Minutes after Bob Bowlsby, athletic director at the University of Iowa, held a press conference declining the same position at Duke University, Joe Alleva, Duke associate athletic director, was named outgoing athletic director Tom Butters' successor late Wednesday afternoon.
The announcement was made by President Nan Keohane after a four-month national search to fill the position. Keohane's selection was based on the recommendation of a 10-member search committee.
"[Alleva's] accomplishments at Duke and the support he's received from people within the athletic department demonstrate the very high regard with which he is held by his colleagues, those who know him best," Keohane said.
"I am most pleased that Joe has accepted our invitation to succeed Tom Butters," she continued, "and I am confident that under Joe's leadership we will continue the tradition of excellence and support for student athletes, both on the fields and in the classroom, that is a hallmark of Duke."
According to the Iowa press release and reports in the Associated Press, Bowlsby had been offered the athletic director position. During the weekend he interviewed in Durham, but at the press conference he stated his wishes to remain in Iowa.
"Duke University is a tremendous institution and I was very impressed with all I saw there," Bowlsby said. "In the final evaluation there were excellent professional opportunities with both positions, but my heart was at Iowa."
Alleva heard the news of his selection while watching the Duke baseball game against Old Dominion. His son, J.D., plays second base for the Blue Devils.
"It is an honor to be offered the position of athletic director and to succeed Tom Butters at what I believe to be the best institution in the nation," Alleva said. "I am grateful for the confidence expressed in me by President Keohane and I look forward to working with her and other university leaders to continue Duke's tradition of excellence in all we do."
Despite an endorsement for Alleva by men's basketball coach Mike Krzyzewski three weeks ago, several other candidates, including Bowlsby, Chris Hill of the University of Utah and Gene Smith of Iowa State, were widely considered ahead of Alleva for the position.
"I never felt like I was out of [the running for the job]," Alleva said. "I always felt I was in it, and like I said earlier, I understood the process, and the search committee looked for fine people that were top-quality athletic directors and that was their job to do that. So I don't have any animosity or any bitterness toward them at all."
The Board of Trustees, which makes the final decision, will vote on whether to approve Alleva as athletic director at its formal meeting Friday. John Burness, senior vice president for public affairs, said the search committee had aimed to finish the search by Friday's board meeting.
Burness did not comment on Bowlsby's announcement to stay in Iowa, stating that "I am not privy to that information."
Burness emphasized Alleva's qualifications and knowledge of the position. "All across the country we heard that the best candidate for the job is right here at Duke," he said. "Here's a guy who really knows Duke. He was Tom Butters' right-hand man and is held in high regard by his colleagues."
One of those colleagues, baseball coach Steve Traylor, was extremely pleased with the committee's selection.
"I've been pulling for Joe," Traylor said. "That would have killed me had he not gotten the job. For his whole family, for J.D. and the athletic department and everything, I'm glad for Joe... As far as I'm concerned, it would have been a terrible loss had he not been named."
In his position as associate athletic director, which he has held since 1986, Alleva is responsible for managing the fiscal and budgetary aspects of the athletic department, as well as serving as assistant director of the Iron Dukes, the athletic scholarship fund.
An All-America quarterback at Lehigh, Alleva received his bachelor's degree there in 1975 and started working at Duke as an intern in the vice president's office in 1976.
Zachary Davis contributed to this story.
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