Joe Alleva has been reappointed director of athletics at Duke University, President Richard H. Brodhead announced Tuesday.
Alleva's reappointment follows a review by a committee of trustees, faculty and alumni, including former athletes, that was chaired by trustee emeritus Harold L. Yoh, Jr., with Dean of the School of Nursing Catherine Gilliss serving as vice chair.
Duke regularly conducts five-year reviews of deans and senior administrative positions. Brodhead said the review confirmed that Alleva was well-recognized for sustaining high standards of integrity in the athletics program, his championing of Duke's concept of the student-athlete, the quality of coaches he has hired and the high level of success that has been achieved across athletic programs at Duke under Alleva's leadership.
"Joe is unwaveringly loyal to Duke and to the educational values that undergird all of our programs, including athletics," Brodhead said. "These are times of great challenge and change in intercollegiate athletics. In the coming year I've asked Joe to undertake a comprehensive strategic plan to ensure that we continue to have a program that represents the best opportunities for our student-athletes to grow and excel, both on the playing fields and in the classroom."
Alleva joined the Duke athletics department in 1980 and rose through the ranks to his appointment in 1998 as athletic director. Under Alleva's leadership, Duke has won six NCAA national championships and 44 ACC championships, and 147 Duke students have earned All-America designations.
Duke athletes regularly rank among the top in the country in academic performance. Seventy-one students have earned Academic All-America during Alleva's tenure as athletic director. During the 2007 spring semester, 21 of Duke's 26 athletic teams posted grade point averages of 3.0 or higher. In 2005 and 2006, Duke ranked first among Division I schools in the National Collegiate Scouting Association Power Rankings, which combines a school's NCAA Director's Cup ranking, its athletics graduation rate and its academic rank in U.S. News & World Report.
"I am excited and honored to be reappointed as the director of this outstanding athletic department," Alleva said. "We have made tremendous progress over the past nine years and there is much more to do.
"I look forward to the challenges ahead, and thank President Brodhead for his support and leadership. I also want to thank the wonderful people in the Duke Department of Athletics for all of their hard work and support."
Alleva and his wife, Annie, have three children, all of whom graduated from Duke: J.D. ('01), Jeff ('03) and Jenny ('07).