Northern Arizona University President José Luis Cruz Rivera announced on April 27 the launch of a national search for the university’s next Vice President and Director of Athletics. The announcement follows an assessment of the athletics program conducted by The PICTOR Group.
The search comes as Northern Arizona University’s athletic department continues to achieve success, including nine conference championships this academic year. Cruz Rivera said, “I look forward to filling this important role in partnership with The PICTOR Group. Lumberjack Athletics has a proud tradition — championship programs, dedicated coaches and staff, and student-athletes who compete and achieve at the highest level — and the impressive results this spring demonstrate the incredible foundation we have built at 7,000 feet. Looking ahead, we will build on this by finding a visionary, entrepreneurial leader who will champion academic and competitive excellence, guide NAU through the changing landscape of intercollegiate athletics, and author the next chapter in Lumberjack history.”
Earlier in the spring semester, The PICTOR Group was engaged to stabilize operations within the department and assess its current status before beginning recruitment for a new athletic director. Tanya Vogel from The PICTOR Group has served as interim leader since March 2 during this period. Vogel said, “NAU has a heartbeat that’s hard to describe until you’ve experienced it — the passion of the people, the beauty of the place and a relentless pursuit of excellence make this an extraordinary opportunity. The PICTOR Group is honored to assist with this search and find a resilient, innovative leader ready to inspire an exceptional community of elite coaches, students and staff during one of the most dynamic moments in college athletics.”
The new athletic director will inherit an accomplished program that includes distinguished alumni inducted into the Big Sky Conference Hall of Fame according to the official website. In addition to its achievements in cross country and track & field—where it has secured both conference championships and national titles among alumni—the department also promotes student-athlete development through comprehensive support services according to its official website.
Facilities such as Walkup Skydome and Lumberjack Stadium are among those used by Northern Arizona Lumberjacks teams according to their official site. Academically, athletes have received frequent recognition through Big Sky Conference All-Academic Team placements as reported by NAU Athletics, while competing as part of that same conference according to NAU’s website.
The university aims to select its next Vice President/Director of Athletics over summer so that onboarding can occur ahead of preparations for next year’s academic calendar.
