Between 2 Foxes: President Weinman Takes on New Show

President Kevin C. Weinman (right) interviewing Erin Doughty for the show "Between 2 Foxes." Credit: Courtesy of Marist College

On Nov. 8, Marist College launched the first “Between 2 Foxes” episode, a brand-new series hosted by President Kevin C. Weinman that will highlight individual members of the Marist community.

Though the series’ name takes after Zach Galifianakis’ “Between Two Ferns,” the show itself has some differences but follows a similar interview setup. Each episode of Weinman’s series plans to feature a professional-like sit-down interview, a lightning round of quick questions and some kind of fun activity to close the episode.

In his presidency thus far, Weinman has been active on social media, using his Instagram and LinkedIn accounts to connect to the Marist community in a more casual and genuine format. He hopes that “Between 2 Foxes” can be an extension of that, highlighting community members more in-depth than an Instagram post while maintaining a fun structure. The goal is to keep the videos short, around five to seven minutes, to keep the audience's attention and lighthearted, allowing the interviewee’s personality to come through.

The pilot episode features Weinman and Erin Doughty, the first-year women’s basketball head coach. Doughty, who since 2002 has been a player at Marist and then an assistant coach under the legendary Brian Giorgis, received the promotion to head coach following Giorgis’ retirement. 

For Weinman, this made for the perfect first guest. Doughty is no stranger to Marist, but the video allows her to introduce herself to members of the community who are less familiar with her. The timing of the video’s release on Nov. 8 was also crucial, one day before the Marist women’s basketball team opened their season with a 76-68 victory over Army. 

The video ended with a three-point shooting contest between Weinman and Doughty, capping off the interview with a look at their skills on the court. Doughty defeated Weinman, who airballed his first shot. He insisted on having that shot make the final cut for comedic relief and to showcase his philosophy as President.

“I'm not going to make every three-point shot, I'm not going to make all the right decisions, and that's fine,” said Weinman. “[The show] is a way to highlight that. We can take ourselves seriously but also have fun.”

The long-term goal for “Between 2 Foxes” is similar to that of a TV show: finish out the year with a decent number of episodes and then reassess where the series stands based on the reaction from the public. So far, Weinman has enjoyed it and hopes the series can continue.

According to Weinman, all the guests he has asked to participate so far have said yes, so there is reason to believe there can be countless installments of the series. There are many possible avenues, with students, staff, faculty and alumni all being potential options for future episodes. 

“We've got so many stories here at Marist; every year brings a new group of students, and we've got 50,000 living alumni doing incredible things,” said Weinman.

With no shortage of subjects, the willingness of people to participate, and good reviews so far, “Between 2 Foxes” could become a mainstream Marist show for years to come.