La Salle AD Bill Bradshaw loses interim tag, signs multiyear deal
WHEN FORMER La Salle athletics director Bill Bradshaw agreed to become the university's interim AD a year ago, it was with the understanding that he would help president Colleen Hanycz find the most qualified person to fill the position.
WHEN FORMER La Salle athletics director Bill Bradshaw agreed to become the university's interim AD a year ago, it was with the understanding that he would help president Colleen Hanycz find the most qualified person to fill the position.
Well, on Tuesday, Bradshaw had the interim part of his title removed. He signed a multiyear agreement to continue serving in the same capacity at his alma mater.
"It doesn't change how I look at the job," he said. "But I think it makes some people on the outside look at me in a little different way. It reinforces the point that I'm going to be here. And that means a lot.
"This president has La Salle going in the right direction. That's why I came back in the first place. And it's the reason I'm staying."
Bradshaw graduated from 20th and Olney in 1969 and was the AD from 1978-86. He then became the AD at DePaul (1986-2002) and Temple (2002-13).
A former baseball player, he was on the same rookie league team in the Appalachian League (in Wythevill, Va.) as Phillies manager Pete Mackanin.
"I didn't know how to approach it at first, as an interim guy," Bradshaw said. "Pete was always an interim. So I kidded him by asking, 'How do I act? What should I do?' I got kind of a sarcastic response.
"This just makes it easier to navigate the rough waters, helps me do the day-to-day things much better. They realize they might have me for a while. This will be my last stop, for sure. It's a challening time. But the way people have reacted has been so uplifting to know they have that kind of confidence in me. It's special, when I think about how my career has taken me back to where it started."
@mikekerndn