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In the last year, the Mavericks made 10 regional appearances, highlighted by the men's tennis team's appearance in the Division II "Sweet 16," and 45 student-athletes were named to Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference's All-Academic teams. And in 2009, the baseball team competed at the NCAA Division II College World Series. New and improved facilities have coincided with the Mavericks' arrival as a legitimate Division II contender.

We talked to Miller about his program's rise. He also shares his thoughts on what makes Division II a great level to work at.

AM: Did you always want to be an athletic director?
Miller: I majored in public relations and got a masters degree in education. I think I always wanted to be a coach, but I love the fact that an athletic director basically coaches coaches and helps them achieve their goals. I love athletics. I love everything about athletics. I have always known that athletics would be a part of my life.

My dad was a college football coach, then a high school football coach, and then a high school AD. I love the things that athletics teach--to compete, to overcome obstacles, to be a good teammate, to get up when you get knocked down. At the end of the day, athletics teach us that we need to find a way.

How would you describe your leadership style?
I believe that a good AD works for the coaches, not the other way around. I think we get this turned around a lot in our business. I am a people person. I love being around good people and helping them face everyday challenges. I deal with coaches on a one-on-one basis. I am not a fan of coaches' meetings once a week or once a month.

We have coaches' meetings when I need to get a message to all of them at once. I hate to meet just for the sake of meeting. Hopefully we meet because we need to address a few things. Then we move on and go to work. If I need to talk to a coach or to a couple of coaches, I will walk down to their office and talk to them face-to-face.

How would you break down your average day?
I try to get to every coach at least once a week, for sure, and then during each season, I try to stop in on a practice daily. Budgets have to be discussed or looked at almost daily, along with fundraising (laugh). It seems there is never a bad time to ask for money or help for our young student athletes.

Every Monday morning I get to be a part of our president's management team meetings. I think this is a great way for athletics to be included as a part of the overall "campus team."

I try to meet with my staff and keep them "in the know" as soon as I get back from that meeting. We have our athletic administrative meetings once a week to discuss upcoming events and anything else we need to address.

What have been the keys to your success?
I love Babe Ruth's quote, "It's hard to beat a person who never gives up." I agree with that and think it's something I try to live day-to-day with my health. I try to bring that attitude of perseverance to the office and work place everyday. I believe we can do this as a group, and I've preached "20 Sports, One Team" to our entire department. We try to be that everyday in everything we do.

If our coaches and athletes will follow the five P's, we stand a good chance to win in the classroom, the athletic arena, and more importantly, in our community.
Here are the five P's:
1) Be professional.
2) Be prepared.
3) Be polite.
4) Be patient.
5) Be positive.

I often tell our coaches and athletes, "You, the program, and the school will be judged on how you conduct yourself."

What image do you want to attain for Mesa State athletics? How do you get there and what are your goals?
Our president and board of trustees have given us first-class facilities. If we can get a potential student-athlete on campus, we will have a great shot of getting them to be a Maverick. We challenge our young men and women to be a Maverick 24/7--on and off the field. We are dealing with 18- to 23 year-old kids and trying to mold them into men and women. Sure, we are going to encounter some speed bumps in this road, but we strive to keep them to a minimum. We get there by teaching, coaching, and living it day-by-day.

How do you compete nationally? Do you think Mesa St. can win national titles in any sport?
Right now we are competing regionally with a team here and there making it to the national level. I believe we can and will win a national title someday, but we have to get there first. One thing I have seen is that if you get there you have a chance. Our baseball team went to the College World Series and was one play away from playing for the national title. So you bet I believe we can win one. We just need a little luck and to stay healthy, and we will have a chance for one of those soon.

What's the appeal of Division II athletics?
I believe in the NCAA slogan, "We are all going pro in something other than sports." In Division II that is who we are. We get great athletes that are even better students, and we hope that they want to come and compete and get a great degree. We hope they want to be positive role models and people in today's world. I love what Division II stands for. We strive to give everything we can to our young people to help them succeed in life.

"I chose Division II," some kids say, or "Division II chose me." But at the end of the day, no matter what level you are playing at, learning life lessons, competing with life-long friends, and getting a degree from a great institution are the important things.

How do you deal with discipline issues?
I am a huge Coach K fan. I love the way he deals with discipline, and I try to incorporate his beliefs into what we do here at Mesa State College. I think your daily actions, attitude, and effort will ultimately decide how you will handle a certain issue that comes up. If you are on time, work hard, and rarely have any issues or problems, you have earned the right to be treated differently than someone we are always dealing with. I admit my weakness is that I believe we can fix any problem or issue. Sometimes you just can't, but it won't be from a lack of trying on our part, that's for sure.

What are the big challenges on the horizon for your program?
With 23 varsity sports and north of 700 athletes now, how do we make sure our student-athletes are getting everything they need to succeed either in the classroom or the playing field/court/mat? I am blessed with a great staff. They all wear multiple hats and can roll up the sleeves, so to speak.

Our staff rises up to meet every challenge with a smile and a determination that says, "Don't tell us we can't. We will show you we can." We get that from the top down here at Mesa State. Nobody can outwork our president, Tim Foster. He is a go-getter and it trickles down to his employees.

Von Miller is a high school teacher, basketball coach, and freelance writer in Delta, Colo.