University of Iowa names Beth Goetz permanent director of athletics

IOWA CITY, Iowa — The interim tag has been taken off Beth Goetz’s title. 

Goetz, who served as interim AD at Iowa since August 2023. has been named permanent athletics director at the University of Iowa, the school announced Thursday. She is the 13th AD in school history.

“Beth is a talented and dynamic leader and the national search we conducted has substantiated that she is the best athletics director for the University of Iowa,” university president Barbara Wilson said in a release. “She has done a remarkable job as interim, and I am confident she will lead our athletics department and student-athletes to new levels of achievement both on the field of play and in the classroom.”

The university launched a national search at the end of November 2023, according to Thursday's news release. The search committee was chaired by Nicole Grosland, associate dean for academic programs in the College of Engineering and professor of biomedical engineering.

“The search produced an impressive group of candidates,” Grosland said in the release. “The committee had an opportunity to interview multiple sitting athletic directors from across the country. Beth emerged as a finalist with a strong vision to lead the department at this crucial time.”

More:Kirk Ferentz, other Iowa coaches react to Beth Goetz becoming permanent athletics director

The move is seismic not only for the current state of Iowa athletics but also in a broader context. Goetz, 49, is the only female athletics director in the Big Ten Conference. She also has become the first female to oversee the entire Iowa athletic department.

The road Goetz now walks was helped paved by the late Christine Grant, who was a national trailblazer for gender equity. In 1973, Iowa created a separate department for women's sports after the passing of Title IX legislation. Grant became the UI's first women's athletic director.

Grant continued until retiring from that position on Aug. 31, 2000. Iowa’s men’s and women’s athletic departments merged that same year.

"How special to have someone like that that paved a path that not only impacted people locally but across the country," Goetz said of Grant in August. "I had a chance to meet her once, and as a young administrator, you go to conferences across the country, and she was a big draw. I still remember the first time I had a chance to listen to her speak and engage with her briefly, never knowing I'd actually have a chance to walk among the places that she had a part in developing."

More than 50 years after Grant became Iowa's first women's athletic director, Goetz has now made history of her own.

"I am truly honored and humbled to lead Iowa's storied athletics program, and I am grateful to president Wilson and the search committee for their confidence in my leadership," Goetz said in a release. "The University of Iowa is a world-class institution with a demonstrated commitment to athletics excellence, and I look forward to continuing to partner with our coaches and staff in support of all our student-athletes. It is a privilege to serve our campus and our passionate Hawkeye supporters."

Goetz, a former athlete and coach, went on to embark on a career in the administrative side of sports. She has extensive experience in college athletics, including stops at Butler, Minnesota and Connecticut. She left her job as athletics director at Ball State to become Iowa’s deputy director of athletics and chief operating officer in 2022.

“This is Iowa,” she said about the decision to come to Iowa. “And this is the Big Ten. And the opportunity to come be a part of everything I knew about who the Hawkeyes were was something that I just felt like I had to do. I wanted to be a part of this team.” 

A few months after Goetz started at Iowa, in May 2023, longtime athletics director Gary Barta, who had held that title since 2006, announced his retirement plans. Goetz was named interim athletics director, which went into effect in August 2023.

Goetz was left to deal with Hawkeye football offensive coordinator Brian Ferentz's complicated contract situation. Before Barta left, he enacted performance goals in Ferentz’s contract, requiring Iowa to average at least 25 points per game and win at least seven games last season for Ferentz to keep his job.

When Iowa struggled mightily on offense despite winning six of its first eight games, Goetz stepped in. It was decided that Ferentz would not return to the program following the 2023 season. The timing of the decision and announcement bucked the customary process carried out by head coach Kirk Ferentz, father of Brian Ferentz. 

The decision was met with some criticism from Kirk Ferentz and some fans due to its mid-season timing. Iowa ended up winning the Big Ten West Division and finished with a 10-4 record, though the offense continued to struggle.

Goetz's eventful tenure at Iowa has also included dealing with the state's sports-wagering investigation, which resulted in multiple NCAA suspensions for Hawkeye athletes.

“I am pleased that Beth has been officially hired as our university’s newest director of athletics," Kirk Ferentz said in a release Thursday. "Since arriving at the University of Iowa, Beth has shown a tremendous dedication to the university and a passion for our student-athletes. She has a vision that is respectful of the traditions of our athletics programs while embracing opportunities in the rapidly changing college sports landscape. Beth is highly professional, and I believe is well-equipped to navigate this new era of collegiate sports.” 

The search committee decided that Goetz has what it takes to navigate the modern landscape of college athletics. That includes a deep understanding of areas such as the transfer portal; name, image and likeness (NIL) opportunities; and relations with the Swarm Collective, a fundraising organization that works closely with the athletics department.

“When it comes to name, image and likeness, it's a critical, critical piece for our student-athletes and our success competitively, no different than the generosity that's coming in through NIL gifts and through the Swarm and in other ways,” Goetz said in August 2023. “It's just as important these days as scholarships and facilities and any other needs.”

In October, on the heels of an appearance in the national championship game, women’s basketball coach Lisa Bluder publicly expressed her support for Goetz.

“She is an unbelievable team builder,” Bluder said. “She is a great leader. She’s not scared to get her hands dirty. She’s a great communicator. A great listener, as well. I just think that if we don’t hire her, that would be a really, really not very smart thing to do.”

In a relatively short time, Goetz has already left her stamp on Iowa athletics. Thursday cemented the fact that she’s here to stay. 

Follow Tyler Tachman on X @Tyler_T15, contact via email at ttachman@gannett.com