“We’re the Bulldozers” — Removing barriers for Illini success

By Sean McDevitt
FightingIllini.com

According to University of Illinois Athletic Director Josh Whitman’s daughter, Tate, his favorite construction vehicle is a bulldozer.

Tate, at five years old, has assigned everyone in the Whitman household a favorite, from color to animal to ice cream. The favorites are set in stone. And in the Whitman house, the bulldozer is Josh’s favorite.

At his annual media roundtable event on June 28, Whitman described how he identifies with his “favorite” in several ways.

“When I think about my role in college athletics, I think we’re generally the bulldozers,” said Whitman at the recent media roundtable. “Our job is to clear the path in front of our coaches and our student-athletes to allow them to go all gas; no brakes all the time.”

Through his leadership over the last year, Whitman has overseen several Illinois athletic programs achieve at a high level, including the men’s basketball team winning the Big Ten for the first time since 2005, the men’s golf team winning the Big Ten Championship for a conference-record seventh consecutive season just to name a few. A total of six teams finished in the Top-25 and 12 participated in the NCAA postseason.

“Our job is to clear the path in front of our coaches and our student-athletes to allow them to go all gas; no brakes all the time.”

The literal bulldozers

Facilities have also been at the forefront this past year, from the grand opening of the Atkins Golf Club at the University of Illinois and a recent expansion of the Demirjian Indoor Golf Practice Facility to the nearly complete Susan and Clint Atkins Baseball Training Center and Rex and Alice A. Martin Softball Training Center.

Also nearing completion is a renovated Richard T. Ubben Basketball Complex. The expansion adds approximately 40,000 square feet to the existing structure while remodeling more than 40,000 square feet of existing space. The practice courts will be finished by the end of summer, with the northside and southside phases finished by early to…