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Y! MyWebDayton native to complete 'seamless transition' to AD
Tim Wabler will take over at UD in January, a move seen as a given by many.
Wednesday, August 20, 2008
DAYTON — University of Dayton men's basketball coach Brian Gregory said no national search was needed to find the next athletic director at UD.
After all, Tim Wabler has been groomed for this job for most of his life.
"He is Dayton. He is a Flyer," Gregory said of Wabler. "He understands what it means to be a student here, he understands what it means to compete here and what it takes to be successful."
Wabler, UD's associate vice president for athletics and once a pitcher on UD's baseball team, will succeed Ted Kissell in January.
"His impact has been seen in all the sports," Gregory said. "He's been involved in every aspect. I've worked very closely with him over the last two years.
As Ted said, he's got the job inside and out. He knows exactly what the next steps are and he's ready to make them. I think he's been well-prepared for that job."
Since 1993, Wabler has been involved with all teams, upgrading facilities, radio and TV deals, fund-raising, budgeting and numerous other campus and Atlantic 10 conference projects and initiatives.
"I appreciate the opportunities (Kissell) had given me over the years to be involved in every facet," said Wabler, a Dayton native. "We've worked on every issue together."
Wabler will use the next few months to complete a "seamless transition" of power. UD president Dr. Dan Curran said Wabler will be formally introduced in January.
"As excited as I am personally about this, the other piece of this is that it's a lot of great work by our coaches, our staff and the administration," the 56-year-old Wabler said. "It's really a confirmation of that."
Ex-UD football coach and administrator Mike Kelly — who also recently retired and was replaced by a former UD athlete (Rick Chamberlin), saw the succession coming.
"To me it was a given," Kelly said. "He's been right there on Ted's hip. He has seen it all and he has done it all."
Kissell added: "Tim has been all the way around the organization. He has the confidence of the campus and the community that knows him."
Contact this reporter at (937) 225-6951
or mgokavi@DaytonDailyNews.com.
