FAU's Athletic Department Changes

BY SCOTT MORGANROTH

There will be one face missing at the FAU Football Opener on August 31 for the first time since 2003.

Craig Angelos won’t be in attendance when the Owls face Wagner College. He was fired as Athletic Director on March 21, 2012 from his position where he earned $192,000. The main reason he was let go was utilizing his fund-raising, thus there was a lack of money.

Add to the fact that FAU failed to sellout its Oct 15 opener at the new stadium, in addition to fewer than 4000 showed up at the final football game of a 1-11 season, and it’s safe to see that Angelos will watch future Owls games on TV.

On July 2, the Owls decided to go to Big Ten Country to hire Angelos replacement. Now the challenge of fundraising falls on the hands of 37-year old Patrick Chun. He has spent the past 15-years in numerous roles with the Ohio State Buckeyes.

He worked in endowment building, strategic planning, management, and leadership. Ohio State University (OSU) provides services for more than 1000 student athletes, 36 intercollegiate athletic programs, 100 coaches and more than 330 full-time athletic department staff in 15 facilities. 

The Ohio State athletics operating budget is in excess of $126 million.

Chun’s colleagues gave him strong endorsements. 

Among those that voiced positive reviews include: 

OSU Associate Vice President/ Athletic Director Gene Smith, Clark Kellogg who is CBS Sports College Basketball lead analyst/ Vice President of Indiana Pacers, Football Coach Urban Meyer, Basketball Coach Thad Matta, Former Football Coach Jim Tressel, who is the current Vice President of Strategic Engagement at the University of Akron, Dutch Baughman, Executive Director of Division I A  Athletic Directors Association and Joseph R Castiglione, Vice President of Intercollegiate Athletics at the University of Oklahoma.

During the past year, the FAU Athletic Program has experienced numerous changes. In May, Women's Basketball hired Kellie Lewis-Jay, 36, spent five years at the University of Nebraska where she coordinated the Cornhuskers recruiting efforts.

Lewis-Jay becomes the fourth head coach in FAU’s 28-year existence.

Current Football Coach Carl Pelini, was an Assistant Coach for Nebraska last year, so the road from Lincoln to Boca Raton has filled two coaching vacancies, plus it could lead to games in the field with FAU facing Nebraska in women’s hoops along with football. FAU is scheduled to travel to Nebraska on August 30, 2014 and face the Cornhuskers.

Don’t be surprised to see FAU face the Ohio State Buckeyes football team in the future with the automatic connection between Chun and the Buckeyes.

Scott Morganroth can be reached at scottsports33@aol.com.