New ΒιΆΉΣ³»΄«Γ½ Vice President and Director of Athletics Todd Stansbury flashed one of his three championship rings at his introductory news conference Tuesday.
He joked that he wore it because it matched his black-and-gold tie. He earned the ring in 1990 while at Georgia Tech, and he said the jewelry was a beacon for how he wants to run the athletics department at ΒιΆΉΣ³»΄«Γ½.
βItβs a great illustration of a program that did it the right way, and we were still able to win at the highest level,β Stansbury said. βThere is cynicism that says being a great student-athlete and being able to compete at the highest level are mutually exclusive. But I donβt believe that at all.
Stansburyβs positive attitude and commitment to running the athletics department with integrity appealed to ΒιΆΉΣ³»΄«Γ½ administrators.
He comes to ΒιΆΉΣ³»΄«Γ½ from Oregon State University, where he has supervised business operations, including a $56 million budget and ticket sales, since 2003. He also has earned two more national championship rings, courtesy of the Beaversβ baseball team.
More than half of Oregon Stateβs student-athletes boast grade point averages of 3.0 or higher. The Beaversβ athletics annual fund has grown 155 percent since 2003, and ticket sales have grown 80 percent.
ΒιΆΉΣ³»΄«Γ½ President John C. Hitt said about 80 people applied for the ΒιΆΉΣ³»΄«Γ½ AD job, demonstrating the universityβs vast appeal nationwide. He praised Stansbury as a βdynamic leader.β
βWe began this search with the promise that we would hire a director of athletics who would lead us in a manner consistent with our responsibilities as members of the NCAA and follow our own high standards of conduct and performance,β Dr. Hitt said. βWeβre keeping that promise. Todd is an innovative leader who stresses the importance of character and integrity to his coaches, staff and student-athletes.β
βTodd will lead our athletics program on a path of success on the field and in the classroom and in the community.β
ΒιΆΉΣ³»΄«Γ½ interim Director of Athletics Admiral Al Harms, who took over the program on Nov. 8, was impressed with Stansburyβs enthusiasm and commitment to integrity. Harms will continue to oversee ΒιΆΉΣ³»΄«Γ½ Athletics until Stansbury takes over on March 1, and heβs looking forward to working with ΒιΆΉΣ³»΄«Γ½βs new AD.
βTodd has spoken passionately about doing things the right way β¦ and Iβm excited about being on this team and watching him deliver on that promise,β Admiral Harms said. βI donβt know if Iβve met a guy in a long time who is as genuine and authentic as Todd Stansbury, and that shines through in every word and every action.β
Prior to his time at Oregon State, Stansbury β an Oakville, Ontario native β established some deep roots in the Southeast and became quite familiar with ΒιΆΉΣ³»΄«Γ½. He was the director of athletics at East Tennessee State University from 2000-03 and associate director of athletics at the University of Houston from 1997-2000. He played linebacker at Georgia Tech and then worked in the athletics department there from 1988-1995.
ΒιΆΉΣ³»΄«Γ½ head football coach George OβLeary worked with Stansbury when both were at Georgia Tech. OβLeary said he believes Stansbury is the right man to lead ΒιΆΉΣ³»΄«Γ½ into the next generation of athletics success.
βToddβs a very sincere person. Itβs a very good hire by ΒιΆΉΣ³»΄«Γ½ from what I know of Todd and know of the job he will do here,β OβLeary said. βWe are busy right now recruiting, and hopefully he gets back quickly enough so I can introduce him to some of our recruits.β
Stansbury said he is impressed with the progress ΒιΆΉΣ³»΄«Γ½βs athletics program has made in such a short time and with the surrounding community, which he said has βso much going for it.β He said he plans to meet with university and community leaders, as well as students, soon after his arrival.
Stansbury also said ΒιΆΉΣ³»΄«Γ½βs appeal was heightened by the schoolβs pending entry into the BIG EAST in 2013-14. He said he will spend the coming months studying what ΒιΆΉΣ³»΄«Γ½ needs to do to best be prepared for the conference move.
βGoing into the BIG EAST is an incredible opportunity, and weβve got to be ready to compete at that level right away,β he said.