Blake James Reportedly in Line for BC's AD Vacancy
Andy Backstrom (@andybackstrom)Publisher
Boston College has reportedly homed in on its new athletic director.
BC is targeting former Miami AD Blake James to replace Pat Kraft, according to ESPN's Pete Thamel, who reported that an announcement from the school is expected "in the coming days."
James was at Miami for 10 years—eight of which he was the Hurricanes' AD—before being fired last November. He was the first Miami AD to ever be terminated. His dismissal headlined a department reset that also saw football head coach Manny Diaz get canned.
BC was left with its third AD vacancy in six years when Kraft took on the same position at Penn State after just two years in Chestnut Hill.
Third-year BC football head coach Jeff Hafley is set to work with his third AD since being hired in 2019.
Thamel reported that Kraft's buyout was $2.85 million, and that BC also "received a significant buyout" following former AD Martin Jarmond's departure for UCLA. Additionally, Thamel's ESPN story included that AD candidates for BC's opening were informed of a hefty buyout that would come with job—setting the expectation for continuity after both Kraft and Jarmond stayed for three years or fewer.
The Athletic's Matt Fortuna reported that the other finalists for the position at BC were Army AD Mike Buddie, La Salle AD Brian Baptiste and Florida executive associate AD Lynda Tealer.
Before James started his tenure at Miami, he was the AD at Maine from 2005-10, where he established Northeast ties and began fostering his fundraising chops. At Miami, he had his ups and downs. He helped the school navigate the fallout of the scandal surrounding Nevin Shapiro—a former Miami booster and convicted felon that orchestrated a $930 million Ponzi scheme—thanks to self-imposed sanctions and in-case cooperation that allowed Miami to avoid harsh NCAA penalties.
During James' eight years as Miami's AD, the 'Canes accounted for five individual NCAA championships, six ACC team titles and 71 individual ACC championships. Not only that, but spring 2021 went down as the 15th consecutive semester that student-athletes at Miami averaged at least a 3.0 cumulative GPA.
James' stay also featured the construction of the $40 million Carol Soffer Indoor Practice Facility—mainly for football—the Jimmy and Kim Klotz Baseball Player Development Center and the Schwartz Center for Athletic Excellence.
Things really started to go downhill, however, with the hiring of Diaz, then Miami's defensive coordinator, as the program's next head coach. James made the decision without a real coaching search—and after Diaz had already accepted the head coaching gig at Temple. Diaz failed to live up to expectations in his three years with the Hurricanes, posting a 21-15 record.
This past season, Miami came into the year ranked inside the AP Top 15 but stumbled out to a 2-4 start. Despite the 5-1 finish and rise of quarterback Tyler Van Dyke, Diaz couldn't save his job.
Since, Miami has committed to a rebrand with an athletic department initiative that has seen increased budgets and splash hires, including Clemson AD Dan Radakovich and Oregon head football coach Mario Cristobal.
James, of course, wasn't part of that initiative. Now, if he does indeed take over at BC, he'll need a rebrand of his own.
And to usher some continuity into an athletic department that's become a stepping stone for young talent in the business.
