Bob De Carolis Position: Athletic Director

Director of Athletics Bob De Carolis was appointed to his current position on Aug. 28, 2002 by then OSU President Dr. Paul Risser and has since led the Beavers to unprecedented success on and off the fields of play. The popular De Carolis, who was selected the 2010 Football Bowl Subdivision West Region Under Armour Athletic Director of the Year by his peers, signed a five-year contract extension in April of 2011 that takes him through June 30, 2016.

De Carolis originally joined the OSU staff on April 20, 1998 as associate athletic director of internal operations; he was promoted to senior associate athletic director on July 1, 1999. Prior to coming to Oregon State, he spent 19 years on the athletic department staff at the University of Michigan.

Since arriving at OSU, De Carolis has developed and executed the financial recovery plan that helped the Department of Athletics eliminate a $12.5 million accumulated deficit and grow the overall budget by more than $25 million. At the same time, the department was able to not only maintain competitive teams, but also had its first winning football season in nearly three decades, its first winning men's basketball campaign in 15 years, the softball program made its first appearance in the College World Series and the baseball team competed in the College World Series for the first time in over five decades - capturing the 2006 and 2007 national championships. With him in a leadership role, the football program has played in nine bowl games, men's basketball captured the College Basketball Invitational (2009), gymnastics has competed in the national championships six straight years and overall 16 of the 17 intercollegiate programs sponsored by OSU have participated in postseason.

De Carolis has been responsible for hiring some of the most high profile coaches in OSU history, including Mike Riley (football), former U.S. Olympic coach Taras Liskevych (volleyball), three-time NCAA Coach of the Year Jim Zalesky (wrestling), Craig Robinson (men's basketball), Kelly Sullivan (women's track/cross country), Larry Liebowitz (women's swimming), Linus Rhode (women's soccer), Steve Todd (men's rowing), Emily Ford (women's rowing), Steve Simmons (men's soccer), and most recently Scott Rueck (women's basketball) and Jon Reehoorn (men's golf).

He spearheaded the feasibility study for a plan that has expanded and renovated Reser Stadium to its current capacity of nearly 46,000. Improvements at the Stadium since the beginning of 2005 have included a new east side structure that houses some of the best amenities in all of college football, construction of the largest video board in the Pac-12 (as of 2007 season) and new seating in the south end zone. In all, approximately $115 million in improvements to the football facility alone has enabled "Beaver Nation" to create one of the best home field advantages in the country. Beaver fans have responded with record ticket purchases.

The latest addition to the OSU facilities landscape is the Student Success Center, the OSU Boathouse, and the track and field facility. The $14 million SSC is a shared facility with the OSU campus and will open in the summer of 2012, the $2.5 million Boathouse will be ready for occupancy in the fall of this year and the first phase of the $8 million track complex is currently under construction and will be complete during the 2011-12 academic year. De Carolis is also in the midst of a fundraising campaign for a basketball practice facility that will be connected to the recently completed Sports Performance Center (SPC).

The SPC houses a 17,000-square foot strength training area and a 7,000-sqaure foot wrestling practice facility. In 2009 Gill Coliseum underwent a $4 million exterior improvement project, in addition to the construction of a $4 million sports medicine facility and women's basketball locker room. The Valley Football Center is also undergoing a continuing remodeling project, with a recent student-athlete lounge completion.

In addition to the latest projects, De Carolis has also managed the recent completion of the home of the two-time national champion baseball team - Goss Stadium at Coleman Field. During his tenure the Merritt Truax Indoor Center and the OSU Softball Complex have been constructed, and the Tommy Prothro Football Complex and several locker rooms were renovated.

It's not all about wins, losses or new facilities; De Carolis has stressed the importance of being a total student-athlete and being a part of the community. With his leadership, nearly 50 percent of the entire athletic roster sports a cumulative GPA of 3.00 or higher. Community service hours have increased nearly 300 percent during his tenure and contributions for scholarships to the Beaver Athletic Student Fund have increased from $6 million to over $11 million.

De Carolis is also actively involved in national and conference level committees just having completed a stint as chair of the conference television committee, former chair of the conference budget and finance committee, and currently serves on the bowl committee. At the NCAA level he is a member of Football Bowl Subdivision Issues Committee and is the former member of the Student-Athlete Benefits and Financial Aid Cabinet, and the prestigious Management Council (MANCO).

He started his Michigan career in 1979 as an administrative assistant. He was promoted to assistant business manager in 1980; at the same time, he was also named the head softball coach. De Carolis was Michigan's softball coach from 1980 to 1984 and his Wolverines had a third-place finish at the AIAW national championships.

De Carolis was promoted from assistant business manager to business manager in 1983; in 1987 to assistant athletic director for business; in 1990 to associate athletic director for internal operations; in 1994 to senior director for financial operations; in 1996 to senior associate athletic director and became responsible for all athletic facilities and venues at Michigan

Under his leadership as senior director for financial operations, De Carolis led negotiations with Nike for an all-school contract for athletic shoes and apparel one of the first of its kind in the country. He established a long-term relationship with Pepsi-Cola for beverage rights, to all athletic venues.

De Carolis also spearheaded a "gift brick" donor program for Michigan Stadium, developed a comprehensive capital improvement program and coordinated the development of a master plan for the renovation of Michigan Stadium.

De Carolis is a 1976 graduate of Bloomsburg State College in Bloomsburg, Pa., with a B.S. in business education. He received a Master's of Science degree in sports management in 1979 from the University of Massachusetts. During his undergraduate days at Bloomsburg, he was a two-year letterwinner in football and baseball from 1973-75.

He got his first taste of coaching at Bloomsburg State when he served as an assistant coach in baseball and football from 1976-78.

In the fall of 2008 he was awarded the Harold VanderZwaag distinguished alumnus award from UMASS. In the fall of 2009 he was inducted into the Bloomsburg University Hall of Fame.

Bob is married to the former Sandra Taylor and they have three children, daughter Lyndsay, a 2011 graduate of the University of Michigan, and twin daughters Lauren and Hayley. Lauren is a freshman at the University of Wisconsin and Hayley is a freshman at California Polytechnic State University (SLO).