Oct. 10, 2001
Tom George, Senior Vice President of Octagon, has been named Director of Athletics at American University. The introduction of George will be made by AU President Benjamin Ladner at a press conference to be held on Thursday, Oct. 11, at 3:00 p.m. in Kettler-Palmer Lounge. The appointment is effective November 5.
"We are pleased to welcome Tom George to AU athletics and the campus community," said President Ladner. "He is a person of proven success and tremendous energy. His athletic business experience, high standards, and commitment to developing student-athletes are the right combination for our program's direction in NCAA Division I and Patriot League play."
George will direct American's Department of Athletics, which fields a 19-sport (10 women's and nine men's) NCAA Division I program. American is in its inaugural year of membership in the Patriot League, which was founded on the principles of academic excellence and admitting and graduating student-athletes who are academically representative of their class.
George comes to American from Octagon, a renowned sports marketing and athlete representation firm, where he served as the Senior Vice President of Athlete Marketing since 1993. A founding member of the firm, formerly known as Advantage International, George has been instrumental in the company's exponential growth since its creation in 1983.
An innovative marketer, George has also created some of the most successful athlete marketing portfolios in the industry, including those for Michael Chang in Southeast Asia, Grant Hill, Gustavo Kuertin in Brazil, Anna Kournikova, David Robinson, and Sheryl Swoopes. Locally, George headed the marketing effort for the BB&T Classic, an annual college basketball tournament, more than doubling annual sponsorship revenue.
"I am extremely honored to be named Director of Athletics at American University," George said. "Choosing someone from the sports marketing community shows a strong commitment by the University to its athletics program. Our move to the Patriot League was one made for all the right reasons. We will strive to become a dominant force athletically, while maintaining 100 percent of the spirit and principles on which the league was founded. At the same time our athletes will exemplify the highest academic standards of the University."
AU athletics is off to an outstanding start in the Patriot League since play began in late August and is a combined 15-2 in league action (through Oct. 9), led by the women's volleyball team, which is 7-0, and the men's soccer team, which is 3-0.
Academically, AU athletics was recognized by USA Today and the NCAA Foundation for Academic Achievement for having the highest rate of improvement in NCAA Division I graduation rate, climbing 29 percent since last year. AU also has posted back-to-back semesters of a 3.0 grade point average (GPA) or better for its entire program, and had 114 student-athletes earn a 3.2 GPA or better during the Spring 2001 semester.
Al Checcio, Vice President of Development, who oversees the Department of Athletics, led the search. "I am proud of the entire Department of Athletics for how effectively they operated as a team over the past four months while we conducted the Director of Athletics search," he said. "This group, with Tom George's leadership, will give the University the type of athletics program it needs and our student-athletes deserve."
George was selected in a national search from a diverse pool of more than 100 applicants. Raised in nearby Montgomery County, George is a 1976 graduate of Wake Forest University, where he received his bachelor of science in business administration. He currently serves as chairman of the Marketing Education Advisory Board for Fairfax County Public Schools, and is an active contributor and coach to area youth sports.
George and wife of 24 years, Louise, are the parents of two children. Their son, Robbie, is a freshman at High Point University, and daughter, Jennifer, is a sophomore at Springbrook High School. The family resides in Silver Spring, Md.