Pollard has served as the Director of Athletics since 2005 and is the third longest tenured Director of Athletics in the Big 12 Conference.
At the conclusion of this extension, Pollard will have been the Cyclones’ AD for 20 years, the longest anyone has served in that role. The longest-tenured directors in school history are George Veenker (1932-45), Louis Menze (1945-58), Samuel Beyer (1903-14) and Lou McCullough (1971-82).
“I am very grateful to Dr. Leath for providing me the opportunity to continue in a role that I absolutely cherish,” Pollard said. “The Iowa State community has been a terrific home for our family and this extension means we can keep building on the positive momentum that our coaches, staff and student-athletes have created. I am more excited about the future of Cyclone Athletics today than I have ever been.”
Pollard and his team of coaches and staff have re-shaped nearly every aspect of the athletics department over the last 11 years. The school has …
· raised its competitive performance significantly both in the Big 12 and nationally;
· excelled in the classroom (ISU has the Big 12’s top graduation rate as announced in November);
· built or renovated facilities to the tune of more than $160 million;
· eliminated dependence on state funding;
· tripled annual fundraising while setting annual fundraising records seven years in a row; and
· established new attendance records in nearly every sport.
“Jamie is an exceptional leader who shares my vision for elevating the profile of Iowa State as a university known for excellence. His tenure is marked with unprecedented achievement and enthusiasm for Cyclone Athletics – both in competition and in the classroom. More importantly, Jamie has led this success with integrity, doing things the right way – the Cyclone Way,” Iowa State University President Steven Leath said. “I am delighted that Jamie has agreed to serve another seven years as director of athletics. He recently outlined several major initiatives for the athletics department. This extension helps solidify the execution of that ambitious plan and an exciting future for Cyclone Nation.”
