Patty Maye Ohanian

My natural competitiveness suits the both the sports and sales world really well, so that ability to combine both of these things is perfect for me. Due to my own experience being recruited as a college softball player, I have a unique connection to the recruiting world. Being able to work in a field that I am so passionate about drives me to continue to develop my skills. I have had the unique ability to see the college athletics world at so many different levels and from different perspectives; a DIII athlete, working in DIII, FCS and P4 Schools, having different roles- Ive been able to see the landscape of collegiate athletics from so many different views, its given me a unique skillset in my field.

Be willing to be a Swiss Army knife. When I started, I always knew I wanted to be in recruiting, but my first job was a combination of things - I did laundry, I cleaned the locker room, I set up team meals, I took the trash out- because I was so willing to just be a good teammate I got the opportunity to continue on. Be willing to jump in where needed, and don't be afraid to make mistakes, because I made a billion of them. Help where's needed - no job is too small, nothing is below you. Understand everything about the organization you're a part of, so that when you are in a leadership role, you can really understand and respect all of the different things that go into making it work.

The best career advice I could give would be to be relentless in pursuing opportunities. As a student at a small college, I knew I was competing against candidates from much larger universities for football operations roles, so I spent my senior year cold-calling professionals in the field, asking questions, seeking guidance, and building connections. That persistence ultimately led to my first position at Gardner-Webb University, and it taught me that initiative, networking, and determination can open doors that might otherwise seem out of reach.

The biggest challenge in athletics is that it's just changing so quickly. Every day there is something new: legislation, transfer portal, NIL. Trying to keep up with the change and serve customers and clients when things are changing so rapidly. As far as opportunity goes, the changes are also the biggest opportunity. There are so many changes coming out every day that we're able to create solutions for new problems regularly. There are constant opportunities for us to solve new problems and improve to make coaches lives' better.

Integrity first and foremost. I want coaches and customers to be able to trust that the advice Im giving them is what I would do if I were them. I like to be honest about mistakes Ive made or things I would have done differently- I hope that people can learn from my mistakes. I also want to be the best possible listener. What I can learn from a customer being unhappy with something is so much more important than what I can learn from them being happy. I want to solve problems and make coaches' lives easier.