Information Interview

Information Interview Larry Marfise Athletic Director at University of Tampa

Name: CJ Breen

Name of information candidate: Larry Marfise, Athletic Director at University of Tampa Summary: I reached out to the University of Tampa’s current athletic director who has been at the helm of the athletic department for 22 years. My current end goal is to become a college athletic director and getting to have a Q/A session with someone who is in charge of one the most recognizable division 2 programs was crucial to understanding what I should be looking out for in the future.

Date of Information Interview: November 6th

Format of Information Interview: Call / Email communication

Total Length of Interview Time: A month of communication back and forth Q/A Session:

● After 22 years at the University of Tampa, what motivates you to keep going?

We still have lots of challenges, in Collegiate athletics students cycle in and out every year, so there is always a new dynamic that you deal with. Challenging and lots of fun, keeps you young.

● Having one of the most recognizable D2 athletic programs in the country, what are some of the advantages and disadvantages you face?

The advantages are that we have a high profile so it makes it easier to recruit, the challenges are that there are high expectations for success, we are not funded as well as a lot of competition, so our coaches work hard to maintain what success we have.

Lots of good recruiting and selling the benefits of our education.

● What are some unique changes your department has made due to the COVID-19 Pandemic?

We have made changes to the way we clean facilities and we test our athletes as required by the NCAA. This puts an additional strain on our training room staff.

● Having 20 varsity sports to deal with can be quite time consuming..How are you able to manage and configure annual budgets other than Title IX factoring in.

I have staff that help with budgeting and we work on it almost year round. We do factor for title IX, and try to stay as compliant as we can which means a lot of general fund raising.

● What do you envision your athletic program looking like year in and year out?

We have an expectation that our students will graduate, so my only expectation from our staff and coaches is that they bring in good students and work with them to make sure they are reaching the goal of graduating. You win with upper classmen so it is important to have these students here for 4 years.

● What are some key factors you look for when hiring a new coach?

First and foremost, I want a person who is a teacher, who can relay the basics of the game, and be able to reach all his students. Then looking for someone who values education and student safety, and who can motivate and make the game enjoyable for the athletes.

● Being involved in athletics means long days and working weekends. What is the most rewarding part of that?

Watching young men and women succeed on and off the field and move on to become contributors to a community .

● If you had to give advice to someone who has aspirations to be a college AD, what are some steps he/she should take to reach those goals.

Get involved early on, learn all aspects of the job, it is multi-faceted. Don’t be afraid to get dirty and know you are going to have to put in long hours.

Closing questions:

● What you were hoping to learn but did not in this information interview?
I was hoping to learn what an average work week looks like, and how many hours he usually spends in the office and attending sporting events.

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  ● Did you learn more at the job shadow or through informational interviewing?
  I was able to learn more at the job shadow due to the fact I had less previous knowledge about how a hockey facility is run opposed to what an athletic director does.
  

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  ● Are there openings at their company for internships or career opportunities?
  I originally reached out to Larry Marfise to try to arrange an internship for Christmas break and/or summer. However, they are not currently offering any internships or career opportunities.
  

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  ● Would you consider an Internship or Career In this Position/Field, why or why not?
  I would love to have an internship or career in this field. I am passionate about helping the next generation of student- athletes achieve on and off the field.