Rice University president on new AD hire: 'We're proud to hire someone with [McClelland's] experience and success'

Tommy McClelland has been hired as Rice University's newest director of athletics, according to a July 25 press release. The Owls hired McClelland from Vanderbilt University, where he’ll soon vacate the deputy athletic director position for the private research university in Houston. McClelland's first day on the job is slated for Aug. 14.

"We're thrilled to be able to attract someone with Tommy's breadth of experience and success," Rice President Dr. Reginald DesRoches said in the release. "He brings the values of academic excellence and deep integrity that define Rice, coupled with a passionate desire to compete successfully at the highest level of intercollegiate athletics.”

McClelland is set to take over an athletics program that’s essentially a rookie in a new conference.

Rice recently made its official entry into the American Athletic Conference (AAC), replacing crosstown rival University of Houston (UH) as the Bayou City’s lone representative after the Cougars joined the Big 12 Conference.

“[McClelland’s] attributes will be critical for Rice’s first season in the American Athletic Conference and the years to follow," DesRoches said, according to the release.

The release said that prior to joining Vanderbilt, McClelland served as the director of athletics at Louisiana Tech from 2013 to 2020.

Per the release, McClelland, a married father of two, lauded his future workplace as “a world-class university with a storied athletics tradition.”