NORFOLK, VA (WTKR)- Tim House has plenty of experience in college athletics, but for the first time he'll sit in the big chair.
House was introduced as Old Dominion's next Director of Athletics on Friday. He'll officially take the reins of the Monarchs when the calendar turns to 2027.
"At some point, you want to embrace that opportunity to take what you've learned from those brilliant people and take it to a place where you believe if those things you learned are put to use, greatness unlike ever before has been achieved can happen," he said of coming to ODU. "I think that's Old Dominion. All the bones are here and they've done a tremendous job to this point."
House comes to Norfolk from Michigan State, where he spent the last year as the president of the Spartan Athletic Foundation. Prior to that, he was nationally recognized for his fundraising abilities during his seven years at Purdue. His career has also taken him to West Point and Duke. During his stops, he's worked with big-name coaches such as Mike Krzyzewski, Matt Painter and Tom Izzo.
The newest Monarch comes to the program from the wealthiest conference in the country, where TV money is plentiful and revenue is ripe for the picking. House believes his skill-set will be more beneficial to a place like Old Dominion by building donor relationships and multimedia partnerships.
"If I can take a lot of what I learned at that level, it actually makes a greater impact here," House pointed out. "You find an extra three, four, five million dollars a year in fundraising dollars here, you're talking about winning the Sun Belt in everything. You're putting yourself in position. You still have to have the culture, you still have to have the coaches, but those resources have a bigger impact here, so I'm excited."
During his remarks on Friday, House proclaimed he hoped to make Old Dominion the flagship program of the 757. He also said there is a "tidal wave of momentum" going on with the Monarchs.
News 3 first reported ODU would hire House on Monday. The school confirmed the hire via a university release on Thursday.
House graduated from NC State and said he loves legendary coach Jim Valvano. Like Jimmy V, he's looking to craft championships and wants to create an easier path to raise banners in Norfolk.
"I've got to start with setting those expectations, speaking about them regularly and then work with our coaches to create a plan that we're all bought into and then we hold ourselves accountable every day," he said.
House will replace Dr. Wood Selig, whose tenure will officially end this December 31. Selig is in his 17th year as the Monarchs AD.
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