New associate athletics director announced

IU Athletics Director Rick Greenspan announced Tuesday the hiring of a new associate athletic director for external operations to lead scheduling, marketing and media relations for IU athletics.\nTim Fitzpatrick is currently the chief operating officer and associate athletics director for external operations at the U.S. Military Academy. He served in the same position at Army when Greenspan was athletics director.\n"Tim was a valuable member of our staff at Army," Greenspan said in a press release. "Tim has worked at six different campuses and a conference office, so he brings a broad range of athletic administration experience to Indiana. We saw a huge increase in fund raising and media network growth at Army, thanks in part to Tim's efforts."\nAccording to the press release, Army's funds under Fitzpatrick grew from $500,000 to $1.8 million, and the Army Sports Network, a collection of radio affiliates covering the military school's athletic events, expanded from two to 18 stations ranging from San Antonio to New York City.\nFitzpatrick said his new position in Bloomington is "without a doubt the best of my career."\n"This is a wonderful opportunity for my family and me," Fitzpatrick said in the press release. "Indiana is one of the most academically and athletically prestigious universities in the nation. It presents the opportunity to do some great things externally. You can't ask for anything better."\nFitzpatrick will take his post Jan. 1, 2005. Along with heading IU's marketing and media relations offices, Fitzpatrick will be responsible for organizing men's basketball and football schedules.\nDirector of Athletic Media Relations Pete Rhoda, who will work under the new associate athletic director, said a Greenspan-Fitzpatrick team should work as well for IU as it did for Army.\n"Look at what they've done at Army," Rhoda said. "(Fitzpatrick's) got a really broad range of athletic administration experience. He would be a great asset in any department."\nBefore his five-year term at West Point, Fitzpatrick held similar positions at the University of Pittsburgh and the University of North Carolina-Charlotte. He also served as assistant commissioner of the now-defunct Southwest Conference, where he executed a $2.25 million men's basketball tournament sponsorship package with Dr Pepper.\nRhoda said he is encouraged after speaking personally with Fitzpatrick.\n"I look forward to working for Tim," Rhoda said. "He's got an easy-going personality, but he's very knowledgeable and very valuable."\n-- Contact senior writer Rick Newkirk at renewkir@indiana.edu.