UMaine AD James Leaving for Miami Post
Contact: Joe Carr at (207) 581-3571
Andrew Mahoney at (207) 581-4158
ORONO — University of Maine athletic director Blake James has accepted an offer to return to the University of Miami, where he worked in athletic administration from 1998-2001. UMaine’s AD since July 2005, James will leave in early September.
“Blake has done an outstanding job managing the UMaine athletic department, and we will miss him,” says UMaine President Robert Kennedy. “He has responded to significant challenges by making tough decisions and maintaining focus on the appropriate priorities, especially the academic success of our student-athletes, which has been exceptional during his tenure. While overseeing a competitive Division I program, Blake has built a strong foundation for future Black Bear athletic success. UMaine will benefit from his positive impact on the university and the department for years to come.”
At Miami, James will serve as senior associate athletic director for external affairs. He will be responsible for several aspects of that Atlantic Coast Conference institution’s athletics operations, including marketing, development, ticket sales and ticket operations. He will be a member of the Hurricanes’ senior administrative staff, reporting to AD Kirby Hocutt.
James arrived at UMaine in 2003, first serving as senior associate athletic director. He was named interim AD in July 2005 and was chosen for the AD job following a national search in May 2006. In addition to Miami, James has also worked at the University of Nebraska and Providence College.
“I truly appreciate the opportunity I have been given here at UMaine. My family and I have enjoyed our time here immensely and we will always treasure our experiences as part of the UMaine community,” James says. “At the same time, a return to Miami in this role represents a personal and professional opportunity that it too good to pass up.”
Black Bear teams have qualified for NCAA tournament play in football, men’s hockey and baseball during James’ UMaine tenure. Teams in several other sports have had significant successes competing at the conference level, while a number of individuals in sports like cross-country, track and field and swimming have excelled against regional and even national competitors.
“Nobody competes harder than Black Bear coaches and student-athletes,” James says. “UMaine teams are known for perseverance, hard work and the ability to overcome adversity, and that is a credit to everybody who wears the Black Bear uniform. I will always be proud to be a UMaine fan.”
Black Bear student-athletes have excelled in the classroom during James’ tenure, achieving an overall grade point average above 3.0 and with record numbers of Black Bears receiving university academic recognition in 2010. UMaine student-athletes have earned conference student-athlete of the year honors six times during James’ time as AD. In 2007, UMaine won the America East Academic Cup Award, given to the conference member institution with the highest overall grade point average among students participating in conference sports.
The UMaine athletic department has also grown in significant ways during James’ tenure. He has overseen the development of a statewide television and radio network, a department-wide equipment arrangement with Adidas and several facility enhancements, including the Mahaney Dome, the Alfond Arena video scoreboard, a new field hockey complex and new surfaces on Morse Field and Mahaney Diamond.
To arrange interviews with Blake James, contact Andrew Mahoney at (207) 581-4158.