Dan Bartholomae, Oregon State University's executive deputy athletic director and chief operating officer, took over the reins of Bronco Athletics on Jan. 1, 2022. He succeeded longtime Athletic Director Kathy Beauregard, who retired at the end of 2021 following a four-decade career at WMU, including 24 years heading up the division.
As WMU's new AD, Bartholomae (pronounced bar-THAW-lo-MAY) is responsible for the administration of a comprehensive NCAA Division I Football Bowl Subdivision Intercollegiate Athletic program, reports directly to the president and serving as a member of the president's cabinet.
Bartholomae, first at an Atlantic Coast Conference school and then in the PAC-12, has extensive experience in college sports administration, including managing and hiring head coaches at the Division I level, as well as leadership in athletic department strategic planning, fundraising and capital projects.
He joined the Oregon State University (OSU) Beavers as deputy athletic director supervising capital projects and internal operations in 2017. He was promoted in 2019 to executive deputy athletic director and chief operating officer. At OSU, Bartholomae served as a lead in the Completing Reser Stadium project—setting a strategic vision, meeting with lead and foundational donors and engaging in civic partnerships to fund a $153 million stadium renovation through a fundraising campaign, public/private partnerships and revenue bonding.
Prior to his tenure with Oregon State, the Pittsburgh native served in numerous leadership roles in University of Pittsburgh athletics, beginning in 2002 as a compliance and game operations assistant and rising steadily through the ranks until concluding his 15-year stint with Pitt as the deputy athletic director responsible for internal affairs.
Bartholomae through his career developed a track record of collaborating with athletic department staff, university administration, faculty, alumni and donors on detailed and measurable strategic planning in areas of athletic excellence, student-athlete development, revenue generation, community engagement, facility development and diversity and inclusion. He represented OSU and Pitt on committees and working groups with the NCAA, the National Association of Collegiate Directors of Athletics, the Pac-12 and ACC.
He has also been deeply engaged in supporting student-athletes as a leader in compliance, financial and student services, assisting in the development of Pitt's first life skills program for student-athletes and managing the academic performance plan for all of Pitt's 19 varsity sports. He served as a liaison and departmental point of contact with key university entities, including the board of trustees, chancellor, Title IX office and academic support services.
Bartholomae joins WMU's storied Division of Intercollegiate Athletics, which has 16 varsity athletic programs—six for men and 10 for women. Since 2010, Bronco teams have won 26 conference championships and the football team has repeatedly been invited to post-season bowl games. Bronco student-athletes, who are accomplished in their sports as well as in the classroom, have earned grade point averages greater than 3.0 for 30 consecutive semesters.
Bartholomae holds a Bachelor of Science degree in policy analysis and public affairs from Indiana University and an MBA from the University of Pittsburgh. He and his wife, Lauren, have two children, Dylan and Lily.
WHAT THEY'RE SAYING ABOUT DAN BARTHOLOMAE:
Scott Barnes, Oregon State University Vice President and Director of Intercollegiate Athletics
"I've had the pleasure of working with Dan at Oregon State and the University of Pittsburgh and was confident that he had the talent and passion to earn the position as a Group of 5 athletic director. Dan is an absolute rising star in our industry. His leadership, professionalism and knowledge of internal operations has had significant impact on our department. His role as Executive Deputy Athletic Director was important in our improvement of several facilities, including the ongoing Completing Reser Stadium project. I predict Dan will be ultra-successful and effect positive change in Kalamazoo in just a short period of time."
Pat Narduzzi, Head Football Coach at Pittsburgh
"Dan was a tremendous asset for us at Pitt and I have no doubt that he will make the same great impact at Western Michigan. Not only is he an incredibly talented administrator, but he is an even better person who values people and relationships. This is a well-deserved opportunity for Dan and his family. I know the entire WMU community will benefit from his leadership."
Teresa Gould, Deputy Commissioner of the PAC-12 Conference
"Dan is an extraordinary leader with contagious enthusiasm and phenomenal relationship building skills that allow him to connect and succeed with many different stakeholder groups. He has tremendous versatility as an administrator and an unwavering commitment to student-athlete success and well-being. I can't wait to see him raise the bar at Western Michigan and know that the campus community will benefit greatly from his presence."
Chris Pendleton, Wrestling Coach at Oregon State
"I'm very grateful for my time working with Dan. He is the perfect mixture of professionalism and passion in college athletics. I haven't seen very many people that care about their student-athletes' well-being as much as he does. While we are going to miss him greatly at the Beaver Dam, we are very excited for the future for Dan and his family."
Jamie Dixon, Head Men's Basketball Coach at TCU
"Dan has proven to maintain an outstanding relationship with coaches and also understands the perspectives of other administrators and student-athletes. Dan is a visionary and forward-thinking athletic administrator, which makes him the best choice to be the director of intercollegiate athletics at Western Michigan."
Jonathan Smith, Head Football Coach at Oregon State
"Dan was vitally important to Oregon State football and the entire OSU athletic department during his time here. His ability to understand the big picture and at the same time work closely with so many on the day-to-day makes him more than ready to lead an entire athletic department. Dan deserves this opportunity at Western Michigan and I am confident he will lead that athletic department to new heights!"