| Biographical details | |
|---|---|
| Born | 1961 |
| Alma mater | Ohio University (1983) University of Michigan (1988) |
| Administrative career (AD unless noted) | |
| 1989–1991 | Central Michigan (assistant AD) |
| 1991–1994 | Auburn (assistant AD) |
| 1994–1999 | St. Bonaventure |
| 1999–2005 | Eastern Michigan |
| 2005–2013 | Case Western Reserve |
| 2013–2021 | VMI |
| 2021–2023 | Lake Superior State |
Dave Diles Jr. (born 1961) is an American former college athletics administrator. He served as theathletic director atSt. Bonaventure University from 1994 to 1999, Bonaventure]],Eastern Michigan University from 1999 to 2005,Case Western Reserve University from 2005 to 2013, theVirginia Military Institute (VMI) from 2013 to 2021, andLake Superior State University from 2021 to 2023. Diles was an administrative assistant for theUniversity of Michigan in the late 1980s.
Diles is the son of the late sports broadcasterDave Diles Sr.
Diles was born in 1961, inBloomfield Hills, Michigan, a nearby suburb ofDetroit. His father,Dave Diles Sr., was a prominentABC Sports broadcaster. The two had a close bond together through sports, and the younger Diles noted in a press conference that his father once called him on the phone, crying, to let him know that his son's favoritehockey player (Gary Bergman) had been traded.[1] His father died in December 2009 from a stroke.[2]
Diles attendedOhio University from which he graduated in 1983 with a master's degree in sports administration.[3] Diles later earned adoctor of education from theUniversity of Michigan in 1988. He is married to his wife, Suzanne Irene Diles, and the couple has two sons, Matthew and Mitchell.[3]
Diles' athletic administrative career began in atCentral Michigan University where he was theChippewas' assistant athletic director from 1989 to 1991. He then took the same position atAuburn University from 1991 to 1994.
Diles received his first head athletic directing job in 1994 atSt. Bonaventure University in westernNew York. During his tenure with theBonnies, the school's programs won moreAtlantic 10 Conference championships in from 1995 to 1999 than they had in all years prior.[3] After leaving St. Bonaventure in 1999, Diles went toEastern Michigan University. He oversaw theEagles win 21 totalMid-American Conference titles in a six-year span, and graduation rates of Eastern Michigan student-athletes almost doubled.[3] The Eaglesfootball team, however, failed to achieve a winning season under Diles' direction.
In 2005, Diles stepped away from theNCAA Division I ranks and became the athletic director atCase Western Reserve University, anNCAA Division III school. He cited that he choose the school for a "breadth of responsibilities. Having an opportunity to expand my professional responsibilities to include physical education, intramurals, club sports, recreational programming was very attractive."[4] In Diles' tenure,Case Western football made the Division III playoffs three times.[1] The team also won 38 consecutive regular-season games, and Diles oversaw the opening ofVillage at 115, which included expanded fan seating and press boxes.[5]
Following an eight-year career with Case Western, Diles was appointed as the 11th athletic director for theVirginia Military Institute on September 4, 2013.[4] He was appointed by VMI superintendentJ. H. Binford Peay III, and was the successor toDonny White, who had been the Keydets' athletic director since 1998. The contract was for four years worth $150,000.[1]