Jan. 5, 2009

DAYTON, Ohio - The University of Dayton introduced Tim Wabler as its new Vice-President and Director of Athletics today in the UD Arena's Boesch Lounge.

"I've been very fortunate during my tenure at UD to see very successful transitions," said UD President Dr. Daniel J. Curran. "Today marks another very special transition. Following a great leader, I know we have an individual in Tim Wabler who can lead us into the future with more success and with the character we expect at UD."

A former Flyer student-athlete himself, Wabler is the seventh man to serve as the University of Dayton's Director of Athletics. As UD's top athletics administrator, Wabler is responsible for the oversight of 17 intercollegiate athletics programs, on-campus athletic facilities including Baujan Field and the Frericks Center, and the University of Dayton Arena with the surrounding Arena Sports Complex.

"It's an honor and privilege to be chosen the next Director of Athletics for the University of Dayton," Wabler said. "As a Dayton native, UD alum and Flyer baseball player, I know how important UD athletics is to the community, the campus, and to the student-athletes who wear a Dayton Flyer uniform.

"There is a great foundation. Everything we have accomplished in the past and everything we will accomplish in the future is a team effort involving our student-athletes, our coaches, our staff, our University community and the Flyer Faithful.

"We have more successful sports programs than ever before," Wabler added. "And at the same time, our student-athletes' academic performance is better than it has ever been. We at that enviable point where we can explore how good we can be."

Wabler first returned to the University's Athletics Division as an administrator in 1993 as Associate Director of Athletics. As Associate AD, Wabler worked in every area of athletics administration -- overseeing UD's sports programs, student-athlete support services, development and major facility projects.

After Wabler joined the Dayton Athletics Division, the Flyers experienced significantly improved competitive success. Since 1998, UD has had 32 conference championships and had 21 teams reach the postseason. In the nine years prior to 1998, the Flyers had only seven conference championships and one tournament appearance.

The highlights include the following: Women's soccer has earned five NCAA tournament appearances (including a berth in the "Sweet Sixteen" in 2001) and has won eight of the last 11 A-10 regular season championships. Women's volleyball has earned four NCAA tournament appearances and has won nine A-10 titles (regular season and/or tournament). Men's soccer has won five A-10 titles and played in the 2008 NCAA tournament. The baseball team's record for wins in a season was 25 after the 2000 campaign -- since then UD has won at least 30 games five times. And the Flyer football team has won the Pioneer Football League championship nine times in the 16-year history of the league, and has taken home the 2002 and 2007 NCAA Division I-AA Mid-Major National Championships.

As success on the field has improved, UD student-athletes have also performed exceptionally well in the classroom. The Flyers' combined cumulative grade point average has risen to a school-record 3.209. UD has had 34 Academic All-Americans in the last eight years. Only Nebraska, Rensselaer Poly and Rice had more. The Flyers had three Arthur Ashe Scholar-Athletes in 2005-06, the most in school history. Dayton is consistently among the league leaders in placing student-athletes on the Atlantic 10 Commissioner's Honor Roll, even though the Flyers participate in fewer A-10 sports than all but one school. UD had the most players on the PFL Academic Honor Roll for the eighth consecutive year in 2007.

Wabler oversaw the Athletics Division's efforts to provide top-notch facilities for the next generation of Flyer student-athletes with the creation of the Arena Sports Complex. Development of the Arena Sports Complex began with the building of the Donoher Basketball Center and continued with a $13 million renovation to the University of Dayton Arena, completed in 2002. Since then, the University has added a running track, the Jerry Von Mohr Football Practice Field, Time Warner Cable Stadium for baseball and a new softball stadium.

On campus, renovations to Baujan Field (soccer) and the Frericks Center (volleyball) have improved those facilities to among the best in the Midwest. The latest step forward on campus is the renovation of the Athletics Practice Facility (formerly the Physical Activities Center) that provides much-needed indoor practice space for more than 400 Flyer student-athletes. The Collins Gymnasium now serves as the indoor practice home for all of UD's outdoor sports, and the conversion of the Lackner Natatorium to a dedicated basketball-only practice facility was completed during the summer of 2007.

Wabler has been actively involved in numerous A-10 Conference committees, and his committee work extends to service to the University community. He currently serves on UD's Campus Master Planning Committee, and has been a past member of UD's Committee on Diversity in Community and Resource Allocation Steering Committee. Wabler is also an NCAA Peer Reviewer and a member of the Greater Dayton YMCA's Board of Trustees.

A 1974 graduate of UD's School of Business Administration, Wabler has also completed the Sports Management Institute Executive Program. A former member of UD's Athletic Board, Wabler was a four-year letterwinner and three-time Pitcher of the Year for UD. He served as team captain as a senior. A 1970 graduate of Chaminade High School in Dayton, Wabler is the first Dayton native to serve as the University's Director of Athletics. Tim and his wife Arlene have two daughters, Sarah and Leigh Anne.