Towson University President Maravene Loeschke today announced that the search for the university’s new director of athletics will begin this week. This news follows the resignation of Mike Waddell, who will begin a new position at the University of Arkansas beginning June 10.
A search advisory committee has been formed composed of 13 internal and external individuals, including Towson faculty, staff, alumni and a current student-athlete.
The committee is charged with finding a leader that has a clear understanding of the role athletics plays in achieving the goals of the university and who can continue the momentum that led the Tigers to claim seven CAA championships this season. The new athletics director will head a department that includes more than 500 student-athletes in 19 Division I intercollegiate sports.
Greater Baltimore Committee President and CEO Donald C. Fry will head the search for the new athletics director. In addition to leading the region’s most prominent organization of business and civic leaders, Fry is the father of a Towson student-athlete and also serves as chair of the Tiger Club Advisory Board.
Other committee members include:
- Arnold Farmer ’14, Student-Athlete, College of Business and Economics
- Jennifer Gajewski ’93, Chief of Staff (Search Coordinator), Towson University
- Gail Gasparich, Associate Dean, The Jess and Mildred Fisher College of Science and Mathematics, Faculty Athletic Representative
- Barry Gossett, Member, University System of Maryland Board of Regents
- Lance Johnson ’93, President, Towson Alumni Association Board, Towson Athletics Hall of Fame (Soccer)
- Sonia LaMonica, Head Coach, Towson Women’s Lacrosse
- Jeff Leventhal ’93, Member, Tiger Club Advisory Board
- Bobbi Madison, Director of Academic Services, Towson Athletics
- Denny Mather ’72, Member, Towson University Foundation Board, Board of Visitors
- Deb Moriarty, Vice President for Student Affairs, Towson University
- Pat Skerry, Head Coach, Towson Men’s Basketball
- Fran Soistman ’79, Member, Towson University Board of Visitors
A national search firm will assist the search committee and will be announced shortly. One of its first tasks will be to gather feedback from various groups, on and off campus, in order to provide valuable input to help guide the selection process. The university expects a permanent director of athletics to be appointed by the start of the fall 2013 term.
Effective immediately, Tricia Brandenburg, deputy athletics director for internal operations, will assume the duties of interim director of athletics. This is in addition to her current duties as deputy director, which include oversight of the department’s academics, compliance and student success divisions.
Brandenburg has more than 13 years experience in Division I intercollegiate athletics. Prior to joining Towson in December 2012, she spent four years at Ohio University in Athens, Ohio, where she ultimately served as senior associate director of athletics. There, she was responsible for a broad range of responsibilities, including sport oversight, student services and compliance of the department’s 16 intercollegiate athletics programs and approximately 425 student-athletes.
She holds a bachelor’s degree from Cornell University in Industrial and Labor Relations and a master’s degree from Northeastern University in Leadership.
“We are extremely fortunate to have someone of Tricia’s caliber to seamlessly transition our athletic department during the summer months,” said President Loeschke in a statement.
“We just completed an incredibly successful year in men’s and women’s athletics, with an unprecedented seven CAA conference championships, and we want to continue that momentum. Tricia will do an outstanding job of maintaining operations of the department. She will remain in the interim position until the Director of Athletics Search Advisory Committee completes its work.”
