LEXINGTON, Ky. (LEX 18) — The University of Kentucky is searching for a new leader to serve as both Chief Executive Officer of Champions Blue, LLC and Athletics Director, combining two titles into a single role designed to reflect the rapidly changing landscape of college athletics.
UK President Eli Capilouto unveiled the job description as he begins discussions with potential candidates over the next few weeks. The full job description is available at go.uky.edu/AthleticsLeadership.
"College athletics is always changing, but that change now is occurring more rapidly and with greater financial impacts than ever before," Capilouto said. "The leadership role must change and adapt as well. Putting the success of our students first remains a priority. Winning championships remains critically important -- but, so too, is the financial and commercial acumen to generate more revenue, manage expenses more tightly and align even more with our institutional mission to advance the state."
The search follows Mitch Barnhart's announcement that he will step down as Athletics Director on June 30. Over the last several weeks, Capilouto has interviewed more than 80 people about college athletics and the leadership role, including coaches, senior staff, donors, supporters and leaders in the business of sports across the country, according to a press release from the university.
Capilouto said the next leader has big shoes to fill in replacing Barnhart, while also needing the ability to adapt in an era of rapid and dramatic change. He outlined several key attributes he is looking for in candidates:
- A commitment to student success, integrity, compliance and the pursuit of championships
- Financial and commercial acumen to administer larger budgets, generate more revenue and manage expenses
- A capacity to analyze costs and consequences of alternative revenue strategies
- Demonstrated skills in leading the development of a successful approach to athlete compensation, revenue sharing and NIL opportunities, working closely with the university's multi-media rights partner, JMI Sports
- An ability to effectively communicate in a complex media environment and with donors, fans, the UK Board of Trustees and Champions Blue Board of Governors
- A willingness to work collaboratively with a team of leaders, utilizing shared services across the UK enterprise to achieve unit and strategic goals
Champions Blue LLC was formed last year as a first-of-its-kind business model to help manage change in athletics and ensure continued championship-level and financial success. Its 7-member Board of Governors — composed of UK leaders and subject matter experts in sports outside the university — provides strategic guidance as UK Athletics navigates an era where players can be compensated and expenses continue to increase.
The CEO and Athletics Director will report directly to the UK president and work closely with other university units, including Student Success, Information and Technology Services, Marketing and Strategic Communication, and Philanthropy.
Capilouto said he is considering both sitting college Athletics Directors and candidates with varied backgrounds in professional sports and business. He aims to name someone for the position by June 30.
"UK Athletics has long played a critical role in defining for so many people what the University of Kentucky is for the Commonwealth of Kentucky," Capilouto said. "For that to be true long into the future, we must have a leader who can cast a vision and also execute on it – a vision for how we continue to win championships, develop and educate young people and also successfully run what is increasingly a significant business. That leader is out there, ready to join one of the nation's premier athletics programs and universities. We are excited about the prospect of the right leader, at a point of inflection and change, joining an institution with undeniable momentum in meeting our mission of advancing this state in all that we do."
