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New director of athletics named

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By Erin Wood '09

Dr. Michael Cross has been named Bradley’s new director of athletics, effective January 1, 2010, President Joanne Glasser announced at a news conference on campus Tuesday morning.

Cross comes to Bradley from Princeton University, where he has been executive associate director of athletics since July 2006. Cross will supervise operations, athletic performance, NCAA compliance, communications, and fundraising for Bradley’s 14 intercollegiate athletic programs. He also will serve as a liaison between the Department of Athletics and other divisions of the University and as a member of the president’s cabinet.

“I am confident that Dr. Cross will set a high standard of excellence for coaches, staff, student-athletes, and himself,” Glasser said. “I am equally confident that he understands what is best about college athletics and is prepared to pursue that vision here at Bradley. In a nutshell, Dr. Cross has the entire package, and we are fortunate to have him.”

Cross cited the history of Bradley’s success in intercollegiate competition, its academic excellence, the community’s passion for the University, and Glasser’s vision and leadership as factors that led him to accept the position.

“I look forward to partnering with President Glasser, the coaching staff, student-athletes, faculty, staff, alumni, and the entire Peoria community to make Bradley’s athletic program one of national distinction,” he said.

Prior to moving to Princeton, Cross was assistant director of compliance at the University of Michigan, where he earned his doctorate in higher education in 1999. He holds an economics degree and a master’s degree in education from the State University of New York at Buffalo, where he was a three-year letterwinner on the basketball team and assistant men’s basketball coach for a year.

Cross is a member of the NCAA Committee on Academic Performance, and he previously served on the NCAA Baseball and NCAA Research committees. A native of the Buffalo area, Cross and his wife Jennifer have two sons.

He succeeds Ken Kavanagh, who became athletic director at Florida Gulf Coast University in May. Since his departure, Virnette House-Browning has served as interim director of athletics.

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