One of the most respected athletic administrators in the nation, Bob Bowlsby enters his sixth full year as The Jaquish & Kenninger Director of Athletics at Stanford University, a position he was appointed to on April 25, 2006 after spending 15 years at the helm of the University of Iowa's athletic program. In his initial five years in the position, Stanford has continued its well-earned reputation of fielding the most successful and wide-ranging Division I-A athletic programs in the nation.

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). He 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.

Under his administrative guidance, Stanford claimed its unprecedented 17th straight Learfield Sports Directors' Cup last spring, emblematic of the top overall athletic program in the country. Stanford teams won NCAA titles in the sports of men’s gymnastics and women’s water polo, while the women’s lightweight eight boat captured its second consecutive IRA national title.

The men’s gymnastics title was historic, as it marked Stanford’s 100th NCAA team championship and extended the school’s string of winning at least one NCAA title to 35 years.

In addition, eight Stanford teams were ranked first in the nation at some point during their seasons. Along with its national championships in men’s gymnastics, women’s water polo and women’s lightweight rowing, Stanford teams finished runner-up in three other NCAA championship competitions.
No fewer than 19 Cardinal programs finished their seasons ranked in the top 10 of their respective national polls.

Stanford's student-athletes were also highly decorated last year. Four Cardinal athletes – Alix Klineman (women’s volleyball), Christen Press (women's soccer), Ashley Hansen (softball) and Annika Dries (women’s water polo) -- earned national player of the year recognition. A total of 13 Stanford student-athletes were named conference players of the year, while seven others were named newcomers of the year.

Stanford quarterback Andrew Luck and fullback/linebacker Owen Marecic finished in the top-10 in the Heisman Trophy balloting. Luck’s second-place finish marked the second consecutive year a Stanford player has  finished runner-up for college football’s most prestigious award.

Three Stanford coaches – Al Acosta (women’s lightweight rowing), Thom Glielmi (men’s gymnastics) and Tara Vanderveer (women’s basketball) – earned national coach of the year honors, while former Cardinal football head coach Jim Harbaugh was named the recipient of the Woody Hayes Award by the Touchdown Club of Columbus.

Bowlsby has also presided over the resurgence of Stanford’s football program. In December of 2006, he hired former NFL quarterback Jim Harbaugh to resurrect the program which had fallen on hard times. A stunning victory over second-ranked USC in Harbaugh’s first season gave indication better times were ahead for the program. Two years later, Stanford successfully turned the corner, finishing with an 8-5 record and returning to bowl competition for the first time since 2001.

Last year, Stanford posted a school-record 12 victories, culminated by a 40-12 victory over Virginia Tech in the Discover Orange Bowl on its way to a No. 4 finish in the national polls. The national ranking was Stanford’s highest to finish a season since 1940.

After Harbaugh was named head coach of the San Francisco 49ers, Bowlsby ushered in a new era of Stanford football on January 13, 2011, as he named David Shaw ’94 the 34th head football coach in Stanford history.

Stanford student-athletes continue to excel in their academic endeavors. All 35 athletic programs exceeded the NCAA’s Academic Progress Rate standards, including five teams that earned perfect scores of 1,000.  A total of 22 Stanford student-athletes earned CoSIDA Academic All-America recognition last year while eight student-athletes were NCAA Postgraduate Scholarship recipients.

He also worked closely with Pac-12 Commissioner Larry Scott in shaping the conference’s groundbreaking multimedia rights agreement that will extend through 2024.

Bowlsby also spearheaded the completion and occupancy of an on-campus housing project designed to address the living needs of Stanford’s coaches and their families, along with a $4 million renovation and upgrade of Cagan Soccer Stadium. Both projects were completed through the generosity and supervision of John Arrillaga.

In recognition of his leadership, Bowlsby was one of five finalists for Sports Business Journal’s Athletic Director of the Year.

Throughout his career, Bowlsby has emerged as a national leader in intercollegiate and amateur athletics. In February of 2007, Bowlsby was appointed to the United States Olympic Committee Board of Directors. 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 Board of Directors. Bowlsby also served as a member of the NCAA/U.S. Olympic Committee Task Force chaired by Cedric Dempsey and George Steinbrenner.

He recently chaired selection committees that appointed new USOC CEO Scott Blackmun along with Pacific-12 Conference Commissioner Larry Scott.
Bowlsby previously served as President of the NCAA Division I-A Athletic Directors’ Association (2002-03), chair of the NCAA Division I Men’s Basketball Committee for two years (2003-05) and a committee member for five years, chair of the Big Ten Administrator’s Council (2002-04) and chair of the NCAA Management Council.

Bowlsby was appointed by President George Bush as a member of the Commission on Opportunities in Athletics in 2002-03. The committee was led by U.S. Secretary of Education Rod Paige.

In addition, Bowlsby 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 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 as President of the I-A organization for two years.

He currently serves on the board of directors of the San Jose Sports Authority.

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 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. Bowlsby guided and supervised the merger of the Hawkeye’s women’s and men’s athletics departments while enabling Iowa to maintain its standing as one of the most visible and successful Division I athletic programs.

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 bachelors degree from Minnesota State-Moorhead in 1975 and his master’s degree from the University of Iowa in 1978.

Bob and his wife, Candice, have four children: Lisa, Matt, Rachel and Kyle.