University of Oregon President Dave Frohnmayer today announced the hiring of long-time prominent donor, Pat Kilkenny, as Oregon’s new Athletic Director to replace Bill Moos.
Kilkenny is the former chairman and chief executive officer of the Arrowhead General Insurance Agency out of San Diego, which he purchased in 1984 and sold last August.
He has made significant financial donations to the University in projects such as the Autzen Stadium expansion project, the Ed Moshofsky Sports Center project, and the new basketball arena, which he donated $1.5 million towards for planning and design costs and is one of his main priorities as athletic director, he said.
Kilkenny also reportedly donated $1.8 million of the $2 million buyout of Moos, the former 12-year athletic director who announced his intention to retire last November.
Kilkenny previously told The Oregonian the buyout helps facilitate “a fitting end for a person who served the University well.”
Moos was never able to get the basketball arena project off the ground with a lack of funding from Oregon’s key donor, former Nike CEO Phil Knight.
The two have had a rocky relationship in the past.
“I selected Pat because he is clearly best able to provide an immediate impact to the University of Oregon athletic department,” Frohnmayer said. “Pat Kilkenny has had a very successful career leading a major private insurance agency, knows the University of Oregon intimately, has strong leadership skills, solid relationships with donors and will hit the ground running to help make the Oregon athletics program one of the most successful in the country.”
Kilkenny, an Oregon graduate and a native of Heppner, Ore., served on the University of Oregon Athletic Department Advisory Board and also on the Board of Trustees for the University of Oregon Foundation where he resigned in 2000 “as a response to the recent developments at the University involving its decision to join the Worker Rights Consortium and (Phil) Knight’s pledge to stop all personal donations to the school,” the Oregon Daily Emerald reported.
More recently, Kilkenny served on the UC San Diego Athletic Advisory Board and the San Diego State University Athletic Director’s Cabinet. He was also a member of the board of directors of the San Diego International Sports Council where he was honored by the organization as the 2006 Man of the Year for “his contributions to sports in the San Diego area.”
Kilkenny’s contract is a two-year contract but he is serving without pay, choosing to return his salary back to the university for “academic and athletic purposes.”
“What a great choice for our department and for the University,” Oregon football coach Mike Bellotti said. “Pat possesses the leadership skills, decision-making ability and communications skills, as well as proven business acumen, to ensure the continued success of Oregon athletics. He is a great Duck and understands what it takes to compete successfully in Division I athletics.”