AU Hires New AD Allen Greene (Updated 1/19/18: Presser Added)

[ellitor 33,062]

 

 

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AUBURN, Alabama — Buffalo athletics director Allen Greene has emerged as Auburn’s choice to replace Jay Jacobs as athletics director, Auburn Undercover has learned.

Greene’s hiring must still be cleared by the Auburn Board of Trustees. Greene is set to become the second African-American athletics director in SEC history.

The hiring could be made official as soon as this week, a source said.

Greene is one of the youngest athletics directors in the country. He was hired at Buffalo in November 2015 after previously serving in a senior associate athletics director role at Ole Miss from 2009 through 2012. He was an associate athletics director at Buffalo from 2012 until his promotion to athletics director in 2015.

Greene is described as a tenacious fundraiser and was a right-hand man for Danny White, the chief development officer for the UMAA Foundation, and their fundraising efforts during his time at Ole Miss, a source tells Auburn Undercover. He held the title of major gifts officer for the fundraising arm of Ole Miss’ athletics department and helped create and plan a $150 million capital campaign at Ole Miss.

Greene followed White to Buffalo, where White was named the athletics director in 2012. White later left to be UCF's AD in late 2015, paving the way for Greene to rise to athletics director at Buffalo.

More recently, Greene also helped secure funding for an $18 million indoor practice facility at Buffalo, which had been discussed for nearly two decades before Buffalo finally broke ground on the athletics facility.

Greene, who played baseball at Notre Dame and with the New York Yankee’s minor league system, also secured an apparel partnership with Nike while at Buffalo. He developed a facilities master plan during his short tenure with the school, too.

"Allen has worked very closely with outgoing AD Danny White in developing the strategic plan that has guided all this progress, and he has led a number of key elements of this vision, including spearheading a comprehensive facilities master plan for UB athletics; leading major capital projects; and building key donor and corporate relationships," University at Buffalo president Satish K. Tripathi wrote at the time of Greene's elevation to athletics director. "In short, Allen has been at the heart of the successful vision that has guided our athletic programs over the past three years."

He previously worked in the athletic development and compliance offices at his alma mater, Notre Dame, from 2003 until 2009.

Greene will replace Auburn athletics director Jay Jacobs, who announced in November his intention to retire in June 2018 or at the time Auburn hired a replacement.

Auburn president Steven Leath initiated a search for an athletics director in November and formed a search committee to help with the process. The school also hired a private search firm.

 

 

[leglessdan 1,934]

Damn....beat me to it

[AUFAN78 3,889]

Impressive. I like him already. Get it done!

[Never2Yield 1,005]

Just now, leglessdan said:

Damn....beat me to it

^ This ?

[auburnphan 6,050]

Hope he brings a big can to take out some of the trash

[AU-24 3,063]

So from the MAC to the SEC? Buffalo, really? Buffalo?

[aujohnson 296]

I don’t think he’ll be on the message boards so you should be fine phan. 

[Brad_ATX 13,654]

1 minute ago, AU-24 said:

So from the MAC to the SEC? Buffalo, really? Buffalo?

Yeah, Buffalo.  Did you read his credentials or no?  This isn't coaching.  It's largely fundraising and it seems he's done very well at UB.

[Auburn2Eugene 2,317]

Maybe it's just me, but getting the person who held the title of major gifts officer for the fundraising arm of Ole Miss’ athletics department, worries me. It's not like Ole Miss didn't just get HAMMERED by the NCAA. 

That is just a wee bit unsettling to me... But... I'll hold me reservations for now. It just seems a little worrisome to me... 

Here's to hoping he is legit and is on the up and up. 

[ellitor 33,062]

3 minutes ago, Auburn2Eugene said:

Maybe it's just me, but getting the person who held the title of major gifts officer for the fundraising arm of Ole Miss’ athletics department, worries me. It's not like Ole Miss didn't just get HAMMERED by the NCAA. 

That is just a wee bit unsettling to me... But... I'll hold me reservations for now. It just seems a little worrisome to me... 

Here's to hoping he is legit and is on the up and up. 

Relax. He was at Ole Miss and gone before Freeze was there.

[Auburn2Eugene 2,317]

10 minutes ago, Brad_ATX said:

Yeah, Buffalo.  Did you read his credentials or no?  This isn't coaching.  It's largely fundraising and it seems he's done very well at UB.

Didn't we just get rid of an AD that was an excellent fund raiser? Haven't people been saying there is more to being an AD than being a good fund raiser?

[Auburn2Eugene 2,317]

5 minutes ago, ellitor said:

Relax. He was at Ole Miss and gone before Freeze was there.

If so, not by much. I just found a report from 2014 saying Ole Miss was under investigation. He left in 2012... And Freeze was hired in 2012 so...

Like i said, I will hold reservations about him. It's just a bit unsettling. 

[ellitor 33,062]

1 minute ago, Auburn2Eugene said:

Didn't we just get rid of an AD that was an excellent fund raiser? Haven't people been saying there is more to being an AD than being a good fund raiser?

That wasn't expressed in your original concern. You made it sound like you were concerned he was shady.

Saying JJ was excellent at fund raising is a stretch. There is more than being an AD than fund raising but there is no denying that it's still a huge part of it: especially when you need a football only facility, a major face lift to the football stadium,  a medical facility & a host of other projects that need to be done.

[ellitor 33,062]

4 minutes ago, Auburn2Eugene said:

If so, not by much. I just found a report from 2014 saying Ole Miss was under investigation. He left in 2012... And Freeze was hired in 2012 so...

Like i said, I will hold reservations about him. It's just a bit unsettling. 

Again relax. Greene left in the Spring of 2012. Freeze first season was the Fall of 2012.

[gr82be 14,401]

Can we just let him come in and start working before we start being critical of the hire? 

[auburnphan 6,050]

22 minutes ago, aujohnson said:

I don’t think he’ll be on the message boards so you should be fine phan. 

thanks buddy!!!   

But I really hope he does some cleaning out of the Athletic Department, we need some fresh faces 

[Auburn2Eugene 2,317]

Just now, ellitor said:

Again relax. Greene left in the Spring of 2012. Freeze first season was the Fall of 2012.

I am concerned about it E. Not enough to have preconceived notions. I was just initialy concerned when I read that. 

Regardless I have full confidence in our compliance department. After my initial concern, I don't feel like he would be selected if Auburn University thought there was an ounce of wrong doing. 

It's a new day for Auburn Athletics. Let's hope he is as good as we think.

[auskip07 930]

 he doesnt come with a long history of being an AD and that is the only thing that worries me. 

[ellitor 33,062]

Just now, auburnphan said:

thanks buddy!!!   

But I really hope he does some cleaning out of the Athletic Department, we need some fresh faces 

Not to mention down size it about 40%.

[CR 2,426]

He's not Tim Jackson and he sounds like someone out of AU's normal comfort zone. I'm hopeful.

[AU64 10,122]

26 minutes ago, Brad_ATX said:

Yeah, Buffalo.  Did you read his credentials or no?  This isn't coaching.  It's largely fundraising and it seems he's done very well at UB.

If it were fundraising, JJ would still be here.....You must KNOW that it's about winning sports event don't you?   

[auburnphan 6,050]

1 minute ago, ellitor said:

Not to mention down size it about 40%.

Our AD reminds me of Duck Dynasty, not sure what we are paying a bunch of people to actually do

[Randman5000 4,223]

Woah. Nice

[WeaglWeaglWDE 599]

I'm not concerned about the Ole Miss stuff.....im concerned about Greene being GREEN. I'll just have to hope he brings a new energy and approach with his young age. Just hope he can mesh in with the administration. Or......take out the trash. I know we've had some on the inside be our own worst enemy at times. 

[ellitor 33,062]

7 minutes ago, auskip07 said:

 he doesnt come with a long history of being an AD and that is the only thing that worries me. 

That's fair but the flip side is also he is young, hungry, and driven. Plus it's like JGT said tonight. If you're looking for a way to get away from the Good Ol' Boy network, this is how it's done.