Taking a break from a saturated schedule of introductions, meetings and reports, new Oregon athletic director Rob Mullens met with reporters for 15 minutes during his first day on the job on Aug. 16.
“Taking a drink of water from the fire hose right now — that’s what it feels like,” the 41-year-old Mullens said. “Everyone’s real excited. There’s a lot of people that want to share thoughts and opinions, and that’s very helpful for helping me get up to speed. Everyone’s been extremely helpful and so welcoming.”
University President Richard Lariviere announced the hiring of Mullens, previously the deputy athletic director at Kentucky, as Oregon’s athletic director on July 15. Mullens had until September 1 to settle into the position.
Mullens graduated from West Virginia University with a bachelor’s degree in accounting and a master’s degree in sports management. After a stint with the accounting firm Ernst & Young in Raleigh, N.C., he worked in the athletic departments at Miami (FL) (1994-96) and Maryland (1996-2002). Mullens was hired by Kentucky in 2002 and promoted from the position of executive associate director of athletics in 2006.
Now Mullens will have to get used to working in a new athletic environment.
“I want to get up to speed as fast as I can, and there’s a lot to get up to speed on, so it’s just trying to take it all in. There’s going to be some long days,” he said. “I don’t have a specific (to-do) list … I’m just trying to understand where we are in a number of areas. Piece by piece, we’ll start to figure out what the priorities are.”
Mullens’ strong financial background was a major factor in his eventual hiring. At Kentucky, he oversaw 22 sports and a budget of $79 million. Oregon has 19 sports, including team stunts and gymnastics because competitive cheer is not recognized as a championship sport by the NCAA, and the Oregonian reported the school’s athletics budget as $70 million in a July 16 article on Mullens.
He got a head start on his new job by taking advantage of the three-hour time difference
between Lexington and Eugene.
“Being in different time zones, it was helpful,” Mullens said. “I was able to finish up the appropriate way at my previous job during the morning and afternoon hours, and I could still do almost a full day’s work at the University of Oregon. Between the e-mails and Blackberry, I did get a head start.”
The athletic director position at Oregon has seen instability after the 2007 firing of Bill Moos, now the athletic director at Washington State. Omnipresent booster Pat Kilkenny took over the position for two years, ceding it to Mike Bellotti after Chip Kelly ascended to the position of head football coach. Bellotti resigned in March to become a college football analyst for ESPN; he asked for a $2.3 million severance package before public records requests revealed that he never signed a contract to become athletic director. Longtime Casanova Center employee Lorraine Davis was tabbed as interim athletic director until
Mullens’ hiring last month.
Mullens has his work cut out for him on multiple levels. The relative newcomer to the Pacific Northwest (his wife, Jane, is originally from Washington) arrives as the Pac-10 Conference extends its athletic footprint with the additions of Colorado and Utah, and possibly more schools. Matthew Knight Arena remains under construction, and plans for new football offices on what is now Papé Field, an indoor track and field facility south of Hayward Field and an expansion of Autzen Stadium have been discussed. Budget demands on expansion projects and department operations must be met.
The environment, according to Mullens, will provide the support necessary to meet those challenges.
“There’s a very passionate fan base. It’s a great institution,” Mullens said. “There’s a real high standard.”
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