Longtime New York University sports law professor Bob Boland will replace Jim Kahler as head of Ohio University’s Master of Sports Administration program in January as part of a restructuring that will allow Kahler to focus on fundraising for the school’s growing Center for Sports Administration while filling a slot on the teaching faculty.
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BOLAND
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Boland, who joined the faculty at Ohio as a professor and executive in residence in July, will handle day-to-day management of graduate curriculum and admissions and oversight of graduate assistants. Kahler’s priority will be the continued expansion of the center, alumni relations and the pursuit and management of a naming-rights sponsorship for the program, which celebrates its 50th anniversary next year.
Kahler, an Ohio MSA grad, left his job as senior vice president of sales and marketing of the Cleveland Cavaliers 10 years ago to return to his alma mater as executive director of the center.
Under his direction, Ohio has re-engaged its broad and deep alumni base, created a pipeline of industry consulting projects and launched online education programs for both its professional MSA and Master of Athletic Administration degrees.
“I’m proud of what we’ve accomplished in the last 10 years and excited about what we’ve got coming in the next five,” Kahler said. “But as we’ve expanded, I added a lot of things to the job and I didn’t have anybody to dish to. Now, I do.
“I enjoy building things. And there are still some things to build here.”
Boland was a member of the founding faculty when NYU launched its sports business master’s program in 2003. He was academic chair and chief academic officer of the program from 2010 to 2014 before returning to a faculty role last year. Boland left NYU to become the first sports law professor on faculty at Ohio, which does not have a law school.
“I thought when I came here that I was coming to a special place,” Boland said. “What I didn’t know was that I’d be on a short trial run to see if I could lift one of the many hats that Jim wears from him. The fact that I’m helping lift a burden academically in what is a crown jewel program is really exciting for me.
“Jim might be the best marketing and sales person I know. I’m more classroom and content focused. I think collaborating like this is going to be great for both of us.”
