After a search full of twists and turns and full of intrigue until the very end, Boston College has announced the hiring of Brad Bates to be the school’s next athletic director.
Bates joins the Eagles after 10 years serving as the athletic director at Miami (Ohio) University, and will now be taking over for Gene DiFilippo, who retired on Sept. 30 after 15 years at the helm for BC.
“I am delighted that Brad Bates will be our next director of athletics,” university president Fr. William Leahy said in a statement. “He is thoughtful, a proven leader, and someone who
understands and supports Boston College’s commitment to excellence in
both academics and athletics.”
Bates said that he was honored by the new opportunity, and that he felt “an enormous sense of responsibility to the students, faculty, staff, alumni and fans of this extraordinary institution.”
One of the first matters that Bates will be expected to attend to is the state of the university’s football program. Under current head coach Frank Spaziani, the team has floundered of late, and a loss to Army on Saturday did little to cool the temperature of the coach’s hot seat. Many expect Bates to move quickly in assessing Spaziani’s future.
Thumbnail photo via Twitter/@BCSportsNews
