Dear Friends of W&M Athletics,
 
What a busy and productive couple of weeks we've had in Athletics, and now we are ready for a week of opportunity to move every Tribe program forward!  Speaking of moving forward, here is some breaking news…the Tribe has a new women's basketball coach!  We are delighted to welcome Erin Dickerson Davis to William & Mary.
 
The Countdown Is On!
In just a few hours, One Tribe One Day will begin. 
 
It's our annual day of paying it forward as we celebrate everything W&M.  This will be the ninth year for OTOD and my competitive nature has already kicked in.  Last year more than 10,000 donors contributed $3 million to university programs and initiatives.  Can we beat those numbers this year?  I know we can!
 
There is no wrong choice when it comes to supporting any W&M initiative, but I think our Athletics Department and our 500 student-athletes are right near the top when it comes to worthy programs.  If you visit this page you will be able to give directly to your favorite team or you can participate in one of three challenges. 
 
I know you are as anxious as I am for the festivities to begin but remember all gifts have to be made ON April 12 in order to count for OTOD.  Thank you in advance for your support of the Tribe!
 
 Spreading the Word
Over the weekend,  I had some terrific meetings with men's basketball recruits as I talked with several young men who may be wearing the Green and Gold in the fall.  Again, I was stuck by how college basketball is evolving.  Recruiting is now done in two major ways—with high school players and through the transfer portal.  Our coaches are hard at work on both approaches and are taking a thoughtful approach towards building a roster that will be competitive not only next fall but for years to come.
 
On Friday, I spoke at  the Parent and Family Council's spring meeting.  That was an invitation I couldn't turn down!  During my presentation I updated the group on current Athletics events and described our aspirations for the future development of our student-athletes.  The group is comprised of parent donors who interact with university administrators to learn about and advocate for university priorities.  I hope they enjoyed my talk as much as I enjoyed giving it and answering questions from this extraordinary group.

While I'm speaking of speaking,  another campus group welcomed me a couple of weeks ago--The W&M Libraries Board of Directors.  It's a group of supporters who work to secure funding and publicity for W&M Libraries, not only by their work in the libraries but by sponsoring events around the country. I had a chance to talk about my undergraduate experience at Dartmouth and how it has shaped my commitment to the liberal arts, which translates into why I think the development of the entire person is so critical for our student-athletes.  I very much appreciated the opportunity and learning about this terrific campus partner and resource.
 
In the Swing of Spring
As we look ahead to this coming weekend, there are plenty of opportunities to see or follow the Tribe.  Women's golf will be playing in the CAA Championship and men's gymnastics will be at the NCAA Championship.  Men's soccer, men's and women's tennis, women's lacrosse, men's soccer and baseball will all see weekend action.  Find out what's happening where and when. 
 
 
One more "don't miss" event is upcoming--make sure you don't forget to mark May 9 on your calendars. It's  the day we break ground on the W&M Athletics Complex!  We intend to celebrate in true Tribe style and I hope you will join President Rowe and me, plus the donors who are leading the way on this project.   More details to come as we get closer to the date.  But I promise you it will be a whole lot of fun as we commemorate the next great chapter in W&M Athletics.
 
Go Tribe!
 
Brian D. Mann
Director of Athletics