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Jan-10-2008
CEO Masback to Leave USATF
by David Monti
(c) Race Results Weekly, all rights reserved
USA Track & Field CEO Craig Masback has decided to leave his post after ten years, president Bill Roe announced yesterday. Masback will become director
of business affairs for Nike's Global Sports Marketing Division. Nike is one of USATF's biggest sponsors.
"Craig has been a great leader of our sport," said Roe through a news release. "As a former athlete, he understood what would make a difference for our athletes and coaches. As a businessman and lawyer, he helped professionalize our operation at every level. We wish him well at Nike."
When Masback, a former athlete, practicing lawyer and broadcaster, took the helm of the USA athletics federation in July, 1997, he was faced with cleaning-up an financially frail organization which was about $3 million in debt. Masback was able to financially stabilize the organization, then rebuild it to become the track and field powerhouse which earned 26 medals (14 gold) at last summer's IAAF World Championships in Osaka. During his tenure, the United States not only maintained its traditional dominance in the sprints, but also enjoyed an unlikely resurgence in distance running, culminating in two marathon medals at the 2004 Athens Olympics by Meb Keflezighi and Deena Kastor, and two gold medals at the recent world championships by Bernard Lagat at 1500 and 5000 meters.
"I have said from Day 1 that this has been my dream job," said Masback in a prepared statement. "Leading the organization out of financial difficulty, convincing new sponsors to come on board, establishing new events and TV properties, finding new partners, expanding our programs on the grass roots level and tackling the challenges presented by doping have been immensely challenging and, ultimately, immensely rewarding. I couldn't have done it without the work of a dedicated staff and the enthusiasm and expertise of our volunteer community. After ten years, it's time for me to embrace a new challenge."
Under Masback USATF's budget expanded from $6.7 million to more than $17 million for 2008. Through expanded sponsor revenues, the $3.2 million deficit has turned around to become a surplus of $3.3 million by the end of
last year. Masback also greatly improved American athletics' presence on television, establishing the Visa Championship Series in 1999.
But Masback's biggest challenges came in the area of doping control, as formalized drug testing passed to the independent USA Anti-Doping Agency
after the Sydney Olympics in 2000. As CEO, Masback had to be tough on convicted drug offenders, which sometimes meant accepting that some of the sports top stars which he had helped to promote, like Justin Gatlin and Marion Jones, were actually cheaters. Masback launched the "Zero Tolerance" policy in 2003 which expanded the federation's anti-doping efforts.
"It's been my privilege to work on behalf of the sport that gave me so many opportunities in life," Masback continued. "I hope to be able to continue to contribute to the bright future of track and field in some capacity in the coming years."
At Nike Masback "will negotiate and manage Nike's contractual relationships with athletes, sports leagues, federations and teams around the world," a USATF statement said. Roe said that a search for a new CEO would begin immediately.
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