At his introductory press conference in March, UConn’s newly-minted athletic director David Benedict signaled a change in the way the department would approach its mission. Yes, the emphasis on championship-quality sports would remain, but a new commitment to fundraising and donor outreach would rise to meet it.
Benedict stressed that “private giving, fan support and relationships with the corporate community are essential,” as he formally took over the department vacated by Warde Manuel. Benedict’s prior employment at Auburn yielded a $150 million stadium renovation, and UConn has several facility and field upgrades in need of funding.
With this as a backdrop, Benedict has somewhat quietly staffed his department with extraordinarily qualified former athletic directors. Last month, Vic Cegles left his long-time home of Long Beach State, moving across the country to become Benedict’s deputy. The two share a long history dating back to 1996 when both staffed Arizona State’s athletic department. Benedict later worked for Cegles at Long Beach State.
Like Benedict, Cegles was highly regarded for his fundraising prowess. “While Vic’s focus will be on the external areas of the department, he will be a key member of my leadership team and will be counted on to make many of the day-to-day decisions,” said Benedict in a statement.
On Thursday, a new member joined the team. Minnesota’s WCCO reports that former University of Minnesota interim AD Beth Goetz has accepted a position at UConn as Chief Operating Office, Senior Woman Administrator, overseer of the football program and a member of Benedict’s leadership team. Goetz took over a department besieged by scandal at Minnesota, and is largely credited with maintaining order and installing new football coach Tracy Claeys. Many Minnesota boosters and fans believed Goetz was the best candidate for the permanent athletic director position before it was given to Mark Coyle.
UConn later confirmed the hire in a statement.
These hires signal a few things. First, they demonstrate that Benedict is not afraid to staff his department with highly-capable coworkers. Both Cegles and Goetz have run athletic departments themselves, and have the resumes to land athletic director jobs of their own. Benedict clearly sees that as an asset, not a threat.
Second, UConn is clearly following through on its plan to expand the responsibilities of the athletic department beyond the field of play and into fundraising. Any of Benedict, Cegles or Goetz has the skills to run the day-to-day operations of the department while the others play the long game of raising the funds necessary to keep UConn in the top tier of athletic universities.
