Jeremy Foley, Athletics Director at Florida, visits Ohio’s campus
Jeremy Foley has been Athletics Director at Florida since 1992.
This past week Ohio University received a visit from one of the premier athletics directors in the nation-Jeremy Foley of the University of Florida. Foley was visiting campus to receive his Medal of Merit, an honorary award presented to alumni who have achieved distinction in their professions and shown loyalty to the university.
Upon receipt of the award, Foley spoke to a crowd of 250 people on numerous topics, ranging from the culture of an organization to how people should be treated. He spoke of his own transformation as a manger, from a person who relied on his position of power early in his career to someone who treats people with respect and dignity. He spoke of the family atmosphere at Florida and how all employees must pull in the same direction, helping the entire department to reach their goals.
He mentioned that dealing with people is the biggest part of his job. Disdaining turf wars, he spoke of his high profile head coaches who still take the time to thank the staff who lines the football field or sweeps the gym floor. This requires checking your ego at the door and seeing the worth in all individuals. He was quick to mention that this does not mean there are no disagreements at Florida, but just like any family, they get together and solve them.
Billy Donovan and Urban Meyer are two of the high profile coaches that work at Florida.
Drawing upon wonderful examples for integrity and compliance, he spoke about holding his coaches and players to a high level of sportsmanship, encouraging them to give credit to the other team if they win. He repeatedly mentioned shaking their hand to congratulate them on their victory.
One of the most interesting areas Foley spoke about was the small things you can do for your organization to increase morale. At Florida, if an employee has been working at the athletics association for 10 years, they have to take a mandatory four week sabbatical to get away and re-energize themselves, similar to Nike’s policy. He mentioned how this has done wonders for the organization and the people who work there.
Foley’s speech was a model for what he sees as crucial success factors in the athletics industry: high energy, high passion, and high commitment. One needs to look no farther than Jeremy Foley’s career at the University of Florida for an example of this in action.
