Rutgers Athletics 2018-19 Points of Pride
A New Jersey native with more than 25 years of leadership experience in higher education and public service, Pat Hobbs enters his fifth year as the Director of Athletics at Rutgers University in 2019-20. Since his appointment on Nov. 29, 2015, he has fostered a vision for the Scarlet Knights, which was further defined with the release of "
The Relentless Pursuit of Excellence." A strategic vision that outlines a plan and quantifying measures towards achieving goals over a five-year time frame, the plan is the first in the history of Rutgers Athletics.
In 2018-19, Rutgers Athletics improved 25 positions in the Learfield Director’s Cup Division I standings, posting its best finish in 12 years. Thirteen Scarlet Knights earned All-America status, including wrestlers Anthony Ashnault and Nick Suriano, who claimed the first NCAA individual national titles in program history. Five student-athletes won Big Ten individual titles, as forty Scarlet Knights earned All-Big Ten honors or medaled at Conference Championships.
Numerous programs earned NCAA postseason berths in 2018-19 to ensure RU’s rise in the Director’s Cup. Women’s basketball posted a 22-10 record and earned its 25th NCAA Tournament berth, while women’s soccer garnered its seventh straight NCAA bid. Number 11-ranked field hockey qualified for its first NCAA Tournament since 1986, and rowing, nationally-ranked for the first time in program history, placed 11th at NCAA Championships. In addition, softball competed in the National Invitational Softball Championship, its first non-conference postseason tournament since 1996.
As the competitive success has trended upward during Hobbs’ tenure, attendance has risen accordingly. Men’s basketball, named the Most Improved Team of the 2018-19 season by
Sports Illustrated, had five sell-outs, its most since 2004-05, and grew its season ticket base for the third consecutive year. Women’s basketball experienced a three-year high in average attendance and wrestling ranked third nationally in total attendance.
In the classroom, a school-record 87 student-athletes of at least sophomore standing were recognized by the Big Ten Conference as 2018-19 Distinguished Scholars. The honorees were among the school-record 276 student-athletes that earned academic all-conference honors overall. Rutgers Athletics had a 990 average APR rate, well above the NCAA average of 983. A school-record nine programs, which ranked second in the Big Ten behind only Northwestern, earned recognition from the NCAA for their multi-year APR scores.
The development of capital projects to support these student-athletes is at the forefront of Hobbs’ charge to further the mission of the only Power Five conference program located in the nation’s largest media market.
On April 13, 2019, R Fund hosted a ceremonial groundbreaking for the Gary and Barbara Rodkin Academic Success Center. Scheduled to open in December of 2020, the facility will serve all student-athletes and provide a range of resources, including academic advising, learning specialists, one-on-one and group tutoring, as well as housing soccer, lacrosse and administration.
The “Rodkin” follows the RWJBarnabas Health Athletic Performance Center, which began welcoming tenants in the summer of 2019. The Center represents a partnership between Rutgers and RWJBarnabas Health to create a comprehensive sports medicine program to serve Rutgers athletes, students and communities throughout New Jersey. The Center also provides state-of-the-art practice facilities, training areas, locker room and office space for men's and women's basketball, wrestling and gymnastics.
Much of the capital project success can be credited to “R B1G Build,” a comprehensive campaign launched on Jan. 20, 2016 to raise $100 million for new or upgraded facilities. On April 10, 2019, R Fund announced the initiative crested its goal, as head coaches Steve Pikiell and Chris Ash made significant contributions to realize the milestone.
Additional facilities to rise under Hobbs’ leadership include The Brown Family Football Locker Room, The Marco Battaglia Football Practice Complex, The Fred Hill Training Complex, The Garutti Strength and Conditioning Center, The Druskin Strength and Conditioning Center and the Abe Suydam Men’s Basketball Locker Room.
A restructuring of athletics leadership under Hobbs has enhanced the student-athlete experience, elevated communication, improved resource allocation and enriched customer service. The Office of Leadership Development and Strategic Partnerships (LDSP) completed an organizational redesign and unit rebrand in 2018-19 that redefined its mission and vision and developed a credit based internship program. LDSP created a credit based global abroad program and fostered new relationships with campus entities RU Global, the Graduate School of Education, Rutgers Business School, Student Affairs, and the Office of Experiential Learning.
In the consumer space, Hobbs shepherded the partnership between Rutgers and adidas, providing that the Portland-based company serves as the official athletic footwear, apparel and accessory brand through 2023-24.
Prior to joining Rutgers, Hobbs served as Ombudsman to the Office of the Governor in the Christie administration, serving as a resource for whistleblowers within the Office. He also oversaw ethics training and guidance to the 140 employees in the Office of the Governor.
Hobbs moved south down the New Jersey Turnpike after notable achievements at Seton Hall University. He served as Dean at the Seton Hall School of Law from 1999 to 2015 and oversaw the Department of Athletics from 2009 to 2011. As Interim Director of Athletics, Hobbs assumed supervision of the department and led searches for men's and women's basketball coaches. He also negotiated the contract for the Prudential Center to serve as home site for men's basketball games.
Hobbs joined the Seton Hall Law faculty in 1990 with a specialty in tax law. He became Associate Dean for Finance in 1995 and was named Dean in 1999. In his years as Dean, Hobbs shepherded the Law School through a series of groundbreaking initiatives that raised Seton Hall Law to unprecedented prominence. The school was the fastest-rising law school in the
U.S. News & World Report ranking over the past decade.
The Garden State product also spearheaded the school's largest fundraising initiative, Seton Hall Law Rising, a $25 million-plus campaign that revitalized alumni support and resulted in a contribution rate of over 70 percent.
Hobbs has been dedicated to fostering greater diversity in the legal profession. In 2008, he formed the Dean's Diversity Council, comprising faculty, students, alumni and administration working in concert to enhance the Law School's inclusive environment. In 2012, Hobbs was honored by the Thurgood Marshall College Fund with its Excellence Award for his work on behalf of diversity within the legal profession and for "exemplifying Justice Thurgood Marshall's commitment to justice, civil rights and education."
Prior to joining Seton Hall Law, Hobbs was a tax attorney with the law firm of Shanley & Fisher in Roseland, N.J. He received his B.A. in accounting, magna cum laude, from Seton Hall University, his J.D. from the University of North Carolina and his LL.M. (in taxation) from New York University.
Hobbs, 59, is the proud father of three children and resides in Basking Ridge, N.J. with wife Patrice.