‘He’s a machine’: The behind-the-scenes MVP of Wichita’s upcoming NCAA Tournament games
Wichita will take center stage of the women’s college basketball world this coming weekend.
ESPN cameras will capture the action at Intrust Bank Arena, as some of the top teams in the country compete to make their dreams come true by reaching the Final Four.
Behind the scenes, months of planning and weeks of work on the ground are required to ensure the event goes off without a hitch. The man who makes it look effortless is Brad Pittman, who oversees facilities at Wichita State and has become the behind-the-scenes MVP of any and all big events that come through Wichita.
“It’s one thing to say we’re going to do something because we have a great venue or Wichita is a great city, which are both true, but if things don’t go well then that event is not going to want to come back,” said Josh Howell, vice president of sports development at Visit Wichita. “With Brad in charge, you know you have someone in charge of the event who has everything under control and planned out to the minute and no detail is going to go overlooked. With Brad, you never really have to worry about anything going wrong.”
Pittman has been the director each time the NCAA Tournament has come through Wichita the last five years and also serves as the point man for WSU hosting The Basketball Tournament games during the summer.
It’s a thankless job, but one that Pittman takes a great deal of pride in.
“I want to do a bang-up job like we did in 2018,” Pittman said. “There’s a lot of pride that goes into these things. My philosophy is if you’re going to do something, then go all out and do it right. I want it to be perfect. I know it won’t be, but I want it to be as seamless as we can make it and hopefully we can look back a couple weeks from now when we’re finishing up with a big smile knowing we did the best we could and hoping we’ll get another opportunity to host again.”
Pittman has earned his reputation through his work the last 15 years at Wichita State, where he has operated in a senior role since 2019. He’s been instrumental in helping WSU play basketball games at Intrust Bank Arena and more recently baseball games at Riverfront Stadium.
Whether it’s preparing the Coleman Tennis Complex for an afternoon dual or prepping Koch Arena with an audience of 10,506, Pittman operates with the same attention to detail.
“He just doesn’t stop working, he’s a machine,” said Tyler Kremzar, the director of facilities and events who works under Pittman at WSU. “He pushes all of us to be better and that’s why I enjoy being here. When I came to WSU from Houston, I knew he was well-respected around the industry, but, man, he just doesn’t stop. He’s always forward-thinking, always thinking about other opportunities to make something better, always trying to raise our standard.”
When Wichita State receives a bid to host an event, Pittman’s work behind the scenes is often one of the reasons why.
“Brad has been the catalyst in bringing many events into the community,” WSU athletic director Darron Boatright said. “He is a meticulous planner who event organizers trust and know their event will be seamless with him in charge.”
Past success does not guarantee future success, at least the way Pittman views it. As the four teams punch their tickets to Wichita, Pittman and his crew expect to clock 12-hour work days this coming week. Some even longer.
But Pittman loves the grind and he especially loves the preparation for bringing major events like this to Wichita.
“There’s always a level of stress and anxiety,” Pittman said. “I want to do a good job. It’s an opportunity for us to showcase our city and our university and our downtown. On a personal note, I love sports and this is what I love to do and there’s nothing better than tournament time with the feeling in the arena and the highs of somebody winning and advancing.”
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