University of Richmond basketball and football are in elevated positions for Keith Gill, who was named the Spiders’ athletics director on Friday, compared to when Jim Miller was hired as Richmond’s AD in 2000.

...

Gill, 40, has been American University’s athletics director since 2007.

Richmond will introduce Gill on Monday at the Robins Center at 11 a.m. The public is invited.

Gill, a native of Orlando, Fla., is a former Duke running back who also worked in athletics departments at Vanderbilt and Oklahoma. From 2000-04, he was the NCAA’s director of membership.

Miller will transition to the newly established role of assistant to the president for athletic advancement.

“Keith brings to Richmond an outstanding record of ensuring competitive success and student-athlete success,” UR president Edward L. Ayers said in a school release.

“His own experience as a student-athlete; his work at the NCAA and his leadership in the Vanderbilt, Oklahoma and American programs have given him a broad perspective on intercollegiate athletics.

“He is widely regarded for his leadership, integrity and commitment to student-athletes, and I look forward to working with him to build on the remarkable achievements and overall excellence of Spider athletics.”

In 2000, Miller took over an athletics program that belonged to the Colonial Athletic Association.

In 2001-02, he guided the Spiders into the Atlantic 10 Conference. The UR men’s basketball program now operates in a higher-profile position among Division I members, and has a respected and successful coach, Chris Mooney, signed through the 2020-21 season.

The Robins Center underwent significant enhancements with Miller in charge, and more are scheduled.

When Miller arrived, UR football was struggling to become a consistent winner on the FCS level.

The football team played its home games at a city-owned stadium that had opened in 1929.

Since 2005, UR has had one losing season, won a national championship and two CAA Football titles.

Richmond hired coach Danny Rocco, a consistent winner during the last six years as Liberty’s coach, in December.

Since 2010, Richmond has played home games on campus, at Robins Stadium.

Gill will deal with some unrest, and supervise the addition of men’s lacrosse. On Sept. 21, UR announced that it would eliminate men’s soccer and men’s track and field at the conclusion of this school year.

By: JOHN O’CONNOR | Richmond Times-Dispatch
http://www2.timesdispatch.com/sports/sport/2012/nov/03/tdsport01-new-ur-ad-gill-assumes-improved-position-ar-2333566/