Feb. 29, 2012

BORN TO BE AN A.D.

Greg Byrne has worked as an athletic director for five years but he has been preparing to be an A.D. since he was 10 years old.

"I was in third grade in Miss Rupe's class and we had to do a career report," Byrne said. "I did mine on becoming a college athletic director."

Byrne's grade school calling did not come out of thin air but from the impactful influence of his father, Bill Byrne, who was the athletic director at the University of Oregon during Greg's early years. Bill Byrne is now the A.D. at Texas A&M University, where he is known for his innovative marketing skills.

The University of Arizona's athletic department has been under the leadership of Greg Byrne since March 2010, and his dad's talent for marketing seems to be in the bloodline.

MODERN MARKETING

Byrne is not one to flaunt any of his accomplishments but there's one marketing tool he has introduced that he is giddy to talk up-- roadside billboards.

They do not sound like the most thrilling of instruments but Byrne is excited about the "This is Wildcat Country" boards that have sprung up at every major artery leading into Arizona.

"We want the University of Arizona and Arizona Athletics to be the first thing that comes to mind when people enter our state," Byrne said.

Marketing was not always such an integral part of an A.D.'s job description. But as costs rise and athletic departments around the country evolve, the ability to market the program is essential to its success.

"Higher education costs in America have risen five to six percent in [each of] the last 15 years," senior associate A.D. Scott Shake said. "More money needs to be generated than 20 years ago."

The climate of athletics is also changing. Arizona head softball coach Mike Candrea, the winningest coach in softball history, has been at the UA for 27 years and can recall a time when his players had to run a summer camp to earn their cleats. Now the UA has a generous Nike contract that provides players with everything they need and more.

"In 1993, we had the Taj Majal of softball stadiums; 20 years later, we need to do some upgrading to keep up with the Joneses," Candrea said. "We're recruiting from the top of the pyramid and most of those kids are looking for reasons not to go to a school. We have to make sure they can't find any reason why they shouldn't come to the University of Arizona."

Byrne understands the impression facilities make on recruits and fans, and has already given the Arizona football stadium a facelift with the addition of a massive video board and the beginning stages of a north end zone football facility.

And men's basketball now has a spanking new locker room, thanks to Byrne.

COMMUNICATING TO WILDCATS

Keeping facilities up-to-par and marketing the university brand are integral for a program's success, but what the staff appreciates the most about Byrne is his transparency.

"We all know Greg's expectations and goals," Shake said. "He is an outstanding communicator."

Byrne's Wildcat Wednesday emails keep nearly 80,000 people in the know about Arizona Athletics. When an A.D. takes note of the community, the community takes note of the program.

Byrne generated a buzz when he introduced Arizona's new football coach, Rich Rodriguez, via a photo posted from his personal twitter account. Fans appreciated getting the big news before the public announcement was made. According to espn.com, the photo had more than 63,000 views in less than 24 hours.

"I think he gets it," head women's tennis coach Vicky Maes said. "I think he relates well to those around him and is very approachable."

Byrne does get it when it comes to social media. He understands that the constant stream of information flowing out of an athletic department can be advantageous or devastating.

The drug and alcohol pressures that hover over student-athletes are not decreasing, according to Byrne.

"There are things out there that our student-athletes are exposed to that I never was," Byrne said. "And I am only 40. The social media world has changed to where all of us are on stage, even in our own homes."

It's part of an athletic director's job to insure student-athletes know the magnitude of the opportunity they have at the University of Arizona.

A young man who had made a poor decision was in Byrne's office recently.

"What are your friends back home doing right now?" Byrne asked the young man.

He pondered the question as Byrne reminded him of the tremendous opportunity he has as a student-athlete that many of his friends do not. It is an opportunity that can change the course of his life and change the lives of generations to come.

"He is on course to graduate and would be the first from his family to earn a college degree," Byrne said. "That's going to have a lifelong positive impact on him."

The attention and care Byrne gives to each student-athlete does not go undetected. James Eichberger, a member of the Student Athlete Advisory Council (SAAC) and a junior on the cross country and track and field teams, has watched Byrne's zeal for the UA transform the department.

SAAC is made up of two students from each sport, one male and one female. The group meets monthly and Byrne tries to be present for all of these meetings but February's gathering was one he had to miss due to his hectic travel schedule.

At this particular meeting, the topic of discussion included the proposal to award multiyear scholarships to student-athletes, rather than renewing scholarships annually. Byrne had thought the concept was a forward-thinking idea but when he heard the SAAC voted 17 to 2 against the motion, he took a step back and wanted to hear more from the student-athletes.

"I admire an A.D. that can put himself in the student-athlete's shoes and realize what the administration can do for the athletic department to make an athlete's experience better," Eichberger said.

Candrea's favorite trait of Byrne's is his lack of ego that allows him to readily weigh every opinion available.

"He is very willing to sit down and listen to many different thoughts and ideas before he puts together his plan," Candrea said. "That's great leadership. Some people are very scared to hear but he wants to hear the good and the bad."

A LIFESTYLE, NOT A JOB

"I was a great athlete in my own mind," Byrne said about his own days as an athlete. He joked about his days as the tall, intimidating little league pitcher and admitted regretfully that he was not gifted on the basketball court but had a passion for the game.

Coaching experience is no longer a prerequisite for an athletic director but the competitiveness learned through sport is vital when leading an entire department of athletic teams.

"You have to know what it's like to compete. You have to," Byrne said. "When you have the inner ability to really commit and understand what it means to compete for something, that helps drive you. A great foundation to have in your life is the foundation of competition."

Byrne may have not found his talent on the basketball court but he seems to have found his niche leading the whole UA family from the sidelines.

An athletic director's largest challenge is the humongous time commitment the job requires. Byrne challenges himself not to lose track of being a father, a husband and a friend.

"You don't ever hear anybody on their deathbed say `Boy, I wish I had worked more,'" Byrne said. "It's important to keep that balance."

Family is a meaningful theme that Byrne carries with him into the athletic department.

"I tell our staff everyday that this thing is a lifestyle, not a job. Right now my youngest son is in here [McKale Center] shooting baskets." Byrne said. "I want it to be something our families feel comfortable being around."

Every Friday before home football games, Byrne invites 100 donors to his and his wife Regina's home, reinforcing his claim that his work is a lifestyle and not a job. These dinners inside the A.D.'s home have become a valuable tool to strengthen relationships with donors.

"Your home is sacred. It's a very special place and only very special people are usually invited to it," Shake said. "That says a lot about Greg and Regina and their commitment to the program."

Byrne and his wife host dinners at their home 15 to 20 times each year but had planned on opening their home up to student-athletes since day one.

"That's one of the things I've fallen short on," Byrne said. "I have wanted to have all of the teams up to our house but I haven't."

Byrne is quick to admit his own shortcomings but when he's asked what his strengths are, he takes on a contemplative expression and falls silent.

"I don't know. I hope people feel that I am genuine," Byrne said. "And that me, my family, and our athletics department is giving a great effort for our student-athletes, for our university, for our community, and for our fan base."

LONGEVITY AT THE UA

Athletic director responsibilities include managing a budget of $55 million, hiring and firing coaches, raising the graduation rate of student-athletes, staying up-to-date with NCAA regulations, generating revenue, leading a staff of 155 and still saving time for your family.

Ask Byrne if his job is stressful and he'll say, "not knowing when your next meal will be is stressful. Not this."

But the wear and tear of the travel schedule and the demanding hours makes the occupation notorious for its short tenures.

Candrea praised Byrne's energy and enthusiasm, but wondered, "How long can that last? Many administrators work a five to seven year window and then move on."

But the UA breaks the mold of shifting athletic directors.

Since 1904, UA has had 11 athletic directors. Two have been interims and one is Byrne. Excluding those three, the average tenure of a UA athletic director is almost 13 years.

"That's one of the strengths of the department," Shake said. "Longevity in A.D.s. It speaks well for how much people enjoy working here. Just Tucson as a place, we like to call UA a destination program."