Senior Vice President and Director of Intercollegiate Athletics

About the Position and Tiger Athletics

The Senior Vice President and Director of Intercollegiate Athletics is responsible for the leadership, management and administration of the University’s intercollegiate athletic program, which has a current annual budget of approximately $65 million, fields 19 intercollegiate teams (9 men’s, 9 women’s and 1 co-ed) in NCAA Division I, comprises more than 350 student-athletes and utilizes multi-million-dollar facilities. This position requires a leader with considerable abilities in intercollegiate athletics management, a keen business sense, integrity and an appreciation for the important role athletics plays in a public metropolitan research university. In addition, the Athletic Director must effectively represent the NCAA’s attributes of fair play, character, learning, balance, spirit and community. Reporting directly to the President, the Athletic Director is also a member of the President’s Council.

Duties and Responsibilities

• Promotes the mission of the Department, the University’s high standard of academic excellence and the general welfare of student-athletes through the development and implementation of plans, policies, procedures, and programs which incorporate best practices andare in compliance with the University, the Conference, the NCAA rules and regulations, applicable State and Federal laws.
• Submits reports, recommendations and supporting documentation to the President, as necessary, to make decisions regarding goals, academics, capital expansion and maintenance, staffing, budget appropriations, scheduling and other aspects of the University’s athletics program.
• Manages and oversees coaches, athletic administrators and staff either directly or through reporting relationships.
• Insures that coaching and administrative staff actively support the Department and University’s joint commitment to academic achievement for each student–athlete.
• Establishes clear commitment of the department, the University and all representatives of the athletics interests of the University to NCAA rules compliance, and ensures availability of education, training and rules interpretations for all coaches, athletic staff members, University personnel whose job responsibilities involve NCAA rules, and representatives of the athletics interests of the University. Consults with the Faculty Athletics Representative and athletics staff for NCAA compliance regarding the interpretation of applicable rules and clarifies conflicts of opinion with the President. Assists University personnel, including the Faculty Athletics Representative, in investigating all cases where a violation has or may have occurred, if needed.
• Promotes athletic excellence on local, conference and national levels for the men’s and women’s intercollegiate sports programs, including the recruitment, selection and evaluation of all coaches.
• Develops and implements long-term planning regarding fiscal needs for operations and capital improvements, and internal goals for strengthening the Department through staff evaluation and program development.
• Monitors and manages all aspects of Athletic Department budget, including developing budget guidelines, approving budget appropriations for each area and monitoring conformance to budget as approved by the President in conjunction with the Vice President for Business and Finance.
• Oversees fiscal operations, with the assistance of the Athletic Department staff. The Athletic Director will have overall responsibilities and be held accountable for finance and facilities of the University Athletic Department to ensure sound business practices.
• Develops and implements programs to increase revenue sources for the Department to include effective marketing and promotion plans and fund raising to promote donor support of the athletics program.
• Serves as the primary spokesperson of the Department promoting the philosophy and mission of the intercollegiate athletics program with faculty, staff, students, alumni, media and the general public.
• Represents the Department at University, community, conference, NCAA and other appropriate meetings.
• Establishes and periodically refines departmental organizational structure to ensure the effective management of human resources. Approves all employee contracts for the coaches, trainers, administrative staff and other personnel who work for the Department of Athletics. Ensures availability of appropriate training and evaluation processes of all department employees to assess their contribution to the Department, adherence to NCAA rules, working relationships and coaching performance.
• Evaluates the condition of the athletic facilities to meet competition requirements of each sport.
• Maintains open communication channels with the President and President’s Council, students, faculty, administrators, alumni, Faculty Athletic Committee, and friends of the University, including all athletic booster organizations.
• Ensures all contracts involving the department, and all events coordinated by the department, are in compliance with all University, conference, NCAA and other applicable rules and regulations, and are conducted in a manner consistent with the high quality and integrity of the University.
• Insures appropriate scheduling of all athletic contests.
• Coordinates the formulation of an annual report on the status and future plans for the University’s intercollegiate athletics program.
• Fulfills additional duties as directed by the President.

Qualifications

• A bachelor’s degree is required; advanced degree is preferred.
• Progressive and highly relevant athletic administrative experience, preferably at the Division I level, or related sports entities is required.
• Proven ability to work with diverse populations of students, faculty, staff, and external constituents.
• Demonstrated success in hiring, supervising, and mentoring senior-level staff, developing and managing dynamic and complex budgets, and working with faculty, staff, students, and administration.
• Strong record of compliance along with a thorough knowledge of NCAA rules and regulations.
• Unwavering commitment to ethics and student-athletes’ academic success and well-being.
• Excellent written, interpersonal, and oral communication skills.

Application Process

The University of Memphis invites nominations and applications or expressions of interest to be submitted to the search firm assisting the University. Applications must include a cover letter, resume or curriculum vitae, and list of references. For full consideration, application materials should be submitted to Parker Executive Search’s website by May 29^th, 2024. Confidential review of materials will begin immediately and continue until the appointment is made.

For additional information, please contact:

Daniel Parker, Vice President and Managing Director

DeLaina Sarden, Principal

Xavier Harper, Executive Recruiting Coordinator

danielparker@parkersearch.com(link sends e-mail) | dsarden@parkersearch.com(link sends e-mail) | xharper@parkersearch.com