UCO announces new AD

From the UCO Athletic Department

EDMOND (May 28) – University of Central Oklahomapresident W. Roger Webb announced Wednesday that he has named Joe Muller as the school’s new athletic director.

Muller comes to UCO from Purdue University, where he serves as senior associate athletic director for external relations. Previously an associate athletic director at Oklahoma State, he will take over duties as UCO’s seventh athletic director in July.

Bill Farley will move into a fundraising role with the UCO Foundation Office after five years as athletic director.

“Joe brings a wealth of experience to our athletic department that will help us continue to grow and compete on a national level in Division II athletics,” Webb said.

“I am extremely proud of all our coaches and athletic programs and I have every confidence that Joe’s principled leadership and vision will ensure the continued development of our programs to help make them, and our student-athletes, the best they can be.

”Muller has been at Purdue since August of 2006 and oversees all facets of external relations, including development, marketing and promotions and the John Purdue Club.

“Under President Webb’s leadership, so many positive things are happening at UCO and I am excited to be apart of it,” Muller said. “I am absolutely thrilled about the opportunity and can’t wait to get to UCO and get going.”

A graduate of Stillwater High School, Muller earned bachelor’s (Radio-TV Film) and master’s (MassCommunications) degrees from OSU. He served as director of athletic marketing and promotions at OSU from 1985-90 and then was involved in the television industry for more than a decade.

Muller returned to Oklahoma State in 2002 as associate athletic director, serving in that capacity until going to Purdue. His duties at OSU included all development activities of the athletic department, including ticket operations, marketing and promotions and the OSU POSSE fund-raising operation.

Under Muller’s watch, OSU raised over $90 million to renovate its football stadium, set football attendance records in 2003, ’04 and ’05 and had all-sport ticket revenues increase more than 115 percent.

Muller and his wife, Julie, have three sons – Jaxon, Brandon and Matthew.

UCO has 13 varsity athletic teams, five men (football, basketball, baseball, golf and wrestling) and eight women (basketball, cross country, golf, rowing, soccer, softball, tennis and volleyball). The Bronchos advanced to NCAA Division II postseason play in nine of those 13 sports during the 2007-08 school year, highlighted by a sixth-place national finish inwrestling, an Elite Eight appearance in men’s basketball and a Sweet 16 appearance in soccer.