McDonald named special assistant for athletics

David McDonald, current chair of the UW–Madison Athletic Board, has been named special assistant to the chancellor for athletics, helping to oversee key day-to-day operations of the athletic department, Chancellor John Wiley announced Friday, April 20.

McDonald, who will place special emphasis on rules compliance and academic requirements, will serve in this new capacity during the university’s self-imposed three-year probation in connection with the university’s investigation and report to the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA ) released today, April 20.

“Full compliance with NCAA regulations has been and continues to be our top priority,” says McDonald, who has chaired the university’s compliance oversight committee. “We will implement and stringently monitor actions to address the issues that have been identified today.”

McDonald’s appointment was one of several actions announced by the chancellor in response to the completion of the university’s investigation.

Associate athletic director Cheryl Marra, who oversees the compliance and academic areas, will report directly to McDonald, who will report directly to the chancellor.

“Pat Richter and I have come to agree on the need for this change in management responsibilities,” Wiley says. “Pat has had great successes in bringing growth and prestige to the program, and the appointment of a special assistant, as suggested by Pat, will give him the opportunity to focus on the aspects of his leadership where he has shown the most remarkable results.”

McDonald will work directly with Richter, who will concentrate on strategic issues and fund-raising for the department, which is largely self-supporting.

McDonald, a professor of history first appointed to the 22-member Athletic Board in 1994, last year succeeded journalism professor James Hoyt as chair.

His research and teaching interests are in the history of imperial Russia (1649-1917). He is the author of “United Government and Russian Foreign Policy, 1900-1914” (Harvard UniversityPress, 1992).

McDonald will receive an annual $100,500 salary.

Bernice Durand, a professor of physics, will succeed McDonald as Athletic Board chair.

“I look forward to working with David and other athletic department officials toward full compliance with NCAA rules in a program that has a strong tradition of promoting both academic and athletic success of its student athletes,” Durand says.

Durand, a theoretical physicist who specializes in particle theory and mathematical physics, has recently served in a number of campus leadership roles. Durand chaired the Chancellor Search Committee for UW–Madison and also chaired the University Committee, the executive committee of the faculty. Durand also is co-chair of the UW–Madison committee charged with implementing Plan 2008, the 10-year diversity plan for the UW System, and heads the Personnel Committee of the Athletic Board.