Sport and the Growing Good #159: Big Ten VP of Football Administration A.J. Edds: Leading the ultimate team game
A.J. Edds is the Vice President of Football Administration at the Big Ten Conference. He plays a central role in guiding the sport throughout the year – including communicating with internal conference colleagues as well as coaches and administrators at each institution.
1. Coaches who AJ admired over the years. Rick Wimmer (at Greenwood High School). Kirk Ferentz (at Iowa).
2. “We exist to serve our members.” Officiating, internal operations, scheduling, championship administration, media, fairness, etc.
3. A.J.’s roles in shepherding football in the conference. The importance of communication.
4. Communicating with football coaches and helping them work together productively. “Off-line consensus-building.”
5. Working with coaches: “I’m a better employee because of the expectations of the guys.”
6. Getting to know each of the coaches as people in order to best collaborate with them.
7. Technology changing the work. Replay center. IPads. Wireless coach-to-player communication.
8. How the central location of the conference’s replay center allows for greater consistency. How collaboration plays out on a given review.
9. Being both thorough and efficient in review process.
10. A.J.’s aspirations for the sport of football.