By Micah Friez
Published 12:55 pm on October 28, 2024
Of all Cody Hendrickson’s professional accomplishments, one clearly stands above the rest.
“I was Bucky the Beaver at our football team’s Mineral Water Bowl win in 2016,” the Bemidji State University alumnus said. “That experience was a lot of fun. Those trips, those memories, they’re special to me. And I can always say that I was Bucky the Beaver at one point.”
Hendrickson, a 2016 graduate, prides himself on assuming any role that’s needed of him. That attitude once landed him the mascot costume, sure, but it also positioned him at the University of Missouri for over seven years and now at the University of Arizona as the Wildcats’ new assistant athletic director of innovation and strategy.
“BSU set the foundation for a hard-work mentality,” Hendrickson said. “I’m wearing a lot of different hats at one time because I want to help the greater good however I can. It’s a team mindset, not an individual mindset.”
Hendrickson took up his post in Tucson in August and works largely in the athletic department’s human resources and professional development realm. But that’s more of a launching point than it is a restrictive boundary. He calls his job a Swiss army knife kind of role, one where he gets to do a whole lot of everything.
“I’m on the go,” he said. “That’s what got me into college athletics in the first place.”
Before hiking over to Arizona in step with new athletic director Desireé Reed-Francois (who started in February 2024), the two worked together at Mizzou. There, Hendrickson also wore several hats but most recently that of assistant athletic director of student-athlete leadership.
He oversaw the Student-Athlete Advisory Committee, community service initiatives, leadership development initiatives and the mental performance department.
But no matter where he’s been, Hendrickson’s mission has been steadfast.
“At the end of the day, we are here to support our student-athletes,” he said. “No matter where I’m at – BSU, Mizzou, Arizona – we are here to support them and provide a world-class experience.”
Here, there and everywhere
These days, Hendrickson is on the frontlines of a new frontier, helping the Wildcats navigate the exponentially shifting landscape of college athletics.
That’s a big ask of anybody, but when it comes to the progress of those around him, Hendrickson is bought into the idea of doing his part. And then some.
“Am I required to go to a soccer game on a Wednesday? No, but I’m going to be there to support our coaches and student-athletes and support the betterment of what we’re trying to do in a bigger picture,” Hendrickson said. “I get a front-row seat to watch our student-athletes develop and to watch our coaches do their thing, and at a pretty high stage. I think that’s pretty cool.”
He credits Bemidji State for affording him those initial open doors. He got involved wherever he could at BSU, whether that was on-the-ice marketing at a hockey game, serving as a public address announcer at a soccer game, managing the baseball team or even pitching in at the Gillett Wellness Center. Perhaps unsurprisingly, Hendrickson was named the Sport Management Major of the Year in 2016-17.
As he moved up from the NSIC into the Division I battlegrounds that are the SEC and Big 12, Hendrickson appreciates his array of experiences in all sorts of fields. Power Four schools have much more specified roles, so even though Hendrickson has his niche, he still understands the inner workings that happen elsewhere throughout the department – and can pitch in wherever needed.
“When I wanted to work in the sports field, BSU gave me every opportunity to be involved, and that helped prepare me as I’ve grown,” Hendrickson said. “It all started with everybody at BSU who helped me get to those opportunities. And that’s one thing I still take pride in today: I’ll wear whatever hat you need me to wear.”
Yes, even if that hat is a mascot head.
