AD Bobinski announces plan to retire at end of year

WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. — Mike Bobinski, Purdue University executive vice president and director of Intercollegiate Athletics, announced Wednesday (June 3) that he will retire Dec. 31 after leading Purdue Athletics through one of the most successful and transformative decades in Purdue sports history.

“Mike and I arrived at Purdue within six months of each other, and I have had the real honor to partner with Mike in many ways since. His relentless focus on integrity, character and excellence both on and off the courts, fields and courses has been the right match to Purdue University,” Purdue President Mung Chiang said. “I have said on many occasions that Purdue is so fortunate to have the nation’s best athletics director. Again, we thank the AD and the whole athletics staff for navigating each day the changing world of college athletics with core Boilermaker values.”

Bobinski, who joined Purdue in August 2016 after stints at Georgia Tech, Xavier and the University of Akron, has led the Boilermaker program to increased athletic and academic achievement across 18 sports and championed the support for numerous facility enhancements, including at Ross-Ade Stadium, Mackey Arena, the Gelov Family Purdue Athlete Dining facility and the new Pete Dye Clubhouse. He has also driven a transformative expansion of support for student-athlete development, resulting in record levels of academic achievement and overall student-athlete growth and success. Under his direction, Purdue Athletics programs are consistently among the nation’s best, and the passionate Boilermaker fanbase has responded with record levels of support for the John Purdue Club and extraordinary event attendance both at home and on the road.

“The time is right for me, both personally and professionally, to step away from one of the absolute best jobs in college athletics,” Bobinski said. “And it is the right time for Purdue to have the opportunity to identify the next person to lead our athletic program through the ongoing cycle of change and evolving new era of intercollegiate athletics.

“I am beyond grateful for the opportunities Purdue has provided me these past 10 years,” Bobinski added. “I’m so thankful for the incredible staff, extraordinary and inspiring coaches, and outstanding student-athletes whom I’ve been fortunate to know and work alongside. Purdue is a special place that uniquely lives and remains true to its values, and it will continue to be that thanks to the supportive and principled leadership of our board and our presidents.”

Mitch Daniels, Purdue president emeritus and soon-to-be interim president, introduced Bobinski to Purdue in 2016 and remains a staunch fan of his leadership and Purdue’s history of academic and athletics strength.

“Purdue made no wiser hire during my years there, and there was no one I enjoyed working with more than Mike Bobinski,” Daniels said. “Mike insisted on a culture of winning and excellence, while maintaining the highest standards of efficiency and character. Every Boilermaker can be proud of the performance as well as the values of the program he has led.”

A search for the next leader of Purdue Intercollegiate Athletics will be announced in the coming weeks.