Purdue University appoints Tommy McClelland as new athletic director

Purdue University announced plans to hire Tommy McClelland, currently the athletic director at Rice University, to succeed retiring AD Mike Bobinski. Bobinski, who has led Purdue athletics since 2016, will remain through December before stepping down.

McClelland brings a decade of leadership experience, including a three‑year tenure at Rice where he expanded scholarships, reinstated women’s diving, added women’s golf and hired key coaches. He previously served as deputy athletic director at Vanderbilt, overseeing a $300 million fundraising campaign, and held AD positions at Louisiana Tech and McNeese State.