IUPUI lures new athletic director from Wright State

IUPUI has named a successor for longtime Director of Athletics Michael Moore, who stepped down this summer after 19 years in the position.

Roderick Perry, senior associate director of athletics for Wright State University, will assume his new role with IUPUI on Jan. 1, university officials announced Tuesday.

Perry, 43, has held a number of academic and administrative posts at Wright State, where he began his career as an academic advisor before being appointed associate director of athletics for compliance and academic services in 2001. He assumed a similar post at Ohio University in 2007 before returning to Wright State just more than a year later as senior associate director of athletics.

Perry was charged with leading the department’s strategic and financial planning and overseeing academic advising, media relations, compliance, strength and conditioning, and athletic training. He also oversaw the women’s basketball, baseball, men’s soccer, swimming and diving, and tennis programs.

He also helped manage Wright State’s $10 million budget and played a key role in signing the department’s first-ever apparel contract with Impact Sports, outfitting student-athletes with Nike apparel.

“I feel as though IUPUI is a sleeping giant,” Perry said in prepared release.  “My vision is to put our coaches and student-athletes in the best possible light to compete for Summit League championships in all sports, and we need to do it the right way by working hard, with a focus on both academic and athletic excellence, and working together to achieve our goals.”

Former Horizon League Senior Associate Commissioner Alfreeda Goff stepped in as interim director of athletics at IUPUI after Moore resigned in August. She will continue in the position until Perry's arrival.

Under Moore, IUPUI's athletics program jumped from the NCAA Division II level to NCAA Division I and expanded from nine sports teams to 18.