TCU extends contract of its athletic director, whose mission is clear: Keep it going
Amid the best year in the history of its athletic department, it should have been expected that TCU’s athletic director became a “person of interest” to other universities.
One potential suitor did reach out to TCU’s Jeremiah Donati in the spring, but any deal with USC never made it too far. He took his name out of the running for that opening shortly before the start of the academic year, in August.
Don’t be too surprised if another school gives him a call in the future. Ohio State athletic director Gene Smith is scheduled to retire in July of 2024.
In an effort to prevent such a departure, TCU and Donati reached an agreement on a contract extension earlier this fall, which should keep him at TCU for at least five more years.
“This is where I want to be,” Donati said in a recent phone interview. “They gave me this opportunity after (Chris Del Conte left for Texas in December of 2017), and I am very grateful for that. The chancellor and I have a great relationship, and I am very appreciative for what he’s done, and the confidence he’s shown in me.
“My family loves it here. I love it here. The way I see it we had a great year but I want more because I know there is more that we can do.”
The challenge now for Donati, and his athletic department, is to maintain the standards they all set in 2022 - ‘23.
The football team has taken a much bigger step back than anticipated from last season, which is nothing but a major concern. When you’re a TCU, you don’t have the same luxuries of a USC. A Texas. Even an Ole Miss.
Those schools, and many others, have the security of knowing their place in the constantly-changing structure of major college athletics is protected because of the size of the enrollment, and alumni base.
(The norms don’t apply to Notre Dame).
TCU simply isn’t big enough to do anything other than win, and be “around it” as much possible.
“Yeah, we had a great year last year but I’m telling you we should want more. We are capable of more,” Donati said. “We’re not done. It doesn’t stop, and neither are we.”
It took Donati a year or two to grow into the job he was groomed to inherit whenever Del Conte left, but he’s clearly comfortable with the position now. Donati has had success fund raising, and he’s a visible, known member in major college athletics all over the country.
Donati’s defining move at TCU thus far was executing the difficult decision to effectively end the tenure of football coach Gary Patterson, in October of 2021.
Donati led the search to find Patterson’s replacement, which resulted in the hiring of Sonny Dykes. There were conflicting feelings throughout the TCU community during this transition.
Some significant contributors to TCU were upset that Patterson was “run off,” but there was no easy path on this.
The only way those feelings were going to be soothed was if Donati’s choice as head football coach worked.
In Dykes’ first season, TCU became the first team from Texas to reach the college football playoff, and the first team from the Big 12 to win a playoff game.
TCU reached the national title game in football, which didn’t end great.
By the end of the 2022-’23 scholastic year, TCU joined Alabama and Oregon as the only schools to win a football playoff game, an NCAA men’s basketball tournament game, and reach the college baseball tournament in the same college “season.”
TCU’s baseball team reached the World Series under coach Kirk Saarloos, the man Donati hired to replace Jim Schlossnagle, in June of 2021.
In December of 2022, TCU announced plans to build a new, $40 million football performance complex that will include a wellness center for all of its student athletes.
Ultimately, TCU’s athletic success, and Donati, will be mostly defined by the state of its football team. There is a good chance one year after making the national title game, TCU will not play in a bowl game.
That can’t last long, or all of these good feelings will change. Donati is well aware.
If/when TCU returns to winning, Donati will likely be a “person of interest” again.
This story was originally published November 20, 2023 at 8:41 AM.
