Tom McMillen, President & CEO of Lead1 Association

Beyond The Whistle with Odell McCants

It was a personal honor to have as my guest on this episode, Tom McMillen, President and CEO of Lead1 Association. As a kid growing up in Washington, DC, I had two dreams: 1) to play in the NBA and 2) to be President of the United States. I like to think I came a little close, having played basketball in college, worked for a U.S. Congressman and spent time as an NBA agent. At least that's what I tell myself.

Having those dreams, and living in DC, Tom was someone I followed closely. Tom was an All-American at the University of Maryland, where he also became the school's first Rhodes Scholar. I got to watch his 11 year NBA career, especially his three seasons with the then Washington Bullets. I also followed closely Tom's three terms in the U.S. House of Representatives, where he represented the 4th District of Maryland. Tom's career journey was what I aspired for myself as a young man.

Today, Tom McMillen is President and CEO of Lead1 Association. Lead1 is a membership organization of collegiate athletic directors from primarily Football Bowl Subdivision (FBS) programs. As the business of college sports has grown, so have the challenges facing institutions, programs and athletic directors - diversity, new media, sexual assault and domestic violence, and gambling are just a few. With his background in legislation, being a student-athlete, playing professionally and experience leading public companies, college athletics is fortunate to have Tom as a leader.

In this episode, Tom and I discuss:

• How he, as a young man, followed the career of Bill Bradley, a former U.S. Senator, basketball All-American at Princeton and 10 years in the NBA.
• The impact attending college and playing professional basketball in the Washington, DC area had on his political aspirations.
• What leadership means to him.
• As a member of Congress, Tom's role in the original sports gambling legislation - Professional and Amateur Sports Protection Act of 1992.
• Concerns of new legalized sports betting.
• What it was like when the news of the FBI college basketball investigation and arrests broke in the middle of their annual conference of more than 100 athletic directors in attendance and NCAA president Mark Emmert speaking at the same time.
• Concerns of legalized sports betting.
• College basketball "guarantee games" - the affect they have on career advancement of low and mid-major coaches.
• The importance of college coaches having an understanding of the issues and challenges AD's face - changing media landscape, declining game attendance, financial and budget pressures, hiring and retaining the right coaches, federal investigations.
• Gender and ethnic diversity in coaching and sports administration.
• The annual Lead1 Institute.

Mentions in this episode

• 19th Annual Lead1 Institute - July 16-18, 2018 at Texas Christian University, Fort Worth, Texas

Connect With Tom McMillen and Lead1

• Lead1 Association - Website
• Lead1 Association- Twitter
• Tom McMillen - Twitter

Connect with Odell McCants

• McCantsSports.com - Website
• @odellmccants - Twitter
• Odell McCants - LinkedI