University President Tania Tetlow appointed a 12-person search committee assigned to choose candidates eligible to become the new director of athletics, Tetlow announced in an email on Sept. 25.
“We recruit a new director of athletics to play a pivotal role in advancing our athletics program, fostering excellence both on and off the field, and strengthening our commitment to academic success, competitive achievement, and community engagement,” Tetlow said.
This announcement followed former athletic director Ed Kull’s departure from Fordham. Kull accepted the same position at his alma mater, St. John’s University. Consequently, Tetlow assigned the role of interim athletic director to Charlie Elwood, deputy athletic director for business administration, operations and finance performance.
The search committee is chaired by Roger Milici, vice president for development and university relations, and composed of other members of Tetlow’s cabinet, administrators, faculty, student athletes and a coach. Additionally, Glenn Sugiyama and DHR Global were hired to help find the right candidates for the university.
In her email, Tetlow described the individuals selected for the committee as “a diverse group of representatives from the university, all of whom bring valuable perspectives to this process.”
DHR Global is an executive search firm and Sugiyama is a managing partner. With DHR Global, Sugiyama will help to select talent that align with Fordham’s values within the sports industry, as he has done for other top academic institutions in the U.S. and around the world, according to the DHR Global website.
The other cabinet members of the search committee include Vice President for Marketing and Communication Justin Bell, Vice President for Student Affairs Michele Burris, Vice President and General Counsel Shari Crittendon and Chief of Staff Michael Trerotola.
Outside of the president’s innermost counsel, Tetlow selected a variety of university members, including two Fordham student athletes to join the committee: Kassity Garrett and Chris Konefal, both Gabelli School of Business at Rose Hill (GSBRH) ’25. Garrett is the women’s club soccer captain. Konefal is on the men’s golf team and president of the student athlete advisory council.
Furthermore, Tetlow selected women’s Basketball Coach Bridgette Mitchell, Alumni Representative Darlene Jordan, Professor of biological sciences and Faculty Athletic Representative Patricio Meneses, Director of Labor and Employee Relations Gülay Siouzios and Associate Director of Undergraduate Admission Rose Leo.
In her email, Tetlow described the individuals selected for the committee as “a diverse group of representatives from the university, all of whom bring valuable perspectives to this process.”
To engage more perspectives within the search, Tetlow invited the entire Fordham community to aid in the decision making process. In the email, she provided a link to a Google form where the Fordham community can provide their thoughts about what qualities and experiences the university should look for in an athletic director.
“This is an exciting time for Fordham Athletics. I am confident that our next director of athletics not only will lead us in competition but also reinforce Fordham’s commitment to shaping well-rounded student-athletes who excel academically, embody ethical leadership, and make a lasting impact on the world,” Tetlow said.
On Oct. 3, the university announced Jerry Hubshman as the new senior associate director of athletics. This role is not associated with the director of athletics search as the position reports up into development of university relations and focuses on donor engagement in support of athletics.
Hubshman will work alongside whomever is selected as the new director of athletics to advance the department through philanthropy. “Revenue generation through philanthropy is crucial for building championship programs within the Atlantic 10 and Patriot League conferences,” Hubshman said.
