2008 Woodie Awards
Erin Quinn provides insight on his first semester as AD
Simon Keyes
Issue date: 12/7/06 Section: Sports
Some of the work is simply reactive - answering questions, not necessarily problems or issues, just questions. The proactive part of it is to be available for the alumni, faculty, students, parents and the community. I'm there to run the contests, but it's helpful when the AD is visible and available at contests to say 'Hi' to alumni, parents, and to interact with them. Honestly, that's something I want to do. That's why I love being in education, for those interactions with people.
Campus: What is a typical day?
EQ: I come in pretty early in the morning. I'm kept a bit honest, though, because we have a puppy. I can't wake him up too early. Otherwise I'd be here before daybreak.
When the day ends is somewhat relative to the events we have. If it's a weekend, there are some long days with events, but that's fun. It's a lot easier to be in the stands than on the sidelines, so I'm not complaining about that. There is not a typical day in terms of what happens. There are just so many different elements on the job: traveling, meetings, whatever. It's constantly changing.
Campus: Where do you eat your lunch?
EQ: I eat at my desk a lot more than I have in the past.
Campus: How has the transition been from coach to AD?
EQ: As AD your roles are campus-wide and department-wide. Coaches wear a lot of different hats with advisors, students, coaches in other sports, teaching physical education, within their own coaching realm, their recruiting, contacting alumni and advising students. All those different roles apply to the Athletic Director, but you are doing it for all the teams.
You lose the day-to-day interaction with the athletes that you coach, and there is no way to get that. When you coach, it's the full season, everyday, with the full emotions tied into sports. You get to know them well, and see them in the most intense scenarios. You watch them grow, especially if you have them for four years. As a professor, even in an active class, it's only for a semester, and you never see that student again.
Campus: What is a typical day?
EQ: I come in pretty early in the morning. I'm kept a bit honest, though, because we have a puppy. I can't wake him up too early. Otherwise I'd be here before daybreak.
When the day ends is somewhat relative to the events we have. If it's a weekend, there are some long days with events, but that's fun. It's a lot easier to be in the stands than on the sidelines, so I'm not complaining about that. There is not a typical day in terms of what happens. There are just so many different elements on the job: traveling, meetings, whatever. It's constantly changing.
Campus: Where do you eat your lunch?
EQ: I eat at my desk a lot more than I have in the past.
Campus: How has the transition been from coach to AD?
EQ: As AD your roles are campus-wide and department-wide. Coaches wear a lot of different hats with advisors, students, coaches in other sports, teaching physical education, within their own coaching realm, their recruiting, contacting alumni and advising students. All those different roles apply to the Athletic Director, but you are doing it for all the teams.
You lose the day-to-day interaction with the athletes that you coach, and there is no way to get that. When you coach, it's the full season, everyday, with the full emotions tied into sports. You get to know them well, and see them in the most intense scenarios. You watch them grow, especially if you have them for four years. As a professor, even in an active class, it's only for a semester, and you never see that student again.
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