President Amy Gutmann and Provost Vincent Price announced that Penn Director of Athletics Steve Bilsky will retire, effective June 30, 2014, after serving in the position for 20 years.
President Amy Gutmann and Provost Vincent Price announced that Penn Director of Athletics Steve Bilsky is retiring, effective June 30, 2014.
“For decades now, Steve Bilsky has lived and loved Penn Athletics and the University has been incomparably the better for it,” Gutmann said in a press release. “The continuing success of so many of our teams and our student-athlete alumni speaks volumes to what Steve has achieved in his years at Penn.
Bilsky was hired as Director of Athletics in 1994 after working in the athletics department for George Washington for 11 years.
“It has been a privilege to serve for twenty years as the Director of Athletics of my alma mater,” Bilsky said in a press release.“I am proud of our many achievements for which I would like to thank the coaches, staff and student-athletes whom I have had the honor and pleasure to represent. My association with Penn over many decades is responsible for many of the wonderful personal and professional joys I have had in my life.”
During his time at Penn, Bilsky has overseen major overhauls to Penn’s athletic facilities, including renovations to the Palestra and Franklin Field.
Furthermore, the addition of Penn Park as well as the construction of soccer’s Rhodes Field, baseball’s Meiklejohn Stadium came during Bilsky’s tenure.
And Penn’s Division of Recreation and Intercollegiate Athletics recently finished its Campaign for Penn Athletics, raising $125 million that will help Penn well into the future.
“Steve has show again and again that not only does he have tremendous vision, but the business acumen, will, and determination to make that vision a reality,” softball coach Leslie King said. “ Here at Penn we have some of the finest athletic facilities in the country. That was Steve’s vision and now his legacy. We will miss his leadership.”
Penn’s athletics programs have also seen strong results under Bilsky, winning 71 Ivy championships, including a league-leading eight in football and nine in men’s basketball.
“After a 20-year relationship, I will certainly miss Steve,” football coach Al Bagnoli said. “He has been a tremendous supporter of our football program and our entire athletic department.
“His guidance, vision, leadership, and commitment to our student-athletes and coaches have been extraordinary and he remains a primary reason why we have enjoyed so much success with our program.”
Bilsky also spent his undergraduate years at Penn as a member of the men’s basketball program from 1969-71. In his final season at Penn, the All-Ivy guard was part of a squad that went to the Elite Eight. Bilsky graduated from the Wharton school in the class of ’71.
Penn will soon announce the formation of a consultative committee to guide the selection process for Bilsky’s successor.
“He has forever changed the face of Penn Athletics with his efforts to improve the facilities, coaching positions, and experience of our student-athletes,” men’s soccer coach Rudy Fuller said. “I will forever be indebted to Steve for giving me the opportunity to be a part of such a great soccer program, Athletic Department, and University. I wish him the very best going forward.”
SEE ALSO
10 reasons to remember Steve Bilsky fondly
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