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The Telios Group
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New Coach Strategies to Engage Fans

March 8th 2006

Q. We will be hiring a new coach and I’d like to know what some of the best strategies are for engaging our newly hired coach with the students, faculty, staff and the community?
 

A. As usual, another great question, and an especially great question since it’s being asked PRIOR to a new coach stepping foot on campus.  I love to see athletic administrators being PROACTIVE.  Absolutely love it.
 

To be successful marketing and selling your athletic programs, it’s critical to have coaches who engage your athletics staff, community, faculty, staff, students, alumni, former student-athletes, community and state leaders, and media.
 

In recent years, some of the coaches who’ve made this a priority and have done an exceptional job connecting with the above groups, are Urban Meyer at Utah and now Florida; Dave Leitao at DePaul and now Virginia; and most recently, Tennessee’s Bruce Pearl.
 

Meyer met with EACH Florida student group shortly after arriving in Gainesville; Leitao has hosted “Coach Huddles” with fans prior to select home games; and Pearl stood on a chair inside Pat O’Brien bar on Beale Street before his Vols played Memphis, and riled up a gathering of Tennessee alums.
 

Here are five strategies we’ve learned from these coaches and others that you can provide to your new coach that have worked exceptionally well:
 

1. Learn the school fight song and teach each of your student-athletes the school fight song, and then – along with cheerleaders and band – go over to the student section immediately following each home game and sing the school fight song with the students.
 

2. Recognize the student body support is one of the most important factors in establishing a home field/court advantage.  In addition, with the student body’s support, energy and enthusiasm, it will be easier to attract the community’s support since season ticket holders have consistently expressed how much more fun they enjoy attending athletic events when student sections are filled with enthusiastic students.
 

3. Meet with the student leaders on your campus to establish a relationship between the team and student body on campus.  Send a personal invitation to each student organization leader and invite them to meet individually.  This is an excellent opportunity for fraternities, sororities, and student group leaders to get to know you and for you to listen to their thoughts and ideas.
 

4. Organize a school pep rally before you organize your first staff meeting.  Invite the entire student body to the Student Union, and along with activities involving the cheerleaders, dance team, band and mascot, share your vision, passion enthusiasm and commitment to the students and the important role they will play in creating the home field/court advantage.
 

5. When the students do show up, or line up outside your athletic facility for a home game, run over to the student section and “high five” the students, thank them for coming and supporting your student-athletes, and – they’ll love this – deliver pizzas to students in their seats (well, they won’t actually be in their seats as you run over with your hands full of pizza boxes).  As the season progresses and the student support increases, surprise them at the student entrance late in the season by personally handing each student a complimentary T-shirt and thank them for their support.
 

Your turn to take a shot…
 

What have your coaches done to engage your fans?
 

All the best,
 

Ron Goch
The Telios Group

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