Connect with us

Jobs

Army athletics director Mike Buddie resigns post to take same job at Texas Christian

Published

5 days ago

on

Army athletics director Mike Buddie resigns post to take same job at Texas Christian

A new year will mean new leadership for the athletics program at West Point.

Mike Buddie has resigned his post as athletics director for Army to accept the same position at Texas Christian University. Buddie has held the position at West Point since spring of 2019. Buddie is expected to assume his TCU duties effective immediately.

“For the past six years, our family has been embraced and immersed in life at (the U.S. Military Academy),” Buddie wrote on his X / Twitter account. “Working for the West Point cadet-athletes has been one of the most rewarding experiences of my professional life. I am proud of the successes they have achieved but more importantly how they achieved them.”

Buddie served West Point in a time of major change. Famed Michie Stadium is in the middle of a three-year, $170 million renovation project, which will modernize the east stands.

“The Long Gray Line stepped up to finish the Michie Stadium project, and I anxiously await the final product which will greatly elevate the fan experience at Michie Stadium,” Buddie also wrote.

Buddie worked on the extension of Jeff Monken’s contract as head football coach; he hired basketball coaches Missy Traversi and Kevin Kuwik, plus baseball coach Chris Tracz, gymnastics coach J.D. Reive and women’s lacrosse coach Michelle Tumolo; and, hired Zach McKelvie as the head ice hockey coach to follow Brian Riley, who announced his resignation prior to the season.

“Mike Buddie has been an extraordinary teammate, truly committed to the ideals of Duty, Honor, Country,” said Lt. Gen. Steven W. Gilliand, superintendent of West Point. “He has made a lasting impact on Army athletics, including the Michie Stadium Preservation Project, Army football’s move to the American Athletic Conference, and numerous conference championships and postseason appearances. Yet, his true legacy over the past five and a half years is the thousands of cadet-athletes who developed into leaders of character for our nation. On behalf of the West Point community and the Long Gray Line, we wish Mike and (wife) Traci all the best in their new chapter.”

“There’s no place like TCU – the perfect mix of excellent academic reputation, unbeatable campus experience, and sports that pack a punch,” Buddie said. “I’m honored to join an organization that is committed to its mission and values but doesn’t shy away from prioritizing winning. In my 20-year career at Division I universities, I’ve had a leading role in taking athletics programs to next-level performance. The intercollegiate landscape is transforming quickly, and TCU’s brand is leaning into athletics as a distinctive element of its culture. I believe in the vision and am ready to step in and work with TCU’s student-athletes, coaches and leaders to create real opportunities and momentum.

“My wife Traci and I are grateful to Army and all of our friends and colleagues in the industry who have supported us,” he added. “We are thrilled to be joining the Horned Frog community. Go Frogs!” 

Since Buddie’s arrival from his previous job at Furman, West Point athletes have earned four Rhodes Scholarships, a dozen conference championships and NCAA postseason appearances, 12 Patriot League coach of the year honors and Monken claiming the AAC coach of the year. He recently completed a deal for CBS Sports to remain the television partner for the Army-Navy game through 2038.

“TCU is fortunate to welcome Mike as their athletic director,” said Corky Messner, chair of the board of directors for West Point Athletics, “as he brings a proven track record of success and a history of positioning organizations for excellence in the ever-evolving landscape of college athletics.”

Buddie said he is grateful for the leadership lessons he learned while at West Point into the next chapter of his professional life.

“To the USMA family, we say THANK YOU and Beat Navy!” Buddie concluded.

Gilland and Messner will oversee the national search for a replacement.

Buddie played baseball for Wake Forest and for the New York Yankees and Milwaukee Brewers from 1998-2002. He later worked as a senior associate AD at Wake Forest and as AD at Furman.

Abby Howard will take over as Army’s interim AD until a national search for the job is completed. Howard has been an associate AD and corporate counsel for West Point since October 2022. She was appointed deputy AD in March 2024. Howard was a four-year letterwinner for the Ohio State women’s swimming and diving team.

kmcmillan@th-record.com

X / Twitter: @KenMcMillanTHR

Related Topics:
Continue Reading