TurnkeyZRG Tapped by Case Western Reserve University to Find New Athletics Director  

October 15, 2021 – Universities continue to turn to executive search firms to find new athletic directors. Case Western Reserve University in Cleveland has called in TurnkeyZRG to lead the search for its next director of athletics. The firm is seeking a dynamic and energetic leader to head the school’s athletic department. Case Western Reserve University is seeking a dynamic and energetic leader to become its new James C. Wyant director of athletics and chair of physical education. As a member of the university faculty, this individual will hold a faculty rank commensurate with experience. The athletic director will oversee 19 varsity sports, 17 club sports, 30-plus intramural activities and an extensive program of physical education and personal fitness opportunities for students. The institution competes in Division III of the NCAA and is a member of the University Athletic Association. The successful candidate will demonstrate a deep commitment to the spirit of Division III athletics.

TurnkeyZRG is looking for a creative leader, with significant experience in collegiate athletics, who has a clear understanding of the inner workings of Division III intercollegiate athletics and where they fall within higher education. The university wants a true people person who can promote Case Western Reserve in a cohesive way that will connect, engage, and excite the student body and the surrounding Cleveland area. The firm is looking to attract a strategic leader who will work with and strengthen all aspects of the athletics department and is passionate about the student-athlete experience at CWRU.

Qualifications, Skills and Education Requirements

• Highest levels of personal and professional integrity and trustworthiness.
• The ability to be visible across many areas of campus well as in the community and on the national stage.
• Appreciation of the Case Western Reserve University culture and it’s student-athlete experience.
• The ability to navigate the balance between academics and athletics while upholding the core missions and values of the university.
• Ability to collaborate and develop partnerships effectively across the University and in the greater Cleveland community.
• Highly organized with proven managerial skills and leadership ability who is trustworthy, approachable, and accessible.
• Committed to academic excellence and recognizes the significant educational role athletics can play in the development of students as future leaders.
• Demonstrated leadership in collegiate athletics with the skills and relationships to further develop and advance the Case Western Reserve University brand both locally and nationally.

Case Western Reserve University is located in Cleveland’s University Circle and has diverse student body with representation from over 94 countries around the world, and more than 118,000 alumni.

Founded in 1996, TurnkeyZRG is a specialized talent recruitment/executive search firm filling C-level, senior-level and mid-management-level positions throughout sports, media and entertainment. Over the past 25 years, the firm has filled more than 1,400 positions. TurnkeyZRG helps teams, leagues, stadiums, arenas, theaters, college athletic departments, events, sponsors, agencies, media companies, private equity companies and other clients identify, recruit, and hire the best management talent.

Related: PAC-12 Conference Taps TurnkeyZRG to Lead Commissioner Search

Collectively, the members of TurnkeyZRG have placed coaches and athletics directors at many Pac-12 universities, including Arizona, Cal, UCLA, USC, Utah, Washington, and Washington State. In December, TurnkeyZRG completed the ACC search, helping the ACC hire its next commissioner, James J. Phillips, the Combe Family vice president for athletics and recreation at Northwestern University. TurnkeyZRG spoke with stakeholders across the ACC in developing the job description, and assembled a diverse array of candidates across sports, education, business, and government.

Related: Turnkey Search Recruits Chief DE&I Officer for the Orlando Magic

Contributed by Scott A. Scanlon, Editor-in-Chief; Dale M. Zupsansky, Managing Editor; and Stephen Sawicki, Managing Editor – Hunt Scanlon Media