UMass - remember them? - announced Ryan Bamford as its new athletics director on Monday. He’ll be introduced at a Tuesday news conference.
Bamford spent the past four years at Georgia Tech serving as the Jackets’ senior AD for internal and external relations, essentially working as a COO while overseeing scheduling, administration, facilities, sports medicine, donor relations and the like for football, men’s basketball and baseball. He spent eight years at Yale prior to arriving in Atlanta, the last two as associate AD.
“Ryan brings the right mix of devotion to the student-athlete, a winning tradition in a broad range of sports, and intimate knowledge of FBS football---just what we were looking for,” said Chancellor Kumble R. Subbaswamy. “He brings great energy to our Department of Athletics and is someone who we think can help elevate us to the next level. Those we spoke with about Ryan were all of the same mind in that they think he is one of the top young administrators in the country.”
One of Bamford’s top priorities will be to chart the uncertain future of Minutemen football. UMass plays in a pro stadium not anywhere close to campus, in a decidedly pro sports town where the Minutemen play second-fiddle to Boston College, and are headed into their last season of football-only membership in the MAC with no obvious FBS option waiting in the wings.
Oh, and the program is 5-31 on the field in the last three seasons.
Bamford has his work cut out for him, to say the least. His previous previous boss thinks he’s up to the task.
“Ryan Bamford is one of the bright young men in our industry,” said Dan Radakovich, who hired Bamford at Georgia Tech before departing to Clemson. “As an outstanding student-athlete and now an accomplished administrator, Ryan has the ability to relate to and motivate everyone that he meets. He will be a tireless worker and will make a positive difference for UMass athletics each day.”
(Photo credit: UMass athletics)
