Washington State makes Pat Chun the Power 5's first Asian-American athletic director

DJ Dunson
Patrick Chun took the Washington State job after nearly six years leading the FAU athletic department. (AP Photo/J Pat Carter, File)
Patrick Chun took the Washington State job after nearly six years leading the FAU athletic department. (AP Photo/J Pat Carter, File)

Update: Pat Chun’s introductory news conference has been rescheduled in the wake of quarterback Tyler Hilinski’s suicide.

On Tuesday, Florida Atlantic athletic director Pat Chun was hired for the same position at Washington State University. University president Kirk Schulz will announce Chun’s hiring in a news conference at an 11 a.m. on Wednesday, but according to ESPN’s Brett McMurphy, Chun will become the first Asian-American athletic director at a Power Five school.

Chun will replace previous athletic director Bill Moos, who left his alma mater to accept the same position at Nebraska. Chun arrives in Pullman, Washington, with few previous connections to the Pac-12. Instead, Chun spent the 14 years prior to his tenure as Florida Atlantic AD ascending up the ladder within The Ohio State’s athletic department.

Chun’s strong credentials as a fundraiser appears to have played a major part in his hiring. In 2015, Chun organized the largest gift in school history, a $16 million donation for a new athletics complex. Meanwhile, Wazzu’s athletic department was mired in an $8.5 million deficit during the 2017 fiscal year. Chun will be tasked with raising money for an indoor football practice facility and a baseball clubhouse.

However, in the short-term, he’ll be assuming the lead of an athletic department reeling from the apparent suicide of quarterback Tyler Hilinski.

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DJ Dunson is a writer for Yahoo Sports. Have a tip? Email him at dunsnchecksin@yahoo.com or find him on Twitter or Facebook.