From the moment it was announced that Rob Higgins had been chosen as USF’s first CEO of Athletics, I thought it was a home-run hire. Many people did.
However, after watching his formal introduction Monday on the USF campus, calling it a home run clearly undersells it.
This was a World Series-winning walk-off grand slam that flew outside the stadium, complete with a bat flip.
Higgins is the total package.
Compelling personal story? Check.
He cleaned floors and washed basketball uniforms as a volunteer at USF when he was just a junior in high school. After enrolling at USF, he served as the student manager for the basketball team under Seth Greenberg.
Proven track record of success? Check.
He served 20 years as the executive director of the Tampa Bay Sports Commission and made innumerable valuable contacts around the country. He is the common thread between all the Super Bowls, Final Fours, Frozen Fours, early-round NCAA basketball tournament games, and all the other major sports events that Tampa has hosted with excellence over the years.
Love for USF? Check, check, and double-check. He understands the heartbeat of the school and athletic department because he has lived it.
He becomes the first Bulls alum to lead the athletic department. His parents graduated from here. He met his wife here. Oh, and coincidentally, he was introduced at his new job on his 24th wedding anniversary.
“For me, like Rob, this place is deeply personal. Rob's been there when we had Greenbergopolis, camping out right outside this building for tickets,” Trustee Vice Chairman Mike Griffin said.
“Understanding like that, you can't teach. Either you have it or you don't.”
The move to hire Higgins came about when former Vice President for Athletics Michael Kelly left for the same job at the U.S. Naval Academy. The choice of CEO for Higgins’ title is designed to describe better the duties of running a modern collegiate athletic department.
Speaker after speaker emphasized Higgins’ skill at fund-raising and thinking big. USF has 21 varsity sports and is building a $348.5 million on-campus football stadium.
“When Michael came to us and told us he was leaving, we knew that was a unique moment in time and that USF could not afford to get this wrong,” Trustee Chairman Will Weatherford said. “We needed vision, we needed execution, and we needed someone who could bring passion to the table. And we knew that Rob had all three of those things, but we decided we were going to make him earn it, and I mean that in the most serious sense, meaning we wanted him to go through a process.”
Weatherford said they spoke with dozens of candidates with top-notch qualifications, but it kept coming back to the USF grad living in Hillsborough County.
“Rob rose to the top because he had a vision for USF athletics, he had a plan of execution of how to take us to the next level, and he has a passion that's unmatched,” Weatherford said.
“For me, it was just such a no-brainer. And I'm so glad we went through that process, because it made us be sure about the decision, and it forced him to be sure about the decision. And I couldn't be happier than the University of South Florida.”
Last November, Higgins revealed he had colon cancer. After successful treatment at the Moffitt Cancer Center on USF’s campus, he is cancer-free and ready to rock.
He quickly addressed an item on his plate that would attract considerable attention – USF’s place in potential conference realignment.
“I realize that that's the single biggest metric for which we will be judged. The American Conference has been a great partner to us, and that starts with their commissioner and my friend Tim Pernetti,” Higgins said.
“Timothy is a disruptor. He's unapologetic, he's innovative. He has a roll up your sleeves mentality, which embodies exactly what we're striving to do. However, when Tim is not naïve. Do we have aspirations? I was with him last weekend, and we literally spoke about it. He also knows we will strive to be the absolute best member of the American to help make the league better.”
With Higgins’ hiring and the support team around him, the Bulls are positioned to do that.
“From a ball kid for the basketball team to the CEO of athletics, with the right work ethic, the right relationships, the right teammates, and, most importantly, the right education, anything is possible at USF,” Higgins said.
“Buckle up for one hell of a ride in defining our moment together. Be bold and go bold.”
And don’t forget the bat flip.