CLEVELAND - The College Athletics Business Management Association (CABMA) is proud to announce the 2022-2023 CABMA Colleague Spotlight, sponsored by Commerce Bank. Get to know CABMA members and make connections with the monthly spotlight.
This month the spotlight turns to CABMA member Taylor Covington.
Name: Taylor Covington
Job Title: Assistant Athletics Director for Business Operations
Institution: West Virginia University
E-mail Address: taylor.covington@mail.wvu.edu
What is one of the greatest aspects of being involved in athletics?
One of the greatest aspects of being involved in college athletics is the opportunity to develop relationships with and make an impact on the lives of the student-athletes we serve. While we work daily to help our teams compete at the highest level and work to improve the department from a business standpoint, ultimately, the goal is to serve the student-athletes and provide them with the best experience possible.
Most memorable sporting event attended?
As a BYU alum of both my undergrad and MBA, as well as working with the BYU Athletic Department prior to WVU, the most memorable sporting event I attended was last year when BYU football beat Utah ending Utah's 9-game win streak over the Cougars. While attending a game at Lavell Edwards Stadium is always memorable, that night was a special experience that will never be forgotten.
Favorite CABMA memory?
My favorite CABMA memory was attending the conference for the first time. The event gave me the opportunity to meet in person all the great people I had been networking with over the years and strengthen the relationships I had been working to develop.
What's the most important thing the CABMA membership should know about you?
CABMA members should know that having not started my career in college athletics and having been a strategy consultant for professional sports organizations as well as for fortune 500 companies, I bring a different perspective to the table; having consulted and advised some of the top CFOs in the country, I understand the opportunities we have as an industry to better enhance our capabilities, and better serve our schools and student-athletes.
What are you looking forward to this academic year?
There are many things I look forward to this year like working closely with my CFO (Simon Dover) and new athletic director to take the already great business office and athletic department to the next level, but the thing I look forward to most is working to develop my team and doing all that I can to help them reach their career goals and set them up for success.
Book Recommendation?
"The Dichotomy of Leadership" by Jocko Willink and Leif Babin
Favorite Quote?
My favorite quote is from Ryan Smith, owner of the Utah Jazz and fellow BYU alum. "If the answer is 'no,' that means you haven't done enough work to get to 'yes.'"
Best piece of professional advice you've received?
The best piece of professional advice I received is to never put limitations on what you can achieve in your career, there is no reason that it can't be you.
About CABMA: CABMA is an organization devoted to the establishment, maintenance and implementation of the highest standards of integrity and efficiency in the scope, policies and procedures involved in the management and administration of business in the athletics departments and associations of colleges and universities. For more information about CABMA, please visit www.cabma.com. CABMA is administered by the National Association of Collegiate Directors of Athletics (NACDA), which is in its 58th year. For more information on NACDA and the 18 professional associations that fall under its umbrella, please visit www.nacda.com.
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