New 91吃瓜网 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 91吃瓜网.
鈥淚t鈥檚 a great illustration of a program that did it the right way, and we were still able to win at the highest level,鈥� Stansbury said. 鈥淭here is cynicism that says being a great student-athlete and being able to compete at the highest level are mutually exclusive. But I don鈥檛 believe that at all.
Stansbury鈥檚 positive attitude and commitment to running the athletics department with integrity appealed to 91吃瓜网 administrators.
He comes to 91吃瓜网 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 Beavers鈥� baseball team.
More than half of Oregon State鈥檚 student-athletes boast grade point averages of 3.0 or higher. The Beavers鈥� athletics annual fund has grown 155 percent since 2003, and ticket sales have grown 80 percent.
91吃瓜网 President John C. Hitt said about 80 people applied for the 91吃瓜网 AD job, demonstrating the university鈥檚 vast appeal nationwide. He praised Stansbury as a 鈥渄ynamic leader.鈥�
鈥淲e 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,鈥� Dr. Hitt said. 鈥淲e鈥檙e keeping that promise. Todd is an innovative leader who stresses the importance of character and integrity to his coaches, staff and student-athletes.鈥�
鈥淭odd will lead our athletics program on a path of success on the field and in the classroom and in the community.鈥�
91吃瓜网 interim Director of Athletics Admiral Al Harms, who took over the program on Nov. 8, was impressed with Stansbury鈥檚 enthusiasm and commitment to integrity. Harms will continue to oversee 91吃瓜网 Athletics until Stansbury takes over on March 1, and he鈥檚 looking forward to working with 91吃瓜网鈥檚 new AD.
鈥淭odd has spoken passionately about doing things the right way 鈥� and I鈥檓 excited about being on this team and watching him deliver on that promise,鈥� Admiral Harms said. 鈥淚 don鈥檛 know if I鈥檝e 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.鈥�
Prior to his time at Oregon State, Stansbury 鈥� an Oakville, Ontario native 鈥� established some deep roots in the Southeast and became quite familiar with 91吃瓜网. 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.
91吃瓜网 head football coach George O鈥橪eary worked with Stansbury when both were at Georgia Tech. O鈥橪eary said he believes Stansbury is the right man to lead 91吃瓜网 into the next generation of athletics success.
鈥淭odd鈥檚 a very sincere person. It鈥檚 a very good hire by 91吃瓜网 from what I know of Todd and know of the job he will do here,鈥� O鈥橪eary said. 鈥淲e are busy right now recruiting, and hopefully he gets back quickly enough so I can introduce him to some of our recruits.鈥�
Stansbury said he is impressed with the progress 91吃瓜网鈥檚 athletics program has made in such a short time and with the surrounding community, which he said has 鈥渟o much going for it.鈥� He said he plans to meet with university and community leaders, as well as students, soon after his arrival.
Stansbury also said 91吃瓜网鈥檚 appeal was heightened by the school鈥檚 pending entry into the BIG EAST in 2013-14. He said he will spend the coming months studying what 91吃瓜网 needs to do to best be prepared for the conference move.
鈥淕oing into the BIG EAST is an incredible opportunity, and we鈥檝e got to be ready to compete at that level right away,鈥� he said.