The Colorado State athletic department was shocked this morning when Mark Driscoll announced he will return to the banking business on April 1. It’s nothing new at CSU. Driscoll is the fourth athletic director to leave the school since the fall of 1997.
Driscoll, a former CSU quarterback and long-time Rams booster, took the job in the fall of 2003 to provide some continuity to a department stung by constant turnover. His 2 ½ year tenure is longer than predecessor Jeff Hathaway, who bolted for
Connecticut after less than two years on the job, but not as long as Tom Jurich (1994-1997) who left for Louisville or Tim Weiser (1998-01) who moved on to Kansas State.
Driscoll will return to his position as president of First National Bank in Fort Collins.
“This has been a very difficult decision for me and my family, but I miss the excitement and challenge of the business world,” Driscoll said in a prepared
statement.
Basketball coach Dale Layer was working on plans for tonight’s game with New Mexico when Driscoll broke the news.
“It’s a sad day for the Rams” Layer said. “We’ll miss Mark. He is a great person and a very valued friend. It’s a step backward for us.”
Football coach Sonny Lubick has been through AD turnover on a regular basis. “It’s difficult to have so much uncertainty, but the programs will continue on. It’s like if a coach leaves, the programs run on a pretty solid base, especially here at CSU.”
Lubick called the departure surprising but said: “I understand it was a great opportunity that was hard to pass up. I think they approached him a couple of times. He’s a man of high integrity. Being an AD in this day and age, people don’t
realize what a difficult job it its.”
CSU president Larry Penley, who made Driscoll one of his first hires when he took over in 2003, announced senior associate AD Chris Susemihl will serve as interim AD if a successor isn’t named before Driscoll leaves. Veteran athletic department
consultant Chuck Neinas will assist the search.
Natalie Meisler can be reached at 303 820-1295 or nmeisler@denverpost.com.
