Ken Beazer Named Athletic Director

Published: January 01, 2006 | Read Time: 3 minutes

Chosen from a pool of 53 candidates in a national search that spanned over 12 weeks, Ken Beazer has been found by a main committee of 14 and several sub-committees across campus, to be the next Athletic Director of Southern Utah University.

After enduring first, a conference-call phone interview with the main search committee made up of SUU employees and community representatives; and then being narrowed down to one of five finalists who each spent eight hours interviewing in person with dozens of people across campus, Beazer has come out as the top candidate for the job.

Currently the Director of Athletic Development at Utah State University, 41-year-old Beazer holds more than 16 years experience at all levels of intercollegiate athletics. Two of those years were spent at Washington State University as the Graduate Assistant Football Coach. He was the Assistant Football Coach at Snow College for three years; while Snow’s Defensive Coordinator, the Defense finished in the Top 5 nationally for two consecutive years. Beazer then served as Snow’s Director of Athletics for six years in which he established the College’s first-ever Athletic Foundation Board and created the annual giving program. For the last 4.5 years, as USU’s Director of Athletic Development, Beazer developed and initiated the largest capital campaign in the history of USU’s Athletics Department, for more than $30 million. He was instrumental in the USU Romney Stadium renovation--a project totaling more than $25 million--leading the programming phase.

“My administrative philosophy is deeply rooted in integrity, honesty and hard work,” Beazer states. “. . .These three axioms form the nucleus of productivity and high morale.

“My administrative emphasis,” he continues, “is centered on. . .institutional strength (academics), facilities and coaching. The strength of these pillars is paramount for. . .athletic success, and. . .providing the student-athletes a high-quality experience.”

Beazer possesses an associate’s degree from Snow College in Communication, a
bachelor’s degree from Weber State University in Communication, and a
master’s degree from Washington State University in Communication.

“Ken certainly has very strong fundraising and alumni relations experience which is to our advantage,” Dr. Greg Stauffer, SUU Vice President of Administrative and Financial Services, comments. “But moreover, he has a supply of creative ideas for bolstering the interrelations of intercollegiate athletics with two groups who are very important to us—the student body and the local southern Utah community. These, coupled with the fact that he also has significant athletics management experience, made him a very attractive candidate for the SUU athletics program in particular.”

Dean O’Driscoll, Assistant to the President, adds, “In his career, Ken has had to take charge and make tough calls, manage budget challenges and make hard and strong decisions thereof, while dealing with the needs and concerns of a campus community plus the public, and efficiently managing a complete athletic program. The Screening Committee interpreted all of this sort of experience as such that will only benefit SUU’s athletics program.”

As the Athletic Director of SUU, Beazer will oversee 36 full-time employees, 25 student employees and close to 300 student-athletes. His new job is an executive-level position that reports to the Vice President for Administrative & Financial Services. His responsibilities will include:
Recruiting, managing and motivating a team of highly-qualified coaches, administrators and staff;
Overseeing a fiscally-sound program that operates with integrity and full compliance with SUU, Conferences, and NCAA regulations;
Maximizing fundraising successes, and coordinating marketing and promotion activities in a manner that increases positive exposure, and;
Providing overall vision, leadership and strategic direction for the University’s athletic program.

Beazer will be just the third Athletic Director SUU has had since it became a Division I school in 1988, 23 years after the institution became a four-year school. Joining him in their new home in Cedar City, are his wife, Cidnee, and their four children: Rhett, 13; Adrienne, 11; Jadon, 8; and Harrison, 5.

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