Bruce Van De Velde


Bruce Van De Velde served as Director of Athletics at Louisiana Tech University from 2010 to July 1 2013 when he stepped down. From 2008 to 2010, Van De Velde served as Deputy Director of Athletics & Chief Operating Officer at Louisiana Tech University under then-Director of Athletics/Head Football Coach Derek Dooley.
During Van De Velde's tenure, LA Tech received an invitation to join Conference USA and left the Western Athletic Conference in July 2013. In 2012, the Louisiana Tech football program received its highest national ranking in school history and was ranked in the BCS for the first time. He was responsible for a compliance program that achieved no major NCAA rules infractions from 2008 to the present. In addition, the student-athlete graduate success rate of 72 percent in 2012 was the highest in the history of the university and one of the top graduation rates in the nation. All 16 sports programs were APR penalty free and eight programs achieved their highest APR in school history.
Teams he was associated with participated in the Rose Bowl, Cotton Bowl, Holiday Bowl, Peach Bowl, Aloha Bowl, Independence Bowl, Insight.com Bowl, Copper Bowl, Poinsettia Bowl, and Humanitarian Bowl.
Coaching hires at LA Tech include Skip Holtz, Sonny Dykes, Michael White, and Mark Montgomery.
Van De Velde was responsible, while at Iowa State University, for hiring Christie Martens and Christy Johnson-Lynch.
While at Utah State University, Van De Velde hired Stew Morrill.
Van De Velde has won many awards and earned many achievements including:
General Robert R. Neyland - Outstanding Athletic Director Award Admiral U.S. Grant Sharp - Award Recipient
PRISM Award - Managerial Excellence Excellence in Management Cup - Texas A&M University
UniversityPositionYear
Louisiana Tech UniversityAthletic Director2008 – 2013
University of MissouriDirector of Development2007 – 2008
Iowa State UniversityAthletic Director2000 – 2006
University of OklahomaSenior Associate Athletic Director for External Affairs1999 – 2000
Utah State UniversityDirector of Athletics1998 – 1999
Kansas State UniversityAssociate Athletic Director for Football Operations1992 – 1997
Tulane UniversityAssistant Athletic Director for Recruiting1991 – 1992
The University of IowaDepartmental Recruiting Coordinator1988 – 1991
Dana CollegeDefensive Coordinator/Recruiting Coordinator1985 – 1988
Nebraska Wesleyan UniversityAssistant Football Coach1982 – 1985

Education

In 1982, Van De Velde completed his undergraduate degree with a Bachelor of Science in Physical Education from Iowa State University. His postgraduate work includes a Master of Arts degree in Physical Education from The University of Iowa.

Coaching/Recruiting