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2023-2024 Rice Basketball Season Preview

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Anticipation is building for the 2023-2024 Rice Basketball season. What might be in store for the Owls as they enter the AAC in Scott Pera’s seventh season?

There’s a buzz around Tudor Fieldhouse these days as Rice Basketball prepares for its first season as members of the AAC. After years of gradual improvement under seventh-year head coach Scott Pera, the Owls hope the 2023-2024 season will be a breakthrough year where they prove to themselves and their new conference mates the Rice program is on its way up.

“I think it’s our deepest group and our most talented group,” Pera told The Roost as the Owls tipped off preseason practices, working to establish a new rhythm with a roster that will boast some important new faces in addition to return leaders Rice fans have come to appreciate.

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Rice Athletics AD Tommy McClelland shares goals, big dreams for Owls

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On Tuesday morning, Rice Athletics introduced Tommy McClelland as its new Athletic Director and gave him the opportunity to share his vision for the Owls.

News broke a few weeks ago that Rice Athletics had found its new Athletic Director. The University formalized the announcement soon afterward and on Tuesday, those expectations were fulfilled with the introduction of Tommy McClelland as the Owls’ new AD.

“I’ve always admired Rice from afar. The opportunity to join the university, one of the world’s elite institutions and a university and an athletics program that is on the rise, it’s truly unbelievable,” McClelland said. “Rice athletics has enormous potential to achieve even greater success while remaining true to its core values.”

McClelland made it clear he viewed this position as a destination job. He spoke of all the potential Rice had and stirred up the passions of those in the room, asking everyone to do their part in helping the university achieve those lofty aspirations.

The Roost Podcast: Soundbites and summaries from Tommy McClelland’s presser

As for his vision for the athletic department, McClleland leaned into the unique value proposition Rice University holds. “Athletics is not the most important thing on this campus, not by a longshot,” he admitted. “But our sports programs do provide the widest lens in which people get to view the global impact that is happening all over this campus.”

McClelland closed his initial remarks with a powerful value statement, further clarifying his goals for the athletic department “to use athletics as a mechanism to become a top-rated university in education, in research and in everything we do.” adding that he believes “we can utilize the platform in athletics to help amplify the success of the university. When one area of the university wins, we all win.”

You can view the entire press conference here.

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Rice Athletics: Tommy McClelland named Director of Athletics

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Rice president Reginald DesRoches announced that Tommy McClelland, currently the deputy athletic director at Vanderbilt, will be the Owls’ new AD.

In a statement released by the school on Sunday, Rice Athletics has named Tommy McClelland its next athletic director.

“We’re thrilled to be able to attract someone with Tommy’s breadth of experience and success,” DesRoches said. “He brings the values of academic excellence and deep integrity that define Rice, coupled with a passionate desire to compete successfully at the highest level of intercollegiate athletics. These attributes will be critical for Rice’s first season in the American Athletic Conference and the years to follow.”

“I am incredibly grateful to President DesRoches, the search committee and the Board of Trustees for the opportunity to serve as vice president and director of athletics at Rice University,” McClelland said. “My family and I are thrilled to join the Rice family and the Houston community.”

The news was initially reported on Saturday by Pete Thamel before being announced formally by Rice today.

McClelland is slated to begin duties on August 14, two weeks from today. In the meantime, senior associate director Tanner Gardner will serve as interim athletic director for the department.

The full statement is available to read here.

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Report: Rice Athletics targeting Tommy McClelland to be new AD

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Not long after the announced departure of Joe Karlgaard, Rice Athletics has reportedly focused its search on Tommy McClelland to be its new AD.

First reported by Pete Thamel, Rice Athletics is targeting current Vanderbilt deputy athletic director Tommy McClelland. According to Thamel, the deal is “expected to be finalized in the upcoming days.”

McClelland cut his teeth as an athletic director at McNeese State before moving to Louisiana Tech, where he served as the Bulldogs’ athletic director from 2013 to 2020 before departing for Vanderbilt. His particular penchant for fundraising, noted by Thamel and separately confirmed to The Roost, is one of his most distinctive traits.

The addition would be another step in a season of change for the entire Rice Athletics department and the university as a whole. Rice has recently installed a new president, Reginald DesRoches, moved to a new conference, the American Athletic, and now will be finalizing the addition of a new athletic director.

The hire would presumably enable Rice to have their card in order for the upcoming fall athletic season, which is quickly approaching. Rice football just completed media days last week and is set to open fall camp in the coming days. A new athletic year is poised to begin and it looks now as if the Owls have their man to lead them into an exciting new future.

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Rice Athletics Director Joe Karlgaard to Leave Owls this Summer

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Rice Athletics Director Joe Karlgaard is moving on to private business, ending a decade-long tenure at the helm of the Owls’ athletic department.

In a statement from president Reginald DesRoches, Rice Athletics announced that athletic director Joe Karlgaard will conclude his time at Rice at the end of July. Effective August 1, Karlgaard will become the CEO of GSV Summit LLC, leaving the world of collegiate athletics for the time being.

Rice will “soon be launching a national search for our new athletics director” and an updated is expected on that front “in the next month.”

From Karlgaard:

“I’m very fortunate to have worked with so many wonderful student-athletes, coaches, staff, faculty, and supporters over these past ten years. Rice is a special place, and I’m grateful for all those who pour their hearts and souls into making this university great.”

Read the full statement here.

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