Wichita State president provides context for AD Darron Boatright’s contract extension
There remains no explanation for why Wichita State never publicized the latest contract extension given to athletic director Darron Boatright, but university president Rick Muma did provide some context to the situation.
Through a Kansas Open Records Act request The Eagle discovered three weeks ago that Boatright, whose previous contract was set to expire this summer, had been given a 37% raise and two-year contract extension signed on Oct. 23, 2020 that was never publicized by WSU.
The contract was signed by Muma, who was then the acting president, during a chaotic time at WSU: seven months into the coronavirus pandemic, less than a month after president Jay Golden abruptly resigned and exactly two weeks after the university acknowledged it had launched an independent investigation into abuse allegations made against men’s basketball coach Gregg Marshall, who would reach a $7.75 million settlement to resign 18 days later.
“Looking back at what was going on at the university and in the world with the COVID-19 pandemic at that time, it was most likely overlooked or not seen as a priority,” said WSU spokesperson Lainie Mazzullo-Hart in an email response asking for comment from Muma on why the contract extension wasn’t announced.
Muma later responded to questions from The Eagle with emailed responses.
According to Muma, discussions of Boatright’s latest extension began one year and two presidents before he took office again. Muma said the talks date back to 2019 when Andy Tompkins was the acting president, continued with Golden, then were finished shortly after Muma became interim president in October 2020.
“The intention was to solidify a more comprehensive contract agreement that reflected a multi-year term, comparable compensation incentives and more clearly defined and measurable expectations,” Muma wrote. “These discussions continued into former President Golden’s tenure during which time the university embarked on a comprehensive market study and a review of comparable athletic director contracts from other universities to assist with negotiating the now-existing contract.”
Boatright signed a three-year contract extension in February 2019, the same time when Muma was acting president, meaning the university negotiated another contract extension for Boatright in the same calendar year.
Muma feels the same way then as he does now about Boatright’s guidance.
“I was confident at the time the agreement was executed, and remain confident, in Boatright’s past and future performance and leadership,” Muma wrote.
The athletic director has come under criticism from segments of the WSU fan base as the men’s basketball team has struggled this season, as coach Isaac Brown’s Shockers have underwhelmed in their follow-up season to last year’s improbable run to the program’s first American Athletic Conference championship. Boatright made the decision to promote Brown, the interim coach following Marshall’s departure, to the full-time position with a five-year, $6 million contract following the rousing debut.
Boatright has served as the athletic director since 2015 and his crowning achievement was guiding Wichita State from the Missouri Valley Conference to the American Athletic Conference in 2017. Under his leadership, WSU has enjoyed some of its most successful academic years and most successful fundraising years. He was also instrumental in hiring baseball coach Eric Wedge on a list of hires that also includes women’s basketball coach Keitha Adams, men’s tennis coach Danny Bryan and men’s golf coach Judd Easterling.
“The past success of our student-athletes and the Wichita State University athletic programs can be attributed in part to Boatright’s leadership,” Muma wrote. “Under his leadership, Wichita State University has had success across multiple sports. That was evident to me in 2019 and 2020 when both contracts were signed.”
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