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Tom Jurich
Director of Athletics / Vice President, U of L
Amazing. Incredible. Model program. Unbelievable. Doing it the right way. Stable. Astounding. Many across the nation have used those words to describe the positive, upward direction the University of Louisville athletic program is progressing under Tom Jurich, who enters his ninth year at Louisville and his 17th as a Division I athletic director. From facilities to gender equity, from community involvement to national leadership, Jurich's actions prompted one state media outlet to recently write that "It all shows yet again that the hiring of Tom Jurich, the architect of this Louisville emergence, as U of L AD in the fall of 1997 stands as one of the most significant events in our state's modern sports history." After just eight years working his constructive efforts, he was inducted into the state of Kentucky Athletic Hall of Fame in 2006. Jurich has guided a whirlwind of accomplishments that have caught the eye of those who follow collegiate athletics across the nation. Special things are happening in Louisville, with a vibrant personality leading the way. U of L took a dramatic step toward maintaining that upward trend by signing Jurich to an unprecedented contract extension in August of 2002 that will keep him with the Cardinals through 2016. In an unprecedented appointment, he was named Vice President for Athletics at U of L in 2003. "Tom is an energetic leader," said U of L President Dr. James Ramsey. "He has the advantage of being able to see the world of collegiate athletics from the viewpoint of a coach, an administrator, an athlete and a parent because he has worn all of those hats in his career. He has the vision to create a model program, assemble an ambitious group of talented coaches and staff, build world-class facilities and create educational as well as championship opportunities for hundreds of student-athletes. He is committed to creating a forward moving, competitive and compliant culture that reflects well on our university." Since Jurich was named Director of Athletics for the Cardinals on Oct. 21, 1997, there has been an unmatched flurry of activity on the U of L campus and Louisville area since his arrival. "The pride and passion this community has in our athletics program inspire me to do my absolute best every day," said Jurich. "This department and I have grown together significantly at a rapid pace. We have many building blocks in place but have so much to accomplish. I feel very privileged to be in this position." Jurich continues to push U of L to the forefront of college athletics, turning heads while quickly guiding major changes in the face of Cardinal Athletics including:
Jurich's high energy, community and family-minded approach has been contagious, infecting the university, city and U of L fans everywhere with a positive outlook for the future of Cardinal Athletics. It is a formula that has provided a trail of success in each situation Jurich has touched. Jurich has been active in the scope of college athletics on a national level, within conference issues, and in his local community. He served three years as a member of the NCAA Management Council, one of the top legislative bodies of the NCAA, and the NCAA Division I Baseball Committee. He sits on the Board of Directors for Republic Bank, Willpower Foundation and American Heart Association. Jurich recently received the Louisvillian of the Year Award by the Louisville Ad Club and the Dan Mangeot Memorial Award, for contributions to the advancement of tourism and hospitality.
Prior to his constructive efforts at Colorado State, Jurich operated as director of athletics for eight years at his alma mater, Northern Arizona University. When appointed at NAU, he was the youngest director of athletics at the NCAA Division I level at the age of 29. He became athletic director at Northern Arizona in 1988, after previously serving as co-director (1986-88) and assistant director ('84-86). He was inducted to the NAU Sports Hall of Fame in 1989. Jurich is among the finest football players in Northern Arizona history. A punter, placekicker and backup quarterback for the Lumberjacks, Jurich earned first-team Kodak All-America honors in 1977 -- the first collegiate kicker to make the Kodak honor list -- and also received All-America acclaim from The Sporting News. He is the only kicker in Big Sky Conference history to be named the league's offensive player of the year (1977). A 10th-round NFL draft pick of the Pittsburgh Steelers, Jurich later played with the Minnesota Vikings before a brief coaching stint at the University of Minnesota. He and his wife, Terrilynn, a former Miss Wyoming, have four children: sons Mark, an outfielder in the Atlanta Braves organization, and Brian; and twin daughters, Haley and Lacey. |
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