Miami parts ways with athletic director Blake James

The leadership at the top of the University of Miami athletic department is changing.

According to Tim Reynolds of the Associated Press, the University of Miami has parted ways with athletic director Blake James. 

James had been Miami’s athletic director since 2013. 

In his role as the leader of athletics, James hired Mark Richt in 2016 and Manny Diaz in 2019. 

During his tenure as athletic director, the UM football program achieved one ten win season, in 2017. 

James’ leadership came into question when he did a secret media tour the day before the NC State game this season, causing a distraction for a team that was preparing for a big game. The clandestine move by James was an effort to separate himself from Diaz, who he hired as the head football coach within 12 hours of the job opening up. 

Diaz went on to win three games after James’ stunt and friction grew between the football side of the athletic department and James. 

Now with Miami sitting at 5-5, the UM leadership is sending a strong message that they are now looking to make significant changes to the athletic department–and potentially the football program. 

UM President Julio Frenk released a statement in late September noting that he would have some of his trusted advisors monitoring the program. 

“To that end, I have decided to increase the involvement from my senior leadership team to chart a way forward,” Frenk wrote. “Rudy Fernandez, in his capacity as my chief of staff, and Joe Echevarria, in his capacity as my senior advisor, will augment my own direct engagement with the athletics director by facilitating seamless alignment between the Board of Trustees, my entire administration, and the athletics department.”

The UM leadership decided to move on after James’ poor demonstration of leadership.

Prior to being named AD, James served as Interim Athletics Director and Senior Associate AD for Development and Ticket Operations at UM, where he oversaw the day-to-day operations of development, ticket sales and ticket operations. He also was a member of the Hurricanes’ senior staff and provided sport supervision.

James returned to UM after spending seven years at the University of Maine, where he began as Senior Associate Athletic Director before being elevated to Director of Athletics, serving from 2005 to 2010. During his tenure, Maine Athletics experienced tremendous success, including three trips to the Frozen Four for the men’s ice hockey program and NCAA playoff berths for football, baseball (two), women’s basketball and softball.

Prior to his stint at Maine, James worked in athletic development at Providence College, where he established the “Friars Forever” campaign and the Friar Athletic Fund.

James began his athletic career at UM, working in ticket sales, corporate sales and athletic development. In 1995, he was hired as Miami’s Director of Ticket Sales, serving in that capacity until 1997, when he was named an athletic development officer at the University of Nebraska. He returned to Miami in 1998 as the Director of Major Gifts and Corporate Sales and was promoted to the Director of…