Boulder —Colorado athletic director Mike Bohn said he couldn’t be more pleased that the Big 12 Conference’s board of directors selected Dan Beebe to be the league’s commissioner earlier today.
Bohn said he thought of Beebe as a top candidate the moment it was announced in June that Kevin Weiberg had announced his resignation after nine years as commissioner. Beebe, who agreed to a five-year contract and begins his new duties immediately, had served as the Big 12’s senior associate commissioner and chief operating officer since February 2003.
Weiberg later took a position with the new Big Ten Network. “Dan represents all that is right with intercollegiate athletics,” Bohn said. “His leadership has been solid for a long, long time. I couldn’t be prouder for him and the conference.”
Prior to joining the Big 12 four years ago, Beebe, 50, spent 14 years as commissioner of the Ohio Valley Conference. From 1987-89 he was the NCAA’s director of enforcement. “There’s no question Dan has the experience,” Bohn said. “The neat thing about Dan is he really has a roll-up-the-sleeve mentality. He jumps into the middle of challenges and has tremendous leadership skills, poise and a real passion for what he does.
He has an incredibly high level of integrity. He’s very fair. He’s student-athlete oriented. And he has very solid relationships throughout the league. That’s why we’re all really excited for him to be commissioner.”
The Big 12 on Wednesday named Beebe as its new commissioner, nearly two months after he took the job in an interim role.
The former Ohio Valley Conference commissioner has been acting as commissioner since July, after Kevin Weiberg stepped down to take a job with the Big 10 Network.
Weiberg held the post for nine years.
Beebe, who had been the Big 12’s chief operating officer since 2003, agreed to a five-year contract. Terms were not immediately released.
“I will bring my experience as a conference leader … in taking the Big 12 to the next level of success as from a competitive and financial standpoint,” Beebe said.
Beebe has also spent the last four years as the Big 12’s senior associate commissioner. He served 14 years at the helm of the Ohio Valley Conference.
Staff Writer Tom Kensler can be reached at 303-954-1280 or
The Associated Press contributed to this report
