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Utah's Chris Hill says it's important to build relationships on campus and not just boosters.
Photo by: University of Utah |
Utah’s Chris Hill doesn’t look at himself as a survivor, but the longtime AD, who is working on his 28th year with the Utes, has served five different presidents. A change in leadership at the top level can often be the kiss of death because new presidents like to bring in their own people. That hasn’t been the case for Hill, who became Utah’s AD in October 1987 and more recently guided the program into the Pac-12.
One of the keys to Hill’s longevity is building relationships on campus that are just as strong or stronger than relationships with boosters.
“I’ve worked really hard to be part of the university community and to have the support from within the university as a team player,” said Hill, who grew up in New Jersey and attended Rutgers before migrating west. “I fully understand that we would never be in the Pac-12 without being a great research institution.
“The biggest disease in this business is ego. You’ve got to know when to pick your fights and when not to.”
Hill said he’s had opportunities, before Utah joined the Pac-12, to go to another Pac-12 or ACC school, but he’s always leaned on advice from Gene Corrigan, the former Notre Dame AD.
“If you like where you are, don’t let money and prestige determine the deal,” Hill said. “Don’t go to a job just because everyone else thinks you should. A lot of people take the next job because it’s at a bigger school or in a more prestigious conference.”
— Michael Smith
When Scott Barnes assumes the AD’s seat at Pittsburgh on July 1, he will be the 27th person to take over that title at a Division I school this calendar year, or an average of one per week. That’s a turnover rate of about 7 percent of all the Division I ADs, in just six months. On the other hand, 10 Division I ADs have been on the job for at least 22 years.
| AD |
School |
Years |
| Walt Hameline |
Wagner College |
32 |
| Chris Hill |
Utah |
27 |
| Don DiJulia |
Saint Joseph’s (Pa.) |
26 |
| Joe Sterrett |
Lehigh |
25 |
| Judy Rose |
University of North Carolina, Charlotte |
24 |
| Lynn Thompson |
Bethune-Cookman |
23 |
| Jeremy Foley |
Florida |
23 |
| Ron Wellman |
Wake Forest |
22 |
| Morgan Burke |
Purdue |
22 |
| John D’Argenio |
Siena College |
22 |
| School |
Interim AD |
Previous AD |
| Alabama State |
Melvin Hines |
Stacy Danley |
| Austin Peay State |
Cheryl Holt |
Derek van der Merwe |
| California-Bakersfield |
Ziggy Siegfried |
Jeff Konya |
| California-Davis |
Teresa Gould |
Terry Tumey |
| California-Riverside |
Janet Lucas |
Jim Wooldridge |
| Delaware State |
Louis “Skip” Perkins |
Candy Young |
| Florida A&M |
E. D’Wayne Robinson |
Nelson Townsend |
| Grambling State |
Obadiah Simmons |
Patricia Cage Bibbs |
| Howard |
Shelley Davis |
Louis “Skip” Perkins |
| Jackson State |
Robert Walker |
Vivian Fuller |
| Jacksonville State |
Greg Seitz |
Warren Koegel |
| Long Island-Brooklyn |
Brad Cohen |
John Suarez |
| Michigan |
Jim Hackett |
Dave Brandon |
| Santa Clara |
Jeff Mitchell |
Dan Coonan |
| St. Peter’s |
Jim Jacobson |
Joe Quinlan |
| Syracuse |
Pete Sala |
Daryl Gross |
| Western Illinois |
Matt Tanney |
Tommy Bell |
Of the 334 current ADs (excluding interims), here's where their predecessors went:
| Retired |
97 |
| Stayed in sports, but not at the school athletic administration level |
31 |
| Left college athletics |
21 |
| Fired |
13 |
| Resigned under pressure |
13 |
| University of Maryland |
4 |
| Died in office |
3 |
| Stanford University |
3 |
| Virginia Tech |
3 |
When you look at the predecessors of the current 334 ADs, only 25 who left moved up from an AD position at a non-power five school to a power five school. Ten went from being the AD at a power five school to the same position at another power five school.
35 of the ADs received certification from the Sports Management Institute, founded by USC, Notre Dame and North Carolina to provide a specialized executive program for sports management professionals.
