Board Member Jeremy Foley Sits Down with What Drives Winning’s Brett Ledbetter

Brett Ledbetter (What Drives Winning), Heather Lyke (University of Pittsburgh, Athletic Director), and Jeremy Foley (Institute for Coaching Excellence Board Member; University of Florida, Former Athletic Director) recently sat down to talk about the role of athletic directors and their job satisfaction in the modern era of collegiate sports.

All three agreed that athletic directors have the chance to impact people’s lives, but the challenges are tough and the landscape has changed dramatically, even since Foley’s retirement in 2016.

Lyke believes that the foundational enjoyment is connecting with young athletes and helping them reach their full potential, but acknowledges that it’s not meant to be easy. Foley adds that athletic directors are not having as much fun as they used to because they are dealing with situations that are frustrating, many of which they can’t control.

Ledbetter, Lyke, and Foley later discuss the challenge of regulating self-interest in college athletics. They agree that self-interest has always been a factor, but it is more pronounced now due to social media influences and the challenges of Name, Image, and Likeness laws.

They continued by debating the importance of creating a fully inclusive team environment, and how this can be achieved through communication, messaging and confrontation of self-interest. The speakers believe that it is important to focus on solutions and lead for the greater good of college sports, while still maintaining the core values of the team.

Jeremy Foley explained his personal emphasis on work-life balance and the responsibility of leaders, especially athletic directors, to encourage this from their coaches and employees. In implementing a system at the University of Florida where he would pay for coaches to take two weeks off to avoid burnout, Foley utilized his professional paths to develop this balance.

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