Jan. 16, 2013
Full replay of Bobinski’s introductory press conference
Georgia Institute of Technology President G.P. “Bud” Peterson named Xavier University’s Mike Bobinski as the Institute’s new athletic director on January 16th. Bobinski was introduced on Friday at a 10 a.m. press conference in the Edge Building on campus.
Bobinski was in his 12th year as director of athletics at Xavier in Cincinnati, Ohio, where he also served as associate vice president. He was hired as director of athletics in 1998 and remained in the role until 2004, when he was named associate vice president for development and oversaw all of the university’s fundraising efforts, including major gifts, grant services and annual and planned giving. He returned as athletic director in 2006.
Bobinski is the current chair of the NCAA Division I Men’s Basketball Committee. He will officially begin his duties at Georgia Tech on April 1.
“We are very pleased to welcome Mike Bobinski to Georgia Tech as our new director of athletics,” said Peterson. “Mike’s proven record of success and his diverse background in sports, finance and development, as well as his unwavering commitment to student-athletes, make him the ideal person to lead our athletic program.”
According to the NCAA’s most recent Division I Graduation Success Rates, Xavier ranks 11th in the nation at 97 percent. Last June, the National Association of Collegiate Directors of Athletics named Bobinski the Under Armour Division I Northeast Athletic Director of the Year. During his tenure, nine Xavier teams earned 40 team or individual spots in NCAA championship competition. That includes men’s basketball, which has reached at least the NCAA Tournament Sweet 16 in four of the last five years.
Prior to joining Xavier, Bobinski served as Akron University’s athletic director from 1994 to 1998. From 1989 to 1994, he was the associate director of athletics at the U.S. Naval Academy. Prior to that, Bobinski served as the associate and assistant business manager at the University of Notre Dame from 1984 to 1989.
Bobinski was hired following a three-month, nationwide search. A seven-member committee led by Stephen P. Zelnak Jr. advised Peterson and identified candidates. Bobinski is just the eighth athletic director in Georgia Tech history and takes over for Dan Radakovich, who resigned in November to become athletic director at Clemson University. Bobinski follows in the footsteps of storied names such as John Heisman, Bobby Dodd and Homer Rice.
“I want to thank Stephen and the search committee for their outstanding work in evaluating and recommending candidates, ” said Peterson. “I am also personally grateful for the leadership of Paul Griffin, who has overseen our athletics program during this interim period, a period that included the grand opening of McCamish Pavilion, our Sun Bowl victory in El Paso, and the dedication of our newest facility, the Ken Byers Tennis Complex. I know that he will continue to be a valuable asset to the program during this transition. “
A native of Yaphank on Long Island, N.Y., Bobinski received his bachelor of business administration from Notre Dame in 1979, graduating magna cum laude, while playing four years for the Fighting Irish baseball team.
As a licensed certified public accountant, he first went into accounting with Deloitte, Haskins and Sell and Arthur Young & Company from 1979-82. He also worked for the Walt Disney Company in Orlando from 1982-84 before moving into college athletics at Notre Dame in 1984.
Bobinski has two children, Melissa and Brian.
Quotes from Paul Johnson and Brian Gregory:
PAUL JOHNSON
“I have had numerous friends and fellow coaches call or e-mail me over the last 24 hours and every one of them has said the same thing: `You are going to enjoy working with Mike Bobinski and you’re really going to like him.’ He has a great reputation as an athletic director who really cares about the student-athlete. I look forward to working with him.”
BRIAN GREGORY
“In Mike Bobinski, Georgia Tech has hired one of the most respected athletic directors in the country. I have personally been able to see the excellence, both academically and athletically, that the programs under his leadership have been able to attain. I believe that the future offers some tremendous opportunities for Georgia Tech, and Mike’s experience and diverse background puts us in position to seize those opportunities.”
