Bruce Van De Velde Last College: Iowa State Position: Athletics Director Email: vandevelde@latech.edu Graduated: 1982

After serving as chief operating officer and deputy athletics director for the past 18 months at Louisiana Tech, Bruce Van De Velde was promoted to athletics director in February of 2010 by University President Dan Reneau.

Van De Velde is entrusted with the direct management and oversight for all day-to-day operations and administrative affairs while providing the administrative leadership for the entire athletic department.

Van De Velde supervises and provides administrative support for the sports of football, men's and women's track, cross country, baseball and golf. This past season, Louisiana Tech won three Western Athletic Conference championships in women's indoor and outdoor track, women's basketball and were Independence Bowl Champions in football.

Van De Velde comes to Tech with impressive credentials, having served as an administrator in intercollegiate athletics for over 20 years. Van De Velde served as director of athletics at Iowa State University and Utah State University and as a senior administrator at the University of Oklahoma, University of Missouri and Kansas State University.

Van De Velde's tenure at Iowa State University included an unprecedented five bowl appearances in six years and the highest national AP football poll ranking (9th) in school history.

Van De Velde's tenure at Iowa State University included an unprecedented five bowl appearances in six years and the highest national AP football poll ranking (9th) in school history.

Iowa State's 2001 average football attendance of 45,172 reached its highest watermark in 18 years. In 2002 and 2003, total football attendance exceeded 300,000; the most at ISU in two decades. The emergence of the Cyclone football program on a national stage with Van De Velde at the department helm was affirmed in 2002 when Iowa State was chosen to play No. 1 Florida State University in the Eddie Robinson Classic.

During Van De Velde's tenure at Iowa State, the men's and women's basketball teams won Big XII conference championships and participated in the 2001, 2002 and 2005 NCAA basketball tournaments.

Van De Velde, with a track record for generating revenue, increased the total annual operating revenues for the Cyclone athletic department from $19.6 million to $30 million dollars over a five year period. Revenue generated from fundraising, ticket sales, marketing and corporate sponsorships, licensing, radio and television reached all-time highs during his tenure.

In 2005, total fundraising increased from $4.85 million to $8.6 million and the annual giving achieved the highest membership total in its history with more than 5,500 donors participating and a record $4 million dollars in annual contributions. Under Van De Velde's leadership, over 2,000 new donors joined the National Cyclone Club. Including capital project gifts, scholarship endowments and annual contributions, over $40 million dollars was raised from 2001 through 2005.

Iowa State's graduation rate of 89 percent for student-athletes who complete their eligibility was second in the Big XII Conference, and graduation rates for minority student-athletes more than tripled during Van De Velde's tenure.

In 2004-05, Iowa State was one of eight universities nationally to have its football team win a bowl game and have its men and women's basketball teams participate in the NCAA tournament.

The Sporting News in 2001 rated Iowa State as the seventh best athletic program among more than 115 NCAA Division I-A programs nationally. The ranking considered competitive success, graduation rates, fan support and NCAA compliance to determine national rank.

During his time as athletic director at Utah State University, Van De Velde made his mark by hiring Stew Morrill as the head men's basketball coach. Morrill has guided Utah State to nine straight postseason tournaments and is the winningest coach in the history of the Utah State program.

While serving as the associate athletic director for football operations under head coach Bill Snyder at Kansas State University, Van De Velde was part of the resurrection of Wildcat football in Manhattan as the program became a national power participating in five bowl games. While at KSU, Van De Velde served on the same staff as current Division I-A head coaches Bob Stoops, Mike Stoops, Mark Mangino and Jim Leavitt.

Van De Velde was recipient of the Admiral U.S. Grant Sharp Award at the 1997 Holiday Bowl for his contributions to the Kansas State football team when the nationally ranked Wildcats finished with a 10-2 record.

As the senior associate athletic for external affairs at the University of Oklahoma, Van De Velde served as the senior administrative officer for the athletic department and oversaw the areas of fundraising, marketing, corporate sponsorships, ticket sales, media relations and licensing. Van De Velde managed units that generated in excess of $35 million in annual revenues.

Van De Velde directed the Campaign for Sooner Sports, a $100 million dollar capital campaign to fund facility improvements and scholarships.

As associate athletic director for development at the University of Missouri, Van De Velde planned and initiated a $50 million dollar capital campaign for facility improvements for the Sports Park at MU.

Van De Velde received the General Robert Neiland Award from the National Football Foundation in 2005 for his service and contributions as an athletic director. Throughout his career in college athletics, Van De Velde has served on numerous NCAA committees including the Championships and Competition Cabinet, the Football Issues Committee, the Financial Aid Committee and the Peer Review Committee for NCAA certification.