Jim Phillips, the Director of Athletics at Northern Illinois since 2004, has agreed to take the same position at Northwestern, various media outlets are reporting.
University spokesman Al Cubbage declined to comment.
NU has been searching for a new AD since Mark Murphy left his post to become President and CEO of the NFL’s Green Bay Packers in December. Robert Gundlach has been serving in an interim capacity since Jan. 1.
Before arriving at NIU, Phillips served as Associate Director of Athletics and Senior Associate Director of Athletics for External Affairs at Notre Dame. He graduated from Illinois in 1990 and has a master’s from Arizona State and a Ph.D. from Tennessee.
At NIU, Phillips worked to improve the athletic department’s academics and national visibility.
