Aug. 13, 2003
UNLV President Carol C. Harter announced today that she has extended an
offer to Michael Hamrick, director of intercollegiate athletics at East
Carolina University, to join UNLV as its new athletics director. She will
take the appointment forward to the UCCSN Board of Regents for approval at
the board's meeting at Reno on Friday. Hamrick and his wife, Soletta, will
join her at the meeting.
"Mr. Hamrick has a wealth of experience in college athletics and wonderful
credentials in athletics administration," Harter said. "I am confident that
he will do an outstanding job leading UNLV's athletic programs."
Hamrick has been director of intercollegiate athletics at East Carolina
University since 1995. He has also served as athletics director at the
University of Arkansas at Little Rock from 1990 to 1995 and in several
assistant athletic director positions throughout his career. He began his
career in athletics administration working as an intern at UNLV in sports
promotions and marketing.
"I have worked with Mike Hamrick since the days when he was instrumental in
bringing East Carolina University into Conference USA, first in football
and then in all sports," said SEC Commissioner Mike Slive. "His foresight,
energy and dedication were largely responsible for the success of East
Carolina's athletic programs. His ability to make honest assessments and
hard decisions is something I have long admired in Mike. I know that he is
excited and enthusiastic to return to UNLV, and I know he will do a
terrific job there."
Under Hamrick's leadership, East Carolina University has had no major NCAA
violations, has doubled its athletics budget, doubled season football
ticket sales (to 17,000), and increased single-game attendance
significantly.
ECU Chancellor William V. Muse said, "We appreciate Mike Hamrick's
outstanding leadership during his eight years as director of Pirate
athletics. He is widely recognized for his effective athletics
administration, and we understand why UNLV would recruit him and why he
would want to return to the university where he began his professional
career. He has on occasion spoken fondly of his early years there.
"I know that one of the things that Mike is proudest of is the
off-the-field accomplishments of our student-athletes, both in academics
and community service. Our student-athletes maintain a high grade-point
average, and our excellent graduation rates have been recognized by
national organizations."
During his tenure at East Carolina, student-athlete graduation rates well
exceeded national averages (at 66 percent). East Carolina's football
program participated in four bowl games in seven years, and the baseball
team was the No. 1 seed in NCAA regional competition for three straight
years (1999 to 2001), the No. 7 national seed in 2002, and the No. 3 seed
in 2003 for a fifth consecutive appearance in the NCAA tournament.
"We're all looking forward to working with Mike Hamrick," UNLV's Head Men's
Basketball Coach Charlie Spoonhour said. "He is an excellent choice for our
university. He's had experience dealing with such issues as the BCS and
television. I know we're all behind him and we look forward to the new
ideas and leadership he will bring to UNLV athletics."
Hamrick led the development of a comprehensive gender equity plan that has
increased scholarships for female student athletes by 167 percent and
worked to ensure East Carolina University's admittance into Conference USA.
Further, under Hamrick's leadership, East Carolina spent $46 million
improving and building athletic facilities, and he has raised $16.8 million
in private funds to construct a strength and conditioning/multipurpose
building and baseball stadium/office complex.
"I want to congratulate UNLV on hiring Mike Hamrick as its new director of
athletics," said Craig Thompson, Commissioner of the Mountain West
Conference. "Mike is an experienced athletics director who knows how to run
a successful athletics department, but is also familiar with national
issues facing the Mountain West Conference. I look forward to working with
him again."
The terms of Hamrick's contract are being negotiated and will be discussed
at the Board of Regents meeting on Friday morning.
