and the best ways to navigate them. Let’s settle in and get to know Jeff Francoeur.
Jun 07, 2024•47 min•Season 5Ep. 116
Today we sit down with Britt Lee, the co-founder of Pure Athlete, an organization and podcast that helps youth athletes maximize their potential for success in sports and in life. Their pillared approach focuses on vision, grit, skill, belief, and character and helps to also guide parents through the youth sports journey to find success both on and off the field. Let’s settle in and get to know Mr. Britt Lee. https://pureathleteinc.com/...
Jun 01, 2024•1 hr 3 min•Season 5Ep. 115
This week we have another installment of our Single Topic Series as we sit down with Kevin Petroski, Athletic Director at Athens Academy in Athens, Ga. to discuss his annual AD Workshop. This is a concept that we think can catch on across the country as athletic leaders look to find professional development close to home that gives them tools and information that they can immediately implement into their programs to take them to the next level. Let’s settle in and learn about the AD Workshop wit...
May 09, 2024•40 min•Season 5Ep. 114
Today we head north to sit down with Trish Witkin who serves as the director of athletics at Glastonbury High School in Glastonbury, Connecticut. A past president of the NIAAA, Trish let’s us behind the curtain of a successful career and we have no doubt you’ll be better after our conversation today. Let’s settle in and get to know Trish Witkin.
May 04, 2024•46 min•Season 5Ep. 113
Today it’s off to the great state of Texas as we sit down with Kevin Goll who serves as the Senior Associate AD and Chief Strategy Officer for the Baylor Bears of Baylor University in Waco, Texas. Kevin talks about his unique route to athletic leadership and the lessons he has learned along the way. Let’s settle in and get to know Mr. Kevin Goll.
Apr 18, 2024•46 min•Season 5Ep. 112
