AD in Residence: Crowley’s Ridge AD Chris Perkins

You were hired as AD nearly two years ago after 17 seasons as Head Men’s Basketball Coach. Looking back, what were your first priorities or goals? And how did you and the college work to achieve those goals?

I worked for seven years as the Assistant Athletic Director under Paul McFadden as we went through the process of moving to the NAIA. I took over the Athletic Director position during our transition between the Continental Athletic Conference and the American Midwest Conference. The first goal was obviously to be accepted into the AMC. After we were accepted as members, then it just became the process of what we need to do to move our way up in the conference in each of our sports. What do we need to change to help us continue to move forward?  We have looked at our facilities and just simply how we do things on a day-to-day basis to help us continue to move forward in the right direction.

What lessons were most important to learn as you transitioned from coach to AD? How do you manage the dual role of coach and AD, especially given the small staff at CRC? What advice would you give to current or future peers that may be in a similar dual role or transition from coaching to administration?

Organization!! I really have to work on my time management every day. This is my second time as an AD and Coach. I did both roles at Spalding University in Louisville, Kentucky, from 2003 till 2005. At the start of taking the AD role, I was very lucky here to work with a coaching staff that had been part of CRC in the process of changing not only associations but also conferences. All of our staff knew how things were done here. Everyone knew their role and it was an all-hands-on-deck approach. All of our coaches then, and even now with a nearly entirely new staff, each coach is ready and willing to do the “other things” that have to be done to make game days and really every day run smoothly. Coaches here are willing to run a clock or scoreboard, shot clock, keep a book, or do whatever they need to do to help each other. My advice would be to hire staff that are “All In” for the entire athletic department, not just your program.

Crowley’s Ridge has seen enrollment grow for six consecutive years, with the college recently announcing record enrollment, up 23% from last fall. What role has athletics played in increasing enrollment directly through more student-athletes and indirectly through increased visibility and campus environment? How do you balance the value of growing sport rosters versus adding new sports?

Each of our programs has target numbers that are set as the total number of student athletes for each program. Those numbers help to keep the Athletic Department’s part of enrollment at a set level. It helps to keep full rosters and JV teams for each of our sports. We hope that those numbers stay on target or even a little above to aid the Enrollment Office in CRC’s total enrollment numbers each year.

The college is in the midst of its $12M Mission Possible Capital Campaign. With select improvements to the Carter Activities Center already completed, how will this campaign impact the Pioneers if the funds are raised? What position does that put the department in moving forward?

That campaign is for major improvements to not only athletic facilities but also campus-wide improvements. We have a wonderful campus environment, but there can always be upgrades. Our gym, the Carter Center was the first facility improvement, with it being the main building that visitors to campus would likely see with home volleyball and basketball games. There are plans for improvements to both our baseball and softball facilities and a possible indoor facility. As the projects are completed, our current student athletes will definitely enjoy those improvements, and it will give us a major recruiting boost for the future.

CRC completed its first year as members of the AMC after eight years as an independent. How valuable has that transition been for the department? What has the impact been on the student-athlete experience and the bottom line? 

Joining the AMC has given us more true “Rivalry” games. We now have in-state and regional conference games that add to the college experience. The Continental Athletic Conference was great for us. It gave us a starting place in the NAIA. The downside to CAC was the travel, both distance and cost. Our longest trip in the AMC was our shortest trip in the CAC. Our first year in the AMC was the first season in the last seven that I was not in an airport for a conference game trip.

What is your vision for CRC athletics? What are you and your team working towards to reach that vision? 

We want to compete at the top national level in the NAIA. We are just like everyone else, trying to win conference and maybe even national championships. We have six new head coaches this fall that have more experience than the coaches they replaced. I am hoping that their experience will help us with in-game and recruiting experiences and help us to move toward those championship goals.