By Sean McDevitt
FightingIllini.com
Standing 6'4", casual in a t-shirt, shorts and running shoes, Josh Whitman, Illinois' Director of Athletics, looks like he could still suit up for the Fighting Illini football team or any of the four National Football League teams he played for in his career. On the day of this interview, he had just finished volunteering at Memorial Stadium during the Community & Campus Day of Service. Later, he would head over to watch the Illinois baseball and track and field teams compete.
On a weekend when most people would want to relax and take it easy, Whitman keeps going. It's his sense of responsibility to do right by his University that motivates him and is a continuous source of pride and accomplishment. With two years under his belt, Whitman still has a burning desire to help shepherd Illinois Athletics into the next level of success.
Whitman was hired in early 2016 and instantly began changing the culture. He made a splash with the hiring of former NFL coach Lovie Smith and received plenty of praise in adding Brad Underwood to lead the men's basketball program. Along the way, he's spearheaded construction of a new Football Performance Center, created the Illinois Athletics Hall of Fame, attracted the attention of the NHL to possibly bring collegiate hockey to Illinois and presided over successes in golf, baseball, volleyball, men and women's tennis, track and field, cross country, gymnastics and wrestling.
Days into his tenure, he set social media on fire with the hashtag #WEWILLWIN consequently defining his vision for Illinois athletics. After two years, he's still thinking big.
"I have an even stronger understanding and belief in what our true potential is as an athletic program and as a university," Whitman said. "It's been really empowering to see the people involved in our program, the student-athletes, our staff, our university and certainly our fans and alumni. Getting to know them, see them with my own eyes, and grasp what that could look like if we were able to marshal the full power of all those people in one direction. That's been really exciting for me."
Measuring Success
Looking back and ticking off accomplishments is not Whitman's way. He's more interested in the people.
"In positions like this, my goals are really based on other people's goals, so when I see our students succeed, when I see our teams succeed, when I see our staff succeed, then I take a lot of pride in that success knowing that I had, hopefully, some small role to play."
JOSH WHITMAN,
Illinois Director of Athletics
"I'm just really proud of the culture and the feeling that's developing within our athletic program. I think we've done a good job of fostering a strong sense of community supporting one another," said Whitman.
One thing he turns to when defining Illinois athletics is the recently created mission statement: UNIFY. DEVELOP. INSPIRE. ACHIEVE. Whitman believes these words help solidify for staff and stakeholders the Illinois athletics values.
On the other hand, measuring his own success is not something he spends much time on.
"In positions like this, my goals are really based on other people's goals, so when I see our students succeed, when I see our teams succeed, when I see our staff succeed, then I take a lot of pride in that success knowing that I had, hopefully, some small role to play."
A New Perspective
One of the most important changes in Whitman's life happened away from any field or court. In September 2016, Josh and his wife, Hope, welcomed Tate Elizabeth into their family. Bring up his daughter in casual conversation and you'll get a genuine smile and a proud papa story or two. He recently announced on social media Hope is going to have a son this summer. Without a doubt, family is more precious than the pigskin that dominated most of his life and more important than the office he has in the upper corner of the Bielfeldt Athletics Administration Building. Fatherhood, in many ways, changed him completely.
He reflected on fatherhood and how perspectives suddenly change.
"I think most people who are parents would say that it gives you perspective in a way that, I think, is needed sometimes in college athletics. When you lose a really heartbreaking game, as we have on occasion over the course of the last couple years, you come home, and you see that little girl, or this little boy who's gonna come this summer, and it just really helps keep you grounded, and helps remind you of what's really, really, important."
Forty Under 40 Award
Whitman was honored as one of the Sports Business Journal's Forty Under 40 on April 18 in Los Angeles. Winning the award has a special meaning to him.
"I've been reading the Sports Business Journal since I was 23 years old," Whitman said. "Every year, I look forward to the Forty Under 40 edition. As a young, aspiring professional, those were my role models, those were the people who I wanted to be. Every year when that issue arrived, I would read it front to back, and just digest everything those people said, and their experiences, where did they go to school, what degrees did they have, who are the people that they referenced, what books did they read?
"Now all of a sudden, to be one of those people is surreal. It's so humbling, and it really speaks to the great work that's happening here in our athletic program. It's not really about me. I just happen to be at the front of the line with the organization."
The Future
What does the next two years or two decades hold for Josh Whitman and Illinois Athletics? The sky is the limit.
"I'm so excited about what our future can look like. In order for us to really capture that opportunity, and realize that full potential, we just need more and more people to get involved with what we do, and engage with us. Be in the stands, fly the flag, donate money, and be a part of the program, whatever way makes most sense for them.
"That ultimately is our secret. We have one of the largest communities of people in the country, when it comes to alumni bases, and fan bases. If we can just tap into that, and get some percentage of those people to actively participate in our program, I think it'll just open everybody's eyes to what we can really accomplish together. I believe that in my heart, and that's what drives me every day."
