(Photo Courtesy of CBS Sports)
Missouri Athletic Director Mike Alden announced today that he would be stepping down. Effective August 31st Alden will join the University of Missouri College of Education as an instructor in the Positive Coaching Program.
Since coming to Columbia in 1998 as successor to Joe Castiglione Alden has made his mark on Mizzou in both good and bad ways. He hired the winningest football coach in school history in Gary Pinkel and spearheaded the move to the Southeastern Conference in 2012. In addition Mizzou student athletes have performed just as well in the class as they have on the field, consistently ranking in the top ten in academic performance and graduation rates.
However Alden has been surrounded with his fair share of negative press as well. His questionable head coaching hires in the basketball program haven’t paid the same dividends as on the football field. Frank Haith, who bolted for Tulsa, frustrated many Missouri fans as he was never able to produce a deep NCAA tournament run.
Off the field issues were a major problem for Alden in recent years as well especially when it was revealed this past year that the Missouri Athletics department was not properly handling Title IX responsibilities in response to several sexual assault cases.
Whether you look at the positives or negatives on Alden’s legacy, I’d like to think that he was able to be more of a positive influence for the University of Missouri during his tenure.
The following are statement from Missouri AD Mike Alden.
“Dear Mizzou Family:
I hope that the New Year has started off well for you and your family. We are excited about Mizzou Athletics in 2015. Your support and your passion drives our University and helps “Prepare Champions for Life”.
After several months of contemplation, I have decided that it is time for a change, both for me and for the University that I so dearly love. I have informed Chancellor Loftin of my decision to step down as the Director of Athletics effective August 31, 2015. My wife, Rockie, our son, Jake, and I have had an incredible experience at Mizzou and this is simply our next step in our journey in Columbia. We are proud of what we have accomplished over the past seventeen years, which is a lifetime for an athletics administrator. I am most proud of our tremendous coaches, staff and student-athletes and how they represent our University with academic integrity, social responsibility and competitive excellence.
But my journey at Mizzou is not coming to a close. As one chapter ends, another one begins and I am excited that I will be a part of the College of Education as an instructor where I will participate in the Positive Coaching Program and higher education leadership courses.
In addition, the College of Education, in concert with other campus partners, will be launching a Center for Global Service Learning Leadership. The Center will harness the tremendous service interests of our students and faculty into leadership curriculum allowing us to take our campus to the next step in the development of our students and our positive impact on the world. I have worked for many years as a volunteer, organizer and advisor in this area and I am thrilled to make this passion now my work.
I look forward to continuing to work with all of you in the coming months and assisting with the transition. Great things lie ahead for Tiger Athletics and the University of Missouri. M-I-Z!
Sincerely,
Michael F. Alden
Director of Athletics”
Alden and University of Missouri Chancellor R. Bowen Loftin will be available tomorrow at 10:30 a.m. for comment in Reynolds Alumni Center on the University of Missouri campus.
For more Missouri Tiger updates follow @NickYahl on Twitter.
