He might not have been the candidate that many were expecting to get the job, but Tennessee got the “best candidate” as its new vice chancellor and director of athletics, Tennessee chancellor Dr. Beverly Davenport said on Tuesday as the Vols announced the hiring of former UT associate AD and Kansas State AD John Currie to run Tennessee’s program.
“We are extremely pleased to announce John as our new vice chancellor and director of athletics,” Davenport said via a press release sent out by UT on Tuesday. “This is truly an exciting day for the University of Tennessee and our athletics department. As I said when we began this process, we were looking for the best candidate, and we feel strongly that we have him in John Currie. John exemplifies all the qualities we were seeking in an athletics director. He is a man of high integrity, strong values, a progressive thinker, he fully understands the importance of being compliant in everything we do, and he is a leader who will put the well-being of our student-athletes above everything.”
Davenport, who was confirmed to her new position in Knoxville in December, but didn’t official take office until earlier this mont, turned to both an internal search committee that included boosters, faculty and UT great Peyton Manning, as well as a search firm to help conduct the search in recent weeks.
“We would like to thank our internal search committee for all its hard work and dedication to the process,” Davenport added. “In February, the university hired Turnkey Search, a division of Turnkey Sports & Entertainment, to conduct a nationwide search for a new director of athletics. Turnkey is recognized as the leading executive search firm spanning college and professional sports and worked tenaciously to deliver an amazing result for the university.”
“It is a very exciting time for my family and me as we return to a place that remains very special to us,” Currie added in the release. “We spent 10 years in Knoxville prior to taking the job at K-State, and I appreciate Chancellor Davenport and the University of Tennessee for providing us this special opportunity. As a graduate of the University of Tennessee, I know how much UT athletics means to the people in the state, and I look forward to serving all of the Big Orange Nation, its wonderful coaches, staff and student-athletes, for many years to come. We are excited to return to Rocky Top.”
You can read more about Currie’s career and some of the pros and cons of the hire here.
