Tom Jurich was born in Alhambra, California and played kicker at Arcadia High School, at Northern Arizona University, and in one game for the New Orleans Saints of the National Football League, after being drafted in the 10th round of the 1978 NFL Draft.
He was hired on October 21, 1997 after holding the same positions at Colorado State University and Northern Arizona University. On March 9, 1999, he signed a contract to stay the Director of Athletics until 2012, an unprecedented offer. In 2007, Jurich was selected Street & Smith"s SportsBusiness Journal/SportsBusiness Daily national athletic director of the year.
Jurich had spent four years at Colorado State University, starting in early 1994, as athletics director
Previously, he had been the athletics director for Northern Arizona from 1988 to 1994. Prior to Jurich, Bill Olsen was the athletics director of U of L. The initial deal from U of L was five years.
One of his first actions was to replace Ron Cooper with John L. Smith as football coach, in an attempt to boost fan support before the move to the new Papa John"s Cardinal Stadium. Pitino was going to take the basketball coaching job at University of Michigan, but told the media, "I can"t get on the phone and tell Tom northern
I can"t tell him this." Pitino replaced Denny Crum.
One of his greatest accomplishments was bringing Rick Pitino, who had brought the rival University of Kentucky"s basketball team to one National Collegiate Athletic Association championship, one National Collegiate Athletic Association Runner-up, and three Final Fours, to the University of Louisville on March 21, 2001.
