Kansas has hired Northwestern administrator Travis Goff as its new athletic principal, the school announced Monday.
Goff, a Sunflower State resident who graduated from KU, called it a thrill to return to Lawrence, Kansas, in what he called “ one of the most humiliating responsibilities and opportunities in college athletics. ”
“Our goal remains to foster the academic, social and athletic development of our student athletes; support our talented coaches and staff; connect with alumni and donors; and most importantly, build a culture in which 16 proud programs can compete for Big 12 Conference and national championships while representing our department, our institution and our community, ”he said in a statement.
Goff has been with Northwestern since 2012, most recently as a deputy athletic director and assistant vice president for development. He was instrumental in the fundraising efforts that led to massive upgrades to Northwestern facilities and oversaw the football, baseball and volleyball programs.
Kansas has been looking for an athletic director since Jeff Long stepped down almost a month ago.
Long was responsible for hiring Les Miles, who the school broke up with amid allegations of sexual misconduct dating back to the football coach’s time at LSU. Long initially said he would lead the search for Miles’ replacement, but criticism of the care he took in hiring his old friend, coupled with massive public outcry, led to his decision to step down.
“Travis stood out among the candidates for his experience, his reputation as a man of integrity and his proven ability to connect with faculty, staff, alumni and donors,” KU Chancellor Douglas Girod said in a statement. “I am particularly impressed with Travis’ vision for KU. Travis understands the challenges we face and the changing landscape of peer athletics. At the same time, he is well positioned to help us build on our recent successes in healthcare for “Students and athletes. Diversity and inclusion, and student-athlete academic achievement. The fact that he is a Jayhawk is an added bonus and will no doubt serve him well as he moves Kansas Athletics forward.”
Goff’s first big job will be to determine what to do with a football program being trained as early as spring under the guidance of wide receiver coach Emmett Jones, who was selected last month to serve as an interim coach.
The suppressed Jayhawks lost all nine games last season. They haven’t had a winning season since Mark Mangino was on the sidelines in 2008.
Goff returns to Lawrence after working under former Northwestern Athletic Director Jim Phillips, who left school in the Chicago suburb of Evanston earlier this year to become commissioner of the Atlantic Coast Conference.
Goff grew up in Dodge City in southwestern Kansas. He graduated in 2002 with degrees in journalism and sociology and then obtained an MBA from Tulane, where he worked as an associate athletic director for external affairs.
He is the Jayhawks’ sixth athletic director since Bob Frederick retired in 2001.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.