Emporia State athletic director David Spafford announced his retirement on Wednesday. The date of Spafford’s last day with the school was not immediately available. Spafford arrived in Emporia in July of 2022 to replace former athletic director Kent Weiser who retired following 23 years with the school. In a statement, ESU president Ken Hush announced that Senior Associate Athletic Directors Colleen Mischke and Steve Rodecap would co-lead as Interim Athletic Directors. Head men’s basketball coach Tom Billeter and head football coach Garin Higgins will serve as a strategic advisors for the department during the transition. In a statement Hush said, “We will continue to build this program to create the best student and community experience, achieve excellence and win championships.” Hush said the school’s next step will be to appoint a seven-person advisory group to evaluate a search process for ESU’s next athletic director.
Update: Spafford says he will transition out of his role “over the next couple of months.”
