![Woman in red jacket [Jeri Beggs] shaking hands with a man [Aondover Tarhule] standing in front of a podium and microphone with the Illinois State logo affixed to the front of the podium](https://npr.brightspotcdn.com/dims4/default/ce2956f/2147483647/strip/true/crop/1200x847+0+0/resize/840x592!/format/webp/quality/90/?url=http%3A%2F%2Fnpr-brightspot.s3.amazonaws.com%2F1a%2F68%2F6722fe5c4c79b2d5c318b946c4c8%2Fjeri-beggs-aondover-tarhule-isu-bollinger04.jpg)
Illinois State's new athletics director Jeri Beggs says college athletics are going through radical changes as she prepares to step into the permanent role.
Yet, Beggs said the top priorities for Redbird athletics will remain the same.
“My vision has been to win championships, graduate student-athletes and be the best campus and community partner we can be, and that will not change,” Beggs told an audience of Redbird athletes, coaches and donors at an introductory news conference Tuesday at the Aaron Leetch Stadium Club.
ISU president Aondover Tarhule formally introduced Beggs as the university’s 13th athletics director, and the first woman to serve in the role.
Tarhule said Beggs showed visionary leadership in her nearly two years as interim AD.
“She is a strong relationship builder that has helped develop a cohesive team of staff and coaches, a strong community of donors and an engaged and growing Redbird fan base to support our student-athletes,” Tarhule said.
Tarhule named Beggs the interim athletics director after Kyle Brennan resigned in April 2023 amid questions about improper athletics spending.
The university highlighted several achievements during Beggs' interim tenure, including the two highest grade-point averages in program history in spring and fall of 2024 [3.35 and 3.43, respectively], a new partnership with OSF HealthCare for its new indoor practice facility, and a new Doug Collins Court and other improvements at CEFCU Arena.
Beggs had just put in her retirement papers to the university from her role as a marketing professor when Tarhule asked her to fill the interim role.
“I really hadn’t planned to quit working completely, I thought I just needed a new challenge,” said Beggs, who has served as an NCAA board member and as a faculty athletics representative.
“I never imagined this would be the new challenge.” she said.
Beggs' contract, which runs through June 30, 2029, offers a base salary of $240,000 and includes performance bonuses of up to $20,000 annually. The bonuses are tied to student athletes' academic progress, Missouri Valley Conference championships and NCAA tournament wins.
Challenges
Beggs said one of the biggest challenges ISU athletics faces is the expected loss of close to $5 million that's expected to come from a national settlement involving the NCAA.
She said she’s had some discussions with donors about the funding, and leaving some positions unfilled when they became vacant.
“It’s really hard for us to take, considering our school didn’t earn that TV money and our student-athletes won’t get any of the damages and yet we are on the hook,” Beggs said in an interview on WGLT’s Sound Ideas. “That’s significant money for us.”
ISU’s annual athletics budget is close to $30 million, according to the Knight-Newhouse College Athletics Database.
Beggs said the university has no plans to leave the Missouri Valley Conference or pursue a bigger payday by trying to move up another level in football as previous conference rivals have done — most recently Missouri State [that jumped to the FBS-level Conference USA].
“We should be dominating the Missouri Valley Conference. Until we do that, I think we are right where we belong,” Beggs said. “Looking at geography, looking at all 19 sports, not just one sport, it would be a mistake to move anywhere right now.”
Coaches react
Several Redbird coaches who the news conference cheered her hiring.
![Man [Mason Kaplan] in a collared short-sleeve shirt presents a bouquet of red and white roses to a woman [Jeri Beggs] in a red jacket while standing behind a table with two microphones](https://npr.brightspotcdn.com/dims4/default/c52bd36/2147483647/strip/true/crop/1200x900+0+0/resize/840x630!/format/webp/quality/90/?url=http%3A%2F%2Fnpr-brightspot.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fe0%2Fe7%2F7d2141f242869c7c234b473a985e%2Fjeri-beggs-athletic-director-isu-bollinger11.jpg)
“It could have gone a different direction,” said men’s basketball coach Ryan Pedon. “There’s a lot of question marks at a certain level and she stabilized and solidified [the department] and she’s reaping the benefits of that day. It’s been awesome to watch that play out.”
Women’s basketball coach Kristen Gillespie said student-athletes seem relieved that Beggs was chosen for the role.
“They know how much she cares about them. Ultimately, we are here for them and their experience and I think she is great example of always putting their needs and their experience first and foremost.”
Gillespie added she hopes Beggs’ hiring as the first female athletics director at ISU will inspire young women to see a future in sports administration.
“Women’s athletics is as hot as it’s been, and it’s cool that the right person for the job here at Illinois State was Dr. Beggs, who just happens to be a female," Gillespie said.
Beggs said she feels honored to be the first woman to serve at ISU’s athletics director, but called it surprising that the university has not had a woman in the role before, given its history of pioneers in women’s sports.
“Linda Herman served in the role multiple times and never got the job. She should have been our first female AD, but I’m really proud to be,” Beggs said.
A university spokesperson said the terms of Beggs' contract are being finalized.
