Ventura Partners Tapped by Rutgers University to Find Head Football Coach
October 16, 2019 – Executive recruitment firm Ventura Partners has been selected by Rutgers University to assist in its search for a new head football coach. With the Scarlet Knights holding a win-loss record of 1-5 this season, the Big Ten Conference school recently fired Chris Ash and appointed Nunzio Campanile as the team’s interim head coach. Partner Chad Chatlos is leading the search assignment.
“We are excited to be working with Ventura Partners,” said Pat Hobbs, Rutgers’ director of athletics. “They provide a unique range of services, including talent acquisition and development. We will begin working together immediately to ensure excellent leadership for our football program. They will also be working with us throughout the engagement on strengthening our human resources and providing market data and intelligence.”
Rutgers officials said Ventura Partners will offer services that include “leadership identification, market mapping and intelligence, outreach, internal search assistance, reference review, staff development and industry consulting.”
“We will work closely with Pat Hobbs and his leadership team on the appointment,” said Mr. Hobbs. “Anyone who can help Rutgers football be competitive and win conference championships is a candidate for this position.”
Established in 1766, Rutgers University is the state university of New Jersey and the eighth-oldest institution of higher education in the country. The Rutgers football team is notable for playing in what is considered to be the first ever intercollegiate football game in 1869.
“(Search firms) can be invaluable in the process,” Mr. Hobbs said. “They act as a funnel for information. Obviously if football coaches want to reach out, either themselves or through intermediaries, I would rather not be handling that part of the process, because we want to use all of our efforts and our time to make a considered decision to bring the very best coach here to Rutgers University.”
Proven Search Consultants
Ventura Partners is one of a growing cadre of search firms dedicated to the explosive growth sector of sports – focused on finding preeminent leaders in college and professional sports recruitment, and leading searches for college athletic directors, commissioners, premier coaches and senior executives across all sports. Ventura recently completed searches for Ole Miss, Clemson, Texas A&M, Auburn, Iowa, Utah, Kansas State, Nebraska and Purdue.
Ventura Partners Places Head Women’s Basketball Coach at Penn State
Ventura Partners recruited Carolyn Kieger as the sixth head coach of the women’s basketball program at Penn State University. Ms. Kieger, a 2019 Naismith Women’s Coach of the Year Award semifinalist, guided Marquette University to the top of the Big East Conference and three consecutive NCAA Tournament appearances as the Golden Eagles’ head coach.
With offices in Beverly Hills, Chicago and Atlanta, the firm also serves an array of other clients, including top-performing private equity funds, well-known and industry-disrupting brands, and leading industrials. Ventura Partners’ practice groups include: consumer products and services, industrial, private equity, CFO services, board services, sports and entertainment, and senior leadership assessment.
Mr. Chatlos specializes in senior executive searches across the sports industry with a focus on diverse roles in the intercollegiate athletics landscape. His clients include major sports leagues, teams, conferences, and leading colleges and universities. He has completed Power Five athletic director and commissioner searches as well as head coaching searches for football, basketball, volleyball, softball, soccer, strength and conditioning, and more, with marquee programs. In addition, he has led innovative searches in marketing, revenue-generating roles, eSports and player personnel positions.
Contributed by Scott A. Scanlon, Editor-in-Chief; Dale M. Zupsansky, Managing Editor; Stephen Sawicki, Managing Editor; and Andrew W. Mitchell, Managing Editor – Hunt Scanlon Media
