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April 21, 2006 > News > Athletic director to leave after 17 years

Athletic director to leave after 17 years

By Matt McCabe | Thresher Editorial Staff

Athletic Director Bobby May (Will Rice ‘65) will end his 17-year tenure at the helm of the athletic department July 15. May announced his retirement at a press conference Tuesday.

President David Leebron said a national search will be conducted to find a new athletic director. Leebron will form the search committee — which will likely include athletic department staff, coaches and Board of Trustees members — after he consults with the board about what to look for in applicants and when to make the hiring.

“Ideally, we’d like to have somebody in the fall,” Leebron said. “But if we determine that that is not a good stretch to be on, we could appoint an interim director. I think the most important thing is that Bobby was here a long time and did a great job. It’s better for us to take the time we need to get the right result than to just put someone in place.”

May, who has spent 45 years at Rice as a student, coach or administrator, said the decision was difficult.

“Retiring now will give me a chance to recharge, regroup and relax,” May said. “AD jobs are 24/7 and provide little free time if you do the job right.”

Leebron said May’s departure comes at a high point in Rice athletics.

“[We have had] spectacular seasons in many of our sports and the hiring of a new football coach,” Leebron said. “It is an announcement of transition. For those of us at Rice University, it is an announcement of appreciation and gratitude.”

May’s administration experienced many highlights including but not limited to the 2003 NCAA national championship in baseball and several winning seasons in football, with a victory over Texas in 1996. In addition to the peaks of his tenure, May also weathered the Board of Trustees’ review of Rice athletics two years ago.

Leebron said Senior Associate Athletic Director Steve Moniaci, who has been at Rice for 26 years, would be the obvious choice for an interim athletic director. Moniaci said he has turned down offers to become an athletic director at other universities to remain at Rice.

Leebron said Rice’s unique size and academic standards will make finding a replacement difficult — but the position may appeal to many candidates.

“We have a dual commitment,” Leebron said. “We have to find someone who really knows what we’re about … [Rice] presents the epitome of university athletics and the commitment to the scholar-athlete.”

Rice has not hired an athletic director since December 1988, when then-Athletic Director Jerry Brandt, who was also the football coach, stepped down. A month later, May, an associate athletic director at the time, was named athletic director.

“He was the obvious choice,” Board of Trustees member Bucky Allshouse (BCO ‘71) said. “There really wasn’t a search.”

Rice has never conducted a national search for an athletic director. All past athletic directors were former or current coaches at Rice when they were named to the post, Allshouse said.

The national search will not preclude a hire from within Rice, Allshouse said.

Leebron credited May with retiring at a positive time in Rice athletics.

“He’s going to be a tough act to follow,” Leebron said. “That’s 40 years of dedication to Rice. One of the greatest contributions that Bobby has made to Rice University is deciding to retire on a high note.”

May said he is glad to be able to leave a successful athletic program.

“I think whether you are a coach or an administrator, if you can do anything to elevate the program to the next person, that’s great — that’s what you’re supposed to do,” May said.

Athletic director

May became Rice’s 13th athletic director in January 1989. He is the second-longest serving athletic director after Jess Neely, who headed athletics from 1940 to 1966.

May said he took over during a bleak period in Rice athletics.

“There were elements of despair and resignation — the feeling that Rice simply could not compete at the Division I level and in the Southwest Conference,” May said. “There was ample evidence of that — 24 straight losing seasons in football [and] no championships in any sport since 1971.”

Immediately after he took over, May hired Fred Goldsmith as football coach, who led the Owls to their first winning seasons in 29 years with back-to-back winning seasons in 1992 and 1993.

In 1994, Rice started winning conference championships again, ending a 23-year drought with a share of the SWC football championship and a women’s cross country title. Since 1994, Rice athletics has won 32 conference championships, including two so far in its first year in Conference USA.

Leebron said May has hired successful coaches. In 1991, May hired Head Baseball Coach Wayne Graham, who led the 2003 baseball team to the university’s first team national championship.

“Part of Bobby’s many accomplishments is extraordinary judgment in the hiring of our coaches, who have brought great records of achievement to the field,” Leebron said. “The coaches have also upheld the values of Rice University, including our dedication to academic excellence.”

Head Women’s Basketball Coach Greg Williams (Hanszen ‘70) said May is an advocate of the coaches he hires and of the program as a whole.

“He’ll definitely leave a tremendous legacy of winning with integrity, staying loyal to coaches and supporting the entire athletic program across the board,” Williams said.

During his tenure, May oversaw improvements in athletic facilities, including the construction of Fox Gymnasium in 1998, renovations to the Rice/Track Soccer Stadium in 2000-‘01, the construction of Reckling Park ending in January 2000 and the demolition and reconstruction of Jake Hess Tennis Stadium.

Many of the projects benefited from fundraising efforts May initiated. Head Football Coach Todd Graham and May recently raised $3 million for upgrades to Rice Stadium.

During May’s tenure, student-athlete graduation rates have been consistently high, and in 2002, Rice won the USA Today/NCAA Academic Achievement Award for graduating 91 percent of its varsity athletes.

From student to associate director

As a student of Will Rice College, May was a four-time SWC champion in hurdles and won the NCAA high-hurdle title in 1964. He was among the second group of Owls inducted into the Rice Athletic Hall of Fame in 1971.

May graduated cum laude with a bachelor’s of commerce degree and spent two years working in private business before he was hired as an assistant track coach.

“Attending Rice during the ’60s was an interesting and rewarding experience, but I did not expect to spend my whole career here,” May said. “The timing, however, turned out perfectly. It allowed me to know many of the legendary members in Rice history.”

In 1976, May became the head track coach and assistant athletic director for business. Three years later, May retired from coaching to focus on the business side of the athletic program. In 1984, he was promoted to associate athletic director, the position directly under the athletic director. Rice had three different athletic directors while May was an associate director.

Williams said May’s approach as director has been successful.

“He’s soft-spoken, but inside there beats the heart of a lion,” Williams said. “He was able to instill that throughout the athletic department through the coaches he hired and with the student athletes. That’s a rare quality. He’s a gentleman. He’s got respect all over the nation, but Bobby’s about winning.”

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