AMES, Ia. — Iowa State athletics announced on Friday morning that longtime athletic director Jamie Pollard will retire after serving as the longest-tenured athletic director in the history of Iowa State University and is currently the longest tenured athletic director at a Power 4 University.
Pollard arrived in Ames in 2005 after serving as deputy athletic director at the University of Wisconson-Madison under Barry Alvarez and made high-profile hires such as Fred Hoiberg, Matt Campbell, TJ Otzelberger and Kevin Dresser, while also undertaking the expansion of Jack Trice Stadium and the currently ongoing CyTown Project.
“My wife, Ellen, and I look forward to the next chapter in our life’s journey,” said Pollard in a release from the university on Friday morning, “and it is important to us that we transition now, while we are both healthy and young, so we can fully enjoy our retirement years. I am grateful to President Cook for allowing me to share this news now and hopefully it will allow the university plenty of time to properly transition new leadership to our department during a transformational time in college athletics.”
Iowa State athletics says they will conduct a national search to find a replacement for Pollard, as search details will be released at a later date. Pollard’s last day as athletic director is June 30, 2027.