John Currie Position: Director of Athletics

• Related: K-State Pledge and Mission Statement
• Related: K-State Athletics, Inc. Board of Directors & President's Advisory Committee
  

Currie Family in Hale Library's historic Great Room Vision of a Model Intercollegiate Athletics Program A world-class student-athlete experience Value to our University, community and state Integrity and transparency in relation to matters of ethics, finance and NCAA compliance Championship-level athletic performances The best fan experience in the Big 12 Conference The Currie File Date Hired: May 18, 2009 Alma Mater: Wake Forest, 1993 (B.A. History) Tennessee, 2003 (M.A. Sports Management) Birthdate: April 1, 1971 Family: Wife -- Mary Lawrence Children -- Jack, Virginia, Mary-Dell Send John your thoughts: kstatead@kstatesports.com Contact John by phone: (785) 532-6912 Read the latest letters from John: kstatesports.com/blog/letters-from-the-ad/ Follow John on Twitter: @john_currie

There is no question John Currie has hit the ground running and made a lasting impact in his first two years as Kansas State's Director of Athletics. From implementing a new communications plan the day he was being introduced as K-State's 15th Athletics Director on May 18, 2009, to consistently emphasizing the importance of transparency and accountability as well as the student-athlete and fan experience, Currie has laid a solid foundation for K-State achieving its vision of a model intercollegiate athletics program.

Over his first 24 months Currie has engaged in hundreds of speaking appearances throughout the state and with K-State groups across the nation. Regular online letters and chats, live Fan Forum conference calls with as many as 3,000 fans participating, and regular media interviews and talk show appearances have further helped Currie connect with the Wildcat faithful.

Currie arrived in Manhattan on June 8, 2009, to officially begin his duties. Just a month later Currie and his staff launched the "K-State Pledge," a series of financial accountability measures and core values serving as the base of K-State's vision of having a model intercollegiate athletics program and to help restore the faith and trust of all Wildcat fans. Among those values are five goals: a world-class student-athlete experience; value to the University, city and state; integrity and transparency in matters of ethics, finance and NCAA compliance; championship-level athletic performances; and the best fan experience in the Big 12.

In an effort to create the best fan experience possible, Currie's staff has created new ticket initiatives over the past two seasons that have led to the two largest home-opening football crowds in school history, including last year's record crowd of 51,059 for the UCLA game. The Wildcats also set new season total and average attendance records in baseball in 2010, sold a record number of season tickets for volleyball and had the largest average attendance increase in the nation in men's basketball.

The 2010 football season then saw four sellout crowds fill Bill Snyder Family Stadium, the most since 1999, and K-State fans would help the Wildcats set a new total attendance record for a six-game home schedule. The success that began in the fall jump-started a 2010-11 athletics season that would see a record-number of teams advance to the NCAA postseason, while K-State became just one of two programs in the nation to have its football team in a bowl game, both basketball and its baseball teams in the NCAA Tournament and both track and field teams finish in the Top 20.

In August 2011, K-State made a national splash when it launched an exclusive, high-definition online network known as K-StateHD.TV. The one-of-a-kind network provides a world-wide connection to Kansas State University and K-State Athletics and has established the university as an international leader in programming, accessibility and exposure. In fact, following its high-definition live broadcast of the 2011 season-opening football game against Eastern Kentucky, K-State took over the No. 1 spot in the number of total subscriptions across the CBS College Sports network, K-State's online network provider.

Providing K-State student-athletes a world-class experience is also a priority as Currie's staff initiated new events such as the Powercat Choice Awards to showcase K-State's student-athletes and a special graduation reception and ring ceremony to honor their dedication and hard work on the field and in the classroom. K-State's student-athletes currently lead the Big 12 in all-sports graduation rate, including the highest football, men's golf, women's golf, men's track and field and baseball rates. In fact, K-State has claimed the No. 1 graduation rate among all student-athletes in each of the last four seasons.

To help encourage support for the student-athlete experience and championship pursuits, K-State's fundraising efforts have been completely overhauled in Currie's tenure with a new emphasis on personal interaction and communication for Ahearn Fund donors of all levels. K-State supporters immediately responded in Currie's first year by increasing total annual fund cash gifts over 50-percent versus the previous year to an all-time high of $14.47 million. Fiscal year 2011 was even better, as the annual Ahearn Fund goal was exceeded by more than $1 million and total athletics giving set another all-time record exceeding $17.5 million.

K-State donors have stepped up with seven individual gifts in excess of $1 million since fall 2009, enabling the department to break ground on an $18 million Basketball Training Facility and building more momentum towards the department's new facility strategic plan designed to provide comprehensive improvements for all 465 Wildcat student-athletes. On the heels of one of the greatest seasons in K-State football history, the department launched the $75 million West Stadium Center Campaign. Phase Two of the Bill Snyder Family Stadium Master Plan will feature a massive new west-side structure that is considered pivotal in maintaining and securing K-State's competitive future, enhancing the overall experience of both K-State student-athletes and fans and providing a Northwest Gateway to the K-State campus that will connect the athletics complex to the campus while serving as a point of pride to K-Staters for generations.

Despite inheriting a $2 million projected budget deficit on arrival in June 2009, Currie's staff instead achieved a first year surplus of $5 million, thanks to new measures promoting efficiency and cost containment, coupled with tremendous fundraising success. In fact, in May of 2011 USA Today recognized K-State as one of just 22 athletic departments in the nation to operate in a surplus in 2009-10 and one of only five to do so while decreasing expenses from the previous year.

In an effort to support President Schulz's visionary plan to move K-State into the ranks of the top 50 public research institutions by 2025, the department has also announced a gradual phase out of direct university funding as a source of revenue, enabling KSU to redirect those funds towards critical academic needs.

Currie received a signal national honor this past spring as one of two intercollegiate athletics directors named to SportsBusiness Journal's 2011 prestigious Forty Under 40 list of national sports leaders. Currently a member of the NCAA Division I Administrative Cabinet, Currie also serves the Big 12 as a member of the Game Management/Officiating Sub-committee as well as the Championship and Awards committee. In 2010 President Schulz and Currie's involvement to help secure the future of the Big 12 Conference and Kansas State's position as a long-term league member was also pivotal not only for Wildcat student-athletes and their college experience but for the future of the University.

Currie serves as a member of President Kirk Schulz's cabinet and has worked to establish relationships and communication across campus through steps such as personally visiting with K-State deans in their respective offices and holding question and answer sessions with many campus organizations. Student leaders have already recognized Currie's commitment to campus by inducting him into the Order of Omega as well as the Quest and Kappa Kappa Psi honor societies.

Understanding the importance of coaching continuity in building successful programs, after arriving in Manhattan Currie immediately signed 2009 Big 12 Baseball Coach of the Year Brad Hill to a contract extension, completed a five-year contract for legendary returning football coach Bill Snyder and inked head women's basketball coach Deb Patterson and track and field coach Cliff Rovelto to contract extensions. On March 6, 2010, Currie honored the dramatic academic and athletic progress of the men's basketball program by announcing a new five-year contract for 2010 Big 12 Men's Basketball Coach of the Year Frank Martin.

Currie began his duties at K-State after 10 years at the University of Tennessee, most recently serving as Executive Associate Athletics Director under Athletic Director Mike Hamilton. Currie was responsible for the direct management of units that annually produced $84 million in revenue and gifts, including the department's fundraising, marketing, ticketing, media/public relations, internet and broadcasting offices. Currie also provided oversight for the men's basketball program and helped direct numerous coaching and administrative searches.

An integral member of the facility planning team for UT's $200 million master plan renovations for Neyland Stadium, Currie directed a $36 million arena renovation and basketball practice facility construction project that was completed in the fall of 2007. He developed and implemented revenue models to fund both projects without outside funding from the state or local government, tax dollars or University-derived support. Currie's accomplishments at Tennessee included helping the University secure a $50 million commitment in 2006 for academic and athletic needs, a gift which represented the largest from an individual in UT history. Under his leadership, giving to UT athletics more than doubled from $19.5 million in 2003 to $41.6 million in 2008. Units under his direction also negotiated an $84 million multi-media rights contract with then-Host Communications, and a $19.3 million all-sport contract with Adidas.

He served as President of the SEC development officers group for 2004-05, chaired the 2007 CASE national athletic development conference and was a member of the SEC ticket policy committee. The Knoxville News Sentinel recognized Currie in December 2008 by naming him to its prestigious "Top 40 Leaders Under 40" list.

Currie began his career at Wake Forest in 1993 as a Deacon Club intern before being named Assistant Director in 1994 and later served as Assistant A.D. for Development (1998-99). Currie earned his master's in sports management from Tennessee in 2003 and is a 1993 Wake Forest graduate. He and his wife Mary Lawrence have three children, Jack, Virginia and Mary-Dell.