Students First, Athletes Second: The Leadership Philosophy of Rick Costello

“I believe in students first, athletes second. You don’t have to sacrifice academics to have a good athletic program—they work really well together.” These are words from Purdue Northwest Athletic Director Rick Costello. In his 25 years of experience in athletics administration, Mr. Costello has developed a clear philosophy around prioritizing students before athletes. I had a chance to sit down with Rick and learn more about his journey to arrive here at PNW, and how it has gone since starting in 2012. During Rick's time at PNW, he has spearheaded several historic changes, including combining two NAIA athletic departments to create one NCAA D2 program. Since then, Rick has helped build a scholarship program with academic support for student-athletes. "We have academic incentive awards, peer mentors, tutors, supplemental instruction, and study halls—all working in tandem,"

As an athlete here, you can feel the emphasis on academics, and it shows. In our

interview, Rick showed me a poster highlighting the Athletic Department's academic excellence- A graphic including statistics like 41% of students earned a GPA of 3.5+. Facts like that are a testament to the culture Mr. Costello has built here.

Like many athletic directors, Rick's career started in coaching. He coached basketball, the sport he had played as a student athlete. After starting a family, he made the switch to administration. "I was making very little money as a high school coach. So then I thought… how am I going to make a career out of this? … I decided to jump into the business side of college athletics." This career choice took him all over the country, starting his journey at San Jose State. Rick told me how finding your specific strengths within athletics can help your career breakthrough. "The big thing with sports is finding a way in. Because there are so many people who want to work in sports. You’ve got to find what your niche is.” Rick told me about his specialty in raising money on the business side of athletics. With a skill in finance and his B.S. in accounting, Rick took on the Chief Financial Officer twice in his career. He spent time at the University of South Florida while the school entered the Big East. Rick also spent 3 years at Rutgers during a time when the athletic department was under particular financial scrutiny. These experiences helped develop his overall leadership style and belief that, above all, athletics is a people business.

Reflecting on his 25-year career, Rick calls athletics “a people business.” He emphasized the importance of patience, mentorship, and learning the industry from the ground up. “Athletic director at the University of South Florida, Doug Woolard,” Rick said when I asked about leaders who influenced him. “He was great. He was really a people person. He had a great management style in that he would work with his senior team before he'd make any big decisions and get everybody's buy-in and feedback.”

Rick's people-centered philosophy is shown in his commitment to community service. "Our student-athletes do an amazing job giving back. They're helping at local schools, they’re helping with youth clinics, they’re working charity events...Anytime you help the community, they’ll help you back. It’s a win–win.” On top of volunteering outside of university, PNW Athletics has established a culture of hosting amazing community events like the Fall Sports Fest and Late Night Madness. These student-loved events are a great way to foster a positive atmosphere in the athletic department while connecting the university to the local community.

My conversation with Mr. Costello eventually led to the state of college sports today and the usual topics that dominate these discussions currently. "What it looks like now probably won’t be like that in a few years." Rick made it clear that he believes student-athletes deserve to be compensated for use of their Name, Image, and Likeness, but spoke more cautiously about the development of revenue sharing and the reshaping of eligibility rules. Rick emphasized that despite these changes, the focus must remain on taking care of student-athletes- academically and personally. “It’s incumbent upon all of us as leaders to make sure we take care of the student-athletes better.”

After speaking to Rick about his career in sports administration, I gained a greater appreciation for the athletic department I am a part of. In the last 14 years, Rick Costello’s leadership has helped grow Purdue Northwest Athletics with a people-centered culture. In an era of constant change across college sports, his consistent message: students first, athletes second, remains the foundation for lasting success.