Last week at this time Steve Orsini was thought to be the front runner for the open Athletic Director position at Notre Dame. A week later Notre Dame has it’s AD, but its not Orsini who decided to stay at SMU (or was never offered the position). WTHR reported Monday night that Indiana sports attorney and Notre Dame graduate (class of 1976) Jack Swarbrick will be the next athletic director at Notre Dame.
Sources told Eyewitness Sports reporter Rich Nye Monday that attorney Jack Swarbrick is expected to be named as Notre Dame’s next athletic director Wednesday.
Swarbrick has helped bring major sporting events to Indianapolis for more than 20 years through his work with the Indiana Sports Corporation. He is a partner in the law firm of Baker & Daniels and graduated from Notre Dame in 1976. He had no comment when reached by phone Monday.
His bio on the Baker and Daniels law firm website lists an impressive list of sports related experiences.
Jack Swarbrick’s clients have included individual athletes, owners of sports teams, and organizations which sanction or conduct athletic competitions. He has served as general counsel for numerous National Governing Bodies of Olympic sports including USA Gymnastics and USRowing. As a result of these representations and his extensive experience as an event organizer (see civic activities identified below), Jack has also served as a consultant to communities hosting or desiring to attract athletic events. He formerly served as the President and CEO of LMiV, LLC.
In 2002 Swarbrick was a finalist for the position of President of the NCAA – a position Myles Brand was given instead and still holds to this day.On his thoughts about being a finalist for NCAA President in ’02, Swarbrick told Sports Illustrated:
“The one thing I came away from absolutely certain of, because it was important to me and I asked it at every stage, was: ‘Are you prepared to really have someone lead the organization?’ I didn’t have any interest in the job if they were looking for an executive director of a membership association. I became very convinced that both at the search committee and executive committee levels they had an absolutely desire to make sure they brought in somebody who was prepared to take the initiative to try and lead the association.”
The Chicago Tribune has a great article with more details of Swarbrick’s background and offers this on Notre Dame’s decision to tab him as the next AD:
In many other ways, the school has opted for a relatively unconventional hire. Swarbrick, a 1980 Stanford law graduate and partner at the Indianapolis firm of Baker & Daniels LLP, has not been an athletic administrator at the collegiate level, though his name has been mentioned in connection with openings at Arizona State, Ohio State and Indiana in recent years.
Swarbrick is, however, well-versed in administration within the athletic realm in general. He was a finalist for the NCAA president’s position that went to Myles Brand in 2002. He was chairman of the Indiana Sports Corp. from 1992-2001, playing a role in moving the NCAA’s offices to Indianapolis. He remains on the sports corporation’s executive committee and board of directors, according to his Baker & Daniels Web site bio.
Swarbrick is credited with being a driving force for getting the Super Bowl in Indianapolis in 2012 and used some creative measures to get Indy the bid:
Actor Dennis Hopper, nominated for an Oscar for his role as an alcoholic basketball coach in Hoosiers, lent his star power to Indianapolis in its bid, appearing in a video that was part of the city’s 15-minute presentation.
Bid committee vice president Jack Swarbrick said the group chose Hopper because they wanted someone with Indiana connections and a lively, edgy style.
“He’s a little in your face,” Swarbrick said. “He talks about the idea of celebration that we are promoting, and he’s a guy who knows fun.”
Hopper narrated the city’s vision of transforming the downtown into a week-long “NFL Village,” which organizers expect will draw tens of thousands to an outdoor party featuring food, bands and huge fire pits.
Swarbrick also said Hopper is a friend of Irsay and got his acting start in movies with Hoosier native James Dean.
He also brokered a deal to bring the Men’s and Women’s Final 4 to Indianapolis every 5 years through 2039.
In a deal that could lead to a new or renovated stadium for Indianapolis, the NCAA announced Wednesday a guarantee that the city will host the men’s Final Four an average of once every five years through 2039.
The NCAA not only broke from its conventional bidding process, it also promised the Indiana Sports Corp. an additional event in each of the intervening years between men’s Final Fours.
The women’s Final Four, men’s and women’s early-round tournament games and the NCAA Convention will be included in each five-year cycle.
“Under the most conservative terms, this is a billion dollars of (total) revenue for the state and city,” said Jack Swarbrick, former president of the Sports Corp., who brokered the deal. “And certainly out of a billion dollars, we won’t have trouble finding funds to line up our end of the bargain.”
So in review, Notre Dame did not get the big name athletic director most were hoping for, but the University did find a Notre Dame alumnus who has brokered deals to get the city of Indianapolis multiple Men’s and Women’s Final Fours as well as the 2012 Super Bowl. Hmmm…. negotiation skills like that might be just a bit helpful during the next round of BCS negotiations – especially when considering the less than favorable deal Notre Dame got last time around.
Impeccable credentials, and a 1976 ND Grad, the same year as Father Jenkins. Thank you Father for the ND man.
I agree Frankie, I think negotiations are going to improve dramatically. I am thrilled.
Which link bleed?
Where did this link go?