Auburn AD Allen Greene says his experience as an athlete taught him humility, confidence.AP Images
Auburn University’s new athletic director, Allen Greene, just started in his role, so he hasn’t had enough time to build up a healthy hate for the rival across the state. But in his short time in Auburn’s AD chair, where he replaced Jay Jacobs, Greene has fielded enough questions about Alabama that he’s quickly understanding the passion that permeates both sides.
“We want to dominate the league,” Greene said. “I want to beat everybody. I’m not that concerned about Alabama, per se, I’m more concerned about Auburn and putting our student athletes and coaches in position to be successful.”
Greene didn’t come to the Plains as an Auburn insider. He’s a Notre Dame guy who grew up in Seattle, so his adjustment will take time. The question is how much time does he have, with the ongoing FBI investigation that led to the arrest of assistant basketball coach Chuck Person on bribery charges still hovering over the program.
USA Today described the Tigers’ AD job as complex and said that Greene “faces the most awkward situation in college sports.”
Welcome to Auburn.
In a 30-minute interview with SportsBusiness Journal during his first month on the job, Greene, who came from the University of Buffalo, shared his priorities and how he’ll tackle his new position.
On his introductory news conference: I wasn’t trying to do more than just be myself. I tend to lean toward being thoughtful and genuine, passionate, someone who wants to be helpful to others. I think that came across, but I’m not the judge. … I tend to speak from the heart, so it was an opportunity for the people of Auburn to get a peek inside.
On having a 100-day plan: Plans are important, but you also have to be flexible. I’ll have a plan, but things will not go according to plan, that I can guarantee. It’s more of a framework that ensures, first, I’m getting a good understanding of Auburn. The second piece is starting to put my own spin on things. The third phase is starting some of the big-picture things that people won’t see the results of for a year or two down the line.
On looking ahead to his first Iron Bowl: Fans love that matchup, it’s really important, but if you ask our coaches, I presume they’d say, “Yes, it’s a big game, but it’s ‘a’ game. We’ve got 11 other games and, Lord willing, a 13th and a 14th.”
On being the third African-American AD in the SEC: I see myself as an athletic director, I see myself as someone who cares about the lives of young people. I just happen to be a person of color, I just happen to be at Auburn, I just happen to be from Seattle. I’m just serving. Now, I also recognize that when you’re a young administrator and you see people who look like you reach a certain level … I remember looking up to Gene Smith and Stan Wilcox and others. So that’s not lost on me; it means a lot. But you have to remember that I’m no different than any of my colleagues. I’ll do all I can to help anyone who thinks they want to be an AD.
On how his experience as a college and pro baseball player shaped him as an AD: Baseball teaches you humility, confidence, the importance of your teammates being successful and how that helps you be successful. It teaches you grind, it teaches you grit, it teaches you resiliency, it teaches you how to work with people who aren’t like you and have different skill sets. It teaches you that you can’t be everything. Some people are good hitters, some people are good throwers, some people are fast, some people are smart. Do what you do, do it well, and surround yourself with people who bring those other skill sets.
On what he’d do if he weren’t an AD: I’d be an elementary school teacher. I love kids and I love shaping lives, so this is the next best thing. The other job I’d want, and I know it’ll never happen, is I want to be a golfer on the senior tour. But I’ll never be good enough.
