She's been great from day one. One of the most obvious areas of improvement was the football program. In the 15 years before Goodrich became AD, the Vikings managed just two winning seasons, going the last 10 years with losing records. In the 12 years since Goodrich took over as athletic director, the Vikings have had only one losing season and reached the national playoffs four times. Those four national playoff trips mark the only times in school history.
Football is the cornerstone of an athletic program.
Men's and women's basketball are the others. They have to be good. Smith got the message when he was hired by Goodrich in 1989. Because football is so visible, most people view an athletic department by how the football team does. Unlike some schools, however, Western is not a football school that only pays lip service to other sports.