Tom Jurich has put to rest any speculation that he would entertain any overtures to succeed Steve Patterson as athletic director at the University of Texas.  He told a local radio show Thursday he doesn’t want to leave the University of Louisville.

While Jurich’s decision comes as no surprise, this latest confirmation of his affection provides reassurance to fans and supporters that the UofL athletic department will continue to benefit from his dynamic and creative leadership into the future.

Tom and Terrilynn Jurich not going anywhere.
Tom and Terrilynn Jurich not going anywhere.

One remembers wondering when Jurich was hired in the summer of 1997 just what kind of impact a new athletic director could have at UofL. I believed at the time that the position was largely administrative, hiring and firing personnel, developing schedules, maintaining facilities, in effect managing the status quo.

UofL was in Conference USA at the time. Denny Crum’s basketball program was in decline, as was Freedom Hall. Ron Cooper’s football program was spiraling, the last season at Fairgrounds Stadium. Lelo Prado’s baseball program was struggling to hit the .500 level in wins and losses, also competing at Fairgrounds Stadium. Women’s basketball was competing in a 1,200 seat gymnasium on Belknap Campus, undergoing coaching changes every few years. No one was giving a second thought to soccer, volleyball, swimming or softball.

Things quickly began to change because Tom Jurich brought with him the vision and energy of developing a first class athletic program in every respect. Now almost every sport plays in modern facilities, with their own dedicated fan followings and they are competitive on a national basis. They receive strong support from the university, the facilities are constantly being improved or upgraded and the teams land highly rated recruits. The question always lingers, which UofL team will be the next to win a national championship?

Why would Tom Jurich want to leave all that? He’s not content to be a caretaker at another major university. He wants to continue building the University of Louisville, always raising that vision of his to new and unprecedented levels.

Share this

By Charlie Springer

Charlie Springer is a former Louisville editor and sportswriter, a public affairs consultant, a UofL grad and longtime fan.

One thought on “Jurich legacy goes on at Louisville”
  1. Tom also spoke at a Breakfast of Champions session Tuesday morning at the University Club. In response to a direct question from the floor, he also flatly stated there that he was not leaving Louisville. In other remarks, he was very complimentary of the job his son, Mark, was doing and implied that he fully expected him to become the AD at another school, perhaps in the not-too-distant future. Asked what he looked for foremost in hiring coaches: PASSION!

Comments are closed.