Off-Field Predictions for On-Field Performance

In October, the Sebastian Raciti Memorial Lecture Series welcomed Super Bowl-winning head coach Brian Billick of the Baltimore Ravens. Co-hosted by the Eastern Economics Association, which has called the Anisfield School of Business home since 2009, Billick spoke about how data can be used to draft NFL quarterbacks, and explained how data-driven thinking can improve the process of predicting performance. Associate Professor of Economics and EEA Executive Director Alexandre Olbrecht invited Billick to speak to the Ramapo College community after being a consultant to Billick on his book, The Q-Factor: The Elusive Search for the Next Great NFL Quarterback. “In general labor theory, hiring employees is a difficult process and employers are trying to improve recruitment,” says Olbrecht. “The problem is that most existing data on employee performance isn’t very good, but in the world of sports, data is much better.” Olbrecht and Ramapo alumnus Jeremy Rosen ’19 share their research and predictions annually with Football Insiders.

The speaker series, which is part of the Sabrin Center for Free Enterprise, provides academic enrichment opportunities for Ramapo College students. The overarching goal is to demonstrate that learning happens beyond the walls of a classroom. Continuing the series during the pandemic provided a safe activity for all students. The opportunity to interact with a Super Bowl-winning coach was an added bonus. Edward Petkus, Jr., dean of the Anisfield School of Business, is extremely proud of how ASB faculty engage students, especially during a shift to online instruction and events, adding, “having the EEA headquarters in ASB is a tremendous resource for our faculty and students. It gives us direct access not only to economically-inclined Super Bowl coaches like Mr. Billick, but also to Nobel Prize winners like Paul Krugman, Joseph Stiglitz, and the current EEA President, Peter Diamond.”