Bob Grant Named Wright State Director of Athletics
June 6, 2008
DAYTON, Ohio - Bob Grant, associate athletics director at Wright State University, has agreed to become the school's next director of athletics, WSU President Dr. David Hopkins Mannounced today. He will be introduced formally as the school's third Athletic Director Friday during a press conference at 11 a.m. in the Berry Room of the Ervin J. Nutter Center. The press conference will be video streamed live on the Horizon League Network by clicking here.
Since joining Wright State in 1992, Grant has been involved in nearly every aspect of the athletics department including fund raising and development, supervision of personnel and programs, recruitment of coaches, budget oversight, strategic planning and marketing. Current WSU Director of Athletics Michael Cusack, Ed.D. will officially retire June 30 while Grant will take the reigns on July 1.
"Bob hit a home run with the search committee and he articulated a clear vision for our program," vice president Dan Abrahamowicz said. "Additionally, his strong support from our student athletes and our coaches and his outstanding community relations are very impressive. The university conducted a thorough national search and Bob Grant emerged as the best candidate. We are proud of Bob and very pleased he will be our next Director of Athletics."
Initially hired to develop and implement a comprehensive fund raising plan for athletics, Grant cultivated and continues to oversee the "Raider Club" annual giving program, the Raider auction, golf outings, fan trips, special events and the department's dealer car program.
"It has been a privilege to serve Wright State, our student-athletes and coaches for the past 15 years," Grant said. "This is a special moment for me in my professional life. I'm thrilled and very humbled by this opportunity and extremely grateful to Dr. Hopkins and Dr. Abrahamowicz."
Paramount among Grant's accomplishments has been the department's success under his supervision in countless fund raising and development projects, such as The Platinum Seating Program, The Mills Player Complex, Alumni Soccer Field, The Schwarz Hall of Fame Lobby, Alumni Soccer Dugouts and the Setzer Pavilion/Mills Morgan Center.
Grant has spearheaded athletics department search committees that have hired over a half dozen coaches and administrators including, most recently, conference championship coaches Brad Brownell and Rob Cooper from men's basketball and baseball, respectively.
In 2006 Grant initiated the athletics department's first-ever strategic plan. This plan is serving as a short and long-term roadmap guiding the department into the future. Grant also took over supervision and oversight for the department's $8 million budget in 2006. Monitoring closely with the athletics' business manager, Grant has worked with all head coaches on fiscal issues including budget planning, preparation, management and evaluation.
Beginning in 1999, Grant took on sport supervision, closely overseeing individual teams on a day-to-day basis. Grant deals directly with head coaches on all facets of their programs including scheduling, recruiting, academics, discipline and annual evaluations. His experience in this area includes oversight of swimming & diving, women's soccer and softball programs. Grant recently oversaw the men's basketball, men's soccer, golf and baseball programs.
In 1997 Grant directed the development of all-new athletic logos, resulting in a significant increase in the university's licensing revenue. He served on the university's licensing committee from 1997-2005, oversaw the marketing and promotions area from 1997-2002 and directed the Hall of Fame voting/induction process from 1992-2002.
Among his professional highlights, Grant was a 1994 NCAA speaker/presenter at the annual NACDA conference in Atlanta, Georgia, and was awarded the 1998 Wright State President's Award for Excellence in collaboration. He also graduated from The Sports Management Institute in January, 2006.
Grant, a Dayton-area native, earned his MBA in marketing from Wright State in June, 2000 and is currently an adjunct instructor in the Raj Soin College of Business. He and his wife, Kim, have a daughter, Jordan, and a son, Braden.
