STATE COLLEGE, Pa. ― Penn State hired Sandy Barbour as athletic director, a month after she stepped down as AD at the University of California-Berkeley.
The 54-year-old Barbour replaces David Joyner, who announced he was resigning last month. Joyner took over at Penn State in the wake of the Jerry Sandusky scandal and held the job for two and a half years.
Barbour was given a five-year contract that pays $700,000 per year with potential bonuses worth a potential additional $200,000 per year.
She said she intends to bring a “student-first” approach to the job when she takes over on Aug. 18.
“Creating conditions for success for students and creating a world class experience for them while they’re here impacts the rest of their lives,” she said. “Penn State alumni and athletic alumni experienced that while they were here and I only intend to grow that.”
At a news conference Saturday, new Penn State president Eric Barron said Barbour was the unanimous choice of the university’s screening committee. Barron said Barbour’s salary makes her the fifth-highest paid among Big Ten ADs. She’s the first woman to hold the position at Penn State.
Barbour spent 10 years at Cal and oversaw 19 team national championships, 92 titles in individual events, a Pac-10 co-championship in football, the first men’s basketball conference title in 50 years and the first Final Four trip for the women’s basketball team.
