Hunter Sims on Being a college AD, recruiting and hiring the best, and effective team communication

 

Hunter Sims is the Director of Athletics at Howard Payne University, where he spent 6 years as an assistant coach, offensive coordinator, and head coach of the school’s football program before his role as the AD.

In this conversation, Evan Burk talks to Hunter about appreciating the “invisible paychecks” coaches receive, how he developed his one-year onboarding program for 1st time head coaches, and what AD's look for when hiring a head coach to lead an athletic program.

Tune into this episode to hear:

  • Hunter’s playing career in college and professional football in Germany

  • Early lessons in leadership as a young head coach

  • Dealing with Imposter Syndrome as a 29 year old head coach in college football

  • “Invisible paychecks” and coaches not getting instant feedback

  • Taking on the role of athletic department

  • How Hunter developed his One-Year Onboarding Program for 1st time head coaches

  • Advice to aspiring head coaches: Ask to be in charge/involved in the budget

  • How AD’s identify head coaching candidates

  • What AD’s look for when selecting a head coach for a college athletic program

  • Sifting through the ‘coach talk’ in head coach interviews

 
 

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Learn more about Evan:

Read Evan’s book, Finding Intangibles, to learn how the best teams are built not on talent, but on the hidden character traits that drive all elite performers and organizations.

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Evan Burk

Evan Burk is a speaker, former NFL coach, and podcast host who uses the sports world as his backdrop to engage audiences with thought-provoking lessons of leadership, team-building, and creating championship cultures.

Evan Burk is not your typical football coach. Despite not playing football beyond high school and no network in the coaching profession, Evan's unlikely football journey began as a 4th grade coach, where he quickly worked his way to the NFL in just 6 years, and included coaching for teams such as the Miami Dolphins, UCLA, and SMU.

After spending fifteen-plus years working with the highest-performing athletes, coaches, and teams on the planet, Coach Burk uses his unique football coaching background to teach people how to utilize the same strategies in business and life that elite players and teams use to perform at a world-class level.

Evan received his B.S. in business management from the University of Colorado, and his Master of Liberal Studies degree from Southern Methodist University. He also hosts his own weekly sports leadership podcast, The Highest Level, where he reveals how championship team cultures are built and the keys to leadership excellence at the highest level.

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Tyler Johnson on Developing team trust, the intangibles of self, and obtaining buy-in on a team

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