With its outgoing athletics director David Harris headed to Tulane University in January, where he’ll assume the same role, the University of Northern Iowa on Wednesday announced former University of Iowa AD and retired Big 12 Commissioner Bob Bowlsby will step in as interim AD.
In doing so, Bowlsby will make a return of sorts — as a Waterloo native and UNI athletics director from 1983 to 1991. Inducted into UNI’s Athletics Hall of Fame in 2004, Bowlsby currently is serving on the steering committee for UNI’s $250 million “Our Tomorrow” fundraising campaign.
“Very few opportunities could have lured me out of retirement, even on a short-term basis,” the 71-year-old Bowlsby, currently living in Dallas, said in a statement Wednesday. “Plenty of people have contacted me, but when President Nook called I certainly listened intently.”
UNI President Mark Nook originally rang Bowlsby — before Harris’ Tulane appointment — to ask for suggestions of possible AD prospects, given Nook’s knowledge Harris was a leading candidate for the New Orleans job.
That conversation evolved into Bowlsby stepping in as interim “for a short period of time,” he told reporters Wednesday.
“I don't think it's going to be a six-month engagement. I think it's probably more of a three- or four-month engagement,” he said, adding, “It's just a good way for me to give back.
“The invitation to help set up the next director of athletics at UNI for success was an opportunity that I simply couldn’t refuse.”
Noting he’ll turn 72 during his first month back in Cedar Falls, Bowlsby said the odds this temporary post turns into a permanent job is “very very remote.”
“I had the opportunity to be the interim once before, and it turned into a full-time job,” he said. “But I don't think it's going to work that way this time.”
Newsletter Signup
Delivered to your inbox daily
So long as his interim appointment garners Board of Regents approval, Bowlsby will serve UNI until a national search for Harris’ permanent replacement wraps and the new athletics director begins, according to Nook.
“Bob’s passion for our institution and his dedication to Panther athletics are both well documented, as well as his extensive resume of expertise in collegiate athletics,” Nook said in a statement. “Bob was the first individual that came to mind when this opening arose, and we are thankful that his wife, Candice, their children and grandchildren have agreed to ‘loan’ him to us in this interim role until our next director of athletics is in place.”
While on the clock back at UNI, Bowlsby said he’ll help both in finding a successor and on furthering Panther priorities.
“'I’m going to try and get on David Harris' calendar for a couple of days between now and the first of the year so that I can begin to get up to speed,” he said.
UNI last week announced Harris — named the university’s eighth athletic director in 2016 — had accepted the Tulane offer. In addition to his UNI duties, Harris in 2019 was appointed to the NCAA Division I Council, a 40-member group including athletics directors, administrators, faculty athletics representatives, and student athletes.
In that capacity, Harris was chosen as chair of the NCAA Division I Women’s Basketball Oversight Committee for the current academic year.
Harris also has played a key role in UNI’s fundraising campaign — which includes two high-profile athletics projects: the $50 million renovation of the historic UNI-Dome and a recently-added new wrestling facility.
Before Harris joined the Panthers nearly eight years ago, he served as senior associate athletics director of Iowa State University — where he oversaw football, men’s basketball and wrestling. Before Iowa State, Harris was an associate athletics director for the University of Wisconsin.
Four UNI athletics directors before Harris, Bowlsby started his tenure in 1984 — having first served as an assistant AD for the university from 1981 to 1983.
While at the UNI athletics helm, Bowlsby oversaw the campus’ entry into the Missouri Valley Conference and increased the program’s fundraising by 400 percent, according to a Wednesday news release announcing his interim appointment.
From UNI, Bowlsby’s career path took him to Iowa City — where he led the University of Iowa Department of Athletics for 16 years, through 2006. He left to serve in the same role for Stanford University, earning 17 Learfield Sports Director Cups — which is emblematic of the top overall athletics program in the nation.
Bowlsby was appointed Big 12 Conference commissioner in 2012, overseeing the addition of BYU, Central Florida, Cincinnati and Houston to the conference.
In 2015, he was appointed to the first NCAA Division I Council, serving as chair of the Football Oversight Committee. He played a key role in the formation of the College Football Playoff that began in 2014-15.
Bowlsby retired in 2022 after a decade as commissioner.
His own personal athletics career involved four years as a letterman in wrestling at Minnesota State University. And earlier this year, Bowlsby received the National Wrestling Hall of Fame’s “Outstanding American Award” for his “massive achievements in leading collegiate athletics to new heights and for his dedicated support of the sport of wrestling.”
www.thegazette.com
In doing so, Bowlsby will make a return of sorts — as a Waterloo native and UNI athletics director from 1983 to 1991. Inducted into UNI’s Athletics Hall of Fame in 2004, Bowlsby currently is serving on the steering committee for UNI’s $250 million “Our Tomorrow” fundraising campaign.
“Very few opportunities could have lured me out of retirement, even on a short-term basis,” the 71-year-old Bowlsby, currently living in Dallas, said in a statement Wednesday. “Plenty of people have contacted me, but when President Nook called I certainly listened intently.”
UNI President Mark Nook originally rang Bowlsby — before Harris’ Tulane appointment — to ask for suggestions of possible AD prospects, given Nook’s knowledge Harris was a leading candidate for the New Orleans job.
That conversation evolved into Bowlsby stepping in as interim “for a short period of time,” he told reporters Wednesday.
“I don't think it's going to be a six-month engagement. I think it's probably more of a three- or four-month engagement,” he said, adding, “It's just a good way for me to give back.
“The invitation to help set up the next director of athletics at UNI for success was an opportunity that I simply couldn’t refuse.”
Noting he’ll turn 72 during his first month back in Cedar Falls, Bowlsby said the odds this temporary post turns into a permanent job is “very very remote.”
“I had the opportunity to be the interim once before, and it turned into a full-time job,” he said. “But I don't think it's going to work that way this time.”
Daily Sports Newsletter Signup
Newsletter Signup
So long as his interim appointment garners Board of Regents approval, Bowlsby will serve UNI until a national search for Harris’ permanent replacement wraps and the new athletics director begins, according to Nook.
“Bob’s passion for our institution and his dedication to Panther athletics are both well documented, as well as his extensive resume of expertise in collegiate athletics,” Nook said in a statement. “Bob was the first individual that came to mind when this opening arose, and we are thankful that his wife, Candice, their children and grandchildren have agreed to ‘loan’ him to us in this interim role until our next director of athletics is in place.”
While on the clock back at UNI, Bowlsby said he’ll help both in finding a successor and on furthering Panther priorities.
“'I’m going to try and get on David Harris' calendar for a couple of days between now and the first of the year so that I can begin to get up to speed,” he said.
Harris to Tulane
UNI last week announced Harris — named the university’s eighth athletic director in 2016 — had accepted the Tulane offer. In addition to his UNI duties, Harris in 2019 was appointed to the NCAA Division I Council, a 40-member group including athletics directors, administrators, faculty athletics representatives, and student athletes.
In that capacity, Harris was chosen as chair of the NCAA Division I Women’s Basketball Oversight Committee for the current academic year.
Harris also has played a key role in UNI’s fundraising campaign — which includes two high-profile athletics projects: the $50 million renovation of the historic UNI-Dome and a recently-added new wrestling facility.
Before Harris joined the Panthers nearly eight years ago, he served as senior associate athletics director of Iowa State University — where he oversaw football, men’s basketball and wrestling. Before Iowa State, Harris was an associate athletics director for the University of Wisconsin.
Bowlsby career
Four UNI athletics directors before Harris, Bowlsby started his tenure in 1984 — having first served as an assistant AD for the university from 1981 to 1983.
While at the UNI athletics helm, Bowlsby oversaw the campus’ entry into the Missouri Valley Conference and increased the program’s fundraising by 400 percent, according to a Wednesday news release announcing his interim appointment.
From UNI, Bowlsby’s career path took him to Iowa City — where he led the University of Iowa Department of Athletics for 16 years, through 2006. He left to serve in the same role for Stanford University, earning 17 Learfield Sports Director Cups — which is emblematic of the top overall athletics program in the nation.
Bowlsby was appointed Big 12 Conference commissioner in 2012, overseeing the addition of BYU, Central Florida, Cincinnati and Houston to the conference.
In 2015, he was appointed to the first NCAA Division I Council, serving as chair of the Football Oversight Committee. He played a key role in the formation of the College Football Playoff that began in 2014-15.
Bowlsby retired in 2022 after a decade as commissioner.
His own personal athletics career involved four years as a letterman in wrestling at Minnesota State University. And earlier this year, Bowlsby received the National Wrestling Hall of Fame’s “Outstanding American Award” for his “massive achievements in leading collegiate athletics to new heights and for his dedicated support of the sport of wrestling.”
UNI names former UI AD, Big 12 Commissioner Bob Bowlsby interim AD
With its outgoing Athletic Director David Harris headed to Tulane University in January, where he’ll assume the same role, the University of Northern Iowa on Wednesday announced former University of Iowa Athletic Director and retired Big 12 Commissioner Bob Bowlsby will step in as interim AD.
www.thegazette.com
