Missouri interim chancellor Hank Foley announced this morning that San Diego State athletic director Jim Sterk will become the new athletic director for the Tigers.
Sterk joined the San Diego State athletic department in 2010, and according to Mizzou's press release, has "overseen the most successful five seasons in SDSU's athletic history with 32 team conference championships for the Aztecs since the beginning of the 2011-2012 academic year and the fourth-highest combined winning percentage in the country in football and men's basketball."
Prior to his time at SDSU, Sterk was the athletic director at Washington State, and prior to that was at Portland State as the athletic director. Previous stops for him include North Carolina, Maine, Seattle Pacific, and Tulane.
In the official release, Foley added:
"This is a wonderful day for Mizzou and Tiger fans everywhere. Jim's leadership in intercollegiate athletics is unparalleled, and we are thrilled he is going to bring his talents, energy and passion for working with student-athletes to Columbia. He is just what Mizzou needs at this time."
As part of a seven-year deal, Sterk will be paid a base and guaranteed salary of $700,000 and will officially take over on (or before) September 1, 2016.
More importantly, hiring Sterk is the first step to getting the Mizzou athletic department back on solid footing after a tumultuous year.