Report: Purdue hiring Tommy McClelland as next athletic director

WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. (WRTV) — Purdue is hiring Rice athletic director Tommy McClelland to be its next athletic director, according to a report from ESPN’s Pete Thamel.

McClelland has been Rice’s athletic director since 2023. Previously, he was the deputy athletic director at Vanderbilt from 2020-23. He was also the director of athletics at Louisiana Tech from 2013 to 2020. His first job as an athletic director was at McNeese State, a job he got when he was just 26 years old.

McClelland is a native of Basile, Louisiana and attended Northwestern State for college, where he graduated with a bachelor’s degree and master’s degree in sport administration.

McClelland replaces Mike Bobinski, who retired after being Purdue’s athletic director since 2016.