IU volleyball Coach Steve Aird has never been shy about his admiration for his favorite NBA team, the Toronto Raptors.
But just as the IU volleyball coach looks for his players to do, he learns from the professionals — even when it comes during breaks in play. He has taken note of what NBA teams like the Raptors do to get fans engaged in games, and his next move in incorporating that at IU comes in his search for a hype personality.
“It’s about the environment you create,” Aird said. “Even though it’s sport, we’re in the entertainment business. I want people to show up to a game and have a great time.”
The new position would require a student to take part in events such as in-game promotions and player introduction.
IU is taking applications until March 31 through the sports marketing email, which is available on the athletics website. Submissions require applicants to include a resume along with a one-minute video clip highlighting skills useful for the job.
The hype person is the next step in Aird’s goal of making IU’s first season in Wilkinson Hall unlike any previous experiences for fans that have followed the program.
“We’ve got a great venue to do it, and why not try it?” Aird said. “I really wanted to find someone who could be the host of emcee for the season. So the next level was let’s make it a contest to figure out who’s doing it.”
He said applicants don’t need to have a knowledge of volleyball, but instead should be bought into the idea of getting fans excited about what he wants his program to become.
“The number one thing is just having really good energy,” Aird said. “It’s not really about sport, it’s more about acting. I want it to be young and energetic. I’ve got a vision for how I want it to look, so hopefully coachable.”
Aird’s persistence in breaking traditional cultures at collegiate volleyball games was evident from the time he took over the program, and he said he wanted a unique environment at IU home games.
During his time as head coach at Maryland from 2014 to 2017, Aird incorporated in-game music, which is rare at most NCAA volleyball matches. He brought that with him last season as he began coaching IU inside University Gym, and now he wants to go to the next level in Wilkinson Hall.
“I want the in-game emcee to make the crowd part of the event,” Aird said. “We’ve got to start to establish some traditions and some things that we do that separates us from other teams.”
Aird said he, his staff, the volleyball marketing team, a panel and players will go through the submissions and select two or three applicants to audition live during the team’s scrimmages in April.
It is rare for coaches to be so involved in things such as the pregame hype-up, but Aird has made it clear that his goal is more than creating a winning team while in Bloomington.
“I just think it’s authentic, I like this stuff a lot,” Aird said. “I spend a lot of time on Xs and Os, recruiting and stuff I’m supposed to do. But I think the further I can press into this, it helps the sport.”
And the hype person isn’t the last goal on Aird’s checklist. Once more schools begin to incorporate a hype person and pregame activities, he said he hopes to be one step ahead.
“I don’t wanna do the same thing everyone else does, that’s not what this program is going to be,” Aird said. “If it’s not as good as I hoped it would be, then we’ll tweak it or move on. Maybe have battling DJs. Who knows? I just want it to be different.”
