Ball State hires fourth new athletic director in a decade

For the fourth time in about a decade, Ball State University is announcing a new athletic director to lead the school’s Division I program.  IPR’s Stephanie Wiechmann reports.

Jeff Mitchell previously served as deputy director of athletics at the University of Southern Mississippi.  Before that, he spent more than a decade at Santa Clara University in California.

Ball State president Geoffrey Mearns spoke of Mitchell’s character when introducing him to the Cardinals.  He says Mitchell understands that sports isn’t just about winning or competing on the national stage.

“Jeff understands that we sponsor intercollegiate sports because it prepares our students and our student-athletes for fulfilling careers and meaningful lives, which is our mission.”

Mitchell played baseball in his undergraduate years in Jackson, Mississippi.  Since then, he’s earned an MBA and a law degree, spent two decades as a public address announcer for Division I games, and taught business classes as an adjunct professor in addition to his athletics duties.

Mitchell says he vows to be a “great teammate” in what he sees as a dream job opportunity.

“An opportunity that presents stability and a growth mindset.  An opportunity where enlightened people are for each other.  An opportunity where enduring values guide our life, our work, and our play.”

In the last decade, Ball State has had three athletic directors.  The most recent, Beth Goetz, recently took the Deputy Director of Athletics job at the University of Iowa.

Mitchell officially begins at Ball State on March 20.