Published January 18, 2018 This content is archived.
Dear University Community:
I am writing to share the news that Director of Athletics Allen Greene will be leaving UB to accept a position as Athletics Director at Auburn University.
While we are sorry to see Allen leave UB and Western New York, I speak for our entire UB community—and for Bulls fans everywhere—when I say how grateful we are for his exemplary leadership and success in elevating UB’s Athletics Department.
Allen’s productive tenure at UB has been notable on many fronts. Since he joined our Athletics Department, UB has earned seven MAC Tournament trophies and advanced to as many NCAA tournaments. Shot-putter Jonathan Jones captured the Bulls’ first Division I-era NCAA national title. And in a two-year span, UB Athletics sent four teams to the NCAA tournament, including men’s and women’s basketball in 2016 – the first time a MAC school won both titles since 2002.
Throughout Allen’s time at UB, our Bulls teams have consistently achieved a GPA of 3.0 or better—a sign of his commitment, and that of the entire Athletics Department, to fostering an environment where student-athletes excel on the field and in the classroom. Tomorrow, UB will receive the NCAA and Minority Opportunities Athletic Association’s 2018 Award for Diversity and Inclusion, a recognition of the Athletics Department’s impactful initiatives aimed at creating an inclusive environment in athletics, on campus and in the community.
Allen has also been instrumental in building philanthropic support for UB athletics. Under his leadership, UB broke ground last fall on the Murchie Family Fieldhouse, a 92,000-square-foot indoor practice facility and a longtime dream for the university that will greatly enhance the experience of our student-athletes and our general student population. He spearheaded development of the UB athletics facilities master plan and has led a wide range of significant capital projects.
These achievements and more speak to Allen’s strategic and thoughtful efforts to create a well-rounded intercollegiate program that strives for excellence in all of its pursuits, and enriches our university community in so doing. Thanks to his leadership, our Athletics Department is extremely well positioned to build upon our strengths and compete among the best in the nation.
As we look forward to our athletics programs achieving even greater success in the future, I will be sharing details in the coming weeks regarding our next steps in identifying a director to guide the Athletics Department forward.
In the meantime, please join me in congratulating Allen and in wishing him well as he undertakes this exciting opportunity.
Satish K. Tripathi
President
