Dear Friend of William & Mary Athletics,
 
My first week at William & Mary was everything that I hoped for – and much more than I dreamed.
 
Every time I walk into Kaplan Arena, I feel a sense of pride that I belong to a community with such a rich history and a loyal and dedicated fanbase. And every time I speak to one of our student-athletes, coaches or staff, I am reminded of the incredible people who are drawn to a place like William & Mary, and why my family and I feel so lucky to be a part of the Tribe! 
 
Following a cross-country drive with the family dog (a story for another time!), my first official day as director of athletics was Monday, August 9, and I have been on-the-go ever since.  Monday was also football media day, and I joined Coach London and many of our student-athletes as we fielded some questions and shared our collective optimism for the upcoming season.
 
Prior to the event, I had the opportunity to speak with the entire team. Doing so brought me back to that day 23 years ago when I was a freshman on the Dartmouth football team, still trying to find my way around campus. That memory also inspired me to keep my comments short - as I remembered how ready we were to play football!
 
The opportunity to interact with student-athletes is the highlight of being an athletics director. In addition to the football team, I now have had the opportunity to meet with nearly every fall sport currently on campus.  This week alone, I have had the pleasure of attending a 'sausage sizzle' with the field hockey team, and two amazing additional meals hosted by generous donors.  One included the entire women's soccer team and the other was with our entire offensive line.  All of these events continue to add to my appreciation of the unique and special ways our community comes together. 
 
As I engage with our Tribe's student-athletes, there is a common theme that threads every conversation together. Each one of them wants to be part of a championship program. Every day that they show up for practice, workouts, or film sessions, they are doing everything they can to fulfill their potential as individuals and as members of their teams. I know my job is to do everything possible to get them there, and I will.
 
I have already met dozens of our friends and fans, but my hope is to meet with all of you very soon. One way I will do that is through social media and I hope you'll connect with me on Twitter (@mannbriand) and Instagram (@WMTribeAD).
 
As we wrapped up the week and celebrated all the positive things happening in W&M Athletics, I am also cheering on my colleague Anthony D. Henderson Sr., the lead fundraiser for W&M Athletics and the sports administrator for football for the past two years, as he moves on to the next chapter of his career as Yale University's deputy director of athletics. You can read more about his new position here. Please join me in wishing Anthony and his family the best of luck as a Yale Bulldog.
 
My wife, Hilary, and son, Russell, and I are so excited to be a part of this community and look forward to seeing you all at a game or an event soon. In the meantime, we will continue to explore campus, Williamsburg and the entire Hampton Roads region as we look to learn more about why so many of you love this place so much. Oh, and remind me to tell you the story about how we bought a home that we had only seen via FaceTime, it's a good one!
 
I look forward to continuing the conversation with you in the coming weeks.  If you happen to see me out on campus or around town, please don't hesitate to say hello – I might need help with directions.
 
Go Tribe!
 
Brian Mann
Director of Athletics
 
PS: I'm looking for a name for these regular messages and I welcome suggestions from the Tribe!