Sports Leadership & Learning

at Abilene Christian University

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About Sports Leadership & Learning at ACU

sports education

The Vision for Sports Leadership & Learning at ACU

Transforming Lives Through Sport: We invest in individuals who, in turn, inspire and empower others. At the core of our mission is the belief that true transformation happens when we uplift people, and the impact of this work is magnified through the power of sport. By connecting and empowering individuals, we create a ripple effect that extends far beyond the field, transforming communities and lives in unprecedented ways.

sports education

Expanding Our Reach

Sports Leadership & Learning at ACU is deeply committed to providing comprehensive learning and development for athletes, coaches, and sports professionals searching to enhance leadership and academic development. From professional development to academic programs delivered online and in hybrid formats, for players, coaches and front office staff across professional, collegiate and high school athletics, our highly-experienced teams of instructional curriculum designers, subject matter experts, and faculty are squarely focused on creating content to generate new skills for our learners to use in their careers beyond the field of play.

Transforming the Culture of Sport

Given the degree of complexity within sports, Sports Leadership & Learning at ACU seeks to change the game behind the unspoken culture of sports. The global expansion of sport has resulted in new career opportunities and newfound challenges for athletes and sport leaders seeking balance, mental wellness, and holistic leadership skills.

In response, Sports Leadership & Learning at ACU prioritizes:

  • Innovative learning to equip athletes and sport leaders to promote a flourishing culture amid massive industry growth
  • Sport leader and athlete development designed to prioritize organizational values and promote personal and professional growth
  • Equipping sport leaders and athletes with skills to enhance emotional well-being and effectively lead amid organizational crisis

Our Programs

Professional Development, Training and Consulting

Leadership Academy

Leadership Academy for Professional, Collegiate, and High School Coaching and Training Staffs

Sports Leadership & Learning at ACU offers a customizable Leadership Academy tailored for sports organizations at the professional, collegiate and high school levels to enhance organizational effectiveness and leadership skills. Our Leadership Academy equips athletes, coaches, and sports professionals with the essential competencies needed to succeed in today’s sports industry. We help drive sustained growth and success through innovative learning and personalized coaching.

Transformational Leadership Consulting

Our leadership consulting services provide expert analysis and transformative solutions tailored for sports organizations seeking to elevate their internal culture and empower leaders. With a focus on identifying key cultural dynamics, we offer actionable insights that align with an organization’s mission and values. From organizational assessments to tailored leadership development plans, our team equips sports leaders with tools and strategies to create thriving, resilient teams. This comprehensive consulting approach enables organizations to implement transformational leadership and foster a culture that drives both high performance and long-term success.

Academic Programs

player pathway

Player Pathway

The Player Pathway Program is a versatile educational initiative tailored for athletes. Designed to accommodate athletes’ unique schedules and aspirations, this program provides a customizable curriculum spanning key competencies in leadership, mental performance, communication and sports history. What sets the Player Pathway Program apart is its adaptability—it can be tailored to suit the needs of any sports team, ensuring that athletes across various disciplines can access high-quality education that fits seamlessly into their busy schedules. This program provides a pathway to academic success and personal growth for any athlete.

sports leadership

Master of Science in Sports Leadership

Looking for a program to help you enter and lead in the sports industry? With ACU’s online Master of Science in Sports Leadership program, you’ll learn specific techniques to communicate effectively with your teammates, players and partners, as well as manage teams with psychology-based principles. Through a set of core curriculum courses, and three distinct concentrations in coaching, analytics and athletic administration, you will be able to identify and develop skills to evaluate ethical dilemmas and potential conflicts facing sports managers, as well as demonstrate competency in designing research studies related to athletics.

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Featured Partnership

RangersU

A Learning Community Created with the Texas Rangers

RangersU powered by ACU is a unique partnership between the Texas Rangers and Abilene Christian University to shape educational content for Texas Rangers players and staff. The educational products have been jointly developed and delivered using ACU’s expertise in online learning making courses flexible and accessible for players and staff regardless of their location and also high-impact in person professional development. Taught by ACU faculty members, Rangers staff and executive guest speakers, RangersU seeks to provide players and front-office staff members with the unique opportunity to advance their education and future careers.

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RangersU Players Pathway Courses

RangersU Player Pathway courses are custom-designed courses for Rangers players and baseball staff. Students receive three hours of college credit for each course (six hours for each block). They are designed to be offered during the off-season and are delivered in both English and Spanish language sections. 

Press Coverage:
MLB.com: Class is now in session at Rangers University
The Athletic: ‘Rangers U’ partnership with ACU offers players, coaches chance to earn college credits

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Hear from RangersU Students

sports education

Texas Rangers Staff Continuing Education

This fall, a group of Texas Rangers management staff participated in the first of four courses in a custom-designed management training program created in collaboration with Texas Rangers management.

Currently, more than 20 baseball coaches and operational staff members are enrolled in ACU’s Introduction to Conversational Spanish course. 

Collaborations

Colorado Rockies logo

Pro Sports Assembly logo

Sports Business Ventures logo

HBCU Classic logo

MLB Youth Development Foundation logo

USA Baseball logo

Leaders in Sport logo

Hank Aaron Invitational logo

Buck O'Neil

Our Team

Daryl Jones DJDr. Daryl L. Jones (DJ)
Vice President, Sports Leadership and Learning

Dr. Daryl L. Jones, known as DJ, is the Vice President of Sports Leadership and Learning at ACU Dallas. A former sports industry executive with over 20 years of experience, DJ earned his doctorate in management from Case Western Reserve University. He has taught graduate and undergraduate courses in Sports Product Management and Organizational Behavior and previously led his own consulting firm, helping organizations transform culture through values-based leadership. Since joining ACU, DJ has spearheaded innovative curriculum and programs to support athletes and sports leaders in reaching their full potential and achieving impactful change in sports culture.

Ben BaroodyBen Baroody
Associate Vice President, Strategic Sports Partnerships

Ben Baroody joins ACU as Associate Vice President of Strategic Sports Partnerships after an extensive career with the Texas Rangers. Most recently, he led the Rangers’ programs in leadership, mental wellness, and organizational development, where he created the “Rangers U Player Pathway,” a pioneering educational initiative for players. Ben’s prior experience includes multiple roles at MLB’s Commissioner’s Office and Major League Baseball, where he contributed to the development of youth and professional programs like the MLB Urban Youth Academies and Breakthrough Series. A native of New Hampshire, Ben holds a bachelor’s in Marketing and Public Relations and an MBA from Southern New Hampshire University. Currently, he is pursuing a Master’s in Mental Health Counseling, slated for completion in 2025, and brings a wealth of expertise to his mission at ACU of advancing transformative educational opportunities in sports.

Brandon PodgorskiBrandon Podgorski
Academic Program Director, Sports Leadership

Brandon Podgorski is the Program Director for the Master of Science in Sports Leadership at ACU. He brings nearly two decades of experience in higher education as a professor, coach, and athletic director, as well as eight years in revenue development. Brandon has taught a range of sports marketing and management courses and is a frequent media contributor on contemporary issues in sports. His research interests include college athletics, sports business, and youth sports development, and he is passionate about fostering ethical leadership among future coaches, administrators and professionals.

Brenda McAdooDr. Brenda McAdoo
Executive Director, Executive Education and Professional Advancement

Dr. Brenda McAdoo is an assistant professor dedicated to creating innovative professional development curriculum within ACU’s Executive Education and Professional Advancement division. Drawing on her extensive background in federal law enforcement and public service, Brenda specializes in designing training programs that enhance leadership, negotiation, and crisis management skills for professionals across a range of fields. Before joining ACU, she retired after over twenty-four years with the FBI, where she investigated high-stakes cases involving organized crime, child protection, and violent offenses and served as team leader on the FBI Crisis Negotiation Team. Brenda also has a background as a certified mediator and former Deputy District Attorney in California, which informs her passion for developing curriculum that fosters resilience, critical decision-making, and a mission-oriented mindset among future leaders.

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Offer your team the academic experience of a lifetime

Your team is worth investing in. And ACU can deliver a top-ranked education built on a market-driven curriculum and a holistic outlook on Christian service and leadership. Whether you’re looking to offer specific courses geared toward your team’s field of interest or want to provide others the opportunity to earn their college degree, ACU is committed to supplying a high-impact, low-cost education in an inclusive, virtual environment.

Interested in partnering with ACU for your team’s educational opportunities? Contact Ben Baroody at ben.baroody@acu.edu to learn more. 

About ACU

Degrees to fit your career goals. Online to fit your life.

Through ACU’s more than 50 online undergraduate and graduate degree and certificate programs, you’ll receive a powerful learning experience that combines Christian values, real-world skills and career-boosting connections. Our accredited degree programs are designed with busy working adults in mind. That means you can further your education at a nationally recognized university without the need to relocate – all while balancing the demands of work, life, and community.

View Our Online Degree Programs

One of America’s Best Colleges

Newsweek 2025Named one of America’s Top Online Colleges for the fourth year in a row by Newsweek and Statista Inc., ACU continues to set the standard for online education. With a commitment to delivering academic excellence in a flexible online format, ACU Online empowers you to achieve your goals without compromising your lifestyle. Experience a world-class education designed to help you succeed—anytime, anywhere.

Rankings and Recognition

Sports Leadership & Learning News

Ben Baroody

ACU Welcomes Former Texas Rangers Executive Ben Baroody

ACU Dallas is thrilled to announce Ben Baroody as the new Associate Vice President for Strategic Sports Partnerships. Ben joins us from the Texas Rangers, bringing extensive experience in leadership development, organizational culture, and partnership building. In his role, Ben will be focused on strengthening collaborations with professional sports teams, K-12 schools, and sports organizations, helping ACU expand its impact in sports education.

masters in sports leadership

ACU Announces New Master of Science in Sports Leadership

ACU has launched a new online master’s degree in Sports Leadership focused on equipping prospective or current sports professionals in enhancing their experience with foundational and academically-based strategies to become effective coaches, sports administrators, and sports brand leaders.

Sports Leadership

ACU’s New Sports Leadership Master’s Program Attracts MLB Veteran

From Vice President of Baseball Development at MLB to graduate student of ACU Online’s Master of Science in Sports Leadership, Del Matthews is going ‘back to school’ in pursuit of his lifelong vision of constant learning and engaging with what is new in the world of sports. Read more about his involvement in the program.

texas rangers rangersu player pathway

ACU partners with Texas Rangers to offer RangersU courses to players

RangersU launched two Player Pathways for Rangers players interested in gaining continued education, academic credit, or new skills through ACU’s fully online, bilingual seven-week courses. Harnessing their shared mission, ACU and the Texas Rangers are eager to see the impact these pathways will have on players both on and off the field. 

ACU Sports Leadership Brandon Podgorski

Faculty Spotlight: Brandon Podgorski

Whether he’s bringing on former college athletes interested in getting their master’s degree, or lifelong coaches looking to upskill their leadership styles, Brandon Podgorski is ready for it all. Bringing over 20 years of experience in higher education, college sports and athletic curriculum development, Podgorski is committed to making the Master of Science in Sports Leadership, the go-to degree for coaches and administrators interested in incorporating foundational leadership pillars into the sports world.

Change The Game As A Sports Leader

Becoming a leader in the sports industry doesn’t need to start tomorrow – it can start today. As one of the most fundamental activities in our American culture, sports doesn’t just stop at uniting people or teaching important values. Your love for sports can extend into different aspects such as coaching, administrating, and training students and professional athletes. Read more about our exciting new Master of Science in Sports Leadership.