Temple University Athletics
VIC CEGLES TO LEAVE TEMPLE TO BECOME DIRECTOR OF ATHLETICS AT LONG BEACH STATE
4.12.06 | General
LONG BEACH, CA - Victor Cegles has accepted the position of athletic director at California State University, Long Beach, F. King Alexander, university president, announced today. Cegles, the senior associate athletic director for external affairs at Temple University, will begin his duties at Long Beach State in June.
"Victor Cegles came to this process very highly regarded throughout the athletic community across the country, and when he visited here, he very quickly impressed the coaches, athletes and other members of our campus community who met with him," said Alexander. "After numerous discussions with some of the most respected people in intercollegiate athletics today, there seems to be widespread consensus in his ability, integrity and knowledge of university athletics. Additionally, I really think people will really like working with him."
"Long Beach State provides a terrific opportunity for young men and women to pursue academic and athletic excellence. I look forward to working with the committed coaches, faculty, staff and the community in advancing the 49er teams," Cegles said of his appointment.
Since 2003, Cegles has been at Temple University, where he reorganized the athletic department's fund-raising endeavors, coordinated efforts between the department and the university's development office and directed corporate sponsorship. Previously, he was vice president of business development for Gaylord Sports Management in Scottsdale, Ariz., after serving 16 years at Arizona State University in athletic development and external affairs, ultimately serving as the lead senior associate athletic director, external affairs, for two years.
"In my opinion, Long Beach State is getting one of the top athletic administrators in the country," Temple University Director of Athletics Bill Bradshaw said. "Vic has revamped our external operations in his short tenure and is leaving Temple athletics in much better shape than before he arrived. I am confident he will do the same at Long Beach."
While at Arizona State he led the athletics department's $25 million capital campaign to enhance facilities and endowments, and, among other responsibilities, supervised baseball, men's and women's golf, and women's gymnastics. He also was the assistant athletic director, development, at Rutgers, for five years.
Cegles served as assistant varsity basketball coach at Carnegie Mellon University and as assistant varsity basketball and baseball coach at West Virginia Wesleyan College and Indiana University of Pennsylvania. He holds a B.S. degree in business administration from Bucknell and a master's in counseling and student personnel services from Indiana University of Pennsylvania.
Kevin White, former athletics director at Arizona State who worked with Cegles for four years, said, "Without question, Vic Cegles is a great hire at Long Beach State. Vic is a career athletics administrator who will bring a track record of strong and determined leadership, unqualified integrity and inordinate passion to the 49ers." White, currently director of athletics at the University of Notre Dame, added, "In my humble view, Vic Cegles will have an immediate impact on each and every aspect of athletics, from the student-athlete experience, to development, and everything in between."
Andy Geiger, former athletics director at Ohio State, Maryland, Pennsylvania, Stanford and Brown, commented, "Vic Cegles is a well-recognized and capable professional in intercollegiate athletics. Long Beach has selected an outstanding individual to lead the intercollegiate program into the future. His experience, integrity and ability to energize a community will serve the university extremely well. As a Long Beach parent, I couldn't be more pleased." Geiger's son, Phil Geiger, is a freshman on Long Beach State's water polo team.
Bill Carr III, whose company, Carr Sports Associates, Inc., served as consultants to CSULB's search for an athletic director, said, "Vic Cegles will provide the strong leadership and expertise required to advance the athletics program at Long Beach State. He has the right background and skills to be a highly effective athletic director for Long Beach. I am excited to know that Vic will have this professional opportunity."
Cegles will replace the former Long Beach State athletic director, Bill Shumard, who resigned last summer to take the position of president and chief executive officer of the Special Olympics of Southern California.
