Boise State Director of Athletics Jeramiah Dickey sits down with CSA President and CEO Drew Turner to open up about his journey in college athletics - including the pivot he made as an undergraduate at the University of Texas Austin from nearly dropping out before senior year to meeting athletics legends such as Mack Rhodes (then at UTEP) and Chris Plonsky (UT) and carving out a path in athletics administration. Dickey shares the origin behind his "What's Next" mentality, crediting his parents and his network of mentors for always inspiring him to push for more: "Whatever your passion is, reach for greatness." Dickey and Turner also discuss the uniqueness of the Boise State AD search, conducted in the heart of the pandemic; offer advice for negotiating an AD contract; and talk about evaluating career opportunities. Dickey: "Go where you can be your authentic self."
00:00 - Introduction
01:16 - Congrats on the recent contract extension that will keep you in Boise for the next few years.
01:54 - A lot of excitement there in Boise - winning the Mountain West Championship and being in the College Football Playoff.
03:14 - Tell us about your upbringing and how you even found college athletics or at what point you thought this was a career you wanted to pursue.
06:39 - After high school, it was UT Austin for undergrad, correct?
08:07 - How did you decide to pursue a career in Athletics? Did you ever have thoughts about being a doctor or going into business?
13:25 - What advice would you give up and comers in the industry about establishing relationships and taking advantage of a mentor?
19:30 - Ultimately, it's the relationships with close mentors or advisors like your relationship with Mack that get you closer to the AD opportunities - not chasing the next title or pay raise.
23:13 - Let's talk about the AD search at Boise - the process was accelerated right before the Christmas holidays when the football coach left and the school was faced with doing an AD and Head Football Coach search... I remember calling you while you were on the way to your in-laws about the opportunity.
25:57 - What advice would you give someone who hasn't had the opportunity to interview for an AD job about how quickly the process moves from interest to interview to offer and how to navigate the decision-making process?
28:14 - What advice do you have when it comes to receiving and negotiating the actual AD offer? Is there anything you would have done differently?
31:23 - Do you remember a time when you, as the AD, had to make a difficult decision?
35:25 - Your faith and family are just as important to you as your job - how do you keep your faith strong, keep a strong relationship with your family, and deliver on the "What's Next" mentality?
Follow along with Jeramiah: x.com/JeramiahDickey