After serving Notre Dame since 2000, Anne "Sandy" Barbour, deputy director of athletics has been named the athletic director at the University of California, Berkeley, Robert J. Birgeneau, Chancellor Designate of the University of California announced Wednesday.
Barbour assumes the position after serving as Notre Dame's senior athletic administrator under Athletic Director Kevin White since July 2003.
"Unequivocally, Sandy Barbour is truly one of the brightest professionals within the intercollegiate athletics sub-sector," White said in a release Wednesday. "Sandy is also instinctively empathetic, inordinately task-oriented, adaptable beyond her peers, and most importantly, extremely passionate about facilitating student-athlete aspirations."
At the University of California, Barbour will oversee 27 sports with an annual budget of approximately $40 million.
"Cal represents everything that's right with higher education and intercollegiate athletics," Barbour said at a media conference Wednesday. "I am thrilled and flattered to be given this opportunity. This is what I have been working toward my entire life. It's a dream come true, both personally and professionally."
Barbour began her career in collegiate athletics as the head field hockey and assistant lacrosse coach at the University of Massachusetts in 1981. Since then, she has been the assistant athletic director at Northwestern University and the associate athletic director Tulane University.
At Tulane, Barbour also worked for White, who was Tulane's athletic director at the time. When White left, she was named the athletic director at Tulane.
During her three years there, she Tulane won 12 conference championships. White had nothing but good things to say about Barbour.
"As a consummate communicator, Sandy will engage the multiple constituencies, by way of creating a 'tomorrow' for Cal that is consistent with both the institutional mission and the highest intercollegiate athletics expectations," White said.
At Notre Dame, Barbour oversees facilities and event operations for the 26 sports of the Irish. She also is responsible for football game management and the University's two golf courses. Barbour also had the task of facilitating the plans of Notre Dame's $22 million, 100,000-square foot Guglielmino Center, which is set to be complete by June 2005.
White thinks that Barbour will be a perfect fit at the University of California.
"Simply said, Sandy Barbour is a great fit at Cal - and Berkeley is the perfect place for Sandy," White said.