Nine simple words that carry impressive significance and undeniable responsibility. Words that Nebraska's new athletic director uses to lead his programs and set the tone for building champions in competition and in life.
William H. (Bill) Moos was named Nebraska's Athletic Director on Oct. 15, 2017, and fully assumed those responsibilities on Oct. 23.
Moos, who became the 15th athletic director in the history of the storied Cornhusker program, brings nearly 25 years of experience as an athletic director at three Division I schools (Washington State, Oregon, Montana) with him to Nebraska.More importantly, he brings an impressive track record of success in building outstanding programs, developing long-term relationships, and for doing what is best for his schools, its fans and most importantly, its student-athletes.
"When you name the top three, four, five athletic programs in the great positions as an athletic director, Nebraska is in that same breath," Moos said at his introductory press conference at Memorial Stadium. "I want you to know that my motto has always been, in the 25 years I have been a Division I athletic director and it will be here too is very simple - honor the past, live the present, create the future."
Moos came to Lincoln after spending seven-plus years at Washington State (2010-17). He previously served 12 highly successful seasons as the athletic director at Oregon (1995-2007). During his time at his alma mater, Moos wasted little time in making his impact felt in Cougar Athletics, spearheading a department-wide rebranding effort with Nike while securing a 10-year, $35 million marketing rights agreement with IMG College.In addition, the 2004 WSU Alumni Achievement Award winner gained Regents approval for a $130 million addition and remodel of Martin Stadium, featuring a remodeled press box with luxury seating, including suites, loge boxes and club room.
Also included in the project was a state-of-the-art video board and an 80,000-square-foot football operations building that served as the stadium’s showpiece and opened in May 2014.As the dean of Pac-12 athletic directors, Moos was at the forefront of the conference’s procurement of a 12-year, $3 billion television contract with FOX and ESPN, a landmark agreement in college athletics. Under Moos’ direction, the Cougar Athletic Fund’s Annual Giving program saw an 81 percent increase in gifts while CAF donor members rose from nearly 4,000 to more than 7,500.
Additional facility enhancements under Moos included a center-hung video board in Beasley Coliseum that was installed prior to the 2011-12 season, giving Cougar basketball one of the premier fan experiences in the conference. An indoor golf hitting facility was also completed in early 2013, and Lower Soccer Field underwent a major renovation making the venue TV-ready while also providing one of the best playing surfaces on the West Coast, along with the addition of lights and a new scoreboard.
Other enhancements were made to the Moobery track facility, Bailey-Brayton Field, the basketball practice gym, Gibb Pool and the Simmelink Indoor tennis courts. In Moos’ seven years at WSU, Cougar student-athletes and coaches accounted for 805 academic all-conference selections, 130 all-conference accolades, 45 All-America honors and three Pac-12 Coach-of-the-Year honors.
Moos served as Oregon's director of athletics from July of 1995 to 2007. While at Oregon he oversaw a 17-sport athletic department that grew to national prominence during his tenure.Oregon’s annual athletic department budget grew from $18.5 million in his first year to more than $40 million by 2007, becoming 100 percent self-sufficient during that time. Under his direction the Duck Athletic Fund donor base increased from 4,930 to 12,290, resulting in an annual gifts increase from $4.1 million to $15.3 million.
Moos initiated more than $160 million in facility improvements while at Oregon. Included in that was the $90 million Autzen Stadium renovation in 2002, which added 12,000 new seats, 32 new suites, a new Club at Autzen and a new press box to the stadium. In his 12 years, the Ducks ranked first in Pac-10 football attendance 11 times, reaching 100 percent capacity in each of those seasons.
During Moos’ tenure, Oregon athletics captured 13 Pac-10 championships across six different sports. He increased opportunities for women by adding two intercollegiate programs, soccer and lacrosse, and negotiated an all-inclusive shoe and apparel contract with Nike, one of only 14 in the country at the time. From an academic standpoint during Moos’ tenure, Oregon student-athletes collected 722 academic all-conference selections, 34 Academic All-America selections, nine NCAA Postgraduate Scholarship recipients and one NCAA Top Ten Award.
During his first stint as a collegiate athletic director at Montana (1990-95), Moos created an academic support program and hired its first athletic academic coordinator, developed a facility enhancement plan that created more than $4 million in improvements, and lifted the school’s fund-raising efforts to show a 300 percent increase in private and corporate gifts. Academically, Montana student-athletes were equally successful as the athletic department achieved a graduation rate 20 percent higher than the general university enrollment. Under Moos’ watch Montana garnered 269 academic all-conference selections, five Academic All-Americans and two NCAA Postgraduate Scholarship recipients.
Moos began his athletic career as an athletic administrator in 1982 as assistant athletic director at Washington State. He also served as the school’s associate athletic director (1988-90).At Washington State, he was director of development for more than five years and associate director for nearly two years, supervising all external operations. Prior to that, he managed and owned private businesses in Washington and Oregon for eight years. He was a student assistant football coach at Washington State for the 1973 season, then spent part of 1974 in Washington, D.C., serving as a government intern.
Raised on a wheat and cattle ranch in eastern Washington, Moos attended high school in Olympia when his father served in the governor’s cabinet. Moos earned his bachelor’s degree in history from WSU and was a three-year letterman in football before concluding his collegiate career by representing Washington State in the 1972 East-West Shrine All-Star Game in San Francisco.
He served as co-captain on the Cougars’ 1972 squad and garnered first-team All-Pac-8 Conference honors. Moos and his wife Kendra have three daughters: Christa, Brittany and Kaiti; and two sons, Bo and Benjamin.