Despite a 9-3 record in 2012, and at one point in the season being considered a BCS buster, Louisiana Tech did not make the postseason last year because of a bowl invite SNAFU that resulted in a lot of pointed fingers but no extra game for the Bulldogs.
Related or not, LaTech athletic director Bruce Van De Velde has announced he will step down on July 1 -- seven months after the fact. No reason was given for the move and no direct mention of the mixup was made. Van De Velde will serve the university in a non-administrative through the end of his contract, which expires in February of next year. Deputy athletics director Mary Kay Hungate will serve as interim AD.
“My experience at Louisiana Tech has been both rewarding and challenging,” said Van De Velde in a statement. “I am proud of my contributions to the competitive and academic success of our student-athletes and coaches, and to have enhanced a culture of honesty, integrity, competitive and academic excellence within the athletic department.”
Van De Velde joined the Louisiana Tech athletics department in 2008 as deputy director of athletics and chief operating officer, and was promoted to AD in 2010. With the departure of Sonny Dykes to Cal, Van De Velde recently hired former USF and East Carolina coach Skip Holtz.
LaTech will play its inaugural season in Conference USA this year.