On the eDucks forums they are reporting that Pat Kilkenny will be announced at the New AD for the the University of Oregon. Pat Kilkenny is the owner and chief executive of an insurance company in San Diego. He is a major donor probably second only to Phil Knight. It was Kilkenny who donated the almost 2 million for the Moos buy out and donated a million for the new basketball arena architectural plans. This is a BIG surprise. The University has a press Conference set for 11 am. Will post updates throughout the day. Developing....
UPDATE # 1
This is what I posted on this blog on December 1st 2006:
One Duck who has always been there for The University of Oregon Athletic Department and the Ducks is Pat Kilkenny. It's easy to become cynical about today's world of high finance in college sports but Pat Kilkenny has always been there when the Ducks have needed him and he deserves our thanks. The Oregonian today summarizes the help he has given the Ducks. Kilkenny paid $1.5 million in planning costs for the proposed basketball arena to replace McArthur Court. He did this knowing it could be just a lot of fancy drawings if the arena was never built. He basically did it to help "jump start" the process after the old plan of building an arena next to "The Pit" died. Now the San Diego Insurance executive has put up much of the funding for the nearly $2 million settlement agreement with Athletic Director Bill Moos to as he said facilitate "a fitting ending for a person who served the university well."
Kilkenny said he was not involved in negotiations over the settlement agreement with Moos. He was approached only recently about whether he could help financially.... and as we know he answered the call.(see post below) Kilkenny said "I'm not sure the last two years have been what anybody wanted including Bill" While there is no direct link between Moos resignation and the arena project Kilkenny said "I don't view this as anything other than constructive......I don't see how anybody else could view it as anything other than constructive." Some have said that Nike's Phil Knight would not contribute to the new basketball arena till Bill Moos was gone as AD because of their past disagreements.
The Oregonian sports story by Ken Goe and Rachel Bachman point out the settlement agreement with Moos calls for him to receive nearly twice what he would have been paid had he stayed at Oregon for the remainder of his contract which runs through June 2008.
Regardless, we Ducks all owe a big thanks to Pat Kilkenny and if the new basketball arena is built he will have been a big part of getting it done.
UPDATE # 2
From the Eugene Register Guard Updated: 09:59 am — The University of Oregon scheduled a news conference for 11 a.m. Wednesday, when it is expected to announce that prominent donor Pat Kilkenny, who forged success in the business world through Arrowhead, a San Diego-based insurance company, will be its new director of athletics.
UPDATE #3
Short bio on Pat Kilkenny:
Pat Kilkenny is Arrowhead General Insurance Agency’s, Inc. Chairman Emeritus. He previously was Chairman of the Board and majority shareholder of Arrowhead from 1984 to August 2006.
Kilkenny also currently serves as a board member for the following organizations: Directors Board of San Diego State University, San Diego International Sports Council and the University of California San Diego Athletic Advisory Board. He has also served on the board of St. Vincent de Paul and the University of Oregon Foundation. Pat has also founded the AGIA Foundation, which will raise money for various charities such as the Fanconi Anemia Research Fund Inc. and St. Vincent de Paul Villages in San Diego.
UPDATE # 4
According to the press conference he will be a short term or "Bridge" AD for about two years. In the past there has been speculation to get an interim AD to allow Vin Lauanna the track coach to get past the 2008 Olympic trials in Eugene or allow Mike Bellotti to finish out his coaching carer and then become AD.
UPDATE #5
Click on the title above for a link to the news story in the Portland Oregonian Nespaper.
UPDATE # 6
Kilkenny, is the former chairman and chief executive officer of the San Diego-based Arrowhead General Insurance Agency. He sold the company last year.
