Syracuse introduces new AD John Wildhack
From watching football games at old Archbold Stadium to being on campus when the Carrier Dome opened, John Wildhack's affection for Syracuse University has only grown over the years.
Thirty-six years after he graduated, Wildhack returned to his alma mater on Tuesday as its new athletic director and needed only four words to describe his state of mind.
Sporting an orange-and-blue-striped tie, Wildhack was introduced to a nearly full auditorium in the university's football wing by Chancellor Kent Syverud, who chaired a search committee that included new football coach Dino Babers.
Shafer was fired by Coyle last November after going 14-23 overall and 7-18 in the Atlantic Coast Conference in three seasons that saw attendance decline for home games in the Carrier Dome.
The year included national titles in field hockey and cross country, a national runner-up finish in women's basketball, and trips to the Final Four in men's basketball, men's lacrosse, and men's soccer.
In March 2015, the NCAA levied sanctions on the athletic department after an eight-year investigation, citing in particular academic violations committed by football (under former coaches Paul Pasqualoni and Greg Robinson) and men's basketball (under Jim Boeheim).
The university has since reorganized reporting lines for some areas within athletics to improve oversight, and Wildhack said that would remain paramount on his watch.