Joel Maturi
Encyclopedia
Joel Maturi is the athletic director
at the University of Minnesota
. He previously held the same post at the University of Denver
and Miami University
.
in 1967 and started his career as a coach and administrator in high school sports, culminating in his induction to the Wisconsin
Basketball
Hall of Fame. Maturi was hired as the AD at Denver in 1996 after serving as associate athletic director at the University of Wisconsin–Madison
from 1987 to 1996, and helped the Denver program transition to Division I from Division II. He was hired at Miami as AD in 1998 and held that post until hired by Minnesota on July 12, 2002.
recover from the fallout from the Clem Haskins
men's basketball scandal. Maturi played a crucial role in securing funding for an on campus stadium
for the football
team after years of wrangling with the state legislature. In 2007, Maturi scored a coup for Minnesota when he hired Tubby Smith
away from the University of Kentucky
to be the new men's basketball coach. He signed a three year contract extension through 2009 in late 2006. Maturi's teams have won several national championships in his tenure: wrestling
(2007), men's golf
(2002), men's hockey (2002, 2003), and women's hockey
(2004, 2005).
Athletic director
An athletic director is an administrator at many American colleges and universities, as well as in larger high schools and middle schools, who oversees the work of coaches and related staff involved in intercollegiate or interscholastic athletic programs...
at the University of Minnesota
University of Minnesota
The University of Minnesota, Twin Cities is a public research university located in Minneapolis and St. Paul, Minnesota, United States. It is the oldest and largest part of the University of Minnesota system and has the fourth-largest main campus student body in the United States, with 52,557...
. He previously held the same post at the University of Denver
University of Denver
The University of Denver is currently ranked 82nd among all public and private "National Universities" by U.S. News & World Report in the 2012 rankings....
and Miami University
Miami University
Miami University is a coeducational public research university located in Oxford, Ohio, United States. Founded in 1809, it is the 10th oldest public university in the United States and the second oldest university in Ohio, founded four years after Ohio University. In its 2012 edition, U.S...
.
Early career
Maturi graduated from Notre DameUniversity of Notre Dame
The University of Notre Dame du Lac is a Catholic research university located in Notre Dame, an unincorporated community north of the city of South Bend, in St. Joseph County, Indiana, United States...
in 1967 and started his career as a coach and administrator in high school sports, culminating in his induction to the Wisconsin
Wisconsin
Wisconsin is a U.S. state located in the north-central United States and is part of the Midwest. It is bordered by Minnesota to the west, Iowa to the southwest, Illinois to the south, Lake Michigan to the east, Michigan to the northeast, and Lake Superior to the north. Wisconsin's capital is...
Basketball
Basketball
Basketball is a team sport in which two teams of five players try to score points by throwing or "shooting" a ball through the top of a basketball hoop while following a set of rules...
Hall of Fame. Maturi was hired as the AD at Denver in 1996 after serving as associate athletic director at the University of Wisconsin–Madison
University of Wisconsin–Madison
The University of Wisconsin–Madison is a public research university located in Madison, Wisconsin, United States. Founded in 1848, UW–Madison is the flagship campus of the University of Wisconsin System. It became a land-grant institution in 1866...
from 1987 to 1996, and helped the Denver program transition to Division I from Division II. He was hired at Miami as AD in 1998 and held that post until hired by Minnesota on July 12, 2002.
University of Minnesota
At Minnesota, he has been expected to help the Minnesota Golden GophersMinnesota Golden Gophers
The Minnesota Golden Gophers are the college sports team for the University of Minnesota. The university fields both men's and women's teams in basketball, cross country, gymnastics, golf, ice hockey, swimming, tennis, and track and field. Men's-specific sports include baseball, football, and...
recover from the fallout from the Clem Haskins
Clem Haskins
Clem Smith Haskins is a retired American college and professional basketball player and college basketball coach. He and star player Dwight Smith became the first black athletes to integrate the Western Kentucky Hilltoppers basketball program in the fall of 1963. This put Western Kentucky at the...
men's basketball scandal. Maturi played a crucial role in securing funding for an on campus stadium
TCF Bank Stadium
TCF Bank Stadium, sometimes referred to as either "The Bank" or "The Gopher Hole," is the football stadium for the Minnesota Golden Gophers college football team at the University of Minnesota in Minneapolis, Minnesota...
for the football
Minnesota Golden Gophers football
The University of Minnesota Golden Gophers are one of the oldest programs in college football history. They compete in the NCAA Division I Football Bowl Subdivision and the Big Ten Conference. The Golden Gophers have claimed six national championships and have an all time record of 646–481–44 as...
team after years of wrangling with the state legislature. In 2007, Maturi scored a coup for Minnesota when he hired Tubby Smith
Tubby Smith
Orlando "Tubby" Smith is an American college basketball coach. He is currently the men's basketball head coach at the University of Minnesota...
away from the University of Kentucky
University of Kentucky
The University of Kentucky, also known as UK, is a public co-educational university and is one of the state's two land-grant universities, located in Lexington, Kentucky...
to be the new men's basketball coach. He signed a three year contract extension through 2009 in late 2006. Maturi's teams have won several national championships in his tenure: wrestling
Minnesota Golden Gophers wrestling
The Minnesota Golden Gophers are a Division I college wrestling team based in Minneapolis, Minnesota. They are a member of the Big Ten Conference and NCAA. Wrestling began at the University of Minnesota in 1910, but the first formal dual meet was not until 1921 when coach Frank Gilman led the team...
(2007), men's golf
Golf
Golf is a precision club and ball sport, in which competing players use many types of clubs to hit balls into a series of holes on a golf course using the fewest number of strokes....
(2002), men's hockey (2002, 2003), and women's hockey
College hockey
College hockey refers to ice hockey played between colleges with their teams composed of enrolled students. College hockey is played in Canada and the United States, though leagues outside of North America exist....
(2004, 2005).