NORFOLK, VA (WTKR)- Wood Selig has guided Old Dominion Athletics since 2010. Tuesday he announced that he will leave his post at the end of the year.
Selig will step down as the university's athletic director on December 31, 2026, ending his 16 year run leading the Monarchs' sports programs. He plans to remain with the school, however. Beginning in 2027, he will serve as the Kaufman Lecturer of Sport Management within ODU’s graduate sport management program. He will also transition into a role focused on athletics fundraising and donor oversight.
“Without question, Dr. Selig has certainly left his mark on the University, as well as at the conference level and across the national landscape,” ODU President Dr. Brian O. Hemphill said in a university release. “I have been most inspired by his care for and connection to our student-athletes for whom he personally championed innovative initiatives and specialized support, such as dedicated mental health counseling resources and dining hall operations.”
“President Hemphill and I began discussing a teaching/fundraising role late last spring and I wish to thank him for this unique and tailor-made professional opportunity for me," Selig added in the release. "I am excited about this next professional chapter as I have always wanted to give back to future generations of coaches and administrators. I thank President Hemphill for this new leadership role.”
ODU has tasted titles on Selig's watch. During his tenure, the Monarchs won five conference championships in women’s tennis, four in men’s tennis, three in women’s soccer, two in men’s soccer, a championship in baseball, men’s basketball, women’s golf, and an FCS conference title in football.
The school's athletics programs also made history during Selig's tenure. Men’s basketball achieved its first ever national AP top 25 ranking in 2013-14, baseball climbed to its highest ever final season ranking of No. 16 in 2021 earning a number one seed in the NCAA tournament, football earned its highest FBS final ranking ever of 34th in 2025, and women’s tennis finished 27th nationally in 2022. Additionally, Selig hired Nikki McCray-Penson in 2017, ODU’s first female African American head coach in women’s basketball. He also helped launch women’s volleyball in 2020.
Selig also oversaw the football program's transition to the FBS ranks, as the program moved from FCS to Conference USA, then joined the Sun Belt Conference in 2022. This past season, the Monarchs finished 10-3 and capped off the campaign with a Cure Bowl victory. Ricky Rahne received a contract extension after the program's third bowl trip in his five years on the field.
Meanwhile, the Monarchs are seeking a return to success in a handful of areas. The women's basketball program has not made the NCAA Tournament since 2008, as Delisha Milton-Jones looks to restore the reputation of the team being one of the best in the nation. ODU men's basketball is still seeking traction under Mike Jones, who is in his second season leading the Monarchs. That program is two wins away from its third consecutive 20-loss season and has not made the NCAA Tournament since 2019. In addition, the athletic department eliminated its wrestling program in 2020.
“Having the opportunity in 2010 to return home to Norfolk as ODU’s athletic director was a gift. It has been a magical time to be part of the ODU and Hampton Roads for the past 16 years. It was a unique opportunity to serve the community and University that were so important to me growing up in Norfolk,” Selig said. “During the next 10 months, I will continue to strengthen every ODU athletics program competitively, academically and financially.”
Fundraising has also been successful during his span at the school, as the Monarchs have invested $200 million in facilities in the last 16 years. The upgrades are highlighted by football’s S.B. Ballard Stadium. Other facility enhancements include The Mitchum Basketball Performance Center for women’s and men’s basketball, the Ellmer Family Baseball Complex, which is set to be completed in the coming months, a brand-new volleyball venue, and an expanded L.R. Hill complex to accommodate ODU’s football move from FCS to FBS.
Selig is the fifth athletic director to serve at Old Dominion and came to the Monarchs after 11 years in the same position at Western Kentucky. His 27 years make him the fourth-longest serving athletic director in the FBS ranks.
