Dan Radakovich
Radakovich in 2020
Current position
TitleAthletic director
TeamMiami (FL)
ConferenceACC
Biographical details
Born (1958-06-09) June 9, 1958 (age 65)
Aliquippa, Pennsylvania, U.S.
Alma materIndiana University Pa. (B.S.)
University of Miami (M.B.A.)
Playing career
1977–1980IUP
Position(s)Tight end, punter[1]
Administrative career (AD unless noted)
1983–1985Miami (FL) (athletic business manager)
1989–1994Long Beach State (associate AD)
1994–2000South Carolina (associate AD)
2000–2001American
2001–2006LSU (senior associate AD)
2006–2012Georgia Tech
2012–2021Clemson
2021–presentMiami (FL)

Dan Radakovich (born June 9, 1958) is the athletic director of the University of Miami in Coral Gables, Florida.

Prior to his appointment at the University of Miami, Radakovich previously served as the athletic director at American University from 2000 to 2001, Georgia Tech from 2006 to 2012, and Clemson University from 2012 to 2021. The Clemson Tigers football program won a pair of national titles during his tenure. From 2001 to 2006, Radakovich was the senior associate director of athletics at LSU.

Early life and education

Radakovich is a Serbian American,[2] from Monaca, Pennsylvania, where he attended Center High School just outside Aliquippa, Pennsylvania.

In 1980, Radakovich was a distinguished graduate from the Indiana University of Pennsylvania, where he earned a bachelor's degree in finance. In 1982, he graduated from the University of Miami Business School with an MBA.[3]

Career

Early career

At California State University, Long Beach, he revamped radio broadcast agreements.[citation needed]

At the University of South Carolina, he managed $33 million in facility improvements, including the Colonial Life Arena, now the home of USC's basketball teams as well as other sports.[citation needed]

At American University, he worked to get the school into the Patriot League.[citation needed] He hired top-level executive staff, including JC Whipple to fill the role of Asst. AD for Communications.

At LSU, he developed a football ticket donation program and was involved in $90 million renovation of Tiger Stadium.

Georgia Tech

When hired at Georgia Tech on February 22, 2006, Radakovich beat out former Tech player and head coach Bill Curry and former Tech baseball and football player and baseball assistant coach Cam Bonifay for the job.[4][5][6][7] Radakovich improved the sales of season tickets for the 2006 football season, especially "chairback" or "club level" season tickets; hired football head coach Paul Johnson. He changed the way that athletic seating worked with the TECH Fund. The program also had several facilities changes, including a new indoor practice facility for football, Alexander Memorial Coliseum redesigned as Hank McCamish Pavilion, and rebuilt tennis facilities.[citation needed] He is blamed for leaving the school saddled with the stigma of being the sole major program wearing Russell Athletic uniforms until 2018.[8] The original contract was for 10 years, beginning in July 2008. Then-AD Radakovich had the option to cancel the final 5 years of the partnership prior to August 1, 2012.

Clemson University

On October 29, 2012, Radakovich accepted the position of athletic director at Clemson University.[9][10] Since taking over as Athletic Director, Radakovich has helped complete more than $180 million in facility enhancements, headlined by a rebuilt Littlejohn Coliseum, the Reeves Football Operations Complex, Duckworth Family Tennis Center, baseball operations facility[11] and the new softball stadium,[12] set to open in 2020.

The Reeves complex opened in Feb. 2017,[13] just weeks after winning the 2016 College Football Playoff National Championship. Radakovich has overseen Clemson's rise to a national football power, led by head coach Dabo Swinney. Swinney's football program claimed both the 2016 and 2018 College Football National Championship. Radakovich also helped complete several premium seating projects in several facilities. Clemson's athletic department has set records in Academic Progress Rate, Graduation Success Rate,[14] and numerous other academic measures.

Department revenue nearly doubled from $69 million in FY14 to more than $120 million in 2019. Clemson also agreed a new 10-year, $58 million partnership[15] with Nike that spans all sports.

Radakovich was named Sports Business Daily's Athletic Director of the Year in 2017 at the Sports Business Awards.[16]

Radakovich was a member of the College Football Playoff Selection Committee from 2014 to 2017.[17][18] In April 2019, he signed an extension to continue in this role until 2024.

University of Miami

See also: Miami Hurricanes

In December 2021, Radakovich joined the University of Miami as athletic director for the Miami Hurricanes.

References

  1. ^ "Tech names Radakovich". Atlanta Journal-Constitution. February 23, 2006. Archived from the original on February 23, 2006. Retrieved November 12, 2007.
  2. ^ Grecic/Lopusina, "SVI SRBI SVETA" - Iseljenicke asocijacije Archived November 23, 2008, at the Wayback Machine
  3. ^ "Dan Radakovich". clemsontigers.com. Retrieved May 10, 2016.
  4. ^ "Dan Radakovich is Tech's New Athletics Director" (Press release). Georgia Institute of Technology. February 22, 2006. Archived from the original on April 19, 2007. Retrieved May 16, 2007.
  5. ^ "Radakovich Named Georgia Tech Director of Athletics". RamblinWreck.com. Georgia Tech Athletic Association. February 22, 2006. Retrieved October 29, 2012.
  6. ^ "Radakovich replaces Braine". The Technique. February 24, 2006. Archived from the original on September 29, 2007.
  7. ^ "Tech taps Radakovich to lead Athletic Association". The Whistle. Georgia Institute of Technology. February 27, 2006. Retrieved October 29, 2012.
  8. ^ Sugiura, Ken. "How Georgia Tech's equipment staff is handling the switch to Adidas". The Atlanta Journal-Constitution. Retrieved July 23, 2019.
  9. ^ "Report: Dan Radakovich to Clemson". ESPN. October 29, 2012. Retrieved October 29, 2012.
  10. ^ "Radakovich headed for Clemson". Atlanta Journal-Constitution. October 28, 2012. Archived from the original on October 30, 2012. Retrieved October 29, 2012.
  11. ^ Clemson Tigers (April 1, 2018), Clemson Baseball || Player Facility Tour, retrieved July 23, 2019
  12. ^ "From the roster to the stadium, Clemson softball foundation taking shape". TigerNet.com. April 17, 2019. Retrieved July 23, 2019.
  13. ^ "Clemson opens new football center, just in time for Signing Day". The Greenville News. Retrieved July 23, 2019.
  14. ^ dthomas (November 19, 2013). "Graduation Rates". NCAA.org - The Official Site of the NCAA. Retrieved July 23, 2019.
  15. ^ Chiari, Mike. "Nike, Clemson Agree to 10-Year, $58 Million Apparel Contract Extension". Bleacher Report. Retrieved July 23, 2019.
  16. ^ "Sports Business Awards: Clemson's Dan Radakovich Wins Athletic Director Of The Year". www.sportsbusinessdaily.com. Retrieved July 23, 2019.
  17. ^ "Dan Radakovich's CFP Committee Tenure". Clemson Tigers Official Athletics Site. February 7, 2018. Retrieved July 23, 2019.
  18. ^ "Selection Committee". College Football Playoff. Retrieved November 10, 2015.

External links

Athletic directors of the Atlantic Coast Conference
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