Tim Buckley

tbuckley2@theadvertiser.com

The University of Louisiana at Lafayette has a new athletic director, and he falls straight from the tree of Mike Alden.

UL president Joseph Savoie’s choice to replace Scott Farmer is Bryan Maggard, an associate athletic director for the past 21-plus years at the University of Missouri.

Alden, special consultant to a screening committee that vetted candidates, as Missouri’s athletic director from 1998-2015 — a 17-year span during which Maggard worked under his wing.

A national search culminated with the hiring of Maggard, who was formally introduced Wednesday afternoon to a gathering of boosters, coaches, student-athletes, athletic department staffers and media members.

READ MORE: Consultant's report a roadmap for UL athletics

“The history and tradition of the University of Louisiana and Ragin’ Cajun athletics bodes very well,” Maggard said in an exclusive interview with The Daily Advertiser Wednesday morning, “so people in our industry perceive this as a very, very good job.

“So I am absolutely honored to be given this opportunity.”

Maggard, who said he'll officially begin work sometime in early March, vowed he would "absolutely be an athletic director who is going to be visible and engaged with all our communities to ensure we’re generating revenues that allow success.”

Farmer was ousted last fall, and his reassignment to a faculty position was announced in November.

During his stint as athletic director starting in 2011, UL's football team won four straight New Orleans Bowls, its basketball team appeared in one NCAA Tournament and its baseball and softball teams consistently have been nationally ranked.

Maggard was hired by Missouri as a senior associate athletic director in June 1995, and was promoted to his most-recent position of executive associate athletic director in July 2012.

After earning a bachelor’s degree from Kansas State University in journalism and mass communication in 1989, he worked from 1990-93 as an academic counselor at Kansas State while also pursuing a master’s there in health and physical science.

READ MORE: Scott Farmer resigns as UL athletic director

He worked as assistant director for academic services at Florida State University from 1993-95 before moving on to Missouri, where in 2007 he also earned a doctorate degree in education, school and counseling psychology.

At Missouri, Maggard assisted in oversight of football, scheduling, facility design and construction, and administrative and personnel management. He also toiled academic services, athletic dining, athletic performance, equipment operations, sport and counseling psychological services, sports medicine and student-athlete development.

“I’ve been really fortunate through my 26-year career to really gain a broad-based experience,” said Maggard, a native of tiny Dexter, Kansas.

That background, Savoie suggested, ultimately separated Maggard.

"He's an all-around guy," the UL president said. "He's very well-prepared. He's got great experiences as an athletic administrator."

Maggard additionally has experience in marketing and multi-media rights, both components that will be central to the workload of UL’s new athletic director.

READ MORE: UL Signing Day update

Starting in October 2015, Alden also was hired as a consultant to oversee an independent sixth-month study of the Cajuns’ athletic department that ultimately recommended — among other matters — the pursuit of untapped revenue-generating marketing and multi-media opportunities.

According to Savoie, Alden will remain on-board as a paid consultant to UL "for a little while further" while Maggard transitions into his new role and while he becomes further versed in recommendations from the study.

“My personal opinion of (Alden)? He is not one of the best in the business; he is the best," Maggard said.

"So to have a relationship with him on top of knowing his involvement with the review, and his understanding of the program, is gonna be very beneficial. Will I tap into his knowledge? Absolutely.

"But I’m just looking forward to coming in and evaluating and assessing and learning — learning, learning," Maggard added. "We’ll be patient, but we’ll have a pace, a good pace, to starting activating and moving some things along."

Maggard, according to his Missouri bio, also “was very involved in assisting the (Tigers’) athletic department with its transition into the Southeastern Conference” and in 2012 he began assisting with “the design and construction of $100 million in facility projects.”

UL currently is in the midst of its own $115 million-plus athletic facilities masterplan, which calls for the construction or renovation of several venues — some of which remain incomplete or in the planning stages.

He'll be tasked with overseeing completion of the masterplan, including a massive renovation at Cajun Field.

Maggard and wife Kerry are the parents of three children, Dalton, Aubrey and Kaylin, all of whom were on hand Wednesday. His youngest child is a senior in high school in Columbia, Missouri.

“I think all of us, as you grow and mature in the industry, you aspire to run your own program.” Maggard said.

“So when the opportunity presented itself to be part of the search process, we knew that between the leadership, the campus, the athletics program and the community that this would be a great opportunity for Kerry and I as we embark on a new chapter as empty-nesters."

Maggard was selected from a pool of 100-plus applicants that was whittled to seven chief candidates, and finally two who made on-campus visits last week.

Alden advised the screening committee, which interviewed the final seven, as did Savoie and Alden.

Savoie offered the job to Maggard late Monday afternoon.

"I got several calls, unsolicited, from people who have worked with him, or who he had work for in the past, who weren't listed on his reference sheet," the UL president said.

"His former chancellor (at Missouri) called. The former president called. Other people, who said, 'Look, if you can find something better, hire him, because it doesn't get much better than Bryan Maggard. So, we're very pleased that he decided to come with us."

UL narrows search for new athletic director

UL football coach Mark Hudspeth said Maggard "made a great first impression" with athletic department members when he met with them Wednesday.

"I know he's gonna hit the ground running," Hudspeth said.

Hudspeth attended Maggard's introduction, as did several other Cajuns coaches including baseball's Tony Robichaux, basketball's Bob Marlin, volleyball's Heather Mazeitis-Fontenot and softball's Michael Lotief.

Numerous student-athletes were present as well, including baseball pitcher Dylan Moore, who served as master of ceremonies; basketball player Bryce Washington; and softball player DJ Sanders, one of two student-athletes on the screening committee along with soccer player Denice Emokpae.

Sanders spoke, addressing Maggard and his family.

"Whenever we first learned Mr. Scott (Farmer) was stepping down, a couple of the student-athletes got together and talked about some of the characteristics we wanted in our new AD," she said. "One of the first things somebody said was, 'Somebody's that approachable. ... A down-to-earth guy that's easy to talk to.

"Honestly," Sanders added, "the first time I met you and your wife that's how I felt. So, just right off the bat we knew you guys were a perfect fit."