Former Illinois State University athletics director Kyle Brennan has landed a new job, two months after his sudden resignation.
Brennan is the new CEO of a new Name, Image and Likeness (NIL) collective at the University of Utah called the Crimson Collective. He'll be responsible for athletics fundraising for student-athletes, primarily within the Utes’ football program.
Brennan previously served as deputy athletic director at Utah before coming to ISU in 2021.
Brennan stepped down at ISU in April just as WGLT was set to publish a story detailing a pricey trip for current and prospective athletics donors that included a stop at a strip club.
Brennan was praised for his fundraising efforts in his two years at ISU, but he resigned after the university administration announced plans to audit Athletics' expenses as reports of the junket surfaced.
Brennan told the Salt Lake Tribune that was just one factor in why he resigned. “It’s a full-scope decision. So I mean, that was part of it. Having different leadership was the biggest part of it for me," Brennan said.
ISU president Terri Goss Kinzy, who Brennan once described as the “most supportive president I’ve been around,” resigned in February for undisclosed reasons. Aondover Tarhule was serving as ISU’s interim president at the time of Brennan’s departure.
Brennan did not comment to WGLT following its reporting that also included a spike in resignations and retirements during his tenure, claims of drinking on the job, and an eroding workplace culture.
Brennan told the Salt Lake Tribune “a lot” of what was written about his departure was inaccurate, but he did not specify what was reported inaccurately.
Brennan did say he planned to apply what he learned from the experience in his new job.
“I think that a lot of times in fundraising you just get so driven by wanting that end result that you push maybe more than you should to try and get there,” he said.
Brennan said the NIL collective conducted a full review of his departure from ISU.
ISU has not yet named a replacement for Brennan. Jeri Beggs is serving as athletics director on an interim basis.
