New Hire Has Head in the Game

New leader aims to boost performance, glean robust funding

Jenni SiglTHE SANTA CLARASeptember 24, 2015

[dropcap]O[/dropcap]n a warm weekday afternoon, a dumpster is situated on the east side of Leavey Center, filling up with worn office furniture and cardboard boxes.

Renee Baumgartner, the university’s new athletics director who started in June, says the de-cluttering of the athletic administration office is one of the immediate changes she’s implementing.

“Today is cleanup day,” said Baumgartner, who took the job previously held by Dan Coonan, who resigned in April. “When we have recruits walk through or donors or even students, you know, it’s a really nice place and reflects the rest of this campus.”

A clean office is not the only thing that she says the Santa Clara community should expect to see under her new leadership. Other plans include rebranding the department by sprucing up color schemes and fonts, as well as developing a strategic master plan for athletic facilities on campus. Additionally, she says she is working on internal adjustments including an organizational chart for increased transparency.

A former student athlete from the University of Southern California, Baumgartner’s resume includes coaching Division I athletics at USC and 17 consecutive years in the athletic department at the University of Oregon, where she was the senior female administrator until she left in 2011 to take a deputy athletic director position at Syracuse University.

In March of this year, while Baumgartner was still with Syracuse, the athletic department and men’s basketball program were the subjects of a 94-page report released by the NCAA. Syracuse faced multiple penalties for violations of conduct. However, she was never named in any reports nor found to have violated any NCAA rules.

When asked if she’s faced skepticism or cynicism because of her association with the program and the events that happened, she confidently said no.

“Everybody knows that I didn’t have anything to do with what transpired for the NCAA sanctions. I have been in intercollegiate athletics for 30 years and I just have an impeccable record,” she said. “I wouldn’t cross the line. My word and integrity are really important to me.

Just one month after the NCAA report was released, Coonan resigned and the university tasked Collegiate Sports Associates with hiring his replacement. Baumgartner says once she heard the position was open, she submitted her resume for consideration. After 13 hours of interviews with personnel across the university, she was offered the position.

Baumgartner has never held an athletic director position before. However, she said that in her line of work, skills are transferrable. Citing her tenure at the University of Oregon,  she has had direct experience working in an athletics program that has evolved, becoming well-known on a national level.

“So that’s what I say to the naysayers,” she said, “I have the experience and the confidence that, as a group, we can get this done. It takes a lot of great people and Santa Clara is an extremely special place because of the people.”

Multiple coaches within the athletic department said they were excited about Baumgartner’s hiring and hope that she will help funnel more money into the university’s athletic program.

“Whether it is upgraded facilities, such as soccer and softball, or increased operational funding so coaches can focus on recruiting and coaching, these two will go a long way,” said Cameron Rast, Santa Clara’s men’s soccer coach.

John Wojtkiewicz, head coach of women’s rowing, said he hopes that she will bolster Santa Clara’s culture of academic achievement.

“I think with Renee’s leadership, athletics can stand up and be counted as playing a role in that growing culture of leadership,” he said.

Upon announcing Baumgartner’s hiring in June, university president Michael Engh, S.J. also announced $500,000 worth of funds allocated to the athletic department, something that Baumgartner said will give them the ability to recruit nationally and internationally, as well as lessen the pressure to fundraise.

Baumgartner said that, above all, she values the student athletes.

Using the analogy of a baseball diamond, Baumgartner equated first base with academics, making sure all student athletes graduate. Second base is complying with NCAA rules and regulations. And third base is being fiscally responsible while maintaining the overarching goal of working towards winning conference and national championships.

“Santa Clara has a really great chance to be special and to compete for conference and national championships,” she said. “I’m very pleased to be here, couldn’t be more honored to serve this incredible university.”

Contact Jenni Sigl at jsigl@scu.edu or call (408) 554-4852.