Baylor Announces 10-Year Contract Extension for AD Mack Rhoades
WACO, Texas – Baylor University has agreed to a new 10-year contract with Vice President and Director of Intercollegiate Athletics Mack B. Rhoades IV, announced Monday by President Linda A. Livingstone, Ph.D. The contract, which was approved by the Baylor University Board of Regents this afternoon, will allow the two-time Athletics Director of the Year to complete his career at Baylor, leading one of the most recently successful Power 5 programs in the country.
As a private institution, Baylor does not disclose specific contract terms.
Rhoades came to Baylor on July 13, 2016, from the University of Missouri. In June 2021, he was selected as Sports Business Journal’s 2021 Athletics Director of the Year, marking the second Athletics Director of the Year honor earned by Rhoades in as many years. Rhoades was chosen by the National Association of Collegiate Directors of Athletics as 2019-20 Under Armour Athletics Director of the Year in March 2020. Over his six years in Waco, Baylor has won 24 Big 12 titles and six national championships.
“Championship athletics is woven into the Baylor experience, and it’s a key recruiting tool for prospective students, the engagement of current students and the positioning of our brand,” President Livingstone said. “Mack Rhoades has a deep commitment to Baylor’s Christian mission. His personal and departmental alignment carries through in the development of our student-athletes in ‘Preparing Champions for Life,’ which provides a championship-level experience in academics, athletics, character formation and their spiritual growth. Mack’s leadership has been nationally recognized over the past five-and-a-half years, and his name has been connected to several opportunities as of late. This new contract reaffirms that Baylor is where he wants to finish his career and continue the work on our four Athletics pillars. We look forward to Mack’s continued success leading Baylor Athletics over the next decade.”
“Amy and I have felt called to be at Baylor University and remain an integral part of Baylor’s future,” Rhoades said. “It is a blessing to work with President Livingstone, who leads our University with great integrity and vision, and to continue to work alongside our championship coaches, staff and student-athletes for the next decade as we continue our mission of ‘Preparing Champions for Life.’ We are humbled and appreciative of the confidence reflected in us by the Board of Regents, President Livingstone and University leadership. We are excited Baylor has given us the opportunity to finish my career as the University’s Athletics Director.”
Most recently, Baylor became the first Big 12 school to win a football, men’s and women’s basketball regular-season championship in the same year and was the first Power Five school to sweep its conference basketball regular-season titles in back-to-back years.
The 2020-21 academic year, despite the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, brought tremendous success for Baylor Athletics as the department combined to bring 20 trophies home to Waco. For the second-consecutive full term (not including the COVID-shortened 2019-20 campaign), the Bears brought home multiple national championships. After acrobatics and tumbling won its fifth-straight title and women’s basketball clinched its third overall national championship in 2019, A&T went for six straight in 2020-21 and men’s basketball claimed its first national championship in program history.
Academically, Baylor tied a school record with an overall score of 94 in Graduation Success Rate (GSR), which led the Big 12 for an eighth-straight year, was second in the state of Texas and ranked 14th nationally among Power Five schools. The Bears have had a 3.0 term GPA or better for 27-straight semesters.
“Our intent is for Baylor to be the last job that Mack Rhoades will have, and we are glad that he has trusted Baylor and has chosen to complete his career here. We expect to share in more success with Mack, our coaches and student-athletes in the decade to come,” said Baylor Board of Regents Chair Mark Rountree, B.B.A. '86, M.T.A. '87. “Mack embodies who Baylor is as a Christian research university, and we appreciate his leadership of a successful athletics department that elevates Baylor’s Christian mission and enhances the University’s visibility across the country.”
Under Rhoades tenure, Baylor secured the largest philanthropic gift in University history, which has led to the future Paul and Alejandra Foster Pavilion that will serve as home to the men’s and women’s basketball programs in time for Big 12 conference play in 2024. Additionally, Baylor will soon break ground on the Fudge Football Development Center. Additional information related to Rhoades’ tenure at Baylor, including his significant impact on fundraising, facilities, personnel and student-athlete success can be found here.