Randy Tevepaugh and I go back years — through the NIAAA, through the OIAAA, through more state conferences than either of us can probably count. He's one of those ADs who's put as much into building up other athletic directors as he has into his own program, so when he sat down with me for "Inside the AD Playbook," I knew the conversation wouldn't stay at the surface for long.
It didn't. We covered purpose, problem-solving, leading through change, time management — a lot of ground for one conversation. Three moments in particular are still with me.
1. Relationships and communication define ADs
I asked Randy how he'd define the real job, beyond the schedules and the logistics, and he didn't hesitate. For him it comes down to two things: relationships and communication. On the relationship side, that means "talking to your coaches often, developing relationships and trust with the community, with your student athletes, with staff."
On the communication side, it's about clearly articulating what you expect from coaches, spectators, and parents. As Randy put it, "Taking responsibility for our role in making sure communication is a two-way street and comfortable for everybody."
Everything else Randy talked about — solving problems, leading change, building a legacy — traces back to those two pillars.
2. Don't let the frog sit there — address issues head-on
When I asked Randy how he identifies and works through problems, his answer started with a mindset shift. He's taken the word "problems" out of his vocabulary entirely: "We have challenges. We have issues. We have obstacles. None of them are insurmountable. And we can work together, keep calm, and keep a professional attitude."
But he was direct about what happens if you sit on those issues too long. Ignore them, he told me, and they're going to get worse. His rule is simple: when you're aware something's happening in your district, "address it immediately and head-on."
We have challenges. We have issues. We have obstacles. None of them are insurmountable.
I've heard that called "swallowing the frog" — deal with the hard thing first, before it grows teeth. Randy's version of it: get on location, talk to parents, student-athletes, and coaches, and find out where things are and aren't going well before you make any decisions.
3. Change affects the whole family
Randy's approach to leading change starts with the basics: collaborate with coaches, make it incremental, don't drop it all at once.
"Nobody's really comfortable with change, especially if they've been doing something for a long time," he said. Randy works with coaches and has them collaborate on changes incrementally, rather than, as he put it, dropping "a big bowling ball" on them all at once.
Change doesn't just affect the coach or the student athlete in front of you, "it affects your coaches' families," and "it affects their families, too." Even positive change brings a little anxiety, he said, and people get comfortable with it by trusting the process — which, in turn, comes down to "having a good relationship with the AD and school administration, and trusting their judgment and direction."
It's a good reminder that the people directly affected by a change aren't the only ones you're leading through it.
What this means for your athletics program
Relationships built before you need them.
Issues handled the day you spot them.
Change led with the whole family in mind, not just the org chart.
None of it is complicated, but all of it takes discipline to actually do year after year. It's important to build the habit before you move on to the next thing. His commitment to these good habits is just one of the reasons why we recognized Randy Tevepaugh as a Bound AD of Influence.
Our conversation ran well past these three moments. Good thing the cameras were rolling.
Randy also walked me through leading the construction of his school's athletic complex, the student-led Captain's Council that's logged over 1,000 hours of community service, and why he points to his own mentors as the reason he's stayed in this profession as long as he has.
Want the full conversation? Watch the on-demand webinar: Inside the AD Playbook — 5 Things High-Performing Ohio Athletic Directors Do Differently, with Randy Tevepaugh.
