Episode #129: Dr. Katherine Fell & Brandi Laurita on Recruiting

🎙️ How Colleges Build Their Rosters: Inside the Room With Findlay’s President & VP

In this episode of Significant Recruiting, we’re giving families what they rarely get—insight straight from the top. Matt sits down with Dr. Katherine Fell, President of the University of Findlay, and Brandi Laurita, Vice President for Student Affairs & Athletics, to unpack how colleges truly build their rosters and what “fit” really means from an institutional perspective.

Most families learn too late that each coach views their roster differently and every institution has its own expectations for the type of student-athletes they want representing their campus. Dr. Fell and VP Laurita break down that process with clarity, honesty, and care.

Whether you’re a family navigating recruiting, a coach building a program, or an administrator shaping student success—this episode will expand your thinking.

Learn more about today’s guests:

🌐 Dr. Katherine Fell: https://www.findlay.edu/about-uf/president

🌐 Brandi Laurita: https://www.findlay.edu/search/Faculty-Staff?fsid=000501f4

🌐 Matt Rogers / Significant Coaching: https://coachmattrogers.com

Transcript

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Welcome back to the Significant Coaching Podcast recruiting segment. I'm your host, Matt Rogers. I hope you all had a wonderful Thanksgiving and were able to share quality time with your friends and family. Most families learn far too late how college coaches actually build their rosters. Every coach sees their roster differently. Every program faces its own challenges, and every institution sets its own expectations for the type of a student athlete they want representing their campus. That's why this conversation matters. It's valuable to hear from the coaches doing the recruiting, but it's just as important to hear from the administrators. Who shaped the vision, set the standards, and define what fit really means. This week, we get that rare perspective from two incredible leaders at an NCAA division two institution. Dr. Catherine fell, the president of the University of Findlay and her Vice President for Student Affairs and Athletics, Brandi Lata. Let's jump in. Here's part two of my conversation with Dr. Fell and Brandi Lata. Welcome back to the Significant Coaching Podcast. I'm here with Dr. Kathy Fell and Brandi lta. In segment one, we really dove into a lot of things. We talked about faculty, we talked about athletics, we talked about the future of your university and all the good you're doing with retention and making sure our student athletes are healthy and happy, but also being challenged. I wanna talk for about 10, 15 minutes about recruiting a little bit, When you are thinking about your coaches or your faculty or any of your groups on campus when they're out recruiting, are there certain things you want them focused on? Are there certain things that you want, thinking not only the type of student you want, but how you want them to go about their business of introducing people to your campus? Yes we want the recruiters to reflect the culture, the values of the campus. We're a faith. Based campus and we welcome all and we wanna make that clear. We don't indoctrinate, we don't pressure, but we are faith-based. We're closely connected to our founding church and which has a beautiful building. Just next door, we have a very strong Christian ministries and we have. 39 other student organizations. So there's no c cloying approach to this, but we take it seriously and I think it works beautifully. We're a campus where civil discourse is required and almost always practiced. I think students. No. Having find, I think our students, the students who are attracted to us, not all students, but the students that thrive here, appreciate. The grounding, whether they participate in it or not. So that's one important aspect and a a distinctive aspect of our campus. Also we have launched a Center for Ethical Leadership for all students and all majors. And I think students. Who are a bit shy or who are not certain about their major or what they want to do with their lives. Need to understand in the recruit recruiting, the early recruiting stages that we'll help them find their strength. They do not have to know what it is, and they can try a few things and not do so well and still will help them find their calling and the the. Career or profession or number of careers and professions that might be right for them. We'll get them started and we're not afraid. And they shouldn't be afraid if they're not sure what that is. I think that's important that we care about them, that they know in the recruiting process, that we care about them and we're upfront about the ticket price of a university education here and the real price. Talk a little bit about that because I think that's really important. So we we take care of students who come from families of need. We have almost 30% of our incoming, of our students now, almost 30%, not quite, but almost 30% who are first generation students and they thrive here. Brandi, am I correct about that? Very much yes. Yes. And about the percentage we we have students who can move into very demanding professions and the sciences, technology, you name it. We have six colleges and we soon will have five colleges because we're merging humanities and business, and we're excited about that. We're not doing away with either one, but we believe liberal arts majors, humanities majors, will benefit. From learning how to market them their professions and their work. And we believe business majors and every other major on campus would benefit from learning to communicate, think logically. That's what we're hearing from bus from employers throughout the country, and particularly in the northwest Ohio. And we're addressing it. So we are. Flexible enough and nimble enough to direct our, to change how we approach education to meet the needs of the workforce, and particularly though of our students. I could go on, but I'll stop. No, I love that. That's, that hits home to everything I've been asking about. So I love that approach that you're taking. And I don't know how many schools are merging business with humanities, but it seems so logical to me. It seems I never thought about it before. Yeah, absolutely. Abso I know it's not. All that common, but it is absolutely the right thing for us to do. We have some fantastic professors in both. Yeah. And students can have new majors that we don't now offer. I think that would prepare them well. I think that the great thing about small college, we're small colleges have gone over the last 10, 15, even 20 years, is the interdisciplinary approach and how valuable that is. To interviewing for jobs and succeeding in whatever role you get into when you're 23, 24 years old. So I love that. Brandi, talk a little bit about the athletic side and how you're recruiting and maybe give some advice to families about what a division two college coach is looking for. I will say that yes, athletic performance is important, right? We would be lying to say that we don't want to have the best athletes, right? But there are many other aspects that our coaches are looking at. They're looking at parents. They're looking at you, right? And so they're seeing how you're acting, how you're engaging with your son or daughter, how you're acting in the stands when they're coming to watch a game. They know who you are. They're looking, they're talking to you. They're watching how you act because that's something that they're signing up for the next four years, right? And so that has an impact. On the recruiting process, they're looking at are they, how are student athletes handling defeat? How are they handling a bad day? They know that they're, you're not always gonna have the best game, right? And so when they come to the game, and it's not a great game for the student, they're recruiting. They know they can play sport X, Y, and Z, but how are they reacting when the shots aren't falling or they fumbled something or they've missed the putt? That stuff is important. So you can look at stats, you can look at anything. It's the off the court, off the field stuff that they're really focusing on to see who the student athlete is as a person. I love it. As parents, the three of us have been in this world for so long. Do you find, and I know Kathy, this is probably a little different from you, but do you find that you compare yourself to parents? Do you find that you're. You're going by. I wish I would've done something like that when I, my kids were younger or, that's something I want to think about from your standpoint, Brandi. That's something I need to start focusing on with my 12 and my 14-year-old. Do you find yourself thinking about your own parenting as you go through this journey? I will say very much, and I learn a lot more about what I don't want to do. Oh, that's true. Which is awful to say, but No, it's true. Yeah, that true. Okay. I don't wanna be that parent. My son will call me out and say, mom, you're not very social at my games. I say that's on purpose. I'm there to watch you. I'm not there to make friends. I'm not there to be part of the drama. I really just wanna watch you play. And so much of athletics and sports have turned into this social atmosphere for parents and. I think that gets a little outta hand. Definitely learn a lot from some that handle things with grace and hey, that's what I wanna do. So definitely comparing, adjusting and my children would probably tell you maybe too much. I'm reflecting and seeing how we can be better, not only as a student athlete, but on the parent side. It's great. I'm with you and that's where I am too. Kathy, I hope you're talking to every parent at your orientation. I know you touched on it a little bit, but you are the person I would want to talk to me when I drop my daughter off, thank you. I You Joy. I get an opportunity to address the parents at large. And then we have after the, art ceremony. We have a reception sometimes in the tent behind our house or at a restaurant or a big venue downtown where I address them and they're relaxed. Then they've already moved their children in. Some of them are a little bit teary. Yeah. And, but they're together with other parents and it is a very helpful evening for them and I'm very straight with them and honest and I hope encouraging to them. Are there a couple of things you just look forward to talking about? Are there a couple points that you every fall are coming back? Fall. Every fall. I'm sure in one way or another I talk about the fact that I've been in their seats, of course. And, but that there, there children are surrounded. By people who are care, whose job it is, whose calling it is to help them succeed. And if they run and if a child calls home and says, describes a bad experience with somebody, then please encourage that child to go see another person. And because I'm not saying that it couldn't possibly happen on our campus, but we do want to know about it. But I also tell them that typically. All they want from you is to be heard, not for you to intervene. But of course if there's a serious situation, they can call me. They can call anybody, and I tell them to tell their children to come see me. Because really the want, the reason I took this job was to spend time with them and I don't get to enough. And I keep chocolate in my office all the time. And actually. Almost every fall some child has come because his mother told him to say hi to me and I appreciate that. And I always offer chocolate. Next time I'm through town, I'm coming to get, come on, get a piece of chocolate. Set me up. I love that you used the word calling for your staff and your community and your professionals. Because I, I don't think you can do the job of higher education if it's not a calling to some level. So I love that you used it. What? Yeah. Why would you do it? Exactly. Why would you keep doing this? Exactly. Yes. And I feel that calling, and I've felt it for a long time. You should join this. It's a great joy for me. I want to, I want you each, I want to finish our conversation, giving you each to give a piece of advice. To that 17-year-old out there who's got everything set up to take this journey, what should they be thinking about right now? What's a piece of advice that you think can help them with this transition from their parents' home to their first life away from home? Whoever wants to start. Randy, why don't you start? I'll go first. I would say my biggest piece of advice would be to prepare to get comfortable with being uncomfortable. It is our goal here to push students out of their comfort zone. You don't grow when you're comfortable. And so getting comfortable with being stretched and growing, knowing that this is the time to do it because you've got a great safety net of people who care about you. Who aren't gonna let you crash and burn. So that would be my biggest piece of advice for them is ask questions stretch, do something different. Be safe, obviously. But be okay with being uncomfortable. We'll let you fall, but we won't let you crash and burn. Is that correct? Yes. We're that nice. Safety net when they're here. We're gonna let you go just as far and then be able to be there to pull you back. It's a lot better to fail at Finley than it is out in the real world with no net right? Yes. Great advice Dr. F. Good point. I tell students to venture out and be willing to be a little bit uncomfortable. Just to work through that if they find themselves in such a situation, because there are thousands of other students here who are looking for friends who have been in the same situation that they're in and that are, there is a team of administrative staff and faculty whose job it is to help them find joy. In the work and the study and the play that they will participate in on campus. So I don't know where else they would ever go, where people are actually spending their, have devoted their profession to helping those students certainly do conquer hard work, but also find joy in it. So give us an opportunity but. But there could be some uncomfortable days until they become familiar with the campus and with the people here. But there are plenty of people here to care for them. My son, who's 12, goes to a k through 12 school and I do carline a couple days a week. So I, the advice I give to the five and six year olds is the same advice you're giving now is go make a new friend today. Go ask a question, go ask for help. Go. So I love that idea of of an 18-year-old just understanding, just. Go have fun. Go fail, go make a new friend. I remember being a senior in college and going, why didn't I do more of this the last three years? Why have I waited so long to be friends with them? Why have I waited so long to go try that? So I love that advice. All right, last piece. Let's give a piece of advice to parents. You both have already given some advice and talked about parents give a piece of advice to parents right now that maybe have a 14 or 15-year-old and they've got two or three more years with'em. What should they be talking to their kid about before they, they send'em off to college? I would say rather than starting with where. The where they're going to simply, where they're going to get the great, a great education. There are many places to get a great education, c campuses of all sizes and all locations, but so obviously you wanna go to a school that is has a good reputation, then they have to decide. What culture are they looking for? What environment is most conducive to their joy, to their willingness to work hard? And what kind of support system do they want around them? What types of friends do they want to make? And then. Of course the major is important, but most colleges offer most majors. That's easy enough to find. We have a number of students who visit a number of schools for pre-veterinary medicine. It's our biggest major, and we're probably among the best in the country for pre-vet medicine, for animal science. In fact Ohio State takes. More of our students than it does any other university in the country except its own. And of course it has thousands of students and we don't but it. And our students, they will tell you, Gordon. Yee used to ask me what we were doing down here when he was the president at Ohio State. And I said we just teach them well. And if you look at our animal science farm, you'll see that they get hands on experience from the first semester all the way through. So if there's a student who suddenly decides when she gets to vet school that she doesn't like touching pigs, she won't be coming from the University of Finley. That's right. So experiential learning is important. And in any case, so you, you go for, if you know what your academic interest really is, then you find the best. But then among the best, you find the best fit emotionally and and. In interest and in hobbies and all of those things and weather, all that stuff. But the most important thing is to find a place where you believe you can learn and you can be, make a difference yourself. You'll be changed, but will you be able to grow into a change maker at that campus? Love that. Brandi, how about you? And I would just add for parents that, before they really even make that decision is don't specialize. Whether it's in sports or in activity, or even academically, don't specialize. There's so much out there and so many options of degrees and majors and jobs that we don't even know about yet. And being able to let your child develop as a human in all aspects, I think is really important. I think pushing them to try those new things not to play the same sport all year long. I know that's hard to say. Nobody wants to hear it. Club coaches are probably, throwing something, but it's good for them, not only physically, but mentally. It allows them to be better. I think at whatever sport they decide on. I think academically too, right? So when we're not focused on one thing, I think we can be better. So try new things and don't specialize. That would be my piece of advice. I knew I'd get the head college coach out of you at some point today. That is a head college coach. Piece of advice right there. If there was every in. That's right. Every study tells us that if you do this 12 months out of the year. This is eventually gonna fail, so don't specialize. Go do it all. Play with it all. And I'll throw in one more piece of advice for you parents out there. Go talk to your financial advisor and get a 5 29 plan. Start it today. I don't care if your kid's a junior, put a little, start putting some money into a 5 29 plan. You'll be grateful you did it in the long run. Thank you both for your time. I know how precious your time is. Thank you for having this conversation. Thank you for your willingness to be vulnerable and know that you have a big fan in me moving forward. Thank you, Matt. Thank you so much you for what you're doing. You're doing a great job too. This is wonderful. You're getting the truth out there. This is fun for me. But yes, it's I find my days have become telling the truth about college and getting families to understand. You have to embrace the reality. And the more you embrace the reality the more, the healthier that journey's gonna be. So thank you for being a part of it and we'll talk soon. Feel free to siphon out anything that didn't sound highly educated. I don't think there will be any make. It was all fantastic. All right. Thank you. Thanks so much. That's a wrap on today's episode. What a valuable conversation. Dr. Fell and Brandy LTA reminded us that recruiting isn't just about filling a roster. It's about identifying young people who will elevate a campus, contribute to its culture and thrive in the environment created for them. When leadership at the presidential and vice presidential level understand that everything else falls into alignment. If today's episode sparked ideas for your own program, school organization, I'd love to help you take that next step. You can schedule a strategy session with me@coachmattrogers.com to bring me in to speak with your faculty, your staff, your students, or your parents on topics like recruiting, program building, supporting healthy and happy athletes, and helping young people build their self-worth and confidence. I'm always happy to talk about how I can help individuals and groups better understand their purpose and guide them to be the best version of themselves. And as always, stay focused on what you can control. Stay humble and keep chasing significance.