Ohio Athletics has garnered a lot of national respect as of late, but perhaps its biggest collective sigh of relief came in the form of what it has retained, rather than gained, in 2012.
The department announced Monday that Director of Athletics Jim Schaus signed a contract extension through 2017. Schaus said the conditions of his new deal, which was completed late this summer, will result in a “little bit of a bump” in his salary up to $247,000, previously listed as $232,824.
During his time with the Bobcats, Schaus has been in charge of raising funds for Ohio’s planned multipurpose center, a men’s basketball locker room renovation and athletic suite makeover.
His efforts have been felt in more ways than just athletic success and donor relations, though. According to an Ohio Athletics news release, he has also remedied the department’s budget, which was operating at a $2.3 million annual deficit prior to his arrival.
Schaus said he has hardly hit his stride at Ohio, though.
“I spent nine years at Wichita State before coming to OU, and I think I was more effective in the second half of my tenure,” he said. “If you’ve been doing it for a couple years, it allows you to (perform better) because of the relationships and the culture around campus.”
He said developing consistency and a rapport with administrators and coaches has been key during his tenure in Athens, and that the relationships will only grow with time.
B. David Ridpath, an assistant professor of sports administration, said he has heard nothing but positive remarks about Schaus’ performance and credited him with handling Ohio Athletics’ deficit budget well.
“There was a lot of poor management and overspending before he came along,” Ridpath said. “He and (Ohio President Roderick) McDavis have done a lot of work to become more efficient fiscally. At one point in my life, I aspired to be an athletic director, but by no means I would want to walk into an almost $3 million deficit. That’s almost like swimming upstream.”
Schaus has been able to not only keep pace for Ohio but also push to a new level.
In doing so, he generated interest from West Virginia, which reportedly had him on a short list to replace longtime Director of Athletics Ed Pastilong, who retired following the 2010 academic year.
“If OU is getting a lot of looks, that also gets your AD noticed too,” Ridpath said.
“If (the job) was offered, he would have likely taken it.”
Zach George, OU’s Student Senate president, said students have a largely favorable perception of Schaus as “a student ally.”
Ohio Football coach Frank Solich also said he was pleased to hear of Schaus’ extension, adding he has always been “very comfortable” with Schaus’ decisions and the direction he brings to Ohio Athletics.
“If you have confidence and feel good about your AD, and he has confidence and feels good about you and your staff, then that meshes what you’re looking for and enables everybody to move forward in a positive direction,” Solich said.
jr992810@ohiou.edu
