Latest news with #athleticdirector
Associated Press
2 days ago
- Sport
- Associated Press
Gerald Harrison named athletic director at Marshall after 7 years at Austin Peay
HUNTINGTON, (AP) — Marshall named Gerald Harrison as its athletic director on Monday. Harrison spent the past seven years as AD at Austin Peay and replaces Christian Spears, whose contract with the Thundering Herd was not renewed. Under Harrison, Austin Peay won 13 sports championships, including three in football. He guided the Governors' move from the Ohio Valley Conference to the Atlantic Sun in 2022. The school recently announced it will join the United Athletic Conference for all sports in 2026. 'Gerald Harrison embodies the values and vision we hold dear at Marshall University,' Marshall president Brad D. Smith said in a statement. 'His track record of championship performance, strategic innovation, and people-first leadership stood out at every step of our national search. What impressed me most was Gerald's unwavering belief that athletics is not just about wins and losses; it's about building a culture of excellence, elevating student-athletes and uniting a community.' Prior to Austin Peay, Harrison held various roles in the athletic departments at Duke and Tennessee. He is a native of Florence, South Carolina, and earned his bachelor's degree from Tennessee in 2001. 'I could not be more excited to be a member of the Herd and the Huntington community,' Harrison said. 'I'm honored to stand on the shoulders of so many great leaders and work together to use our rich tradition and history to build a bright future — not just for Marshall athletics, but for the entire university and our community.' Spears was hired at Marshall in 2022 and led the school's transition from Conference USA to the Sun Belt. The Thundering Herd won the Sun Belt football championship last December. ___ AP college sports:
Yahoo
22-07-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Here's what Rutgers football coach Greg Schiano is saying about the ongoing AD search
LAS VEGAS – As the search for the next Rutgers athletic director drags on with no end sight, Greg Schiano reiterated he's not concerned about the leadership void at the top of the department. Schiano's continuing to run his football program without interruptions and he's confident the right candidate will eventually be selected. 'I have not spent a lot of time worrying about it,' Schiano said Tuesday morning in a meeting with a small group of local reporters ahead of Big Ten Media Days at Mandalay Bay. 'I have a lot of faith in Amy (Towers), and now President Tate, and the board will choose the right person. Now that President (William) Tate's on board, now President Tate will handle it. I have total faith that they're going to pick the right person for Rutgers.' Tate, who had been the president at Louisiana State, officially became the university's president July 1 as he replaced Jonathan Holloway. Schiano spoke positively about his interactions with Tate so far. The leadership in athletics is more uncertain. It's been nearly a year since Pat Hobbs resigned as director of athletics, and former interim AD Ryan Pisarri is now the athletic director at Tufts. Matt Colagiovanni, the deputy athletic director for facilities, capital projects and internal operations, is now the current interim AD. Rutgers announced in April that it hired search firm Turnkey ZRG to conduct the search for the new athletic director. NJ Advance Media reported Brian Lafemina, a Rutgers alum with a long career in sports administration, was the leading candidate but he since pulled his name from consideration. Where Rutgers goes next remains to be seen. But as Schiano prepares for his sixth season in his second stint leading the Scarlet Knights, his program continues to run without any interruptions. He's built an infrastructure within the program to navigate the ongoing changing landscape – now including revenue sharing – and that hasn't changed despite the leadership void atop the department. It's unclear when the new AD will be hired. Schiano has confidence the right candidate will be identified and chosen. 'I think whenever we make decisions we have to think about what's best for Rutgers and not what's best for everybody else,' Schiano said. 'What might fit at other places might not fit at our place.' This article originally appeared on Rutgers football: Greg Schiano on the athletic director search
Yahoo
14-07-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
Could Oklahoma hire Mississippi State's Zac Selmon as athletic director? Here's what it would take
This story was updated because an earlier version included an inaccuracy. STARKVILLE — Oklahoma needs a new athletic director, and it could impact Mississippi State. Joe Castiglione announced his planned retirement as the Sooners AD on July 8 at a news conference. The plan is for him to remain in the role until a new AD is hired, then Castiglione would be emeritus athletic director until June 30, 2028. Advertisement Mississippi State athletic director Zac Selmon was quickly mentioned in media reports as a candidate to replace Castiglione because of his ties to OU. How realistic is it that Selmon could depart for Oklahoma? Here's what that could look like. How Zac Selmon is connected to Oklahoma Selmon was hired as the Mississippi State athletic director in January 2023 after spending a long time at Oklahoma. He worked there from 2015-23 under Castiglione, serving various roles as an associate athletic director. Selmon played football at Wake Forest, but got his master's degree at Oklahoma in 2010 and was a graduate assistant in the athletic department. His father, Dewey Selmon, and uncle Lee Roy Selmon both played football at Oklahoma before playing in the NFL. Zac Selmon's contract buyout at Mississippi State Selmon signed a contract extension in February that ties him as the MSU athletic director through Jan. 31, 2029. His salary is $1.25 million this year, and would increase by $25,000 annually each time MSU renewed the contract. Advertisement The buyout is 75% of his remaining salary if he goes to an SEC school. Oklahoma joined the SEC in 2024. A termination date of Aug. 1 would put his buyout just over $3.2 million. What Oklahoma said about AD candidates Oklahoma president Joseph Harroz Jr. said on July 8 that the school wants to hire "Joe 2.0." Castiglione has been the Oklahoma AD since 1998 and is the longest-tenured current AD in major college sports. "The athletic director we are looking for next is someone that can identify the landscape and act," Harroz said. "I think a lot of people could have identified it and had identified it before Oklahoma and Texas made their move (to the SEC). But Joe identified it, and said, 'We got to move,' and then that took place. So, when we look at the attributes that we need for the next athletic director, it's someone that has both the vision, an understanding of the landscape and the ability to act." Advertisement Randall Stephenson, the former AT&T chairman and CEO, is leading the search for Oklahoma. He's been an executive adviser to Harroz and Castiglione since December. Harroz said a search committee will be announced soon, with Castiglione as an adviser. What Zac Selmon has accomplished as Mississippi State athletic director Selmon inherited a challenging situation at MSU, being hired one month after the death of football coach Mike Leach. The football program has struggled in the two seasons since then. It went 5-7 in 2023 with coach Zach Arnett — hired before Selmon — and 2-10 in 2024 in coach Jeff Lebby's first season, hired by Selmon from Oklahoma. The men's basketball team has made the NCAA tournament three consecutive years and the women's basketball team has in two of the past three seasons. The baseball program has made two consecutive NCAA regionals, despite firing coach Chris Lemonis in April. Selmon hired Virginia's Brian O'Connor as the new coach, giving O'Connor a contract that pays him as one of the top coaches in college baseball. Softball, tennis and soccer have had recent success, too. Advertisement MORE: Inside Brian O'Connor's first month as Mississippi State baseball coach: Ace Reese and more Mississippi State announced eight seven-figure donations in the 2024 fiscal year — a school record. That included an $8 million donation in September, the second largest in MSU athletics history, to form the State Excellence Fund. LED lights are being installed at the football stadium for the 2025 season. A 10-year master facilities plan was unveiled in January. In May, a $60 million project to build a football indoor practice facility was announced. Sam Sklar is the Mississippi State beat reporter for the Clarion Ledger. Email him at ssklar@ and follow him on X @sklarsam_. This article originally appeared on Mississippi Clarion Ledger: Could Oklahoma hire Mississippi State's Zac Selmon as athletic director?
Yahoo
30-06-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
Associate College Athletic Director Dead Suddenly at 34
Associate College Athletic Director Dead Suddenly at 34 originally appeared on The Spun. An associate college athletic director is dead suddenly at 34 years old. The University of Alabama in Huntsville announced the tragic news this week. Sam Baldwin, an Associate Athletic Director for Marketing and Communications, died unexpectedly last weekend. Advertisement Baldwin had first joined the UAH Athletic Communication office during the 2014-2015 school year. He was ultimately promoted to Associate Athletic Director for Marketing and Communications. UAH Athletic Director Dr. Cade Smith is deeply saddened. 'This is devastating for all of us who loved Sam,' Smith said. 'Sam was a great employee who loved the Chargers. Sam made us better. Most importantly, he was good friend. He will be missed and he has left a void that will be hard to fill. Our thoughts and prayers are with his family and friends.' Football field. (Photo by)His family announced the tragic news. "It is with profound sadness that we announce the passing of our dear son, Samuel James Baldwin who died on June 22, 2025, at the age of 34. Sam was born on April 21, 1991, in Euclid, Ohio," they announced. Advertisement "He will be remembered for his undying compassion for family and friends, his creativity, sense of humor, loyalty in all aspects of his life and commitment to social responsibility. "He graduated from the University of Tampa and went on to attain his master's degree in sports management and education at the University of Akron in Ohio. He also had a distinguished career as Associate Athletic Director, communication at the University of Alabama Huntsville. "Sam enjoyed baseball, cycling, reading, and playing guitar." A Funeral Mass and luncheon will be held on July 26, 2025, at 10:30 a.m. at Saint Mary Magdalene Catholic Church. The church is located at 32114 East 321st Street, Willowick, Ohio. Associate College Athletic Director Dead Suddenly at 34 first appeared on The Spun on Jun 29, 2025 This story was originally reported by The Spun on Jun 29, 2025, where it first appeared.
Washington Post
24-06-2025
- Sport
- Washington Post
Navy's new athletic director has Annapolis roots and global ambition
Growing up with a parent who graduated from the Naval Academy, Michael Kelly attended countless football games at Navy-Marine Corps Memorial Stadium during his youth. As of Monday, Kelly became responsible for overseeing the Midshipmen football program as well as every other sport as Navy's new athletic director. The graduate of St. John's College High in Washington introduced himself to his new co-workers on his second day on the job during an informal gathering Tuesday at packed Akerson Theater, where the football team typically watches game film. Sitting in the front row were his parents, including his father, Dennis, a member of Navy's class of 1967. 'To come back to the DMV, it means a lot to me. Growing up in the area, playing basketball at St. John's for coach [Joe] Gallagher and being part of the whole scene here,' Kelly said. 'Back then, going to games when David Robinson was playing [basketball] here, seeing when Maryland and Georgetown were all great on the basketball side, to me it's all that. It's nostalgic to be home.' Kelly replaces Chet Gladchuk, who announced March 31 he would be retiring after a 24-year tenure highlighted by a dramatic resurgence in football prosperity. Among Gladchuk's most consequential final duties was taking a lead role in the national search for his replacement. Also figuring prominently in the search was Chad Chatlos, a 1993 Navy graduate who serves as managing director for TurnkeyZRG, the executive recruiting firm the academy retained for the process, which lasted close to 10 weeks and comprised 23 candidates, according to Gladchuk. 'In the final analysis, it was across the board — the farther we got, the closer we got to a decision, it became clearer and clearer and clearer that there was one gentleman that just absolutely stood out amongst all,' Gladchuk said of Kelly. 'We looked at his background, and it was extraordinary. He's done everything.' Kelly most recently was the athletic director at South Florida, where among his most notable accomplishments over seven years was almost doubling the department's budget to $100 million. The Bulls expanded to 21 varsity sports under his watch and claimed 21 team championships in the American Athletic Conference, where Navy is a current member in football. Kelly's previous jobs included serving as the chief operating officer of the College Football Playoff, managing site selection for the national championship game and the national semifinals, and as senior associate commissioner for the ACC from 2007 through 2013, playing a prominent role in negotiating the ACC's television rights contract in 2010. 'I think the job at the ACC and then also my job at the CFP kind of helps me — not only helps us navigate major business deals as it relates to where we might move Army-Navy, where we put Navy-Notre Dame, things of that nature,' Kelly said, 'because that's kind of what I was involved in and then certainly the whole television aspect of it. How can we maximize the value of the tradition and the excellence of Navy football and really all Navy sports?' The Midshipmen are coming off a 10-3 record in football capped by a dramatic victory in the Armed Forces Bowl over Oklahoma. The Midshipmen earned double-digit wins for the sixth time in program history in the second season under Coach Brian Newberry, who sat in the second row during Kelly's introductory address inside the football facility Tuesday. 'For me it's been all about meeting as many people as I possibly can here internally and certainly talking to donors and sponsors and others, too,' Kelly said. 'So that's really what I'm focused on this week, is to just introduce myself, tell them how excited I am to be here and being able to be ready, spending this whole month mainly focused on that so we can hit the ground running when the true summer camps start and getting ready for what I expect will be a very successful fall for Navy football and for all of our fall sports.'
