It’s early and needs to be taken with a grain of salt, but according to a report, there’s an early favorite for the Pitt Director of Athletics opening.
According to Chris Mueller of 93.7 the Fan, Marcus Bowman, Deputy Athletic Director of Business Strategy & CFO at Oklahoma, is the favorite for the Pitt Director of Athletics job. Bowman recently celebrated four years in the Sooners’ athletic department.
Pitt Chancellor Joan Gabel fired previous Director of Athletics Heather Lyke earlier this week, dismissing Lyke before her contract was set to expire later this year. And Gabel and Pitt are conducting a “national and comprehensive search” to find Lyke’s successor.
It seems likely that Gabel will broaden the scope of the search, considering her own ties to the SEC and Big Ten, but Bowman is a name to watch.
Bowman has history with Pitt. He chose to walk on for Pitt basketball under former head coach Ben Howland in 2002 and earned a scholarship during his senior season. He earned a Bachelor’s degree in business administration (with an emphasis in finance and a concentration in communications) in 2006 and a Master’s degree in business administration in 2010.
Bowman started his professional career at Pitt while working toward his Master’s, serving as the Director of Business Operations from 2006-2011. He earned a handful of promotions during his time at Pitt, rising to the Assistant Athletic Director of Administration and Planning and eventually Senior Associate Athletic Director, overseeing 11 sports and assisting in the transition to the ACC.
It makes sense that Bowman would be considered a serious contender for the Pitt Director of Athletics job, considering his history with Pitt and the tasks of his professional career.
Bowman is currently a key figure in the Oklahoma athletic department, overseeing the department’s fiscal and business strategy, which (take a breath) includes short- and long-range strategic financial planning, business development, revenue-generating, third-party contracts, the development and monitoring of operating and capital budgets, financial reporting and accounting, data and analytics and the development and management of financial control systems.
He also led Oklahoma’s transition from the Big 12 to the SEC, which is certainly no small feat. His day-to-day tasks — and success — stand out.
But it remains to be seen just how far the relationship — if there is one — has progressed between Gabel and Bowman. He’s a name to watch as the process continues. Gabel is looking for a new voice to guide the department, a forward-thinking and revenue-generating individual to lead the department into the new era of college athletics.
Look at the Marshall University website, they announced the Christian Spears has accepted the Pitt AD position.
BIG MISTAKE: Marshall hired Spears in 2022 from Pitt.
Just checked + Google. Not seeing it. He left Pitt just a couple of years ago to become the AD of Marshall so I don’t think such a move would make sense if Pitt is truly committed to up compete in sports at a Top-20 level.
ouch
If the 93.7 afternoon show is reporting it, there’s a really good chance it’s B.S.
This is the type of director that evidently they think they need. Seems highly qualified to help finance Victory heights, potentially the ACC falling apart, and generally funding an athletic department that is having success in multiple sports. For a school with a huge alumni base with famous successful graduates, they should do better.
Hard pass. No thank you.
Heather Lyke was a godsend for Pitt Athletics. Firing her is a mistake. She is well respected by coaches and programs as 16 of 19 will benefit for Victory Heights. Moreover the Olympic sports program has never been stronger. As evidenced by Pitt volleyball being ranked #1 in nation on the day she was fired. The athletes are doing better also in the classroom and community then ever before. The athletic department is also raising record amounts of $$$. Gabel appears to have issues with strong, competent, proven, well liked and respected women in her administration. They threaten her. She… Read more »
All those programs are funded by football and basketball. The Athletic budget is in the red because she has not prioritized generating funds through those two sources. In today’s college sports, NIL has to be the focus.
Interesting you bring up volleyball.
The volleyball coach was hired before she got to Pitt.
What else do you have?
Extending Capel despite zero progress with basketball program?