University of Iowa begins search for new full-time athletic director with creation of search committee

The UI said it had intentions for a national search to replace former athletic director Gary Barta “sometime in early 2024.”

December 1, 2023

Grace Smith

University of Iowa’s Interim Athletic Director Beth Goetz speaks with members of the media during a press conference at the Hansen Football Performance Center in Iowa City on Tuesday, Oct. 31, 2023. After Goetz said in a statement released on Oct. 30 that she informed offensive coordinator Brian Ferentz that “this is his last season with the program,” Iowa head coach Kirk Ferentz and Goetz answered questions from the media about the statement.

The University of Iowa signaled the beginning of a nationwide search for a new athletic director with the creation of a search committee, it was announced on Thursday.

Former deputy athletic director Beth Goetz was announced as Iowa’s interim athletic director on June 1 before then-athletic director Gary Barta’s was to retire on Aug. 1. In that announcement, the UI said it had intentions for a national search to replace Barta “sometime in early 2024.”

That search is around the corner as, in the statement released on Thursday, the UI announced that president Barbara Wilson named Nicole Grosland chair of a search committee for a national search for Barta’s successor. Grosland is the associate dean for academic programs in the UI College of Engineering and a professor of biomedical engineering.

In addition to Grosland, members of the search committee include:

P. Sue Beckwith, alum and donor
Josie Durr, soccer player
Rick Heller, head baseball coach
Terry Johnson, chief financial officer and treasurer
Jamie Jorgensen, vice president for legal affairs and general counsel
Lynette Marshall, president and chief executive officer of the UI Center for Advancement
Jess Rickertsen, assistant athletics director of ticket operations
James Torner, professor of epidemiology and representative of the Presidential Committee on Athletics
Liz Tovar, senior associate athletics director for student-athlete academic services

The UI also announced it would work with the search firm TurnkeyZRG in the process, which has partnered with the NFL and NCAA previously to recruit high-level management positions.

In her brief stint as interim athletic director, Goetz has received praise from fans and coaches alike, including volleyball coach Jim Barnes and women’s basketball coach Lisa Bluder, with the latter saying she’s behind her “100 percent.”

Wilson told The Daily Iowan she “very much” hoped Goetz applied for the athletic director position when it opened. If Goetz is not hired full-time, her contract states she will return to her role as Iowa’s deputy director, which she started in September of 2022.

About the Contributors

Cooper Worth, Pregame reporter

(he/him/his)

Cooper Worth is a Pregame Reporter for The Daily Iowan. He is a senior at the University of Iowa majoring in journalism and mass communication. He is also earning a minor in communication studies and an entrepreneurial management certificate. This is his third year at the DI, previously serving as a News Editor and as a News Reporter covering local government in Johnson County for the DI. Cooper interned for the Telegraph Herald in Dubuque, Iowa during the summer of 2023 as a general news reporter.

Grace Smith, Senior photojournalist and filmmaker

she/her/hers

Grace Smith is a fourth-year student at the University of Iowa double majoring in Journalism and Cinematic Arts. In her four years at The Daily Iowan, she has held the roles of photo editor, managing summer editor, and visual storyteller. Outside of The Daily Iowan, Grace has held an internship at The Denver Post and pursued freelance assignments for the Cedar Rapids Gazette and the Des Moines Register.