Gary Stokan | CEO and President | Peach Bowl, Inc. - One Question Leadership Podcast

From One Question Leadership Podcast by Spades Media Group - Roots of Wisdom LLC

January 7, 2026 · 27 min

About this episode

Gary Stokan discusses leadership in college sports and the importance of prioritizing student-athlete wellbeing while building innovative organizations.

@1QLeadership Question: How can leaders in college sports build innovative, business-savvy organizations that still protect and prioritize the long-term wellbeing and development of student-athletes? Gary Stokan, retiring President and CEO of the Peach Bowl, reflects on his 47-year career in sports and how coaching principles shaped his leadership in college football. He shares his core frameworks—TEAM (teamwork, empowerment, accountability, management), CARE (customer, attitude, relationships, excellence), and ROCKS (relationships, opportunities, competitiveness, knowledge, strategy)—as simple guides for building people-first, business-smart organizations. Stokan and 1Q guest host, Steph Garcia Cichosz also unpack his role in growing the Peach Bowl, bringing the College Football Hall of Fame to Atlanta, and navigating today's changing landscape of NIL, the transfer portal, and playoff expansion. Throughout the episode, he stresses keeping student-athletes' long-term wellbeing at the center while maintaining an "attitude of gratitude" and enjoying the journey. - One Question Leadership Podcast - Tai M. Brown - Steph Garcia Cichosz

People in this episode

Host: Steph Garcia Cichosz

Guest: Gary Stokan

Topics covered

leadership
college sports
student-athlete wellbeing
business innovation
coaching principles

Keywords

leadership
college sports
student-athletes
business-savvy
coaching principles
Peach Bowl
NIL
transfer portal
playoff expansion

Mentioned in this episode

Organizations: Peach Bowl, Inc., College Football Hall of Fame, One Question Leadership Podcast