about making it happen. Ted agreed to prepare all the food as long as we could recruit volunteers. We honestly had no idea if students would show up. That first night, the place was absolutely packed. It completely blew us away. Students loved it, and it became one of those traditions people looked forward to every semester. What I loved most was that it wasn’t just an athletics thing—it became a campuswide tradition built around community and care for students. You’ve spent decades watching students arrive at UIndy and eventually walk across the graduation stage. How do you think about that journey? Years ago, during a faculty and staff convocation, longtime faculty member Toni Peabody said something I’ve never forgotten. She described college as a book of chapters. When students first arrive on campus, that’s the beginning of a new chapter in their lives. Over the next several years, they experience challenges, successes, setbacks, friendships, and growth. As faculty and staff, we get the privilege of helping guide them through those pages. Then comes graduation. I’ve always loved that moment when graduates walk through the line of faculty and staff after commencement. You get to congratulate them, tell them how proud you are, and celebrate everything they’ve accomplished. It’s joyful, but it’s also a little bittersweet because that chapter is closing and a new one is beginning. What made working at UIndy so meaningful was getting to be a small part of those chapters for so many students over the years.
When I retired, someone said to me, “Job well done, faithful servant.” That really got me emotionally because it captured what I always hoped this work was about. If you could relive one season or chapter of your UIndy experience, what would it be? Honestly, it would be the years when my two boys were growing up around UIndy athletics. My wife and sons were always at games and events. They knew the student- athletes and the student-athletes knew them. In fact, there were times the athletes asked more about my boys than they asked about me! When my sons eventually went off to college, it was emotional because those years had been so rewarding for our family. UIndy wasn’t just meaningful to me—it became meaningful to all of us. What’s something people on the outside might not fully understand about UIndy student-athletes? Before UIndy, I worked at Purdue and the University of Pennsylvania. Those were great experiences, but the student-athletes at UIndy were different in a really special way. Our student-athletes competed at a high level, but they also truly valued the overall experience—the friendships, the education, the community. They were here because they loved being student- athletes. That made the relationships especially meaningful. There was a different sense of purpose and connection, and I think that’s one of the reasons I loved being here so much. Was there a tradition that surprised you with how meaningful it became? Absolutely—Midnight Breakfast. Bob Jones approached me years ago about bringing it back, and then we talked with Ted Polk from dining services
At the time, very few Division II schools were doing anything like it. I remember attending a national conference in 1995 and realizing there was only one other Division II institution doing athletic fundraising in that way. What stands out to me now is how forward-thinking UIndy was. Everyone embraced the idea that fundraising should enhance opportunities for student-athletes, not replace existing support. Today, nearly every athletics program has something similar, but back then it was incredibly uncommon. Looking back, I’m proud UIndy was willing to think ahead. Is there a game day or event that perfectly captures the spirit of Greyhound Athletics for you? There was one Homecoming a few years ago where the weather was perfect, and the entire football parking lot was absolutely packed. I used to joke that I became “the mayor of the parking lot” because I’d spend the day walking around saying hello to people. That day, you could barely walk down the aisles because so many alumni, families, and fans were there enjoying the atmosphere and showing their Greyhound pride. I remember thinking, “This is what community looks like.” Nobody wanted the day to end because it was such a joyful experience. It’s days like that when you realize the impact of all the work people have put in over the years. What did it mean to hear from alumni and former student-athletes over the years? One thing I heard often was, “Thank you for believing in me,” or “Thank you for making an impact.” That word—impact— always stayed with me. In higher education, we do this work to make a difference in people’s lives. So when someone tells you that you made an impact on them, it means everything. It makes you feel like you did what you were supposed to do.
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MAGAZINE // SUMMER 2026
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