Bob Bowlsby, one of the most respected and admired athletic administrators in the nation during his nearly 15 years at the helm of the University of Iowa's athletic program, was named the Jaquish & Kenninger Director of Athletics at Stanford University on April 25, 2006. He took over the reins of the Cardinal athletic department on July 10, 2006.

Bowlsby gained a national reputation for his skill and integrity in running one of the country's most ambitious and successful Division I-A athletics programs.When Stanford went in search of a replacement for Ted Leland, Bowlsby's name immediately went to the top of the list.

"Bob Bowlsby represents the best professional and personal values when it comes to student-athletes," said Stanford University Provost John Etchemendy, chair of the search committee. "He understands that the success of an athletics program is not simply measured in wins and losses, but in the academic achievements and character of the young women and men who work so hard on the field and in the classroom."

As Stanford's sixth athletic director, Bowlsby succeeds Ted Leland (1991-2005), Andy Geiger (1979-90), Joe Ruetz (1972-78), Chuck Taylor (1963-71) and Al Masters (1925-63). Bowlsby directs a department that includes 35 intercollegiate varsity teams - 15 men's, 19 women's and one coed - plus the physical education department, intramurals, club sports, open recreation and the Stanford Golf Course. The department has an annual budget of approximately $75 million.

As the chief administrator for Iowa's athletic department from 1991-2006, Bowlsby earned a reputation as one of the most admired, energetic and ambitious athletic administrators in the nation. Over the past four years Bowlsby guided and supervised the merger of the Hawkeye's women's and men's athletics departments. The combined entity encompasses 24 varsity sports and an annual budget in excess of $60 million.

In addition to building the Iowa athletic program, Bowlsby (born January 10, 1952) has emerged as a national leader on intercollegiate athletics as well. He served as chair of the NCAA Wrestling Committee and has served on NCAA committees on Financial Aid and Amateurism, the Special Committee to Review Amateurism Issues and the Special Committee to Review Financial Conditions in Athletics. Bowlsby recently completed a five-year term on the NCAA Division I Basketball Tournament Committee, serving as committee chairman in 2003-04 and 2004-05.

Bowlsby has also served as an Executive Committee member with both the National Association of Collegiate Directors of Athletics and the Division I-A Athletic Directors Association and served in 2002-2003 as President of the I-A Directors group.

He was elected chair of the NCAA Olympic Sports Liaison Committee and represented the NCAA as one of two voting members on the United States Olympic Committee. Bowlsby has also served as a member of the Board of Governors for the National Wrestling Hall of Fame. He recently completed service on the 15-member commission on Opportunities in Athletics by US Secretary of Education, Rod Paige.

The National Association of Collegiate Directors of Athletics (NACDA) named Bowlsby in 2001-02 as Central Region Athletic Director of the Year and Sports Business Journal selected him from the four regional award winners as the National Athletics Director of the Year. The award highlights the efforts of the athletic directors for their commitment and positive contributions to campuses and their surrounding communities.

As the head of Iowa athletics, Bowlsby was involved in the hiring of new head coaches in football, men's and women's basketball, wrestling and volleyball, enabling Iowa to maintain its standing as one of the most visible and successful Division I athletic programs.

In football, Hawkeye head coach Kirk Ferentz guided Iowa to three straight bowl appearances, a share the Big Ten title in 2002 and 21 wins in 2004 and '05, placing them among the elite of college football.

Iowa's men's and women's basketball teams each posted winning seasons and advanced to post-season play in each of the past four seasons, while the wrestling program earned the 2004 Big Ten title and placed second at the '04 NCAA championships.

Under Bowlsby's leadership, Iowa enjoyed unprecedented success and growth in the area of fund raising and facilities.

Some of the facilities that have been completed under Bowlsby include an $87 million renovation to Kinnick Stadium, the Russell and Ann Gerdin Athletics Learning Center, a $4.6 million state of the art athletics learning center, the Kenyon Football Practice Facility, a fully lighted area that includes two full natural turf practice fields, one artificial surface field and an on-site medical training facility, and the Roy G. Karro Hall of Fame and Visitors Center, a 25,000-square foot structure.

Bowlsby and the UI Development staff put in place $25 million in endowments to help support Hawkeye student-athlete scholarship aid.

A native of Waterloo, Iowa, Bowlsby became Iowa's 10th Athletic Director in June, 1991 after serving in the same role at the University of Northern Iowa since 1984.

Bowlsby earned his bachelor's degree from Moorhead State University (Minnesota) in 1975 and his master's degree from the University of Iowa in 1978. He and his wife, Candice, have four children: Lisa,Matt, Rachel and Kyle.

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