Interview with Senior Associate Athletic Director Scott Farmer
ultoday.com recently interviewed Scott Farmer about what brought him to UL, and his initial impressions.
Tell us about yourself.
I was born in Hollywood Florida, but grew up in Daytona Beach. I was graduated from Father Lopez High School, and after that I went to Georgia Southern. I received a BS in Health & Physical Education there, and my MS in Sports Administration.
How did you end up in athletics?
I was a swimmer all the way through college. I guess you could say I was successful; I held the school record in butterfly, individual medley, and distance freestyle-- I think my own swimmers broke my record, and derived great joy from doing so. So after graduation, I became the head women's swimming coach, and about a year and a half later, I became the Assistant Athletic Director. I stayed at Georgia Southern for 12 years after graduation. Then in 1999, I went to Troy as the Associate Director of Athletics.
What prompted you to leave your alma mater?
It was a great opportunity, an opportunity to influence Troy's move from 1AA up to 1A. That was very exciting for me. At the time, the main Troy campus had only about 4,000 students, and the decision had been made by the Board of Trustees to move up. That's the challenge I love, right there. It was exciting to orchestrate that move.
So what brought you to UL?
That's a tough one, because it's a two year story. It goes back to when the University was looking for an Athletic Director. I was a finalist, but then there was the hiring freeze after the hurricane. After that, the University was preoccupied with the NCAA. But [UL Athletic Director] David Walker and I had gotten to know each other through conference interactions. From him and from my own digging, I got to study not only UL, but the entire region. I became more and more intrigued about the potential that exists here. Then one day, David called and asked, "What will it take?"
After looking hard at UL and Acadiana, I am convinced that most people have no idea what the ceiling is here.
Do you think there's a ceiling here?
[Chuckle] No, I don't. I think the sky's the limit. I see a great community that embraces UL, and the Ragin' Cajuns. I see a community made of strong businesses, and business leaders who are very anxious to support their local institution. Going through the parking lot at UL games, people come up and say, "I got a check here and I don't know who to give it to." Trust me, you don't get that everywhere in the country.
It's just a great community with great people, and great students... 17,000 is really a good-sized university, and it's probably going to grow. This is a place coaches can recruit to. We have some facilities that have to be taken care of, but as soon we get that done, then we'll be able to greatly enhance our recruiting. Because the first job of a coach is to recruit, and everything follows from that.
On a personal level, we thought Lafayette was just a great place to raise a family. I have an 8th grader and a 5th grader, and the educational and cultural opportunities afforded to them here are just fantastic.
Our interview with Scott Farmer continues here.
