Bill Byrne (athletic director)
| Bill Byrne | |
|---|---|
 |
|
| Born |
Clarence William Byrne Jr. Boston, Massachusetts |
| Education |
BA, Idaho State, 1967 MBA, Idaho State, 1971 |
| Occupation | Special Adviser to President of Texas A&M University |
| Spouse(s) | Dr. Marilyn Byrne |
| Children | 2 sons |
Clarence William "Bill" Byrne Jr. (born Boston, Massachusetts) was an American athletic director of Texas A&M University from January 2003 to May 8, 2012 when he retired. He will be a Special Adviser to Texas A&M University President R. Bowen Loftin until August 31, 2012. Upon leaving the athletic department he will hold the title of Athletic Director Emeritus at Texas A&M.
Byrne grew up in Idaho. He attended Idaho State University, where he served as student body president and received a bachelor's degree in business in 1967. He went on to receive his MBA in 1971. From 1971–76, he served as the director of alumni relations at Idaho State. He then moved to the University of New Mexico, where he would serve as the executive director of the New Mexico Lobo Club, the division within the athletic department responsible for raising athletic scholarships, from 1976–79. From 1980–82, he was the assistant athletic director at San Diego State University.
Byrne started his head athletic directing career in 1984 at the University of Oregon. At Oregon, he led a $19 million fundraiser that helped to build new buildings for the football team and athletic offices. For his role in the fundraiser, he was named National Fundraiser of the Year by the National Athletic Fundraisers Association in 1985.
In 1991, Byrne ordered a worker to cut down and remove a newly installed George Greenamyer sculpture with a blowtorch. Byrne stated that he had found it "not in character with the rest of the front of the building". Greenamyer himself came to the scene, threatening to chain himself to the $54,000 sculpture to prevent its destruction. After mediation by UO president Myles Brand, it was agreed that the damage already done to the sculpture would be repaired, and it would be reinstalled on another location on campus.
He served as the athletic director at University of Nebraska–Lincoln for 11 years from 1992–2003. His teams won 8 national championships and 82 Big Eight and Big 12 Conference championships. His athletic program compiled seven straight top 25 finishes in the standings of the NACDA Director's Cup. He resigned from Nebraska on December 2, 2002 to take over as athletic director at Texas A&M.
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