Scott Woodward Position: Director of Athletics

Scott Woodward was named Director of Athletics for the University of Washington on Sept. 17, 2008, becoming the school's 16th director of intercollegiate athletics. Woodward served as interim athletic director for the previous seven months.

As the director of athletics, Woodward oversees 21 sports programs, 650 student-athletes and a staff of nearly 200, with an annual budget of $60 million.

Since becoming the director of athletics, Woodward has seen three Husky programs bring home National Championships in women's cross country, men's crew and softball. Washington finished 11th out of 271 Division I institutions in the 2008-09 Learfield Sports Director's Cup, the second-best finish ever for the school. UW teams scored a total of 1,010.25 points, the highest for the Husky athletic program since the award began in 1993-1994. A total of 19 of Washington's 23 sports programs in 2008-09 participated in post-season competition.

Additionally, Woodward has led the hiring of new head football coach Steve Sarkisian and head baseball coach Lindsay Meggs.

Prior to his work in the Athletic Department, Woodward served as Washington's Vice President of External Affairs for one of the nation's leading research institutions. Woodward was also charged with overseeing the University's Offices of Federal Relations, State Relations, Regional Affairs, Marketing and Media Relations and Communications. In this role, his primary responsibility was managing the relationship of the UW and its administration with public constituents such as members of Congress, state legislators, high-level donors, business and community leaders and other stake holders. From 2004 through 2005, Woodward worked as Special Assistant to the President for External Affairs, during which time he restructured the University's central communications organization and helped to hire several top administrators.

Before coming to the University of Washington, Woodward served as Director of External Affairs (2000-04) under then-Chancellor Mark Emmert at Louisiana State University. In that position, he acted as the liaison between the university and government and corporate officials and advised the chancellor on the implications of potential policy changes external to the university. He also served as the liaison from the Chancellor's office to the LSU athletic department and helped Emmert oversee it.

While Emmert and Woodward were at LSU, the institution's intercollegiate athletic teams won 10 NCAA national championships, including one in football in 2003. Woodward also experienced first-hand national championship caliber teams in baseball, basketball, and track and field. In addition, during that span the athletics program ranked among the top 11 in the nation three times in the annual NACDA Director's Cup and claimed 11 CoSIDA Academic All-America selections.

Before moving into higher education, he owned a government and public relations firm in Baton Rouge, La., providing strategic direction to corporations dealing with local and state governments. He was previously a political consultant and legislative liaison in the Office of the Governor of Louisiana, Buddy Roemer.

Woodward holds a bachelor's degree in political science from LSU. He is married to Nanette Dicharry and has two grown sons, Michael and Josh Evans.