Navigating And Cultivating Relationships With Eastern Illinois’ Tom Michael

Summary

• - How have you developed such a good relationship with your president?
• - How did your experiences dealing with budget issues in the state of Illinois prepare you for the budget constraints of the pandemic?
• - What is the secret to cultivating alignment?
• - How do you empower your staff to buy-in to your strategic vision?
• - With EIU President David Glassman to retire in 2023, what will be some of your priorities for the next president?
• - Have you seen CEOs more involved in college athletics given the changes across the industry?
• - How do you define fit when hiring coaches?
• - How did you tap into EIU's football alumni during this recent coaching search?
• - How critical is it for you and your coaches to be aligned on key industry issues like NIL and the transfer portal?
• - Do you think Illinois' state NIL law allowing institutions to assist in facilitating deals is the right move?
• - As a member of the DI Football Committee and chair of the Council of ADs for the OVC, how do you handle the gravity of the decisions you help make?
• - How do you handle criticism from peers, pundits or fans?
• - How do you cultivate strong relationships with EIU student-athletes?
• - With your daughter serving as a volunteer assistant after playing at EIU, what would your advice be if she desired to get into coaching?
• - How would you have engaged NIL as a former student-athlete yourself?