Fresno State welcomes new Athletic Director
FRESNO, Calif. (KFSN) -- Dressed in a red tie with matching pocket square Terry Tumey was introduced as the new Fresno State Athletics Director on Monday.
Tumey comes to the Valley after spending the last couple of years serving in the same position at the Division III Claremont-Mudd-Scripps colleges in Southern California.
"We have so much to do, I'm just very excited to get going," said Tumey.
University staff, along with red wave supporters and boosters met with the new Athletics Director Monday as he arrived on campus with his wife and daughter by his side.
Tumey says Fresno State's tradition of winning and community support is what attracted him to the job.
The former all-conference nose guard from UCLA has a clear vision on how to build a department with a $20 million budget
"Our high profile sports are going to be very important. We've had a very successful campaign in football we need to continue that trajectory so it can trickle down to our other sports."
One of the first items on the agenda for Tumey will be how to convince donors to help with improvements to Bulldog Stadium and other facilities.
"We are all here to help him and support him," said head football coach Jeff Tedford. "I'm sure, over time, he's the type of person that will have a plan, and be trustworthy, and all the people will fall in line with that."
Tumey also brings a business background to the position, having served as director of operations for the San Francisco 49ers in the early 2000's, to go along with his experience of running multiple sports departments
"We were blessed with a strong pool of candidates," said Fresno State President Joseph Castro. "He came to the very top because of his experience at Division I, II, and III as a sitting athletic director. He's dealt with a wide array of issues successfully."
Tumey will officially take over the job on August 1.
