TOWSON, Md. — Dr. Steven Eigenbrot is the new Tiger King at Towson University. He was officially welcomed by those on campus on Tuesday, hired as the University’s Director of Athletics.
The 38-year-old comes to Towson after spending 12 years at University of South Carolina. He currently serves as the Gamecocks’ Deputy Athletics Director.
Eigenbrot is no stranger to the state of Maryland. He earned his bachelor’s degree from the University of Maryland College Park. The eastern Pennsylvania native says he is returning home.
"It’s been a whirlwind. A lot of 'pinch yourself, bite your lip.' Two decades of working in higher ed administration, working in college athletics and today was the day. It was pretty awesome," Eigenbrot said.
We asked why now was the best time for him to come to Towson.
"A chance to come home. Having family ties to this area. My family is all within an hour and a half of Towson. So, that really meant a lot to me," he explained. "I think this is a place where you can be really successful. I think we’re having great amounts of success and we have historically, but getting us to that next level and finding out what Tigers athletics really has in store for the next decade hopefully, is something I’m really passionate that can be a really strong narrative to attach yourself…everybody wants to be part of success."
What brought the search committee to end up on Steve Eigenbrot?
"His resume speaks for itself. Every single thing touched everything Towson wanted," said Diane Richardson, Tigers Head Women’s Basketball Coach who is also part of the A.D. Search Committee.
"We’ve had glimmers of success here but I think the fans want to see a sustainable model and that’s what we’ve got to figure out for sure," said Eigenbrot.
Eigenbrot will now oversee about 100 staff members who support 19 teams with over 600 student-athletes.
He was hired following a nationwide search. Coach Richardson tells WMAR it came down to 11 finalists. He replaces Tim Leonard who resigned in December to pursue other outside opportunities.
Eigenbrot will officially start in his new role at Towson on March 28.
