Athletics director search for Fresno State moving ahead despite freeze. Who’s on list?

Fresno State will move forward with its search to fill what could be the toughest athletics director job in the Mountain West Conference, despite a hiring freeze on campus.

The job was posted by the university on Monday, and the search firm DHR Global plans to conduct listening sessions this week with campus officials. The university and athletics director Terry Tumey finalized a mutual separation in March, a little more than a year after extending his deal.

Once a candidate pool is assembled, AD candidates might have many questions related to budgets and facilities for Fresno State and its campus search committee.

Fresno State implemented a hiring freeze in the wake of a May revision of a projected 2024-25 state budget, which could severely impact the California State University and its 23 campuses. The university already cut institutional support last year by nearly $3 million — it was $15.5 million in 2022-23, and $18.2 million in 2021-22 — and it is expected to be trimmed again next year.

The athletics department also is at a severe revenue disadvantage when compared to other CSUs in the Mountain West Conference, with San Diego State receiving roughly three times the dollars from student fees as Fresno State and San Jose State getting about double what the Bulldogs have to work with.

The football stadium could be an issue: The past two athletics directors were unable to move forward renovation projects on what is now called Valley Children’s Stadium.

Basketball, the other sport with the potential to generate revenue, is stuck playing in an arena where it not only receives no revenue from parking, concessions, suite leases or signage, but also pays for floor changeovers, for security and staffing on game days.

The next two years, or the first two for the Bulldogs’ new hire, could be difficult, and the length of contract Fresno State is willing to offer could become an issue. Pay could be a sticking point for some, as well. Former athletics director Terry Tumey in 2023 signed a two-year extension with an option for a third at the discretion of the campus president, with a base salary of $340,000 a year and $50,000 in supplemental compensation through the university’s Athletic Corporation. He was one of the lowest-paid athletics directors in the Mountain West Conference.

The salary range for the new AD is expected to fall between $340,000 and $390,000, according to the job posting. As an athletics director position in one of the strongest Group of Five leagues, it’s sure to garner interest from across the nation. Here are some names to keep an eye on:

Rob Acunto, interim athletics director: Acunto joined the Fresno State athletics department last August, coming in as deputy director in charge of internal operations, including compliance, human resources and academic services. He has been a solid addition and by now knows how to navigate Fresno State, which is not the easiest of tasks for an athletics director, and not to be discounted. With college athletics likely to undergo seismic changes in the near future, that experience could play large.

Bob Moosbrugger, executive associate AD for development at San Diego State: Moosbrugger has experience as an athletics director at Bowling Green and a proven track record of developing lucrative external partnerships, which should pique the interest of decision makers at Fresno State. In a previous stint at San Diego State, he led a team that raised more than $78 million for the university and served as a sport administrator for football and basketball. Moosbrugger also worked at Fresno State as athletic ticket manager from 1996 to 2000.

Tim Collins, athletics director at Eastern Washington: Collins was the senior associate athletics director for development at Fresno State before becoming the AD at Eastern Washington. He has roots in the valley, and backers in the community. During his tenure the Bulldog Foundation raised $4.7 million for athletics scholarships, which is not close to covering that nut, but it was a record. Experience, outside development, is a question, but he did put in six years at Fresno State and knows his way around the place.

Scott Wetherbie, athletics director at Eastern Michigan: Wetherbie has led athletics at Eastern Michigan since 2017. That job may be as big a challenge as Fresno State, but he pushed programs forward. During his tenure, Eastern Michigan opened a Student-Athlete Performance Center, the first athletics capital project completed at the school in more than 20 years, and Wetherbie landed the largest donation in school history ($8 million) for a golf performance center. He also has experience in the ticket office at Fresno State.

Christina Roybal, athletics director at Northern Kentucky: Roybal has two masters degrees from Fresno State and spent more than 10 years in the athletics department, working her way up to a position as assistant athletics director for administrative operations. She was instrumental in the addition of women’s water polo in 2015, which is now one of the most successful sports programs on campus. Roybal has been at Northern Kentucky since 2022, and before that Northern Iowa.

Tyler Mariucci, senior associate athletics director for development: Mariucci has experience in the big chair, leading the athletics department at Cal Baptist when it was going through a successful transition to the NCAA Division I level. He also has fundraising chops and past success at Fresno State — in a previous stint in the Valley, he helped raise funds for the Meyers Family Sports Medicine Center and expand membership in the Green V Society. He returned to Fresno State last August, and manages the athletics department’s fundraising efforts.