New UCF 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 UCF.
麻豆精品 S淚t 麻豆精品 S檚 a great illustration of a program that did it the right way, and we were still able to win at the highest level, 麻豆精品 S� Stansbury said. 麻豆精品 S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 麻豆精品 S檛 believe that at all.
Stansbury 麻豆精品 S檚 positive attitude and commitment to running the athletics department with integrity appealed to UCF administrators.
He comes to UCF 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 麻豆精品 S� baseball team.
More than half of Oregon State 麻豆精品 S檚 student-athletes boast grade point averages of 3.0 or higher. The Beavers 麻豆精品 S� athletics annual fund has grown 155 percent since 2003, and ticket sales have grown 80 percent.
UCF President John C. Hitt said about 80 people applied for the UCF AD job, demonstrating the university 麻豆精品 S檚 vast appeal nationwide. He praised Stansbury as a 麻豆精品 S渄ynamic leader. 麻豆精品 S�
麻豆精品 S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, 麻豆精品 S� Dr. Hitt said. 麻豆精品 S淲e 麻豆精品 S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. 麻豆精品 S�
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UCF interim Director of Athletics Admiral Al Harms, who took over the program on Nov. 8, was impressed with Stansbury 麻豆精品 S檚 enthusiasm and commitment to integrity. Harms will continue to oversee UCF Athletics until Stansbury takes over on March 1, and he 麻豆精品 S檚 looking forward to working with UCF 麻豆精品 S檚 new AD.
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Prior to his time at Oregon State, Stansbury 麻豆精品 S� an Oakville, Ontario native 麻豆精品 S� established some deep roots in the Southeast and became quite familiar with UCF. 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.
UCF head football coach George O 麻豆精品 S橪eary worked with Stansbury when both were at Georgia Tech. O 麻豆精品 S橪eary said he believes Stansbury is the right man to lead UCF into the next generation of athletics success.
麻豆精品 S淭odd 麻豆精品 S檚 a very sincere person. It 麻豆精品 S檚 a very good hire by UCF from what I know of Todd and know of the job he will do here, 麻豆精品 S� O 麻豆精品 S橪eary said. 麻豆精品 S淲e are busy right now recruiting, and hopefully he gets back quickly enough so I can introduce him to some of our recruits. 麻豆精品 S�
Stansbury said he is impressed with the progress UCF 麻豆精品 S檚 athletics program has made in such a short time and with the surrounding community, which he said has 麻豆精品 S渟o much going for it. 麻豆精品 S� He said he plans to meet with university and community leaders, as well as students, soon after his arrival.
Stansbury also said UCF 麻豆精品 S檚 appeal was heightened by the school 麻豆精品 S檚 pending entry into the BIG EAST in 2013-14. He said he will spend the coming months studying what UCF needs to do to best be prepared for the conference move.
麻豆精品 S淕oing into the BIG EAST is an incredible opportunity, and we 麻豆精品 S檝e got to be ready to compete at that level right away, 麻豆精品 S� he said.