General | January 15, 2019

PHILADELPHIA - After nearly 40 years as an Intercollegiate Division I Athletic Director, William "Bill" Bradshaw will retire June 30, 2019. Bradshaw, a 1969 graduate of La Salle University, returned to his alma mater as interim director in March 2016, before his interim tag was removed just over a year later.
 
"We are grateful for Bill's many contributions to Explorer Athletics and the La Salle community at large," says Colleen M. Hanycz, Ph.D., President of La Salle. "His leaving is bittersweet, but the impact of his hard work and passion for La Salle Athletics leaves a legacy we all can admire."
 
Since returning to La Salle, Bradshaw has been an integral part in maintaining a cumulative 3.12 grade point average for student-athletes. In 2016, he led the successful hosting of the Division I NCAA Men's Basketball Championship East Regional at the Wells Fargo Center and has hired 13 head coaches including head men's basketball coach, Ashley Howard, and head women's coach, Mountain MacGillivray.
 
He has proven a dedicated interest in improving fan experience, and built strong relationships and partnerships with coaches, student-athletes, alumni and stakeholders across the La Salle community. During the same period, Bradshaw has also contributed to a rise in athletics fundraising, corporate sponsorship and ticket revenues. Under Bradshaw's watch, the athletic department reached a multi-year partnership with Under Armour, La Salle's first-ever all-sport agreement with an apparel company.
 
"These past few years at La Salle have been among the most enjoyable of my career," Bradshaw said. "I am grateful to President Hanycz, our student-athletes, coaches and staff for their significant efforts toward what promises to be an exceptional future for Explorer Athletics."
 
Bradshaw began his career in athletics as an assistant baseball coach at Niagara University, before becoming head coach for two seasons from 1973-74. Following a stint as alumni director at Niagara, he shifted back to athletics at La Salle when he was named Director of Athletics in 1978. After nine years at La Salle, Bradshaw transitioned to a similar role at DePaul University (1986-2002) and later Temple (2002-13), before returning to the Explorers in 2016.
 
In his final year at DePaul, he served as President of the National Association of Collegiate Directors of Athletics (NACDA) and was later named 2011 Division I FBS Athletic Director of the Year by the same organization while at Temple. During his time on North Broad, Bradshaw made noteworthy hires of La Salle alum and legendary men's basketball coach Fran Dunphy, and football coaches Al Golden, Steve Addazio and Matt Rhule, who all advanced Temple's football team to bowl games.
 
A member of several "Halls of Fame," including the La Salle Hall of Athletes, the NACDA Hall of Fame and the Greater Buffalo Hall of Fame, he has overseen record revenues at each institution he has worked and has been a pivotal part of his sport programs advancing to NCAA Championships over 100 times in 15 different sports – including 32 appearances in the NCAA Division I men's and women's basketball tournaments.
 
"Words cannot express how meaningful it is to me to complete my career here where it all started," Bradshaw said. "The people of the La Salle community have taught me invaluable lessons and have deeply solidified Explorer pride in my heart."
 
La Salle will commence a national search shortly to retain its next Director of Intercollegiate Athletics and Recreation.
 
About La Salle University
La Salle University was founded in 1863 by the Brothers of the Christian Schools, a Roman Catholic religious order founded in France, in 1680, by Saint John Baptist de La Salle, patron of educators. La Salle is an educational community shaped by its Lasallian Catholic values and has consistently been recognized for providing exceptional value to students, by Money magazine (fifth on the 2016 list of "50 Colleges That Add the Most Value"), Forbes ("America's Best Value College" list), and The Economist ("Top 100 Schools in the U.S. for Value"). Globally, the Lasallian educational network comprises more than 1,000 educational ministries, including 65 colleges and universities, serving more than 1 million students in 77 countries on six continents.