Mike Roth, Gonzaga’s Athletic Director, is Announcing His Retirement Tomorrow

Gonzaga University Director of Athletics Mike Roth will formally announce his retirement tomorrow, effective August 31, the school announced today.

Roth has been with Gonzaga for 34 years and has guided the athletic department for the past 24. He arrived at Gonzaga as an assistant men’s basketball coach in 1982 before leaving for other coaching opportunities. He returned in 1987 as the Assistant Director of Athletics/Martin Centre Director before becoming the Director of Athletics in 1998.

Under his leadership, multiple athletic programs have undergone impressive gains, highlighted by the men’s basketball team, but also mirrored by the women’s basketball team, and this year’s example of the men’s baseball team.

“Gonzaga Athletics has been fundamentally transformed under Mike Roth’s tenure of dedicated and exemplary leadership,” Gonzaga University President Dr. Thayne McCulloh said. “His commitment to our student-athletes, coaches, staff and the Spokane community has been the foundation upon which success has been sustained, raising the profile of Gonzaga Athletics to national prominence. I will never be able to adequately express my appreciation for all Mike has done to continuously improve the opportunities for success that our students, programs, and supporters today experience.”

Although Mark Few often is the face of the men’s basketball success, it is important to note the tenure of Roth as well. In a field that is full of performance-driven results, big pay checks, and often high-profile departures, Roth’s longevity at school with a sports program such as Gonzaga’s is a rarity in this era of college sports.

Since becoming Athletic Director, Roth has overseen upgrades to virtually all of the major sports facilities on campus, including the new McCarthy Athletic Center for basketball, the Patterson Baseball Complex for baseball, and most recently, the Volkar Center for Athletic Achievement for all the athletes to use.

The press conference will air tomorrow at 11:30 am on SWX with a live stream on GoZags.com.