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Athletics Director Leaves AU for Senior Position with NCAA
Athletics Director Joni Comstock left AU in September to become senior
vice president for championships at the NCAA national office in Indianapolis.
Despite describing the new opportunity as remarkable, Comstock said she
had mixed emotions about her departure from the department she headed
for three years.
“I had no intention of considering leaving American and was really
looking forward to the next several years,” she said. “But
this was such an extraordinary opportunity I felt it was something that
would not come along again.”
Comstock will be responsible for running 85 NCAA championships, from Division
I through III, although she won’t handle men’s or women’s
basketball. In addition, she will serve as the association’s senior
woman administrator and be one of five senior vice presidents reporting
directly to NCAA President Myles Brand.
“Joni emerged from a very strong field of candidates as the new
senior vice president because of her experience at the local, conference,
and national levels,” Brand said in a statement. “Her efforts
at both the University of North Carolina, Asheville, and at American University
have been characterized by strong leadership and visionary growth.
“She clearly has a firm grasp of how championships can enhance the
student-athlete experience and how to ensure that the experience is positive,”
he added. “We are fortunate to have someone of her talent and experience
heading up our championships operation.”
Comstock and Brand first worked together while she was associate athletic
director at Purdue University in West Lafayette, Ind., and he was serving
as president of Indiana University. “I’ve known Dr. Brand
as one of the great leaders in higher education,” Comstock said.
“This is a chance to participate on the national level.”
During her tenure, AU won 13 Patriot League titles and posted the highest
GPA for student-athletes in its history (3.3 for its 243 students). “It’s
a big loss for the department,” field hockey coach Steve Jennings
said.
“She recognized the possibilities for the program; everything from
facilities to being a contact with our alums and helping with fund raising,
to her support on the sidelines. I really felt like she was someone who
was there all the time, and not just because she had to be but because
she legitimately cared about the program and the kids,” said Jennings.
Interim President Neil Kerwin also praised Comstock’s accomplishments.
“Dr. Comstock has worked tirelessly to advance the interests of
AU student-athletes, and in doing so, has distinguished herself and our
department of athletics...American University is losing a valued colleague
and good friend, but on behalf of our entire community, I express our
deep appreciation for her numerous contributions to AU and extend our
best wishes for her success at the NCAA.”
Comstock
said she's very proud to have been a part of AU. “We all come to
work every day to do everything we can do to help all of the student-athletes
do well in the classroom as well as in competition, and we’ve done
it in a way that is sustainable.”
–Mike
Unger, originally published in American Weekly
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