Rick Greenspan
	Position: Director of Athletics

Rick Greenspan, who led successful athletics programs, facilities construction and fundraising campaigns as athletics director at Indiana University and West Point, was named Rice University's 15th Director of Athletics on March 12, 2010.

Greenspan brings 30 years of administrative and managerial experience in intercollegiate athletics, physical education and recreation at public and private universities to his position as the leader of Rice Athletics and Recreation. Indiana captured eight individual or team national titles during Greenspan's tenure from 2004 to 2008. He oversaw a 24-sport NCAA Division IA intercollegiate athletics program with a $53 million operating budget, nearly 700 student-athletes and a coaching and administrative staff of more than 175. He organized the university's first comprehensive capital campaign, which increased annual giving by 41 percent and raised $65 million toward the $80 million goal by the midpoint, and led the construction of numerous new athletics structures and refurbished outdated facilities.

From 1999 to 2004, Greenspan served as director of intercollegiate athletics at the U.S. Military Academy at West Point, where he managed a 25-sport NCAA Division IA intercollegiate athletics program with a $23 million budget and 800 student-athletes. His overhaul of the annual giving program resulted in a 300 percent increase in gifts and a doubling of the average gift. Under his leadership, 34 percent of all student-athletes made the dean's list. He also developed and funded an athletics facility master plan.

For the past year, Greenspan has worked as a consultant to numerous Division I schools in search processes for coaching and administrative vacancies. He also has lectured for and consulted with the NCAA Division IA Athletic Directors Association, the National Association of Collegiate Directors of Athletics and the National Association of Athletic Compliance Officers.

The Greenbelt, Md., native has also served as director of intercollegiate athletics at Illinois State University (1993-1999), senior associate athletics director at University of Miami (1992-1993), associate athletics director at University of California-Berkeley (1983-1991), recreational athletics coordinator at University of New Hampshire (1982-1983) and associate coordinator for the Klotsche Center for Physical Education and Recreation at University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee (1979-1982).

Rice Dean of Undergraduates Robin Forman chaired the search committee for the new athletics director. He said the committee established a number of criteria for the candidates, including honesty and integrity; the ability to represent both the university and its athletics programs well; the experience and leadership skills to help Rice's student-athletes succeed academically, athletically, personally and professionally; and the potential to foster a communitywide sense of engagement with and excitement about athletics. The athletics director also oversees recreation and fitness programs for the university.

Greenspan has a master's degree in physical education and athletic administration from Idaho State University, where he graduated summa cum laude. He has a bachelor's degree in behavioral science from the University of Maryland-College Park, where he was a four-year letter winner in baseball.

Greenspan and his wife, Jenny, have been married 31 years. They have two grown children: Emily, 28, a graduate of the University of Connecticut, and Ben, 26, a graduate of Indiana University.