Former James Madison Director of Athletics Jeff Bourne and his wife Mary Lou, former Technology Innovation and Economic Development Director at JMU, sit down with ADU’s Tai M. Brown at the 2024 NACDA Convention to discuss the experience of raising a family within the college athletics ecosystem and the ways in which they influenced JMU’s culture of innovation and competitive excellence, both as the first couple of Dukes Athletics and in their separate roles within the university’s leadership structure. Jeff and Mary Lou discuss how the politics of a university setting impacts the pace of change, reflecting on the ways in which Jeff set up the department for success at the FBS level and the challenge of cutting 10 sports in 2006. The couple also shares insight into starting and raising a family within an athletic department, including how it influenced Jeff’s career trajectory. Jeff: “One of the reasons I stayed in Harrisonburg [was that] I knew I could grow up [as an administrator] and I’d be able to see my kids… I’ve had tremendous support from Mary Lou. She’s the real boss of our family.”
The conversation is indexed below for efficient viewing (click the time stamp to jump to a specific question/topic).
