University of Connecticut Athletics
David Benedict Introduced As New Director Of Athletics
3/1/2016 12:00:00 AM | General
Press Conference Photo Gallery
STORRS, Conn. - The University of Connecticut formally introduced David Benedict as its new Director of Athletics on Tuesday morning at a press conference at the Burton Family Football Complex.
For a video archive of the press conference, CLICK HERE
For the announcement of his hire, CLICK HERE
What They Are Saying About Dave Benedict
Here are quotes from the Tuesday press conference.
President Susan Herbst
"Thanks for being here. Today, we are filled with excitement, with pride, tremendous optimism about the future. This is Super Tuesday at UConn. The world of college athletics has grown more and more complex over the past year and by necessity so has the job of athletics director. Today's AD must have sophistication to manage, closely oversee finance, marketing, media contracts, fan engagement and many other things. All of these responsibilities though, are secondary to the traditional responsibilities of utmost importance, taking care of our student-athletes, supporting their academic success, making sure that our coaches have what they need to be successful. The search committee interviewed a pool of truly outstanding candidates around the nation. It was my honor to spend long hours with them and I thank them for their outstanding service and a few of them are here today.
"They knew exactly what they were looking for. We sought an experienced leader who would be a stellar perspective ambassador for UConn, to our community, our state and overall college athletics. We wanted someone who embodied organizational leadership, who placed the highest priority on donor engagement, on community involvement and corporate relations. We wanted an individual who knows every facet of the student-athlete experience and that understands that our players needs to be successful, athletically and academically. We wanted a leader that fundamentally knows great public universities, the values of UConn to our fans and the vital and unique role UConn plays in the life of our state. Finally, we needed a leader that would grasp the national landscape and relentless pursuit of excellence would be second to none. So I am very happy to say that we found exactly what we were looking for in David Benedict. And so it's my pleasure to introduce him and his family, who are here, his wife Lisa and his two sons, Sam and Jake, and welcome them to UConn."
Athletic Director David Benedict
"Thank you. It's a great day for the Benedicts. I want to start by telling you how honored I am to be here. I'm humbled to be given this opportunity to be the 12th Director of Athletics at UConn. I wanted this job because of UConn's history, tradition and success. UConn has won 16 national championships, which places us among the elite schools in the country. We've also played in six bowl games since 2004 in a very short FBS bowl history. UConn is not just an elite level athletics program, it is also one of the top public schools in the country. You should all know that UConn's reputation goes beyond the borders of the state of Connecticut. UConn also possesses an elite group of head coaches. It's amazing to see the tenure of some of our coaches. I look forward to working with all of you and getting to know you all very soon. For those of you that are here and were able to get away from your programs, I appreciate that, and those of you that were not able to attend, I promise I won't hold it against you. There's an incredible foundation here at UConn that's been built over time and I want to thank Warde Manuel and all the different coaches and administrators that have contributed to that foundation. To the UConn administration, I want to thank President Susan Herbst, Chairman of the Board of Trustees Lawrence McHugh, Chief of Staff Rachel Rubin and certainly the search committee. Rest assured that no one will have higher expectation for UConn athletics and our student-athletes than I will. I appreciate you believing in me.
"Appreciation is going to be one of the hallmarks of this athletic program, whether it's our coaches, administrators or student-athletes. I really think that showing appreciation for the resources that we have is critical. It's also important to appreciate those who helped me along the way. I've had a lot of people that have made this day possible for me...Auburn is a special place. My family and I will be forever grateful for the open arms and support over the past two years. "These will serve as our pillars for our athletic department. Competitive excellence. We're going to compete in everything. I just want to repeat that, we're going to compete in everything. We're going to compete on the fields and the courts of play, and we're going to win in the classroom. Academic excellence has to be a top priority and we're going to do it the right way. The student athlete experience. We must deliver on the promise that we make during the recruiting process. This will be a responsibility, not just for coaches but the entire athletic department staff. Engagement with our former letterwinners. It's important for former student-athletes to remain engaged at UConn. We need to foster an environment where our student-athletes feel welcome and engaged in their university. The game day experience, this is really important. To the members of UConn nation everywhere, and that means alumni, fans, residents of the great state of Connecticut and our student body, is critical in this. I look forward to engaging in this conversation with you. I want to make our game day experience one of the best in the nation and we can't do it without you. I will seek your feedback and we will do our best to make sure that all of our events are entertaining for all who attend. In return, we need you to come out and support our student-athletes. We need you to purchase tickets.
"Finally, integrity. Without integrity, nothing else matters. Resources, in an ultracompetitive world of college athletics, I will make certain that we are being good stewards of our current resources. We will look at all opportunities to generate revenue and to become more efficient with the resources we already have. Development, relationships will be a priority for us. I am committed to playing a central role in the development process and can't wait to begin leading the charge. I look forward to collaborating with the President and CEO of the UConn Foundation, Josh Newton, as well as the foundations' Board of Directors in this process. I also look forward to developing a strong relationship with all our corporate partners. With the current fiscal challenges that all universities face across the country, private giving, fan support and relationships with the corporate community are essential. It is an extreme honor to be standing here in front of you today. There is a lot of work to do but I am excited about what the future holds and the future starts today. I appreciate everyone being here, thank you, and go Huskies!"
