After 36 years in Bristol, John Wildhack is leaving ESPN to become AD at Syracuse, his alma mater. Wildhack, Exec VP/Programming & Production since January '14, will remain with the company through July 28. ESPN has not announced his replacement, though it is expected that it will be filled internally, with likely candidates being top programming exec Burke Magnus or top production exec Norby Williamson. An ESPN source said Wildhack made the decision on his own -- he was not part of ESPN's cost cutting that has seen hundreds of layoffs over the last year. Over dinner two weeks ago, Wildhack told ESPN President John Skipper of his desire to go back to his alma mater, something Skipper immediately supported. Last Thursday, Syracuse Chancellor Kent Syverud called Skipper to ask his permission to let Wildhack out of his contract early. By Friday, they had all reached an agreement. “His impact on our production, our unparalleled suite of rights agreements and our overall values and culture is immeasurable,” Skipper wrote in an email sent to employees this morning. “He has served as a key advisor and business partner to me. I have relied often on his thoughtful and selfless judgement.”
LOOKING FOR STABILITY: Wildhack will take over an athletic department that was left reeling in May by the abrupt departure of Mark Coyle, who had been the school's AD for just 10 months. Coyle left to take the AD job at Minnesota, where he had worked previously and where the budget is about $20M richer. Syracuse had a six-person internal search committee that ranged from the chancellor to the football coach to a student-athlete. Syracuse officials knew Wildhack, of course, from his role as one of ESPN's most senior execs. Syracuse officials reached out to Wildhack to see whether he was interested in coming back to his alma mater. An ESPN source said Wildhack initially dismissed the idea, before gradually warming to it.
WORK TO BE DONE: The chief challenge facing Wildhack at Syracuse will be a football program that went 4-8 last season and 3-9 in '14. Coyle hired football coach Dino Babers last season from Bowling Green, and Babers was one of six school officials on the AD search committee that vetted Wildhack. Beyond football, the athletic department is coming off one of its most successful school years, with Final Four runs in men’s and women’s basketball and men’s soccer, as well as national titles in cross country and field hockey. Syracuse finished 19th nationally in the Learfield Directors' Cup for '15-16, the all-sports rankings that gauge across-the-board competitive success. On the facility front, Wildhack will have to quickly get up to speed on the 36-year-old Carrier Dome, home of Syracuse football and basketball. The school has released some renderings for a renovated Carrier Dome, but officials say no firm decisions have been made on its future and that it is still in the early design phase.
ACC TV? One tangible benefit for the ACC could be Wildhack’s deep knowledge of the media landscape and how his opinions might shape the conference’s decision-making on a new linear TV net, something the ACC has been considering for the last three-plus years.
TWITTER REAX: SI's Richard Deitsch: "This will be huge news in Bristol as Wildhack is the top content exec at ESPN below Skipper. ... Syracuse is going to be awesome with Bayless coaching football and SAS replacing Boeheim." Campus Insiders VP/Content & Brand Development Bonnie Bernstein: "1 of the (few) guys at ESPN u could lean on & trust. Willing to evolve/collaborate on ideas. Congrats @SyracuseU on ur new AD. ... Fundraising is 1 of most imp jobs for today's AD. Wildhack is smart, authentic, Cuse alum, 'people person.'" Univ. of Miami professor Alicia Jessop: "Love Syracuse's AD hiring of former ESPN VP, John Wildhack. With the importance of TV deals to ath. dept. budgets, it's a power play." Michele Steele was one of many ESPN staffers who posted congratulatory tweets: "Congrats to John Wildhack - good ADs have to know the media landscape - v cool move for him." ESPN's Jeff Goodman: "Every time I saw Wildhack in Bristol, he wanted to talk 'Cuse hoops. Diehard Syracuse guy."
