Emory Director of Athletics and Recreation Tim Downes announced his resignation today, effective June 30, 2015. Downes plans to then take over as athletic director at Atlanta's Westminster Schools.
The decision to leave Emory came months after Downes's wife, who works at the Westminster Schools, told him of the job opening. Westminster Schools is a private school that has one of the top high school athletic programs in the country, according to MaxPreps, and it has one of the largest endowments of any non-boarding school in the U.S. ($242.4 million in 2009).
"I never envisioned leaving college athletics, and I never envisioned leaving Emory," Downes said.
Downes, who has worked as an athletic director since 1999, was hired at Emory in 2007.
"Whenever a job came open, everybody wanted Tim," Cross Country Head Coach John Curtin said.
During his time at Emory, Downes made various improvements to the athletic program. He was one of only four honored with the 2013-14 Division III Under Armour Athletic Director of the Year Award.
During Downes' tenure, Emory's 18 teams captured 54 University Athletic Association (UAA) titles and eight NCAA Division III national championships.
The Eagles also finished in the top-10 of the Director's Cup standings, which measure overall athletic success for each NCAA division, six times under Downes. Last year, they finished second of all Division III schools.
It was never only about championships for Downes, however, who frequently preached about the educational value in athletics. Over the past eight years, Emory athletes earned a total of 32 NCAA Postgraduate Scholarships and 50 Academic All-American honors.
Downes also oversaw numerous physical improvements to Emory's athletic program, such as the addition of a softball batting cage and the re-surfacing of the indoor and outdoor tracks and tennis courts at the Woodruff Physical Education Center (WoodPEC).
For Curtin, Downes's impact on the school is immeasurable.
"I haven't had a boss that came in like he did and really respected the running sports," said Curtin, who has coached at Emory since 1985. "In the past, [track and field and cross country] weren't really on the A.D.s' agenda. Tim wasn't like that. Tim respected everyone."
Downes was involved in both NCAA and Emory decision-making, serving on various committees on both fronts. He also implemented the Play Emory program, which offers students engaging ways to stay healthy.
His resignation is unique because he could not be on better terms with Emory, Downes said.
"This is the best job in college athletics," he said. "How often does someone go from one magical job to another?"
Downes seemed to feel his work at Emory is complete.
"The one thing I've learned is that when you have success, the last thing you do is get comfortable," he said. "In this country, we marvel at comfort, and I don't think that's a good thing."
For Downes, the Westminster job was "just something unique that came by."
Downes attended a small secondary school in Baltimore and recalled his positive experiences there in reference to his new job.
"That was my growing-up," he said.
Unlike at Emory, where the athletes are generally between 17 and 23, Downes will be overseeing teams of seventh to 12th graders at Westminster.
"I'm going in with my eyes wide-open," he said. "There will be a lot of differences."
Still, Downes looks to make advancements similar to those he made at Emory.
"There is a similar ethos there to what you find at Emory," he said. "They really want to make a difference."
Senior Vice President and Dean of Campus Life Ajay Nair is in charge of finding Downes' replacement, which will involve creating a position profile, transition strategy and timeline.
"Our search process will be careful and deliberate because the director of athletics and recreation is a vital position at Emory," Nair wrote in an email to the Wheel. "The AD role can have enormous and positive impact on the entire university, as Tim's tenure clearly indicates ... Our goals will be to ensure program continuity during the transition and build on the outstanding accomplishments of our athletics and recreation staff under Tim's leadership."
To Curtin, Downes provided strong leadership for Emory's athletics program.
"[Downes] was so refreshing from some of the people we've had in the past," Curtin said. "He's going to be a huge loss."
- By Zak Hudak, Sports Editor
Athletic Director Tim Downes Announces Resignation
Photo Courtesy of Tim Downes' personal twitter page.
