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Robert Clifford has been a member of the Oregon State University staff since October of 2001, serving as the Senior Associate Athletic Director and Special Advisor to the Director of Athletics. In his role he also reports to the university's Vice President for Finance and Administration. In addition, Clifford serves as the sports supervisor for football, wrestling, softball, women's swimming, women's soccer and the staff of the Sports Performance Center. He also has been a part of a internal and external team that has raised more than $172 million since his arrival early last decade which has led to the expansion of Reser Stadium (football), the construction of the Truax Indoor Center (practice facility), the OSU Softball Complex, renovation of the Tommy Prothro Football Complex (practice fields), enhancements to legendary Gill Coliseum, and the expansion of Goss Stadium at Coleman Field - the home of the two-time NCAA baseball champions. Clifford has also been involved in the forthcoming construction of the Student Success Center for academics and a basketball practice facility. Clifford was on the committee to hire Head Football Coach Mike Riley and help transition Oregon State into a competitive force within the Pac-10 Conference. As the sport manager of women's soccer, he was instrumental in hiring Head Coach Linus Rhode, who has since led the OSU women's soccer team to back-to-back NCAA Tournament appearances, including the school's first-ever "Sweet 16" appearance. Men's wrestling has captured the Pac-10 title twice under his watch and women's swimming has had an NCAA individual champion. Upon his arrival at OSU he was appointed to lead an academic team that produced over a 70 percent graduation rate for the football team recognized by the American Football Coaches Association. OSU's student-athletes achievements in the classroom grew under Clifford's watch to rank in the top half of the Pac-10 Conference academic teams. Clifford began his professional career in 1976 as a consultant for the Boston Public Schools integration program. He later would work with the Michigan Student Outreach Association and as a volunteer writing teacher in the Federal Correctional Facility in Milan, Mich. In 1977 Clifford worked for The Center for Educational Services (Upward Bound) at Brandeis University in Waltham, Mass. He then returned to the University of Michigan to graduate and then be employed through 1997. He served as the associate director and coordinator of academic programs, and supervised 30 support staff. He designed and implemented an academic program for over 600 student-athletes and monitored compliance of Big Ten and NCAA regulations. Clifford was the director of university relations and team sports for Olsher Sports International in 1997. He moved to Continental Sports Management LLC and from 1998-2000 served as the Director of Operations. In 2000 Clifford moved to Florida Atlantic University where he was coordinator of academic programs and university relations, as well as, assistant to the director of football operations. The published writer is a 1979 graduate of Michigan with a bachelor's degree in creative writing with a concentration in literature and social science. |
 
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