Boston College yesterday named Brad Bates its new AD. Bates, who served as Miami (Ohio) Univ. AD for the past 10 years, succeeds Gene DeFilippo, who retired on Sept. 30 after 15 years at BC (Boston College). In Boston, Rich Thompson writes Bates "apparently satisfied the requirements of two constituencies -- the power brokers and the consumers." Bates inherits a position that was "controlled and redefined for 15 years" by DeFilippo. He takes over a department that has "experienced highs, lows and plenty of in-betweens over the past five years." Bates worked in "various capacities" at Vanderbilt Univ. from '85-'02, and spent the last 10 years "building up teams, especially football and men's hockey, as the AD at Miami (Ohio)." Under Bates, MU "won at least one conference championship in 14-of-18 sports" (BOSTON HERALD, 10/10). In Ohio, Rick Cassano notes the MU hockey program "has developed into a national power during the Bates era." The football program "also achieved back-to-back bowl appearances (2003-04) for the first time in nearly 30 years" (OXFORD PRESS, 10/10). ESPN.com's Heather Dinich noted Bates at MU "helped raise student-athlete graduation rates, achieving an overall Graduation Success Rate of 89 percent in 2011, while also raising private funds to upgrade facilities, including a complete renovation of Yager Football Stadium, and a new ice hockey arena and softball field." One of Bates' "first tasks at BC will be to decide whether to retain embattled [football] coach Frank Spaziani, whose team is off to another disappointing start" (ESPN.com, 10/9). In Boston, Julian Benbow notes the hiring of Bates brings "an end to a six-week search" led by BC President William Leahy and VP/Human Resources Leo Sullivan. Leahy said, "We said we wanted someone who would fit with Boston College's culture" (BOSTON GLOBE, 10/10).
