Not only does Winthrop Intelligence help ADs increase revenue and athletic programs to be more competitive, but the Win AD database also assists athletic staff throughout an administration to increase personal productivity and make better, more informed recommendations. We are interested in hearing from staff who use the database to their strategic advantage, for career advancement, and about innovative uses of the system that provides tangible, university-wide benefits.
Nathan Pine – Maryland
Deputy Athletics Director – External Operations
Ryan Matthews, Winthrop’s Managing Editor, chatted recently with Nathan Pine – Deputy Athletics Director at Maryland – to see how Nathan is getting value from Win AD.
Name a leadership trait that is most critical to have success in your position and why.
Clear and direct communication is a foundation of my leadership approach. I find that it is critical to know your audience and what is important to them in order to be persuasive and effective. Brevity is also key in my mind to being an effective communicator so I make it a point to be familiar with the topic or simply keep my mouth shut and listen to others in order to learn. Finally, I think it is important to be committed and express my opinion or the desired outcome so that others know what is being asked and expected of them.
Your move to the Big Ten will have a huge impact, how has conference realignment impacted Maryland and has it change your strategic vision?
The move to the Big Ten Conference will be a transformational one for our entire institution. The opportunities that await Maryland in the academic and athletics arenas will change our university for the better far into the future. Conference Movement & Contract Best PracticesThe University of Missouri made a historic move in 2013 by transitioning from the Big 12 to the SEC. Before, during and after the move, Mizzou leaders leaned on Win AD for benchmarking, financial analysis and market research. Executive Associate Athletic Director Tim Hickman discusses how Win AD has impacted Missouri athletics and why having the best data creates a competitive advantage. See the case study. Fortunately for our athletic department, we recently went through a strategic planning process and involved various constituents from across campus and outside stakeholders. The goals and plan we set forth for Maryland Athletics will not change with our move to the Big Ten Conference; our vision will remain to be the best in everything that we do. We have clearly outlined six pillars in our strategic plan that guides our efforts to deliver an exceptional student-athlete experience regardless of our competition. We are looking forward to competing in our final year of the ACC and equally excited about our move to the Big Ten Conference in 2014.
What recent facility improvement do you anticipate having the biggest impact on recruiting?
We are in the early concept discussions with a sports architecture firm and our campus on a performance center that will include an indoor practice facility and other amenities to enhance our student-athlete’s experience at Maryland. The excitement that the project has created with our coaches and potential student-athletes is quickly gaining momentum and I anticipate the performance center project will have a tremendous impact on recruiting at Maryland for years to come.
If a peer were considering subscribing to Win AD, what would you tell him or her about your experience?
The information available through the Win AD database is absolutely critical to your daily success in this business. Your competition is using Win AD and you need the same timely and accurate data to make your best informed decisions. The system is easy to navigate and the wealth of data and analysis are invaluable.
