Mizzou Names Mack Rhoades New Athletic Director

of Missouri Chancellor R. Bowen Loftin announced on Tuesday, March 10, 2015 that Mack B. Rhoades IV has been appointed director of Intercollegiate Athletics at Mizzou. He will assume the post in late April.

“I think he’s a great hire,” Mizzou Football Head Coach Gary Pinkel said. “We had to replace a great athletic director, Mike Alden. We got a guy that can continue on and keep improving the University of Missouri Athletics. I think we got the right guy without a question.”

Rhoades currently serves as vice president for Intercollegiate Athletics at the University of Houston, where he oversees 17 varsity sports and has led a revival in academics and facilities since his arrival in August 2009. Prior to joining the University of Houston, Rhoades was director of athletics at the University of Akron.

“Mack Rhoades brings a wealth of experience as a Division I athletic director to Mizzou, and he has demonstrated a commitment to our core values of academic integrity, social responsibility and competitive excellence,” Loftin said. “I am delighted to welcome a leader with a track record of enhancing the student-athlete experience and a proven record in fundraising and facility development. We found the right fit at the right time to take Mizzou Athletics to even greater heights.”

At the University of Houston, Rhoades restored the athletics program across the board, including enhancements in the student-athlete experience, academics, facilities, fundraising and competitiveness.

“He’s very strong and a good leader,” Pinkel said. “It’s all about student-athletes and to run the program with integrity. He’s a guy that’s very competitive and driven, and I certainly like that. He understands the importance of football and understands the importance of sport at a university of this level.”

“The University of Missouri is a world-class institution, and I am honored to serve as its next director of athletics,” Rhoades said.  “Success begins with great people and I look forward to working with our talented student-athletes, coaches and staff to keep the athletics program among the nation’s elite. Amy and the girls and I are extremely excited to become members of the Mizzou family, and I am grateful for the opportunity to work with Chancellor Loftin and President Wolfe. I look forward to traveling the state to meet the fans who are the heartbeat of the Tigers.”

During his tenure, Houston raised nearly $100 million and built $160 million worth of new facilities, including a new on-campus football stadium and a men’s and women’s basketball development center. Rhoades also negotiated a new multimedia rights deal for the athletics program as well as one of the top five facility naming rights deals at the collegiate level.

Rhoades holds a bachelor’s degree in health sciences from the University of Arizona and a master’s degree in athletics administration/sports management from Indiana University. Rhoades succeeds Mike Alden, who announced Jan. 29 that he will step down this year to join the College of Education as an instructor. There he will participate in the Positive Coaching Program and higher education leadership courses.

2015 Mizzou Coaches Clinic

Mizzou Football Coaches are inviting high school football coaches to spend the entire day of Friday, March 13, 2015 with the coaching staff. Coaches will have the opportunity to speak with Head Coach Gary Pinkel, along with Offensive Coordinator Josh Henson and Defensive Coordinator Barry Odom. The coaches can watch the Mizzou Football team’s first full pads practice of spring football. For more information or to RSVP, call 573-882-2213.

Here’s a detailed schedule of the day:

9:00 AM – 10:30 PM    Defensive Coaches’ Breakdown (Offensive Coaches’ Available)

10:30 AM – 12:00 PM  Offensive Coaches’ Breakdown (Defensive Coaches’ Available)

12:00 PM Lunch on own

1:30 PM – 2:30 PM Special Teams Breakdown

2:30 PM Kick Meetings with Mizzou Coaches

2:45 PM Position Meetings

3:30 PM 1st full pads practice, Teaching/fundamental practice

6:00 PM Butthead BBQ – Post Practice ($15.00)

 

The Mizzou Football Bottom Line

“One play at a time, deliver your best.”

For the Mizzou Football Family, going through the motions will never cut it.

Being a successful athlete and a successful team involves knowing what is required of you to perform at the highest possible level. Every single drill, every single play, and every single game requires the highest level of commitment—no matter what.

There are four core elements to the Mizzou Football bottom line:

  • We are enthusiastic
  • We are six-second competitors
  • We know our assignments
  • We play tough and physical

When these elements come together—in combination with thorough preparation and mutual trust—the results can be astounding. Players who understand what is expected of them, keep their eyes on the next play, and deliver their best every single time have the mental strength and focus to do what is needed.

Responsibility and success go hand-in-hand. Everyone wants to achieve success, but the true champions are the ones who know it takes determination and responsibility to reach great heights.

For example, if you want to get an A on a test, you can’t rely solely on the teacher’s instruction. The teacher is a crucial part of the learning process, but you have to take the time to practice and understand the material that will be asked of you on test day. Once you realize that it is your responsibility to fail or ace a test, you get out of the habit of making excuses and start taking responsibility for your own successes.

The same applies in athletics. An athlete’s plan for success must be his own personal plan because without personal commitment, nothing will be achieved.

So, what is necessary for you to achieve at the highest level for your team, as a student, as a person, and as a player?

Here are the 4 ways to plan for success:

  1. Be a team player. It’s not about you—it is about the team. Once you learn self-sacrifice, the overall success is a gratifying win for all of your teammates, as well as for you.
  2. Have a great attitude. Attitude is more important than facts. It is more important than the past, than education, than money, than circumstances, than failures, than successes. The remarkable thing is that we have the choice every single day to choose the attitude we will embrace. We cannot change the inevitable, but we can certainly play on the one string that we possess, and that is our attitude. Life is 10 percent circumstances and 90 percent reaction, and we are in charge of our attitudes.
  3. No excuses. Success and excuses are incompatible. It is impossible to sustain any sort of success while you are in the habit of making excuses for yourself. Any excuse for non-performance, however valid, softens the character. It is a sedative against one’s own conscience. We all have a supply of excuses we could use at any given moment, but the more we use them, the lower our standards become and the poorer our performance. An excuse-free lifestyle will bring improvement not only to your work ethic, but also to your personal character.
  4. Have a great work ethic. Working hard will provide the opportunity to succeed at the highest level because you will grow and achieve daily.

Understanding your personal “bottom line” will help you identify and improve the areas you find most important. The Mizzou Football bottom line helps the Mizzou Football Family deliver its best every single day, and it helps hold coaches and teammates accountable to one another. At the end of the day, any program success is the product of hard work, dedication, good attitudes, and a no-excuse environment.