New Fresno State Athletic Director Garrett Klassy shares goals for the program

FRESNO, Calif. (KFSN) -- Garrett Klassy has officially been introduced as the new Athletic Director (AD) at Fresno State.

"This is honestly the greatest day of my professional career," Klassy said. "I know there's been past success here but there's more to work on and being back here having an agricultural background, my wife being from the area, it just checks so many boxes."

He's originally from Wisconsin-where he grew up on a dairy farm and learned to appreciate agriculture.

He says he's looking to put roots down in the Central Valley-bringing his wife -- who hails from Walnut Creek-- back to California along with their two young kids.

Klassy most recently spent time as the deputy AD and Chief Revenue Officer at the university of Houston.

Prior to that he was the interim AD at Nebraska, Athletic Director at the University of Illinois Chicago and had stops at Alabama, Oregon and Wisconsin.

His decades-long resume just a factor in his hiring.

"It's the passion for the valley but it's also this creative entrepreneurship that he brings with him that's part of his DNA," Fresno State president, Saúl Jiménez-Sandoval explained.

"I'll give every business here my cellphone, my email if you want our student-athletes to help market, I promise you they're going to represent you in the right way and you're going to get value in return for your investment in them helping you and they're going to get value back in name, image and likeness," Klassy expressed.

Klassy sees the ever-changing landscape of college athletics as a new opportunity for success and growth-bringing his own goals for Fresno State.

"We're going to win championships. You're not going to see anyone more competitive than me out there. I love winning. I hate losing even more," Klassy explained. "Our student athletes are going to become leaders, leaders in the valley. They're going to contribute to the valley while they're student-athletes and even when they graduate. We're going to improve our facilities and we're going to make the Central Valley proud."

Those facilities are in dramatic need of an upgrade. Something that fell short under previous Athletic Director Terry Tumey and the Elevate campaign and two failed measure E proposals.

While it's too early to reveal his plans for improvement. Klassy says he has ideas in place.

"As coach Jim Sweeney had said, 'Failure is only a temporary setback' and you know what, he's right," Klassy stated. "We're going to take some chances here and we're going to take some chances here and we're going to swing and miss once in a while, but we're going to learn from those mistakes and we're going to get better because of it."

That wasn't his only Jim Sweeney quote.

He says he's excited to awake the sleeping giant that is Fresno State.

Klassy will officially start his role as AD in about a month-- on July 23.

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