Purdue hires Rice's Tommy McClelland as new AD

Field Level Media|published: 08/05/2026, 1:12pm EDT

Sep 18, 2021; South Bend, Indiana, USA; A Purdue Boilermakers helmet sits ready on the bench in the third quarter against the Notre Dame Fighting Irish at Notre Dame Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Matt Cashore-Imagn Images

Purdue announced the hiring of Tommy McClelland on Wednesday as the Boilermakers' new vice president and director of intercollegiate athletics.

McClelland has been serving as the athletic director at Rice since 2023. He will be formally introduced at a press conference on Thursday.

Visionary leadership for the next great chapter in Boilermaker history.

Please welcome Tommy McClelland as Purdue University's new Vice President and Director of Intercollegiate Athletics. ?? Boiler Up! pic.twitter.com/MbmxmqMbQq
— Purdue Sports (@PurdueSports) August 5, 2026

McClelland succeeds Mike Bobinski, who announced earlier this year that he is stepping down at the end of this calendar year. Bobinski, 68, has led the athletic department in West Lafayette, Ind., since 2016.

McClelland was a long snapper for the football team and a javelin thrower for the track team at Northwestern State in Natchitoches, La.

He served as the athletic director for two schools in his home state of Louisiana at McNeese State (2008-13) and Louisiana Tech (2013-20) before becoming deputy AD at Vanderbilt (2020-23).

--Field Level Media