A Permanent Solution to Tackle an Environment of Constant Change
Weber sets high bar for what is attainable for Colorado State Athletics
Mike Brohard
Some things you just don’t see coming. John Weber has made a career out of finding the solutions in those exact situations.
He never anticipated become an athletic director, not after three-plus decades in the business sector. But here he is, in that exact role at the university which he believes gave him all the tools he needed to be successful in the arena.
“I wouldn’t do this role anywhere else. I am honored and humbled and excited to be able to do that here,” Weber said from his office. “I care very deeply for this university and this community. That’s going to come out in everything we focus on as an athletic department.”
On Thursday, Colorado State President Amy Parsons removed the interim tag from title Weber held for the past three months. Not that it really mattered, because he approached his initial posting with the intent of moving Colorado State forward, not just for the foreseeable future for the Rams, but rather with a focus to position the department in a prominent light for years to come.
He acknowledges the field is new to him, but not the process. While the brunt of his business dealings were in technology, it encompassed a myriad of alternate fields. When presented with a new challenge, he walked in the door with a confident, consistent approach.
To Weber, this is not something he hasn’t done before.
“Each time I went into a different industry, two things always happened: One, I became a subject-matter expert on that industry as quick as I possibly could; and two, I made sure I surrounded myself with people who already had that level of expertise,” Weber said. “That will be no different here. We will have a team assembled which makes sure we’re able to do everything we’re supposed to do, from a traditional NCAA athletic-administration perspective, but we’ll also make sure we’re set up extremely well from the business side of things so we can take full advantage of opportunities for CSU.”
He's been very visible about the first part. He immediately traveled with men’s basketball, just so he could gain an understanding of what moving a team to a road game encompassed. He went to Fresno, Calif., to support the track and field team as the women repeated as Mountain West Outdoor champions. He stood on the baseline and watched the basketball teams warm up at the Mountain West Tournament. If there’s been a home event, he’s been there.
He says being present is vital, and it is very much who he is as a leader, as a person. Being in the moment, he said, gives him an understanding of what teams actually need. Being there gives him a chance to talk with the student-athletes personally. With his prior work with the Green and Gold Guard, he knew most of the coaches. Now, he’s met with all of them repeatedly, to get to know and understand them better, as coaches and people. Same with the student-athletes.
All of it has made an impression.
“I think what I’ve really observed in my early conversations with John is he really loves the Rams,” women’s basketball coach Ryun Williams said. “He’s an alum, and I think he has a good feel and a really good vision of the new landscape of college athletics. From his business background to the NIL world, I feel he has a strong ambition to tackle that, and that is exciting.”
There’s a lot we have to do, there’s a lot we have to prepare for, but this is a business problem and I’ve spent a 30-plus year career of solving business problems. This is no different.John Weber
Weber has addressed the second part of his equation with the hire of longtime college athletics administrator Scott Sidwell. He will join the department as the Deputy Athletic Director, COO, coming from Penn State. From 2011-2019, he was the athletic director at San Francisco.
Sidwell, a former college baseball player, will not only bring those prior experiences to the table, but also a vitality Weber believes people will notice immediately.
“Number one, it’s his energy and his passion. When you meet him for the first time, it won’t take you but five seconds to figure out he’s on a different level when it comes to excitement,” Weber said. “That’s something which will permeate this building. With my own passion and the energy he brings, it’s going to impact all of our programs. We talk at CSU about the ‘Find Your Energy’ campaign, he fits right into that.”
This is an interesting time to become a first-time athletic director. Recent court decisions have already started to shape the future of the sport while still leaving as many questions unanswered as have been addressed.
He is asking himself and others those same questions. His main focus is getting ahead of the curve with the workable solutions, to have Colorado State in a position to be proactive, not reactive.
In his discussions with Weber, football coach Jay Norvell gains a sense of confidence the new department head will be prepared for what awaits.
“John is a CSU alum who has a real passion and desire to help our athletes,” Norvell said. “His experience in business gives him a unique insight on how to move forward in this changing college landscape.”
Change has become a constant in college athletics the past decade, some of it seemingly avoiding logic to those involved and still others sitting outside the field of play. Conference realignment has blown up regional rivalries, and many predict additional pieces will move. The transfer portal and Name, Image and Likeness have altered the way coaches build rosters.
More is coming, of that Weber is sure. To him, change is not something to fear, but rather to be embraced for one primary reason.
“There’s a lot we have to do, there’s a lot we have to prepare for, but this is a business problem and I’ve spent a 30-plus year career of solving business problems. This is no different,” Weber said. “There are always unknowns, but the thing I will tell you, any time there is change there is also opportunity which comes along with it, and we at Colorado State have to be in a position where we take advantage of that change, and that’s precisely what we’re going to go do.
“As this evolution is happening, there are a lot of questions out there which have not been answered. We’re going to have to work through those. It’s going to take months, not weeks, days or hours. There’s a seismic shift in athletics which has happened, and the result of that shift is not yet known. We can guess, we can pontificate, we can draw up model and whether it’s an A-B-C scenario, we’ll be prepared for all of them.”
He is still building out his master plan, wanting to gain additional input from others before finalizing his foundation and pillars for the department. He will have to find balance in the fundraising process of generating the money necessary for NIL, as well as for facility needs and those for discretionary funds. The important first step for him is engaging the fan base to fill Moby Arena and Canvas Stadium throughout the fall and winter seasons.
What is perfectly set in his mind is a plan for Colorado State athletics on the other side of all which has happened and all which is still to come. To Weber, the department he now heads is the one which is the best marketing and engagement tool the university possesses. He is out to reset the spotlight.
“A guiding principle of where we’re headed is we have a goal to be the most loved, most watched program in the state, the region and beyond. I really think there’s a true opportunity for us to achieve that, specifically when you look at the way conference realignment has reshaped who is playing where and who is playing whom,” he said. “Half of the games the former Pac-12 members play will now be in the Central and Eastern time zones. That leaves open a lot of opportunity for programs in the West, and I am out to position us to take advantage of that opportunity.
“Anytime there’s change, there’s opportunity. We are focused on being highly competitive and using change to our advantage. This is a phenomenal place to be a student-athlete, where you are able to compete at the highest level, earn a degree from a world-class university, and live in an amazing community. There is no better time to be a Ram.”
A goal which is perfectly clear to him.