Jamaal Walton | Director of Intercollegiate Athletics | VMI - One Question Leadership Podcast
One Question Leadership Podcast with Tai M. Brown
Release Date: 04/07/2026
Marvin Lewis | Assistant VP - Director of Intercollegiate Athletics | George Mason University - One Question Leadership Podcast
One Question Leadership Podcast with Tai M. Brown
Question: Are there measurable metrics beyond revenue that lead to championships in college athletics? George Mason AD shares how he walked into a department hungry for leadership and, in three years, built a people-first, championship culture grounded in a clear strategic “playbook.” He breaks down the staff survey that set the tone, the shift from bad‑news‑only meetings to high‑energy all‑staffs, and a revised coach evaluation model that finally matches expectations to resources and values more than just wins and losses. Lewis also explains how he uses a senior deputy...
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Stephanie Garcia Cichosz | One Question Leadership Podcast
One Question Leadership Podcast with Tai M. Brown
In this special episode of 1Q, Tai M. Brown welcomes former pro runner and longtime interviewer Steph Garcia Cichosz as the new co-host of the One Question Leadership Podcast. Both reflect on what they learned from years of interviews on the AthleticDirectorU platform. They discuss former Oklahoma AD, Joe Castiglione’s “water the plant” analogy regarding developing staff, former Washington and current USC AD, Jen Cohen’s focus on mentorship, and other insightful conversations that have influenced how they think about leadership. They also introduce a new framework that...
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Erin Adkins | Executive Senior Associate Athletics Director | UCLA - One Question Leadership Podcast
One Question Leadership Podcast with Tai M. Brown
Question: Is compliance leadership superpower in college athletics? This episode of the One Question Leadership Podcast follows ’ journey from law school to becoming Executive Senior Associate AD for NIL Strategy and Initiatives at UCLA. It explores how compliance, instinct, and relationships prepare leaders to guide student‑athletes and coaches in an era of NIL, the transfer portal, and high‑stakes competitive success. Path to college athletics Erin shares how growing up an Arizona fan, choosing law school, and trying both pro sports and college internships helped her realize...
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Jamaal Walton | Director of Intercollegiate Athletics | VMI - One Question Leadership Podcast
One Question Leadership Podcast with Tai M. Brown
Question: How does an alumnus-turned-athletic-director leverage personal history, modern college athletics trends, and deep relationships to transform a tradition-rich military institute without losing what makes it unique? , Director of Intercollegiate Athletics at VMI, talks with Stephanie Garcia-Cichosz about how his path from student-athlete to athletic director at his alma mater shaped his leadership style and philosophy The discussion examines how he is modernizing VMI athletics through fundraising, marketing, NIL, and strategic planning while staying true to the institute’s...
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Leon Costello | Director of Athletics | Montana State University - One Question Leadership Podcast
One Question Leadership Podcast with Tai M. Brown
Question: How can an athletics director build and sustain a championship‑level athletic department in the Great Plains? Montana State Director of Athletics, Leon Costello, discusses presidential leadership transitions on campus, the strategic growth of the athletic department, and how aligned support for athletics drives institutional success. Costello explains how strategic planning, investment in student‑athlete support staff, and revenue growth have fueled competitive success, culminating in a football national championship and a strong departmental culture. He also reflects on coach...
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Yogi Roth | Analyst | Big Ten Network - One Question Leadership Podcast
One Question Leadership Podcast with Tai M. Brown
Question: What matters most in how we develop student-athletes? College football analyst challenges administrators to see athletes not as transactions or brands, but as **human** stories whose mental skills and identity must be developed as intentionally as their physical talent. He argues that in today’s NIL and transfer-portal era, alignment on “what matters most” from the president to the graduate assistant is the only sustainable way to support coaches, protect athletes' mental health, and keep sport rooted in purpose rather than purely in revenue. - Mental performance is...
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Ed Kull | VP/Director of Athletics | St. John's University - One Question Leadership Podcast
One Question Leadership Podcast with Tai M. Brown
@1QLeadership Question: How are athletic departments incorporating pro sports operating principles while protecting their school’s institutional mission? Ed Kull, VP & Director of Athletics at Saint John’s University, discusses how the athletics department is adapting to a rapidly changing, more professionalized era of college sports, especially men’s basketball. He talks about using a revenue-first, startup-style approach and how that model intersects with mission, academics, and student‑athlete welfare. - Kull describes leading the department like a **startup**, emphasizing...
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Dr. John R. Porter & Dr. Yancy Freeman | Board of Presidents | Ohio Valley Conference - One Question Leadership Podcast
One Question Leadership Podcast with Tai M. Brown
@ Question: How can university presidents creatively lead conference realignment while protecting academic priorities and strengthening institutional and league stability for the long term? Dr. John R. Porter of Lindenwood University, and Dr. Yancy Freeman of University of Tennessee Martin, explore how university presidents balance athletics and academics. The two CEO's discuss leading through conference realignment challenges in the Ohio Valley Conference (OVC). They also cover using creative, business-minded strategy to stabilize and grow their respective institutions. Presidents’ role in...
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Gary Stokan | CEO and President | Peach Bowl, Inc. - One Question Leadership Podcast
One Question Leadership Podcast with Tai M. Brown
@1QLeadership Question: How can leaders in college sports build innovative, business-savvy organizations that still protect and prioritize the long-term wellbeing and development of student-athletes? Gary Stokan, retiring President and CEO of the Peach Bowl, reflects on his 47-year career in sports and how coaching principles shaped his leadership in college football. He shares his core frameworks—TEAM (teamwork, empowerment, accountability, management), CARE (customer, attitude, relationships, excellence), and ROCKS (relationships, opportunities, competitiveness, knowledge,...
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Sean Frazier | VP of Athletics and Recreation | Northern Illinois University - One Question Leadership Podcast
One Question Leadership Podcast with Tai M. Brown
@1QLeadership Question: What exactly is the problem in college athletics? Sean Frazier, VP of Athletics and Recreation at NIU, discusses how and why the Huskies is restructured its conference affiliations, and also explores how new financial models can help sustain athletics without burdening the institution. Frazier explains NIU’s strategy to “decouple” football from its traditional all-sports conference, moving football to the Mountain West, Olympic sports to the Horizon League, and wrestling to the Pac-12 to reduce travel costs, increase media revenue, and better align...
info_outline@1QLeadership Question: How does an alumnus-turned-athletic-director leverage personal history, modern college athletics trends, and deep relationships to transform a tradition-rich military institute without losing what makes it unique?
- Jamaal Walton, Director of Intercollegiate Athletics at VMI, talks with Stephanie Garcia-Cichosz about how his path from student-athlete to athletic director at his alma mater shaped his leadership style and philosophy
- The discussion examines how he is modernizing VMI athletics through fundraising, marketing, NIL, and strategic planning while staying true to the institute’s military-centered identity
- It also highlights the importance he places on relationships—with mentors, staff, cadet-athletes, and family—and how that focus guides major decisions like hiring coaches and opting into the House settlement - One Question Leadership Podcast - Stephanie Garcia-Cichosz - Tai M. Brown