U of M taps Syracuse exec to lead Gopher athletics

Updated 4:40 p.m. | Posted 11:03 a.m.

University of Minnesota President Eric Kaler announced Wednesday the school has hired Mark Coyle as its new athletics director.

Coyle, who most recently served as athletics director at Syracuse University, said he wants to start work in Minnesota around Memorial Day, pending approval of his hiring by the Board of Regents.

In announcing the hiring, Kaler noted Coyle's "commitment to gender equity" and academics.

"I want to make sure that you know that our No. 1 priority will be our students," Coyle told reporters.

Kaler described Coyle as a strong recruiter who can take athletic programs far, noting that teams under Coyle's leadership have gone to the Final Four and Fiesta Bowl.

The deal calls for Coyle to be paid a base salary of $850,000 a year over his 5-year contract. That amount doesn't include incentives.

"All the pieces of the puzzle are here," Kaler said. "Our expectations need to be that we're going to compete at a high level"

Coyle, 47, ran the Syracuse department for less than a year. Syracuse officials said Wednesday that Coyle has told them he is quitting the Syracuse post and taking the University of Minnesota job "for family reasons."

When asked of his abrupt departure from Syracuse, Coyle said, "I regret the timing" but hopes colleagues in New York understand his decision.

Before Syracuse, he served as athletics director at Boise State University and as deputy athletics director at the University of Kentucky.

He also served as associate athletic director for external relations at the University of Minnesota from 2001 to 2005, where his responsibilities included marketing, the ticket office and licensing, the U said in a statement announcing Coyle.

Coyle — whose kids, wife, mom and sister were in the audience at Wednesday's news conference — said he's excited to move back to Minnesota.

"This is home base for us," he said.

If approved, he'll take over a troubled U athletics department that was shaken last summer when then-athletics director Norwood Teague resigned after acknowledging sexual harassment allegations by two U workers.

The U has also been dealing with a Title IX investigation and several player suspensions.

"Frankly, this has been a tough week and a tough couple of months for our men's basketball program," Kaler said. "I'm profoundly disappointed in the continuing episodes of poor judgment and alleged crimes and it simply can't continue. Mark is aware of my concerns and wherever he's been, Mark's commitment to integrity is unquestioned."

It's familiar territory for Coyle, who has a reputation for cleaning up programs. He took the Boise State job in 2011 as that university was reeling from NCAA sanctions.

He was hired by Syracuse in June 2015, another program that was dealing with NCAA violations and penalties.

During the search process for Teague's replacement, Beth Goetz served as interim athletics director. Kaler didn't know Goetz's plan for certain as of Wednesday afternoon, but said he hopes she stays at the university.