| Current position | |
|---|---|
| Title | Athletic director |
| Team | Ohio Bobcats |
| Conference | Mid-American Conference |
| Administrative career (AD unless noted) | |
| 2019–present | Ohio Bobcats |
Julie Cromer is the athletic director atOhio University inAthens, Ohio and served as a co-chair of theNCAA Division I Transformation Committee.[1] She is the first female athletic director for theOhio Bobcats.
Julie Cromer grew up in Southern Missouri.[2] She received herBachelor's degree fromMissouri State University in 1993. She earned aMaster's degree in Policy Analysis from theO'Neill School of Public and Environmental Affairs atIndiana University in 2010.[3]
She began her career in athletics working for theMidwestern Collegiate Conference. She later served as Assistant Athletic Director atWright State University. She left Wright State to begin a ten-year duration at theNational Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) where she served as Director of Academic and Membership Affairs. She then served as Executive Associate Athletics Director and Senior Woman Administrator (SWA) atIndiana University Bloomington for four years and the Senior Deputy Athletics Director at theUniversity of Arkansas for six years.[3] As interim Athletic Director at Arkansas afterJeff Long was fired, she fired football coachBret Bielema.[4]
On August 31, 2019, she was hired by Ohio University to become the schools Athletic Director followingJim Schaus who left to become the Commissioner of theSouthern Conference.[5][6] During her first year, theOhio Football Team won theIdaho Potato Bowl.[7] The following year theOhio Men's Basketball Team won the2020 MAC men's basketball tournament[8] and upsetAtlantic Coast Conference (AAC) regular season championVirginia Cavaliers in the first round of theNCAA tournament.[9] This was the school's first tournament win since a sweet sixteen appearance in2012.[10]
On July 14, Cromer promoted long timeoffensive coordinatorTim Albin to head football coach at Ohio following the unexpected retirement of Solich prior to the2021 season.[11] After struggling to a 3–9 record in 2021, Albin led the Bobcats to a 7–1 mark in theMAC in2022 as Ohio won the MAC East for the first time since2016.[12] They lost toToledo in theMAC Championship Game.[13][14] Ohio defeatedWyoming in theArizona Bowl[15][16] The Bobcat's football team had their 2nd straight 10 win season in2023.[17] Ohio playedGeorgia Southern in theMyrtle Beach Bowl where they scored 41 points with the aid of five forced turnovers by the defense to cruise to a 41–21 victory.[18][19][20]
In 2024 thefootball team had a third straight ten win season.[21] At 7–1 inMAC play they qualified to playMiami in theMAC Championship game[22] Ohio defeatedMiami in theMAC Championship game to give the Bobcats their first conference championship since 1968.[23]Tim Albin left the team to accept the head coaching position atCharlotte[24] She named asscociate head coachBrian Smith as the next head coach[25] Ohio then won the2024 Cure Bowl by as score and Ohio its first ever 11 win season, and extended Ohio's bowl winning streak to six games.[26]
On August 15, 2023 she was named NCAA Division I FBS Nike Executive of the Year.[27] On March 20, 2024, she was named NACDA Athletics Director of the Year by the National Association of Collegiate Directors of Athletics.[28]