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The University of Mississippi Athletics
Ole Miss Tabs Shafer as New Director of Athletics
June 3, 1998
Complete Press Conference Announcing the Position
OXFORD, Miss. - After nearly three months the University of Mississippi's search for a new Director of Athletics finally concluded here Wednesday with the naming of John Shafer during a 10 a.m. press conference.
Shafer, who was the Senior Associate Athletic Director at the University of Georgia, replaces Pete Boone who resigned April 15 to return to the banking industry.
"I want to thank Chancellor (Robert) Khayat, Dr. (Bob) Weems, and the entire search committee for having the confidence in me to give me the opportunity to be the Director of Athletics at the University of Mississippi," Shafer said during his opening remarks at the press conference. I also want to thank (Georgia AD) Coach (Vince) Dooley and the University of Georgia for their understanding, patience, and support during this process.
"I hope that the entire Ole Miss family is ready to move forward under this new administration. I vow to do everything in my power to make the University of Mississippi a prominent force in the SEC and in the nation."
Shafer has spent over 20 years of his professional life working in the Southeastern Conference, including the last 16 at Georgia. He was named Senior Associate Athletic Director in the spring of 1994 after serving the previous 12 years as both an Associate and Assistant Athletic Director. As the senior associate, Shafer was the top business official of the Georgia Athletic Association and was responsible for managing the daily business affairs of the $23 million program.
Prior to his promotion to senior associate, Shafer served as Associate Athletic Director for Business and Event Management from 1992-94, and as Assistant Athletic Director for Business from 1982-92. He came to Georgia from Vanderbilt where he served one year as Assistant Athletic Director under athletic director Roy Kramer who is currently commissioner of the Southeastern Conference.
Before joining the Vanderbilt staff in 1981, Shafer served at Auburn University in several capacities, including Assistant Business Manager for Ticket Sales and Administrative Assistant to head football coach Doug Barfield (1979-80); and Assistant Baseball Coach and Assistant Ticket Manager (1976-79). Shafer, an All-SEC shortstop at Auburn in 1969, earned both his B.S. and M.S. Degrees from Auburn.
"I was blessed to have worked with three giants in intercollegiate athletics: Lee Hayley at Auburn University, Roy Kramer at Vanderbilt University, and, for the last sixteen years, Vince Dooley at the University of Georgia," Shafer said as his voice cracked with emotion. There are none better in the field.
"I saw the same qualities and values of these three men in my new boss, Dr. Khayat. I have never seen a greater passion by any individual for his university than I saw when I first visited with Chancellor Khayat in his office. I saw the new stadium addition, the offices for men's and women's basketball, and the beautiful women's complex. I knew then that I wanted to be a part of what is happening at Ole Miss."
Shafer described the opportunity at Ole Miss as being the "perfect fit" for him in taking his first job of overseeing an entire athletic department.
"When you're in a job interview or have an opportunity, some things don't work out, some things just aren't right" Shafer said. "When we came here, and we were only here for a day, there was just a click. We just hit it off. Everything that we believed in was happening here. This is a great job, an exciting job. I just felt like it was a great opportunity. Everything that we talked about philosophically we clicked. It just was a great match."
Khayat expressed similar feelings of Shafer and Ole Miss being a perfect match.
"It was just a chemistry," Khayat said in response to a question on what put Shafer ahead of the other candidates. "We knew the credentials were there. There's not a better qualified director of athletics in the world than John Shafer. It was a matter of there being a comfort level for him, his family and for us and it was there. It was apparent immediately that we shared the same values. He had a strong belief that the potential for a successful athletics program, with integrity, is here at Ole Miss and that we're well on the way in a number of areas."
Khayat also described Shafer's hiring as being in-line with the overall agenda of the University.
"As a community, we made a commitment to be recognized as one of America's great public universities," said Khayat. "That commitment includes every aspect of life at the University: student life, academic programs, alumni affairs, athletics, every aspect of life at Ole Miss. The decision we made regarding the leadership of the department of athletics is consistent with that commitment to our being a great public university."
Ole Miss head football Tommy Tuberville also praised the selection of Shafer.
"With the experience John has, especially in our conference, we're not going to step back at all," Tuberville said. "He's got a lot of energy and he's going to hit the ground running. We're looking forward to having him aboard. He's ready to take on his own program after being an assistant a long time. That's kinda like me. I had been an assistant a long time and wanted a chance at being the head man."
Dooley joined both Chancellor Khayat and Tuberville in showing his support of Shafer's selection to lead the Ole Miss athletics program.
"John has been an integral part of our athletic program over the last 16 years and during that time has earned the respect of not only all those in the Athletic Association but across the Georgia campus and around the Southeastern Conference as well," Dooley said in a prepared statement. "He has been a very loyal and tireless worker and has the benefit of experience in many different areas of athletics which includes serving as the watchdog of what has become an athletic budget of more than $26 million.
"John has played an extremely valuable role in the development of our overall athletic program and we'll miss his leadership in many areas.
"At the same time, we're excited for the opportunity he now has to use his experience and expertise in leading the program at Ole Miss. He has prepared himself well and I'm confident he'll make an outstanding athletic director. I certainly want to congratulate John and also commend the administration at Ole Miss on their decision."
Following his collegiate baseball career at Auburn, Shafer played in the Kansas City Royals organization from 1969-71 and spent three years in high school coaching in the early 1970's.
Shafer is married to the former Dianne Deavours and they have one son, Michael, a 1994 graduate of William and Mary where he played varsity basketball. Michael, who currently serves as an assistant coach with the University of Georgia women's basketball team, received a graduate degree from Georgia in June, 1997.
Shafer will finish the fiscal year in his current position at Georgia and will officially begin his duties at Ole Miss on July 1.