| SDSU Names Interim Athletics Director
June 16, 2003 SAN DIEGO -- San Diego State University President Stephen L. Weber announced today that Gene Bartow, one of Alabama's greatest sports legends, will serve as interim athletics director. Bartow is a widely respected figure in college sports. He spent 23 years as athletics director at the University of Alabama at Birmingham, transforming a school with no athletics program at all into a Conference USA power. He currently serves as a special advisor to the NBA's Memphis Grizzlies, and will start a three-month term at SDSU on July 1. "We are pleased and fortunate to have someone as accomplished and skilled as Mr. Bartow assume interim leadership of our athletics program," Weber said. "He brings everything we could possibly ask for in experience and eagerness. He is an accomplished leader who will serve our student-athletes, our coaches, our staff and our fans well." Bartow, 72, said he looks forward to strengthening an athletics program that, despite its current issues, has tremendous assets to build upon. "San Diego State has state-of-the-art facilities, a large base of alumni to draw support from, and an exciting cadre of coaches who have their programs on the right track," he said. "That doesn't just apply to Tom Craft in football, Steve Fisher in men's basketball and Tony Gwynn in baseball, but also Jim Tomey in women's basketball, Kathy Van Wyk in softball, and those for many other sports on campus as well." Bartow replaces former athletics director Rick Bay. Bay resigned May 22, two weeks after the California State University auditor concluded an investigation into the Athletics department by releasing a report that found state property was misused, programs and funds were mismanaged, and other improper activities had taken place in the department. The university concurred with all of the report's findings and will implement the auditor's recommendations for addressing these issues by the end of 2003. "My goal is to make this department run as smoothly as possible," Bartow said. "I will try my hardest to serve San Diego State in an honorable manner, to help the coaches and student-athletes if they have problems or need guidance, and to work with the university administration on putting the athletics department in a position where its staff and its permanent director can succeed on a long-term basis." Bartow, considered the "founding father" of UAB athletics, grew the intercollegiate sports program there from its infancy into one that featured 17 sports and an annual operating budget of more than $8 million by the time he retired from the position in 2000. Among his achievements were guiding the program through three conference changes, growing the football team from a club sport into a Division I-A program, and adding several women's sports to the university's athletics roster. In addition to his administrative accomplishments, Bartow is one of the top college basketball coaches of all time. By the time he retired from collegiate coaching in 1996, he had led teams for 34 years at six universities (Central Missouri State, Valparaiso, Memphis State, Illinois, UCLA and UAB), compiling 647 wins, 12 NCAA Tournament appearances, two Final Four appearances, one national title game appearance and one national Coach of the Year Award (both with Memphis State in 1973), and no probation problems with the NCAA. He spent 18 of those years coaching at UAB while serving as its athletics director, and at one point served as the chairman of the NCAA basketball rules committee. The Birmingham News has voted him one of the top 10 most influential figures in Alabama sports for the past century. President Weber also announced he has assembled the search committee for the permanent athletics director and the committee's first meeting will be next week. San Diego State University is the oldest and largest higher education institution in the San Diego region. Since its founding in 1897 SDSU has grown to offer bachelor's degrees in 79 areas, master's degrees in 64 areas and doctorates in 13. SDSU's more than 33,000 students participate in academic curricula distinguished by direct contact with faculty and an increasing international emphasis that prepares them for a global future. |
