Ian McCaw Named Athletic Director At Baylor

Ian McCaw was introduced as Baylor University's new director of intercollegiate athletics Sept. 8 by President Robert B. Sloan Jr. during a news conference at Floyd Casey Stadium. 
"My family and I are incredibly excited about the opportunity to serve Baylor University," McCaw said. "Baylor represents a pinnacle personal and professional position for me."
"We are very pleased that Ian McCaw is Baylor's new director of athletics," Sloan said. "This is the culmination of a very thorough national search that yielded outstanding candidates. Ian is a proven leader with experience in athletics administration."
McCaw is Baylor's ninth athletic director and replaces Tom Stanton, who resigned last month after seven years in the position.
McCaw comes to Baylor from the University of Massachusetts, where he spent the last year as director of athletics. McCaw was responsible for a 23-sport program and helped develop and implement a five-year strategic plan for UMass athletics aimed at enhancing equity, diversity, compliance and facility improvements.
McCaw also oversaw a $2 million renovation of the men's and women's basketball and ice hockey locker facilities at UMass. In McCaw's one season in Amherst, UMass captured Atlantic-10 championships in men's soccer, men's swimming and softball. The Minutemen football team finished among the I-AA Top-20, and the men's lacrosse and softball programs advanced to NCAA post-season play.
During McCaw's tenure at UMass the athletic program developed a new Massachusetts Minuteman identity system and branding initiative that received widespread regional and national support and recognition. The NCAA graduation rate for UMass student-athletes is 71 percent, 12 points higher than that of the school's general student population.
McCaw came to UMass from Northeastern University, where he served as director of intercollegiate athletics and campus recreation from 1997-2002. During his five years at Northeastern, the athletic department benefited from McCaw's reorganization and the recruitment of several new key members to the Huskies' staff. A five-year strategic plan for Northeastern athletics inclusive of department goals and objectives was developed and implemented. Issues relating to enhanced program competitiveness, equity, diversity, compliance, sportsmanship, external support, the student-athlete experience, facility improvements and long-term financial stability were at the core.
Northeastern graduated 65 percent of its student-athletes during McCaw's final year at the Boston institution, 14 points higher than the institutional average. In addition, Northeastern student-athletes achieved a mean GPA of 2.94 in the 2001-2002 academic year. Husky student-athletes also gave back to the community, as each team was required to participate in at least one community service project annually.
The success of the Northeastern athletic program on McCaw's watch extended beyond the classroom, as the program captured a school-record six America East conference titles in 2001-2002, and five teams finished among the nation's top 20. In all, nine different programs captured at least one conference title during McCaw's tenure, five earned at least one NCAA bid, and the school produced its first-ever national player of the year honoree in 2002 Patty Kazmaier Award winner Brooke White of the women's ice hockey team.
Northeastern's first-ever integrated athletics annual giving campaign, the Husky Athletics Fund, was initiated under McCaw's leadership, and attracted nearly 1,000 donors in its initial year. A formal external affairs plan, which included corporate sponsorships, ticket sales, licensing, merchandising and the creation of a Case Award-winning athletics logo was also developed. From 1997-2002, the Northeastern athletic program saw total revenues in the areas of corporate sponsorship, ticket sales and merchandising increase more than 100 percent.
A $4 million renovation of Northeastern's Cabot Center, which included a refurbishment of the main gymnasium, an expanded speed, strength and conditioning center, a new sports medicine center, expanded and renovated locker rooms, was also completed under McCaw's direction. He also oversaw a feasibility study on development of a $15 million on-campus, outdoor multi-purpose athletics and recreation facility, and a $3.3 million enhancement of Matthews Arena.
Recognized as a national leader in intercollegiate athletics, McCaw was the chairman of the 2002-2003 NCAA Division I men's ice hockey committee. He also served on the Atlantic 10 Football, Hockey East and National Consortium for Academics and Sports executive committees. In addition, McCaw has served on the America East championships, gender equity, men's basketball, sporting conduct and baseball committees.
McCaw went to Northeastern from Tulane University, where he served as senior associate athletic director for development and associate athletic director for external affairs from 1992-1997, being named Tulane's co-interim director of athletics in 1996.
Prior to his years at Tulane, McCaw worked with virtually every aspect of athletic administration at the University of Maine from 1986 to 1992. He progressed to the roles of assistant sports information director (1986-1987), sports information director (1988-1990), assistant athletic director for external affairs (1990-1991) and associate athletic director for external affairs (1991-1992).
McCaw earned his master's degree in sport management from UMass in 1987, after receiving a bachelor's degree in sports administration at Laurentian University in Sudbury, Ontario, in 1985. A native of Burlington, Ontario, McCaw and his wife, Heather, reside in Amherst with their four children: Christy, Paul, Callie and Corinne.
For more information contact: Heath Nielsen, (254) 710-3538, Heath_Nielsen@baylor.edu.