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Josh Whitman

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Josh Whitman
Illinois Fighting Illini
Position:Athletic director
Personal information
Born: (1978-08-05) August 5, 1978 (age 46)
West Lafayette, Indiana, U.S.
Height:6 ft 4 in (1.93 m)
Weight:245 lb (111 kg)
Career information
High school:West Lafayette (IN) Harrison
College:Illinois
Undrafted:2001
Career history
As a player:
 * Offseason and/or practice squad member only
As an administrator:
Career highlights and awards
As player:
Stats at Pro Football Reference

Joshua Harmon Whitman (born August 5, 1978) is an American university administrator, a lawyer, and a former professional football player. He is currently the athletic director at the University of Illinois at Urbana–Champaign. Whitman served as the athletic director at University of Wisconsin–La Crosse from 2011 to 2014, and Washington University in St. Louis from 2014 to 2016.[2]

Education and early career

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Whitman graduated from Harrison High School in West Lafayette, Indiana in 1997.[3] He played tight end at Illinois from 1997–2000 under head coach Ron Turner.[4] Whitman graduated from Illinois in 2001 as a bronze tablet scholar with his B.S degree in finance. In 2004, he retired from the NFL and enrolled in the University of Illinois College of Law.[5] As a law student, Whitman spent time as a law clerk for Michael P. McCuskey and Michael Stephen Kanne, both of whom are United States federal judges.[5] From 2005–2008 Whitman also worked in the Illinois athletic department as a special assistant to athletic director Ron Guenther.[4] After receiving his J.D. degree summa cum laude in 2008, Whitman took a job in Washington D.C. working as an attorney for Covington & Burling, which serves as outside legal counsel for the NFL.[5]

Athletic administration career

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In 2010, Whitman was hired as the athletic director for NCAA Division III Wisconsin–La Crosse.[6] While Whitman was at Wisconsin–La Crosse, Eagles teams won four national championships and 21 conference titles.[7] Whitman was later named athletic director of Washington University in St. Louis in 2014.[7]

In 2016, Whitman was hired as the 14th athletic director for the University of Illinois.[8] During his time at Illinois; Whitman has fired Bill Cubit, Lovie Smith, and John Groce and also has hired Lovie Smith, Brad Underwood, and Bret Bielema during his tenure. Other notable hires and contract extensions include Shauna Green, Mike Small, Chris Tamas, and Dan Hartleb.[9]

References

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  1. ^ "Transactions". NFL.com. Retrieved September 12, 2024.
  2. ^ "Illinois hires Josh Whitman as AD". ESPN. February 17, 2015. Retrieved February 18, 2015.
  3. ^ Mercer, David (February 18, 2016). "Whitman hopes to restore Illinois' lost identity". Associated Press.
  4. ^ a b Haugh, David (February 16, 2016). "Josh Whitman unorthodox choice as Illinois AD but could be astute one". Chicago Tribune. Retrieved March 24, 2017.
  5. ^ a b c Dey, Jim (February 18, 2016). "It takes time to become an overnight success". News Gazette. Retrieved February 18, 2015.
  6. ^ "Former NFF Scholar Athlete Josh Whitman Named Wisconsin-La Crosse AD". National Football Foundation. August 23, 2010. Archived from the original on March 25, 2017. Retrieved February 18, 2016.
  7. ^ a b Baird, Nathan (June 5, 2014). "Harrison grad Whitman named Washington U. Director of Athletics". Lafayette Journal and Courier. Retrieved February 18, 2016.
  8. ^ Baird, Nathan (July 8, 2016). "Josh Whitman's path to leadership". Lafayette Journal and Courier. Retrieved March 24, 2017.
  9. ^ "Like he did with Lovie Smith and football, Josh Whitman's hire of Brad Underwood brings a new identity to Illini basketball". March 19, 2017.
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