Dan Radakovich

{{Short description|American football player and coach, college administrator (born 1958)}}

{{for|the NFL offensive line coach|Dan Radakovich (American football)}}

{{Infobox college coach

| name = Dan Radakovich

| image = Dan Radakovich (cropped).jpg

| alt =

| caption = Radakovich in 2020

| current_title = Athletic director

| current_team = Miami (FL)

| current_conference = ACC

| current_record =

| contract =

| birth_date = {{Birth date and age|1958|6|9}}

| birth_place = Aliquippa, Pennsylvania, U.S.

| death_date =

| death_place =

| alma_mater = Indiana University of PA (B.S.)
University of Miami (MBA)

| player_years1 = 1977–1980

| player_team1 = IUP

| player_positions = Tight end, punter{{cite news|url=http://www.ajc.com/gatech/content/sports/gatech/stories/0223gtrada.html |title=Tech names Radakovich |work=Atlanta Journal-Constitution |date=February 23, 2006 |accessdate=November 12, 2007 |url-status=dead |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20060223122841/http://www.ajc.com/gatech/content/sports/gatech/stories/0223gtrada.html |archivedate=February 23, 2006 }}

| admin_years1 = 1983–1985

| admin_team1 = Miami (FL) (athletic business manager)

| admin_years2 = 1989–1994

| admin_team2 = Long Beach State (associate AD)

| admin_years3 = 1994–2000

| admin_team3 = South Carolina (associate AD)

| admin_years4 = 2000–2001

| admin_team4 = American

| admin_years5 = 2001–2006

| admin_team5 = LSU (senior associate AD)

| admin_years6 = 2006–2012

| admin_team6 = Georgia Tech

| admin_years7 = 2012–2021

| admin_team7 = Clemson

| admin_years8 = 2021–present

| admin_team8 = Miami (FL)

| overall_record =

| bowl_record =

| tournament_record =

| championships =

| awards =

| coaching_records =

}}

Dan Radakovich (born June 9, 1958) is the athletic director of the University of Miami in Coral Gables, Florida.

Prior to his appointment at the University of Miami, Radakovich previously served as the athletic director at American University from 2000 to 2001, Georgia Tech from 2006 to 2012, and Clemson University from 2012 to 2021. The Clemson Tigers football program won a pair of national titles during his tenure. From 2001 to 2006, Radakovich was the senior associate director of athletics at LSU.

Early life and education

Radakovich was born June 9, 1958, in Aliquippa, Pennsylvania. He is of Serbian American descent.[http://www.serbianunity.net/culture/library/Lopusina1/text/s92.html Grecic/Lopusina, "SVI SRBI SVETA" - Iseljenicke asocijacije] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20081123072241/http://www.serbianunity.net/culture/library/Lopusina1/text/s92.html |date=November 23, 2008 }} He grew up in Monaca, Pennsylvania, where he attended Center High School just outside Aliquippa.

In 1980, Radakovich was a distinguished graduate from the Indiana University of Pennsylvania in Indiana, Pennsylvania, where he earned a bachelor's degree in finance. In 1982, he graduated from the University of Miami Business School with an MBA.{{cite web|url=http://www.clemsontigers.com/ViewArticle.dbml?ATCLID=205821347|title=Dan Radakovich |website=clemsontigers.com |accessdate=May 10, 2016}}

Career

=Early career=

At California State University, Long Beach, he revamped radio broadcast agreements.{{citation needed|date=October 2012}}

At the University of South Carolina, he managed $33 million in facility improvements, including the Colonial Life Arena, now the home of USC's basketball teams as well as other sports.{{citation needed|date=October 2012}}

At American University, he worked to get the school into the Patriot League.{{citation needed|date=October 2012}} He hired top-level executive staff, including JC Whipple to fill the role of Asst. AD for Communications.

At LSU, he developed a football ticket donation program and was involved in $90 million renovation of Tiger Stadium.

=Georgia Tech=

When hired at Georgia Tech on February 22, 2006, Radakovich beat out former Tech player and head coach Bill Curry and former Tech baseball and football player and baseball assistant coach Cam Bonifay for the job.{{cite press release|url=http://www.gatech.edu/news-room/release.php?id=874 |title=Dan Radakovich is Tech's New Athletics Director |publisher=Georgia Institute of Technology |date=February 22, 2006 |accessdate=May 16, 2007 |url-status=dead |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20070419172952/http://www.gatech.edu/news-room/release.php?id=874 |archivedate=April 19, 2007 }}{{cite news|url=http://ramblinwreck.cstv.com/genrel/022206aaa.html|title=Radakovich Named Georgia Tech Director of Athletics|work=RamblinWreck.com|publisher=Georgia Tech Athletic Association|date=February 22, 2006|accessdate=October 29, 2012}}{{cite news|url=http://www.nique.net/issues/2006-02-24/news/2|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20070929135646/http://www.nique.net/issues/2006-02-24/news/2|archivedate=September 29, 2007|title=Radakovich replaces Braine|date=February 24, 2006|work=The Technique}}{{cite news|url=http://www.whistle.gatech.edu/archives/06/feb/27/gtaa.shtml|title=Tech taps Radakovich to lead Athletic Association|work=The Whistle|publisher=Georgia Institute of Technology|date=February 27, 2006|accessdate=October 29, 2012}} Radakovich improved the sales of season tickets for the 2006 football season, especially "chairback" or "club level" season tickets; hired football head coach Paul Johnson. He changed the way that athletic seating worked with the TECH Fund. The program also had several facilities changes, including a new indoor practice facility for football, Alexander Memorial Coliseum redesigned as Hank McCamish Pavilion, and rebuilt tennis facilities.{{citation needed|date=October 2012}} He is blamed for leaving the school saddled with the stigma of being the sole major program wearing Russell Athletic uniforms until 2018.{{Cite news|url=https://www.ajc.com/sports/college/how-georgia-tech-equipment-staff-handling-the-switch-adidas/3DL4UAyYuZ8QaXOnkxb8SN/|title=How Georgia Tech's equipment staff is handling the switch to Adidas|last=Sugiura|first=Ken|newspaper=The Atlanta Journal-Constitution|language=English|access-date=2019-07-23}} The original contract was for 10 years, beginning in July 2008. Then-AD Radakovich had the option to cancel the final 5 years of the partnership prior to August 1, 2012.

=Clemson University=

On October 29, 2012, Radakovich accepted the position of athletic director at Clemson University.{{cite news|url=https://www.espn.com/espn/story/_/id/8568821/dan-radakovich-georgia-tech-yellow-jackets-clemson-tigers-ad|title=Report: Dan Radakovich to Clemson|publisher=ESPN|date=October 29, 2012|access-date=October 29, 2012}}{{cite news|url=http://blogs.ajc.com/georgia-tech-sports/2012/10/28/clemson-reportedly-interested-in-radakovich/|title=Radakovich headed for Clemson|work=Atlanta Journal-Constitution|date=October 28, 2012|accessdate=October 29, 2012|url-status=dead|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20121030135941/http://blogs.ajc.com/georgia-tech-sports/2012/10/28/clemson-reportedly-interested-in-radakovich/|archivedate=October 30, 2012}} Since taking over as Athletic Director, Radakovich has helped complete more than $180 million in facility enhancements, headlined by a rebuilt Littlejohn Coliseum, the Reeves Football Operations Complex, Duckworth Family Tennis Center, baseball operations facility{{Citation|last=Clemson Tigers|title=Clemson Baseball {{!}}{{!}} Player Facility Tour|date=2018-04-01|url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uwYzZrBbxyk|access-date=2019-07-23}} and the new softball stadium,{{Cite web|url=https://www.tigernet.com/story/From-the-roster-to-the-stadium-Clemson-softball-foundation-taking-shape-17818|title=From the roster to the stadium, Clemson softball foundation taking shape|date=2019-04-17|website=TigerNet.com|access-date=2019-07-23}} set to open in 2020.

The Reeves complex opened in Feb. 2017,{{Cite web|url=https://www.greenvilleonline.com/story/sports/college/clemson/2017/01/31/clemson-opens-new-football-center-just-time-signing-day/97274716/|title=Clemson opens new football center, just in time for Signing Day|website=The Greenville News|language=en|access-date=2019-07-23}} just weeks after winning the 2016 College Football Playoff National Championship. Radakovich has overseen Clemson's rise to a national football power, led by head coach Dabo Swinney. Swinney's football program claimed both the 2016 and 2018 College Football National Championship. Radakovich also helped complete several premium seating projects in several facilities. Clemson's athletic department has set records in Academic Progress Rate, Graduation Success Rate,{{Cite web|url=http://www.ncaa.org/about/resources/research/graduation-rates|title=Graduation Rates|last=dthomas|date=2013-11-19|website=NCAA.org - The Official Site of the NCAA|language=en|access-date=2019-07-23}} and numerous other academic measures.

Department revenue nearly doubled from $69 million in FY14 to more than $120 million in 2019. Clemson also agreed a new 10-year, $58 million partnership{{Cite web|url=https://bleacherreport.com/articles/2789366-nike-clemson-agree-to-10-year-58-million-apparel-contract-extension|title=Nike, Clemson Agree to 10-Year, $58 Million Apparel Contract Extension|last=Chiari|first=Mike|website=Bleacher Report|language=en|access-date=2019-07-23}} with Nike that spans all sports.

Radakovich was named Sports Business Daily's Athletic Director of the Year in 2017 at the Sports Business Awards.{{Cite web|url=https://www.sportsbusinessdaily.com:443/en/Daily/Issues/2017/05/25/Sports%20Business%20Awards/AD%20of%20Year.aspx|title=Sports Business Awards: Clemson's Dan Radakovich Wins Athletic Director Of The Year|website=www.sportsbusinessdaily.com|language=en|access-date=2019-07-23}}

Radakovich was a member of the College Football Playoff Selection Committee from 2014 to 2017.{{Cite web|url=https://clemsontigers.com/dan-radakovichs-cfp-committee-tenure/|title=Dan Radakovich's CFP Committee Tenure|date=2018-02-07|website=Clemson Tigers Official Athletics Site|language=en-US|access-date=2019-07-23}}{{cite web|title=Selection Committee|url=http://www.collegefootballplayoff.com/selection-committee|website=College Football Playoff|accessdate=November 10, 2015}} In April 2019, he signed an extension to continue in this role until 2024.