Tulsa AD Rick Dickson to retire
TULSA, Okla. (AP) — Tulsa athletic director Rick Dickson announced his retirement Friday.
Dickson, a Tulsa native who previously served as athletic director at the school from 1990-94, returned to his alma mater in September 2020 on an interim basis to help the department through the COVID-19 pandemic. He then decided to stay on, agreeing in August 2021 to a three-year contract.
"Rick has truly been a servant of this university. Driven by a sense of duty to student-athletes and higher education, he is the best kind of AD – one who answers the call and leads by example," said TU President Brad R. Carson. "He is not afraid of hard work and is generous to a fault. Rick's deep understanding of collegiate athletics and commitment to our university will be sorely missed. We wish him and his family all the best."
Overall, Dickson spent 32 years as a collegiate athletic director. In between his stints at Tulsa, he was the AD at Washington State from 1994-2000 and at Tulane from 2000-15, a period that included Hurricane Katrina doing extensive damage to Tulane's New Orleans campus in 2005.
Tulsa said in a news release that fundraising increased by 25% each year under Dickson’s guidance. Tulsa won 10 American Athletic Conference titles in various sports during his second stint as AD.
"With a grateful heart, I am announcing my retirement from a 32-year career that fittingly ends at The University of Tulsa, where it all began," Dickson said. "TU is a special community, sharing a name and history with a vibrant city, which allowed it to compete and showcase one another with the best of the best. Thanks to Presidents Levit and Carson and the TU Board of Trustees for the unexpected invitation to serve our alma mater in a challenging moment.
"This is the community where I was raised and a university where I was developed, educated, married, raised a family, and launched a remarkable career – a career highlighted by dedicated staff, tremendous coaches, loyal supporters, and, most importantly, amazing young men and women who gave us a greater purpose," he said. "Brenda and I are forever grateful."
Earlier this week, Tulsa sports information director Don Tomkalski announced he will retire on May 31 after a 40-year career. Tomkalski, the longest-tenured athletic department employee, worked under seven ADs. He worked with 10 head coaches for football and 11 for men’s basketball.
TU will conduct a national search for Dickson's replacement.