As UND looks toward its transition to D-I, it is also evaluating candidates for the Athletic Director who will lead athletics through that transition.
The selection committee has whittled down the numerous applicants to a few leading candidates, though information on those candidates has been somewhat hard to come by from the University itself. Thanks particularly to the efforts of Sioux fans in the 221-post forum thread, UND’s Next Athletics Director, supplemented with an afternoon of web searches, here’s a look at the remaining UND athletic director candidates.
Have anything to say about the candidates, or know something we don’t? Stop by the forum and chat.
Barbara Burke
Senior Associate Athletics Director, University of Wyoming (NCAA D-I/BCS, Mountain West Conference)
M.E. Education/Administration of Athletics, University of Tennessee at Chattanooga, 1984
B.S. Physical Education, Western Michigan, 1980 (letters in basketball and softball)
Notable experience
- 2001 – Wyoming – Senior Associate Athletic Director
- 1998 – Wyoming – Associate Athletics Director/Senior Women’s Administrator
- 1998 – Texas El Paso (UTEP) – Interim Athletics Director
- 1994 – Marshall – Associate Athletics Director/Senior Women’s Administrator
“Burke oversees all internal operations of the UW Athletics Department, as well as directly supervises game management for football and men’s and women’s basketball.”
“In addition to overseeing the sports programs, she is in charge of the day-to-day internal operations of the department, is directly involved in the marketing and promotion of Wyoming’s athletics programs and is responsible for the department’s compliance with Title IX objectives. Currently, her focus is on the completion of several major building projects.”
Resources
Tim Hickman
Associate Athletic Director, Operations, University of Missouri (NCAA D-I/BCS, Big Twelve Conference)
B.S. Business Administration, University of Missouri, 1989
Notable experience
- 2002 – Missouri, Associate Athletic Director
- 2001 – Missouri, Assistant Athletic Director (following merger of Hearnes and Missouri athletics operations)
- 1992 – Director of the Hearnes Center
“Hickman oversees all business activities for the Missouri Department of Athletics, including development and oversight of the department’s $44 million budget, purchasing, human resources and daily office operations, while additionally directing the operations of Mizzou Arena and the Hearnes Center. He also oversees the areas of facilities, game operations, food service and computing operations, while serving as the administrative liason to Mizzou’s nationally ranked baseball program and up-and-coming softball program. In his current capacity as department CFO, Tim also works very closely with development, Mizzou Sports Properties and outsourcing contracts.”
Other info from the ‘net
- Chamber of Commerce – chair of budget and finance committee
- Callaway Bank – board member
- He has served on committees or the boards of the Central Missouri Food Bank, the Mid-Missouri Tourism Council, the Columbia Chamber of Commerce and the Missouri Balloon Corporation.
- Grew up in the family grocery business, Hickman’s IGA
- Owned Columbia, MO, restaurant, T.K. Brothers Grill & Games, with brothers
Resources
Tim Leonard
Associate Athletics Director/Development – University of Central Florida (Conference USA, NCAA D-I/BCS)
B.A. Communication, Boise State University, 1992
Relevant experience
- 2003 – Associate Athletics Director/Development – University of Central Florida
- 1999 – Assistant Athletics Director for External Affairs and the executive director of the Golden Knights Club
- 1997 – Assistant Director of the Bronco Athletic Association at Boise State
- 1992 – Director of Annual Giving at Illinois State University
Led fundraising during the fundraising, building, and naming-rights sale of new football stadium.
“After serving as an assistant athletics director for external affairs and the executive director of the Golden Knights Club for four years, Leonard now has major gifts as his primary fundraising focus for UCF athletics. He also has management oversight of the GKC, premium seating and the University’s Annual Fund.”
“In his six years at Central Florida, Leonard has excelled at getting people to believe in potential. When the football team was struggling, it was tough to convince donors to invest in a program that didn’t appear to have the school’s full commitment. That mentality has been completely transformed, largely because of persistence.”
Resources
Tom Sadler
President, Global Entertainment Corp. Facility Management Company
B.A. Industrial/Organizational Psychology, St. Thomas Aquinas College
Relevant Experience
- 2005 – President, Global Entertainment Corp. Facility Management Company
- 2003 – Associate Athletics Director for Administrative Services, University of Hawaii (UH)
- 1983 – Various positions (incl Assistant Athletics Director, Stadium Management Director) Arizona State University
“While at UH, Sadler was responsible for the internal day-to-day operations of the department that covered multiple sports and related events. He also negotiated a new facility concession contract that generated an increase in revenue.”
“Sadler has been there and done it, helping to implement a $41 million capital campaign for ASU while also eliminating a $1 million budget shortfall.”
“…Arizona State University (ASU) over a period of 20 years, during which he directed intercollegiate operations, managing and staging more than 250 events each year for ASU, and serving as tournament director for several NCAA and Pacific-10 Conference championships. He served as a key member of the host committee in Arizona for Super Bowl XXX, and guided the development of a comprehensive operating manual for several sporting events.”
Resources
Brian Faison
Assistant Vice President for Athletic Development, New Mexico State University (NCAA D-I/BCS, Western Athletic Conference)
University of Missouri, 1972
Relevant experience
- 2004 – Assistant Vice President for Athletics Development, New Mexico State University
- 1999 – Athletics Director, New Mexico State University
- 1988 – Athletics Director, Indian State
- 1984 – athletics administration, Louisville
- 1979 – athletics administration, Illinois State
- 1974 – athletics administration, Missouri
“Faison says the new position frees him up to focus on fundraising and one of his goals will be to elevate the Athletics Department’s revenues from its current $9.2 million to $18 million within the next 12 months.”
“Faison’s five years as head of the department have been highlighted by success in the classroom, on the playing field and in the development of athletic facilities.”
Resources
Paul Schlickmann
Stony Brook University, Executive Associate Director of Athletics
B.A. American Studies, Trinity College (men’s basketball player), 1989
M.S. Physical Education, Springfield College, 1995
Relevant Experience
- 2005 – Executive Associate Director of Athletics, Stony Brook
- 2003 – Senior Associate Director of Athletics, Stony Brook
- 1999 – Senior Assistant Athletics Director for Varsity Program Administration and Football Operations, Yale University
- 1993 – Assistant Athletics Director for Varsity Program Administration, Yale University
“He is a talented administrator who understands that the primary function of intercollegiate athletics at Stony Brook is to advance the educational mission of the university.”
“Schlickmann has supervised the daily internal operations of 35 intercollegiate programs as a member of the senior management team that sets department policy at Yale. He was responsible for all varsity program operations for men’s soccer and men’s lacrosse while also overseeing facility operations and event management. He developed and managed department operating budgets which totaled nearly $2.5 million, and administered athlete initial eligibility, team travel, contest scheduling and the management of conference and postseason championships.
His football operations duties included the oversight of 150 gameday personnel in the 60,000-seat Yale Bowl which had an average attendance of over 23,000 for Yale home games. In addition, he served as the athletics department liaison to undergraduate admissions and financial aid while managing and formulating team budgets.”
“He is responsible for all varsity program operations for men’s basketball, football, baseball, men’s and women’s cross country, men’s lacrosse, men’s tennis and men’s and women’s track and field while also overseeing facility operations and event management.
In addition, he develops and manages a department operating budget of $12 million, administers team travel, contest scheduling and the management of conference and postseason championships. In 2004-05, Stony Brook balanced its operating budget for the first time in the last six years while chairing the search committee for Men’s Lacrosse and Men’s Basketball, the Director of Speed Strength and Conditioning and the Director of Student-Athlete Development.
Schlickmann is responsible for personnel matters including the coordination of national searches for coaches, staff and administrative positions, personnel employment contracts and employee performance appraisals.”
“At the 1996 Centennial Olympic Games in Atlanta, Schlickmann served as a sector coordinator where he coordinated various aspects of facility preparation and event planning for the men’s and women’s soccer venue. He also worked as the Deputy Commissioner of the Special Olympics World Games in the summer of 1995.”
Resources
