UPDATE 11/08/12 7:03p.m.
AU Chief of Staff David Taylor will serve as the acting director of athletics, Kerwin announced in a campus-wide email Nov. 8.
Taylor worked in a similar role in 2006-07, prior to AU hiring Gill. He has served as Kerwin’s chief of staff since 2000.
A search for a new athletics director at AU will begin in the next few weeks.
Original story
Athletic Director Keith Gill will be departing AU to take the same position at University of Richmond, Richmond President Edward Ayers announced Nov 2.
Gill will be at AU through Dec. 4. He will officially begin his tenure at Richmond Dec. 11 and will succeed former AD Jim Miller.
AU President Neil Kerwin announced in an email to the University that a search committee would be forming in the coming weeks to find a new athletic director.
"I want to thank President Ayers, Provost Allred and the entire search committee for offering me this wonderful opportunity,” Gill told Richmond Athletics. “I'm honored to become part of this institution with its rich academic and athletic traditions. I cannot wait to get started."
Gill will inherit a program with 350 student-athletes competing mainly in the Atlantic 10 conference. Richmond has captured 45 conference titles since 2000.
"Keith brings to Richmond an outstanding record of ensuring competitive success and student-athlete success," Ayers told Richmond Athletics.
Gill leaves AU after five years in which he oversaw the Eagles capture back-to-back Patriot League titles in men’s basketball, along with nine other conference team championships. Since Gill took over, AU has crowned 23 All-Americans.
Athletes also found success in the classroom during Gill’s time as athletic director. For the 2011-2012 season, 121 athletes were named to the Dean’s List with a combined GPA of 3.37.
Prior to taking over at AU, Gill served in athletic departments at Oklahoma and Vanderbilt and was director of membership services at the NCAA.
esaltzman@theeagleonline.com
