Ryan Ivey named LA Tech Athletic Director

A new era of Louisiana Tech athletics is set to begin with the official hiring of Ryan Ivey as the school’s next Athletic Director on Friday.

Ivey comes to Ruston after previously serving as Stephen F. Austin’s AD for the past six years, working to make the Lumberjacks into a competitive FCS program. 

According to a press release from Louisiana Tech announcing the hiring, Ivey "raised private support including securing the four largest single gifts in the department's history, increased ticket sales by 189 percent, and completed more than $30 million in facility improvements."

Ivey's vision, along with his years of experience, has Louisiana Tech president Jim Henderson excited about the hire and the promise of what the Bulldog brand can become under Ivey’s leadership.

“He brings a level of experience to the position. He’s been in his job for almost several years and there’s a natural leadership quality about him,” Louisiana Tech president Jim Henderson told the Leader Friday morning. “His level of character also fits well with what we’re trying to do here at Louisiana Tech. He and his family are going to be a great addition to our community.”

Ivey’s experience in the AD chair made him a top candidate according to Henderson, who expects Ivey’s experience to guide him toward making LA Tech a consistent competitor in Group of Five athletics.

“We had a great list of applicants who wanted to be a part of Tech and I think what set Ryan apart is his comfort with complex challenges and he has an ability to take difficult questions with a level of confidence and it doesn’t become arrogance,” Henderson said. “He’s been able to talk about if challenges arise, here’s how he’d deal with it in a substantive way and here’s how we would address it.”

Ivey served as AD at multiple stops prior to SFA, including at Austin Peay State University from 2015-2018, and Texas A&M University-Commerce from 2013-2015.

He also worked as an Associate AD at McNeese State from 2007-2013.

Henderson has spoken publicly about wanting Tech’s new AD to show commitment to the school for an extended period, rather than use Tech as a steppingstone. He believes Ivey wants to be a Bulldog and be a fixture in Ruston for a long time.

“When you ask those type of questions in an interview, you’re only going to get one answer. What else is someone going to say? But after talking with Ryan formally and informally, it’s clear he’s committed to Tech and he wants to be here for the long haul,” Henderson said. “This isn’t about pursuing the seat with him. He’s been an AD before now. He wanted to pursue the seat at this university and make this program successful.”

Success at the Group of Five level requires bold vision and commitment to resource allocation according to Henderson, and he trusts Ivey’s previous stints qualify him to put Louisiana Tech in position to succeed from a fundraising and athletic standpoint.

Between the recent announcement of the Bulldog Community Outreach NIL collective, and the ongoing Aillet Society program, Henderson believes Ivey will have the tools in place to set up Tech for success in an ever-changing athletics landscape.

“Those challenges are not exclusive to Louisiana Tech,” Henderson said. “He’s dealt with that in terms of traditional fundraising and the emergence of NIL and other factors like cost of attendance. There is no magic bullet or panacea, but we’ll be competitive in that area under his leadership.”

A formal introductory press conference is scheduled for Thursday.