Nov. 17, 2008

(San Francisco, CA) - Athletics Director Debra Gore-Mann announced today the hiring of William J. Weidner as the new Deputy Athletics Director for the University of San Francisco. Weidner's role will focus on providing administrative and management oversight for all activities, programs and services as they relate to USF Athletics' internal operations. He begins work on Monday, November 17, 2008.

"Bill has proven himself to be a leader with a strong administrative background in college athletics across many levels," said Gore-Mann. "We are fortunate to have someone of his caliber join our team and I look forward to working with him." Prior to San Francisco, Weidner was the Deputy Athletics Director at the University of Central Florida. At UCF, Weidner was responsible for the day to day operations of the athletic program and was the immediate supervisor of the senior management team, sport administrators and their respective head coaches.

"I am very pleased to have the opportunity to join the outstanding team of athletic administrators, coaches and student-athletes at the University of San Francisco," said Weidner. "I am very excited about the vision that Debi Gore-Mann has for the future of USF athletics and I look forward to contributing to the overall team effort that is currently in motion."

Before arriving at UCF, Weidner served as the Director of Athletics at Weber State University from 2004-2005. During his stay, the Wildcat athletic program continued to excel in both the athletic and academic arenas during which time the WSU women's programs earned the Big Sky Conference All Sports Trophy while the overall athletic department earned a high ranking in the Big Sky Conference for academic achievement with a program wide G.P.A. above 3.00. Wildcat athletics also experienced significant overall season attendance increases as the women's basketball program set a school record and the men's basketball program led the Big Sky Conference.

In a six year stint (1998-2004) as the Director of Athletics at the University of Texas Pan American, Weidner helped the program receive full NCAA certification after developing a compliance-driven program that addressed past NCAA probation issues. Under his leadership, student-athlete performance in the classroom became a top priority as team G.P.A.s improved significantly and 74% of all scholarship student-athletes who completed their eligibility graduated with a degree while the athletic program earned an inaugural USA Today/NCAA Foundation Award for Academic Excellence.

Prior to his arrival at UTPA, Weidner served as the Director of Athletics at Ashland University for three years (1995-1998). AU claimed three consecutive Great Lakes Intercollegiate Athletic Conference All-Sports President's Trophies as the top athletic program in the conference during his tenure.

Prior to being named as the Director of Athletics at AU, Weidner spent seven years at Southern Methodist University (1988-1995) where he served as an Assistant Athletic Director.

In addition to his career in athletic administration, Weidner has also served on the football coaching staffs at Ohio State University, Stanford University, Murray State University, Southern Connecticut State University and the University of New Haven. Weidner graduated with a Bachelor of Science degree in Physical Education from Springfield College in 1979 and earned his Master of Arts degree in Physical Education from Stanford University in 1984.