Why new Charlotte 49ers AD Mike Hill says potential for success is ‘astounding’

Mike Hill will be introduced next week as the Charlotte 49ers’ next athletics director. Hill, 49, will replace Judy Rose, who retires this summer. A native of Anderson, S.C., who grew up the son of an English professor at Clemson, Hill has a longtime love of college athletics.

After graduating from North Carolina, Hill worked briefly at Ball State before going to Florida in 1993. He’s been the Gators’ executive associate athletics director for external affairs since 2012.

Hill, who has extended family in Charlotte, talked to the Observer’s David Scott about his plans for the 49ers:

Q. How would you describe your leadership style?

A. I’m absolutely a servant leader. I believe that if you have an inverted pyramid in the athletic department, I’m at the bottom. It’s my job to serve the student-athletes, the coaches and the staff, to provide resources they need. I believe in people and investing in people. If people understand you care for their happiness, the more they will want to do great things.　

Q. You know what intercollegiate success looks like from your years at Florida. What’s preventing Charlotte from pursuing something similar to what has worked for the Gators?

A. It’s really difficult for me to diagnose that right now. I’ve got to get in there and really listen and observe and assess before I can really determine what might be getting in the way. But I do know what the potential is and it’s astounding. If you look at the athletic facilities, they’re outstanding. You could put them against anybody in (Conference USA) or other schools in the Group of Five. If you have those kinds of facilities and quality coaches, you can recruit the talent that compete and engage fans for support. That’s a recipe for success.

But for what the obstacles are now, I’m going to have to get in there.

Q. The basketball program has been in a downturn for several seasons and you will have to decide on the status of interim coach Houston Fancher. What will go into that decision?

A. Whenever you’re assessing a program, your priority is not the immediate “now,” but what does the future look like? Where are we headed? I know what the basketball program has accomplished in the past. It’s been in stall mode for several years. We’ve missed the NCAA tournament for a period of time. I do know right now the program is nowhere close to where it should be. That’s not OK.

Moving forward, we’ve got to figure out where we want to be, and that includes the leadership of the program. I’m looking forward to getting there and talking to Houston. What he’s had to do is not easy. I admire that. He’s a first-class guy.

Q. Beyond the coach, what needs to happen for basketball to come back?

A. Basketball at Charlotte has more of a history now then what Florida had when I got there in 1993. They had one SEC championship before I arrived – that was it. But I’ll never forget that when Lon Kruger departed for Illinois, we went about doing things differently in all aspects. We really redefined how we did business. We put in a practice facility, which was rare in those days and hired Billy Donovan. We were aggressive in our marketing to students and now we have the best student section in the country, the Rowdy Reptiles. Now we have another special coach in Mike White. The on-court performance is essential. You’ve got to get that right. But there’s so much more that goes into it.　　

Q. The football team went 1-11 last season and Brad Lambert, the only coach the program has known in its five seasons (three in the Football Bowl Subdivision), came under fire from fans and the media. What’s your take on the football situation?

A. This is an interesting situation at Charlotte. It really is unheard of to try and accelerate the building of a football program in five years, and actually putting it into FBS in three years. I don’t think anyone should be shocked at the results they’ve had when the program is still in infancy. There has to be some understanding of the reality of the situation. But there’s also a fine line between making excuses and facing the reality head-on.

But the potential for success is extremely high. It’s a talent-rich area. The fan base is hungry for success. Brad is working hard on building it and I’m excited to see what unfolds this fall. We’ll all be looking for progress and that’s what Brad expects. No one in this business puts more pressure on one you than yourself and that’s the case with Brad.

Q. What will be some of the marketing challenges you’ll face?

A. The athletics department has done a good job branding itself as the Charlotte 49ers to cut through some of that in the market place. But (the city of) Charlotte has a lot of options: pro sports and other colleges, the ACC has dominated things and fans have allegiances to other schools. It’s a fantastic sports city. I want to build what is a successful program, not just in winning, but actively engaging our fan base with a very intentional strategy that makes them feel part of the program.

The fan experience needs to be off the charts. There’s so much competition for time and we’re asking people for their time and to spend their disposable income. So we’ll place the emphasis on fan experience and enjoyment. We want the fans to walk away from the event feeling like they got their time and money’s worth.

But we’re going to put the foot on the gas to accelerate that potential that is poised right there.

Q. What will be your social-media strategy?

A. It will be significant. It needs to be collaborative. On a weekly basis, we have to know what story we have to tell, in the short term and the long term. Then we have to plan, prepare and execute. Fans are hungry for content. They follow the team and want feedback. We’re not hiding from fans. Football and basketball attendance has been down. How do you attack that problem?

How does attendance improve?

It comes from a combination of factors. Winning will certainly help and that’s probably the most important factor. But I’ve also seen situations where winning doesn’t cure all. You have to be engaging at all times. You have to connect. You have to make the fan experience something they want to return for, whatever the result of the game is.

This story was originally published March 1, 2018 at 8:00 PM with the headline "Why new Charlotte 49ers AD Mike Hill says potential for success is ‘astounding’."