The best way to be an AD at a power five school is to work at one. Twelve of the 15 new ADs in the power five came directly from power five schools. Three of those 12 spent some time at lower tiers before moving into the power five (see chart). The other three came from outside the profession (Lynn Swann at USC, John Wildhack at Syracuse and John Cohen at Mississippi State) and had no AD experience at all.