With University of Minnesota athletic director Joel Maturi stepping down at the end of the month (he will take a less-involved administrative role), Norwood Teague will take over the position Monday. The North Carolina native has talked a lot about his propensity for fundraising, mostly, he says, because of what he dreams he can accomplish with the funds. Top of the list? Football budgetary improvements, a contract extension for Tubby Smith and a basketball practice facility. Those things are important, Teague says, but his most important goal: winning.
Q Joel Maturi has made it clear he's not exactly thrilled with how much of a business college athletics and the job of an AD has become. But it seems like you really embrace that aspect.
A I really do. You can call it the business side, but I think it's more the people side as it relates to fundraising, as it relates to marketing, as it relates to the external side ... that's one of the reasons why I'm in it. I believe in what it does for the student-athletes, I believe in what it does for the university. I think my strengths are being a people person, and I think all of us can enjoy things we have a talent in doing. But I will say this: I mean I'm competitive. I want to win and I want to do extremely well for the department, and part of that, your job as an AD, is to make money for the department, and I look at that as a really fun challenge and something that I just really eat up.
Q So what's first on the tackling list?
A The first thing I've got to do is honestly get there and start meeting with coaches, administrators, student-athletes and getting a really good idea of what's going on and the top four or five things that I have to do in the first six months. I strongly believe the first 100 days are ones that you do a lot of listening, and I don't think you can make too many rash decisions that are going to be major.
Q What have you heard from the coaches so far as far as what the program needs and what they want from you?
A With [football coach] Jerry [Kill]: I know is big on some of the areas in his program that need budget help whether it be moving the training table or redoing the lockers in his practice locker room or travel issues, where they need some more help financially to operate at the level they need to be operating at. With [basketball coach] Tubby Smith: First of all it's his contract. I think we're pretty far down the road on that, and I've felt good about that, getting him solidified there and completing that process ... and I think we're making progress on that. It's not done yet but hopefully it's something that will be done very soon.
Q You said you've already talked to fundraising and facility departments about a basketball practice facility.